Weather and the Atmosphere Exam 2

Surface winds and upper-level winds blow in the same direction in a thermal circulation T/F

False

The Coriolis force is the force that causes the wind to blow T/F

False

Two parcels of air with the same volume and temperature will also always have the same pressure T/F

False

A warm northward flowing ocean current is found along the east coast of the United States and a cold southward moving current is found along the west coast T/F

True

An altimeter is often just an aneroid barometer that has been calibrated to indicate altitude T/F

True

Clouds, fogs, and precipitation are more likely to form where prevailing winds are upslope than where the winds are downslope T/F

True

Cumulus cloud formation above a mountain in the early afternoon could indicate a well-developed valley T/F

True

Surface air is warmer and drier as a result of compressional heating in a downslope T/F

True

The polar jet stream is strongest in the winter when surface temperature contrasts are greatest T/F

True

Upper-level winds blow from west to east in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere T/F

True

A surface low pressure center is generally associated with ____ on an upper-air isobaric chart. a. a trough b. a ridge c. zonal flow d. divergence

a. a trough

On the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, chinook winds are enhanced when ____. a. clouds form and precipitation falls on the windward side of the mountains b. the air aloft is cold c. the sun is shining d. the winds are blowing from the east

a. clouds form and precipitation falls on the windward side of the mountains

The heat from a chinook wind is generated mainly by ____. a. compressional heating b. sunlight c. warm ocean water d. convection

a. compressional heating

Air pockets are areas of ____ that can form in clear air. a. descending air b. ascending air c. wind shear d. high pressure

a. descending air

Strong Santa Ana winds develop in Los Angeles during the fall when a ____ pressure center forms to the ____of Los Angeles over the Great Basin. a. high; northeast b. high; southwest c. low; northeast d. low; southwest

a. high; northeast

A ridge on an upper-air isobaric chart indicates ____. a. higher-than-average heights b. lower-than-average heights c. average heights d. a region with calm winds

a. higher-than-average heights

When the upward-directed pressure gradient force is in balance with the downward pull of gravity, the atmosphere is in ____. a. hydrostatic equilibrium b. unstable equilibrium c. geostrophic balance d. isobaric balance

a. hydrostatic equilibrium

During the summer along the coast, a sea breeze is usually strongest and best developed ____. a. in the afternoon b. just after sunrise c. around midnight d. just before noon

a. in the afternoon

What is the common pressure unit used in aviation and on television and radio? a. inches of mercury b. millibar c. millimeters of mercury d. hectopascal

a. inches of mercury

If Earth's gravitational force were to increase, atmospheric pressure at the ground would ____. a. increase b. decrease c. remain the same d. cause the atmosphere to expand vertically

a. increase

In Honolulu, Hawaii (latitude 21°N), you would most likely experience winds blowing from the ____. a. northeast b. south c. southwest d. northwest

a. northeast

The wind belt observed on the poleward side of the polar front is called the ____. a. polar easterlies b. prevailing westerlies c. northeast trades d. doldrums

a. polar easterlies

To obtain the station pressure, you must normally make corrections for ____. a. temperature and gravity b. temperature and altitude c. operator error and temperature d. temperature and time

a. temperature and gravity

The majority of the United States lies within a(n) ____ wind belt. a. westerly b. easterly c. northerly d. southerly

a. westerly

The polar jet stream is strongest and moves furthest south in the ____. a. winter b. spring c. summer d. fall

a. winter

The ____ force is an apparent force created by Earth's rotation. a. pressure gradient b. Coriolis c. centripetal d. gravitational

b. Coriolis

Great Britain typically has warmer winter temperatures than other areas of similar latitude because of the____. a. Labrador Current b. Gulf Stream c. North Equatorial Current d. Agulhas Current

b. Gulf Stream

To correctly monitor horizontal changes in air pressure, the most important correction for a mercury barometer measurement is the correction for ____. a. temperature b. altitude c. density d. gravity

b. altitude

Jet streams play a major role in the global transfer of heat by directing ____. a. cold air to the poles b. cold air equatorward c. warm air equatorward d. warm air to the tropics

b. cold air equatorward

If upper-level divergence exceeds surface convergence, the air pressure at the center of the low will ____, and the isobars will become ____ tightly packed. a. decrease; less b. decrease; more c. increase; less d. increase; more

b. decrease, more

The surface pressures at the bases of warm and cold columns of air are equal. Air pressure in the warmcolumn of air will ____ with increasing height ____ than in the cold column. a. decrease; more rapidly b. decrease; more slowly c. increase; more rapidly d. increase; more slowly

b. decrease; more slowly

What time of day would you most likely expect thunderstorms to occur on a mountain? a. early morning b. early afternoon c. midnight d. early evening

