Physical Meteorology Final Exam

True or false: The textbook used the term "fumigation" in reference downward vertical mixing of pollutants

true

True or false: Transformations in which entropy (and therefore potential temperature) remains constant are called "isentropic"

true

True or false: Turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) is not conserved

true

True or false: the terminal fall speed of a droplet increases with the size of the droplet

true

Which of the following parameters is a thermodynamic quantity often printed on a skew-T diagram? a. convective available potential energy b. differential vorticity advection

a. convective available potential energy

___________ represents the size distribution of cloud droplets a. cloud droplet concentration b. Kohler curve c. droplet size spectrum

c. droplet size spectrum

Layers of air with negative lapse rates (temperature increasing with height) are called _______ a. spheres b. pauses c. inversions

c. inversions

__________ refers to heat added/ subtracted due to phase changes of water a. conduction b. sensible heat c. latent heat

c. latent heat

Which of the following acronyms define important environmental levels to consider when an air parcel rises? (2) a. LCL b. VIS c. MSE d. LFC

a. LCL d. LFC

The portion of the Earth's atmosphere most strongly affected by the Earth's surface is called the _________ a. atmospheric boundary layer b. thermosphere c. free troposphere d. mesopause

a. atmospheric boundary layer

Cold clouds are clouds that exist at temperatures a. below 0 degrees Celsius b. above 0 degrees Celsius

a. below 0 degrees Celsius

The region in a cold cloud where ice particles melt is seen on radar as the ________ because melting ice particles become coated with a film of water that greatly increases their reflectivity. a. bright band

a. bright band

Which of the following is an advantage of a skew-T diagram? a. can assess the stability of the atmosphere b. sounding does not give a true vertical dimension

a. can assess the stability of the atmosphere

__________ represents the total number of water droplets per unit volume of air a. cloud droplet concentration b. liquid water content c. cloud condensation nuclei

a. cloud droplet concentration

The assigned reading material discussed droplet growth by _________ a. condensation b. evaporation c. sublimation d. melting

a. condensation

True or false: "Warm clouds" are made up of a mixture of water droplets and ice crystals

false

True or false: A collector drop always captures nearby smaller droplets

false

True or false: An isotherm is identical to a dry adiabat

false

True or false: Clouds can never form within the boundary layer

false

True or false: Cold clouds contain only ice crystals

false

True or false: Collision efficiency is the same thing as coalescence efficiency

false

True or false: Forest canopies are incapable of affecting the boundary layer

false

True or false: Incoming shortwave radiation occurs during the day and at night

false

True or false: Pascals [Pa] are considered a SI unit

false

True or false: Raindrops are about the same size as a typical cloud droplet

false

True or false: Synoptic-scale phenomena are smaller than mesoscale phenomena

false

True or false: The boundary layer is the same regardless of time of day or night

false

True or false: The mixed layer is always a constant depth. In other words, the depth of the mixed layer never changes

false

True or false: The saturation (moist) adiabatic lapse rate is larger (steeper) than the dry adiabatic lapse rate. (Put another way, a parcel's temperature drops faster with height when following the moist adiabatic lapse rate vs. the dry adiabatic lapse rate)

false

True or false: The second law of thermodynamics has nothing to do with a Carnot heat engine

false

True or false: The supersaturation value with respect to ice is identical to the supersaturation value with respect to liquid water

false

True or false: There are two midterms in this course.

false

True or false: Turbulence does not occur in the ocean

false

True or false: Turbulence is completely random

false

True or false: Vertical shear of the horizontal wind is a type of thermal instability

false

___________ represents the amount of energy required to lift a parcel to the LFC a. convective inhibition (CIN) b. convective available potential energy (CAPE) c. the lifted index (LI)

a. convective inhibition (CIN)

During the day, moisture is added to the boundary layer through _________ from the surface a. evaporation b. condensation c. radiation

a. evaporation

Because pressure decreases with height in the atmosphere, a vertical pressure gradient induces an upward force, while gravity induces a downward force. The balance between these two forces is called ___________ a. hydrostatic balance b. thermal wind balance c. radiative equilibrium d. hypsometric balance

a. hydrostatic balance

When ice particles in clouds increase in number without the action of ice nuclei, this is called ____________ a. ice multiplication

a. ice multiplication

Which of the following terms correspond with "named" types of soundings? (2) a. inverted V b. upside-down smiley face c. hurricane d. morning inversion

a. inverted V d. morning inversion

Which of the following lines are typically shown on a skew-T diagram? (3) a. isotherms b. potential vorticity c. observed dew point temperature d. dry adiabats

a. isotherms c. observed dew point temperature d. dry adiabats

An unsaturated parcel follows the dry adiabatic lapse rate until it reaches the __________ because at this point it becomes saturated a. lifting condensation level (LCL) b. moist static energy c. wet-bulb temperature

a. lifting condensation level (LCL)