b. early afternoon

At Barrow, Alaska (latitude 70°N), you would expect the prevailing wind to be ____. a. northerly b. easterly c. southerly d. westerly

b. easterly

"Howling" winds can be caused by ____. a. jet streams b. eddies c. long waves d. low pressure areas

b. eddies

During a major El Niño event, ____. a. record amounts of fish are harvested at the time of the winter solstice b. extensive ocean warming occurs in the eastern tropical Pacific c. eastern trade winds increase in strength d. extensive upwelling occurs in the eastern tropical Pacific

b. extensive ocean warming occurs in the eastern tropical Pacific

Which combination produces the strongest Coriolis force? a. fast winds and low latitude b. fast winds and high latitude c. slow winds and low latitude d. slow winds and high latitude

b. fast winds and high latitude

On an upper-air chart, normally we find warm air associated with ____ pressure, and cold air associated with____ pressure. a. high; high b. high; low c. low; low d. low; high

b. high, low

Which condition most favors the development of dust devils? a. hot, moist days b. hot, dry days c. cold, moist days d. cold, dry days

b. hot, dry days

The ideal setting for a ____ wind to form is an elevated plateau surrounded by mountains, with an opening thatslopes rapidly downhill. a. valley b. katabatic c. chinook d. Santa Ana

b. katabatic

The large red L's on a surface map represent centers of low pressure, also known as ____ storms. a. high-latitude anti-cyclonic b. mid-latitude cyclonic c. high-latitude cyclonic d. mid-latitude anti-cyclonic

b. mid-latitude cyclonic

Atmospheric pressure changes ____. a. more rapidly in the horizontal direction than in the vertical b. more rapidly in the vertical direction than in the horizontal c. at the same rate in the horizontal and vertical directions d. more rapidly in the vertical direction over land than over the ocean

b. more rapidly in the vertical direction than in the horizontal

The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is a region where the ____. a. polar front meets the subtropical high b. northeast trades meet the southeast trades c. northeast trades converge with the subtropical high d. polar easterlies converge with the air at the doldrums

b. northeast trades meet the southeast trades

Suppose that the winds aloft are geostrophic and blowing from the north. With the same orientation of isobars at the surface, the winds would blow from the ____. a. southwest b. northwest c. northeast d. southeast

b. northwest

Santa Ana winds are characteristically dry due to compressional heating and ____. a. converging winds b. origination in the desert c. high winds d. westerly winds

b. origination in the desert

On an upper-air chart, the wind aloft tends to blow ____. a. at right angles to the isobars or contour lines b. parallel to the isobars or contours c. at an angle between 10o and 30o to the contours and towards lower pressure d. at constant speed

b. parallel to the isobars or contours

The force that causes the wind to blow is the ____ force. a. Coriolis b. pressure gradient c. centripetal d. frictional

b. pressure gradient

As air aloft moves from south to north, air leaves the southern area and "piles up" above the northern area. This redistribution of air ____ the surface air pressure to the south and ____ it to the north. a. raises; reduces b. reduces; raises c. raises; raises d. reduces; reduces

b. reduces; raises

We can generally expect the air to be ____ above areas of surface low pressure and ____ above areas of surface high pressure. a. rising; rising b. rising; sinking c. sinking; sinking d. sinking; rising

b. rising, sinking

A ____ pressure usually indicates clearing weather or fair weather. a. constant b. steadily rising c. steadily falling d. fluctuating

b. steadily rising

In the three-cell model, converging surface winds and rising air motions are found at ____. a. the equator and 30° latitude b. the equator and 60° latitude c. 30° latitude and 60° latitude d. 30° latitude and the poles

b. the equator and 60° latitude

While fly fishing in a mountain stream, you notice that the wind is blowing uphill. From this you might deduce that the wind is a ____. a. chinook wind b. valley breeze c. Santa Ana wind d. mountain breeze

b. valley breeze

Billow clouds are known to primarily form in areas of ____. a. mountain wave eddies b. wind shear c. thermal highs d. thermal lows

b. wind shear

The winds aloft in the middle latitudes would not blow from the west if ____. a. Earth's rotation slowed or increased slightly b. Earth's tilt changed slightly c. air over high latitudes became warmer than over the equator d. direction of the moon's orbit around Earth was reversed

c. air over high latitudes became warmer than over the equator

Winds blow slightly inward ____. a. around surface low pressure centers in the Northern Hemisphere only b. around surface low pressure centers in the Southern Hemisphere only c. around surface low pressure centers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres d. at the poles in both hemispheres

c. around surface low pressure centers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