How can turbulence be generated? (2) a. mechanically b. grammatically c. thermally d. ecumenically

a. mechanically c. thermally

__________ is the temperature an air parcel would have if expanded or compressed adiabatically from its starting pressure to 1000 hPa a. potential temperature b. virtual temperature c. saturated temperature

a. potential temperature

The nearly neutral layer that can form above the nocturnal boundary layer is called the _________ a. residual layer b. capping inversion c. free atmosphere d. tropopause

a. residual layer

Ice particles can increase in mass by colliding with supercooled droplets that then freeze onto them in a process called _________ a. riming

a. riming

Which of the following fluxes need to be accounted for when evaluating the Earth's surface energy balance (2) a. sensible heat flux b. marginal heat flux c. latent heat flux

a. sensible heat flux c. latent heat flux

Drag at the ground (friction) causes near-surface winds to _______ a. slow down b. remain unchanged c. speed up

a. slow down

Clouds form when air becomes _________ with respect to liquid water or with ice a. supersaturated b. saturated c. sub-saturated

a. supersaturated

Which of the following factors are considered to be "special" boundary layer phenomena? (3) a. terrain b. the free atmosphere c. urban areas (cities) d. coastlines (land/sea or land/lake boundaries)

a. terrain c. urban areas (cities) d. coastlines (land/sea or land/lake boundaries

What is the difference between the LCL and the CCL? a. the LCL is reached by a parcel that is forced upward, and the CCL is reached by a parcel warmed at the Earth's surface

a. the LCL is reached by a parcel that is forced upward, and the CCL is reached by a parcel warmed at the Earth's surface

The mixing ratio is the ratio between _________ a. the mass of water vapor and the mass of dry air in a parcel b. the dry air gas constant and the specific heat at constant pressure c. the molecular mass of water vapor and the molecular mass of dry air d. the mass of water vapor and the mass of total air in a parcel

a. the mass of water vapor and the mass of dry air in a parcel

Specific humidity is the ratio between a. the mass of water vapor and the mass of total air in a parcel b. the mass of water vapor and the mass of dry air in a parcel c. the dry air gas constant and the specific heat at constant pressure d. the molecular mass of water vapor and the molecular mass of dry air

a. the mass of water vapor and the mass of total air in a parcel

The troposphere is ______ the atmosphere a. the same as b. below c. next to d. above

b. below

We use the term _______ to refer to a strong stable layer between the boundary layer and the atmosphere above the boundary layer a. lifting condensation level b. capping inversion c. level of free convection d. tropopause

b. capping inversion

Cloud droplets can grow by which of the following processes? (3) a. evaporation b. condensation c. collection/ collision of droplets

b. condensation c. collection/ collision of droplets

Parameters that remain constant during certain transformations are said to be _________ a. destroyed b. conserved c. mutated

b. conserved

What does "CCL" stand for? a. chapman condensation level b. convective condensation level

b. convective condensation level

The dewpoint depression is the difference between the temperature and the ________ at a particular pressure level a. potential temperature b. dew point temperature c. virtual temperature

b. dew point temperature

An unsaturated parcel's temperature will decrease at the __________ as it rises a. moist adiabatic lapse rate b. dry adiabatic lapse rate

b. dry adiabatic lapse rate

__________ represents the amount of liquid water per unit volume of air a. cloud droplet concentration b. liquid water content c. liquid weight capacity

b. liquid water content

Relative humidity is the ratio between ______ (and then multiplied by 100) a. water vapor and dry air b. mixing ratio and saturation mixing ratio c. vapor pressure and total pressure

b. mixing ratio and saturation mixing ratio

The dew point temperature is the temperature an unsaturated parcel of air would need to reach to become _______ a. equalized b. saturated c. frozen

b. saturated

Which of the following is a limitation of skew-T diagrams? a. can determine cap strength and convective temperature b. sounding does not give true instantaneous measurements

b. sounding does not give true instantaneous measurements

Which of the following are examples of Carnot heat engines? (2) a. solar panel b. steam engine c. nuclear power plant d. electric car

b. steam engine c. nuclear power plant

"Isothermal" means the ________ remains constant a. pressure b. temperature c. volume

b. temperature

When the surface warms through daytime heating via incoming solar radiation, _________ will result. a. downdrafts b. thermals c. nocturnal boundary layers d. static stability

b. thermals

The boundary layer is frequently characterized by _________ a. the stratospheric ozone layer b. turbulence c. influence from space

b. turbulence

The _______ is the temperature to which a parcel of air at a constant pressure cools through the evaporation of water into it. (Take a parcel of unsaturated air. Then, at constant pressure (with no vertical motion), evaporate water into the parcel. Evaporative cooling will occur until the parcel reaches saturation. The _____ is reached when the air parcel achieves saturation. Hint: this temperature is not the same as the green line drawn on a skew-T diagram) a. dew point temperature b. wet-bulb temperature c. virtual temperature

b. wet-bulb temperature

Reading quizzes are worth ______ of the course grade. a. 10% b. 20% c. 30% d. 40%

c. 30%

Which of the following describes the buoyancy oscillations of an air parcel? a. dry adiabatic lapse rate b. level of free convection c. Brunt-Vaisala frequency d. hypsometric equation

c. Brunt-Vaisala frequency

A _________ shows the relationship between relative humidity and the size (radius) of an aerosol particle a. skew-T diagram b. Carnot cycle diagram c. Kohler curve

c. Kohler

If a material undergoes a change in its physical state (pressure, volume, temperature) without any heat being added or taken away, this change is said to be ___________ a. diabatic b. hydrostatic c. adiabatic

c. adiabatic

The acronym "CCN" stands for a. convective condensation nucleation b. cloud convective neutrality c. cloud condensation nuclei

c. cloud condensation nuclei

___________ represents the amount of buoyant energy available as the parcel is accelerated upward a. the lifted index (LI) b. convective inhibition (CIN) c. convective available potential energy (CAPE)

c. convective available potential energy (CAPE)

The daily cycle of incoming solar radiation is also known as the _________ a. carbon cycle b. nocturnal cycle c. diurnal cycle d. water cycle

c. diurnal cycle

___________ represents the difference between the observed temperature at 500 hPa and the temperature of an air parcel lifted to 500 hPa from near the surface a. convective available potential energy (CAPE) b. convective inhibition (CIN) c. the lifted index (LI)

c. lifted index (LI)

Which CCN are activated first? a. it's random b. least efficient c. most efficient

c. most efficient

When cloud droplets form as a result of water vapor condensing onto atmospheric aerosols, this is called heterogeneous _____________ a. entrainment b. supersaturation c. nucleation

c. nucleation

The second law of thermodynamics states that "for a _______ transformation, there is no change in the entropy of the universe" (universe = a system and its surroundings) a. irreversible b. pseudo-adiabatic c. reversible

c. reversible

What relationship is provided by the Bowen ratio? a. incoming sunlight vs. outgoing long wave radiation b. evaporation vs. condensation c. sensible heat vs. latent heat

c. sensible heat vs. latent heat

Cloud droplets grow when the air is __________ a. saturated b. subsaturated c. supersaturated

c. supersaturated

The nocturnal boundary layer forms in response to __________ during the night a. the Earth's surface warming and thus warming the air above it b. strong nighttime winds caused by uneven surface heating c. the Earth's surface cooling and thus cooling the air above it

c. the Earth's surface cooling and thus cooling the air above it

Geopotential is a. the thermal potential of an air parcel b. the kinetic energy per unit mass c. the gravitational potential per unit mass

c. the gravitational potential per unit mass

Parcels that are _______ will continue rising if they're pushed upward a. unstable b. neutral c. stable

c. unstable

Cloud droplet growth in warm clouds is affected by the flux of ________ across the surface of the droplet a. cloud condensation nuclei b. momentum c. water vapor

c. water vapor

The processes that account for the growth of cloud particles across scales from incredibly tiny to the size of raindrops are collectively referred to as __________ a. condensation b. nucleation c. supersaturation d. cloud microphysics

d. cloud microphysics

Air parcels becoming one with the mixed layer and never returning to the free atmosphere is referred to as _________ a. entertainment b. detainment c. turbulence d. entrainment

d. entrainment

The portion of the troposphere that is not strongly affected by the Earth's surface is called the _______ a. mesopause b. thermosphere c. atmospheric boundary layer d. free atmosphere

d. free atmosphere

Which of the following equations is related to the thickness of an atmospheric layer? a. hydrostatic equation b. ideal gas law c. Planck function d. hypsometric equation

d. hypsometric equation

Which of the following layers is not one that we find within the planetary boundary layer? a. convective boundary layer b. stable boundary layer c. residual layer d. ozone layer

d. ozone layer

The total pressure of a mixture of gases equals a. the average of the molecular weights of those gases b. the sum of the molecular weights of those gases c. the average of the partial pressures of those gases d. the sum of the partial pressures of those gases

d. the sum of the partial pressures of those gases

The ________ is "a prominent, strong temperature inversion that forms in association with subsidence in the subtropical anticyclones, the descending branch of the Hadley circulation." a. convective available potential energy (CAPE) b. entrainment zone c. lifting condensation level d. trade wind inversion

d. trade wind inversion

Which of the following features is not one that we find within the planetary boundary layer? a. capping inversion b. surface layer c. entrainment zone d. tropopause

d. tropopause

True or false: "Fair-weather cumulus clouds" do not penetrate beyond the top of the capping inversion into the free atmosphere

true

True or false: A constant nucleus is a type of ice nucleus (a particle that helps ice crystals form)

true

True or false: A particle that acts as a freezing nucleus helps ice crystals form by providing an ice-like structure to get them started

true

True or false: Earth's atmosphere is primarily composed of nitrogen and oxygen

true

True or false: Frontal passage can destroy the capping inversion

true

True or false: In a cyclic process, a substance undergoes changes but eventually returns to its original state

true

True or false: In equilibrium, the incoming flux of energy equals the outgoing flux of energy

true

True or false: Liquid water can exist at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius

true

True or false: On average, the troposphere is statically stable

true

True or false: Saturation vapor pressure depends only on temperature

true

True or false: The Clausius-Clapeyron equation relates changes in saturation vapor pressure (with respect tolnquid water) to changes in temperature

true

True or false: The term "equilibrium vapor pressure" is more appropriate than the term "saturated air"

true