A gradient wind blowing around the low-pressure center is constantly accelerating because it is constantly changing directions. This is called ____. a. the pressure gradient force b. the Coriolis force c. centripetal acceleration d. cyclonic flow

c. centripetal acceleration

Cyclonic flow means ____ in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. a. clockwise wind flow b. counterclockwise flow c. circulation around a low pressure center d. circulation around a high pressure center

c. circulation around a low pressure center

The wind around a surface high pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere blows ____ the center. a. counterclockwise and outward from b. counterclockwise and inward toward c. clockwise and outward from d. clockwise and inward toward

c. clockwise and outward form

In the Northern Hemisphere, ocean currents in the Atlantic and the Pacific move in a generally circular pattern. The direction of this motion is ____ in the Atlantic and ____ in the Pacific. a. clockwise; counterclockwise b. counterclockwise; counterclockwise c. clockwise; clockwise d. counterclockwise; clockwise

c. clockwise, clockwise

Summertime weather in Northern California often consists of low clouds and fog due to ____. a. southerly prevailing winds b. warm coastal water c. cold coastal water d. katabatic winds

c. cold coastal water

If, at your home in the Northern Hemisphere, the surface wind is blowing from the northwest, then the region of lowest pressure will be to the ____ of your home. a. north b. south c. east d. west

c. east

Suppose that the winds aloft in the Northern Hemisphere are geostrophic and blowing from the north. Low pressure is located to the ____. a. north b. south c. east d. west

c. east

A ____ wind blows at a constant speed parallel to straight line isobars, with the pressure gradient force (PGF)and the Coriolis force in balance. a. gradient b. meridional c. geostrophic d. cyclostrophic

c. geostrophic

Which force does not have a direct effect on horizontal wind motions? a. pressure gradient force b. frictional force c. gravitational force d. Coriolis force

c. gravitational force

The atmosphere around Earth would rush off into space if the upward-directed pressure gradient force were not exactly balanced by ____. a. the Coriolis force b. the horizontal pressure gradient force c. gravity d. the centripetal force

c. gravity

The nighttime counterpart of the sea breeze circulation is called a ____. a. chinook b. Santa Ana c. land breeze d. foehn

c. land breeze

Which pairing is most accurate? a. microscale—chinook wind b. synoptic scale—sea breeze c. mesoscale—land breeze d. planetary scale—lake breeze

c. mesoscale-land breeze

The scale on an altimeter indicates altitude, but an altimeter actually measures ____. a. temperature b. density c. pressure d. humidity

c. pressure

On a weather map of the Northern Hemisphere, the northeast trade winds would be observed ____. a. north of the polar front b. between the polar front and the subtropical highs c. south of the subtropical highs d. between the subpolar lows and the subtropical highs

c. south of the subtropical highs

In the three-cell model of Earth's general air circulation, areas of surface low pressure should be found at____. a. the equator and the poles b. the equator and 30° latitude c. the equator and 60° latitude d. 30° latitude and 60° latitude

c. the equator and 60° latitude

The cold water observed along the northern California coast in summer is due primarily to ____. a. evaporation b. oceanic fronts c. upwelling d. the polar front

c. upwelling

Cumulus clouds that appear above isolated mountain peaks are often the result of ____. a. katabatic winds b. mountain winds c. valley breezes d. Santa Ana winds

c. valley breezes

Chicago, Illinois (latitude 42°N) is located in the ____. a. northeast trades b. southeast trades c. westerlies d. doldrums

c. westerlies

The summer monsoon in eastern and southern Asia is characterized by ____ weather and winds blowing from____. a. wet; land to sea b. dry; land to sea c. wet; sea to land d. dry; sea to land

c. wet; sea to land

What term describes air aloft that changes speed or direction? a. sea breeze b. long wave c. wind shear d. macroscale circulation

c. wind shear

The net force acting on air that is blowing parallel to straight contours at constant speed is ____. a. in the direction of wind motion b. to the right of the wind's motion in the Northern Hemisphere c. zero d. in a direction opposite the wind's motio

c. zero

Suppose a column of air has constant air temperature. What would happen if we force more air into thecolumn? a. The air would become less dense, and the surface air pressure would increase. b. The air would become more dense, and the surface air pressure would decrease. c. The air would become less dense, and the surface air pressure would decrease. d. The air would become more dense, and the surface air pressure would increase

d. The air would become more dense, and the surface air pressure would increase

The pressure gradient force is directed from higher pressure toward lower pressure ____. a. only at the equator b. at all places on Earth except for the equator c. only at the poles d. at all places on Earth

d. at all places on Earth

In the vertical, the pressure gradient force points ____ and gravity points ____. a. toward Earth; away from Earth b. toward Earth; toward Earth c. away from Earth; away from Earth d. away from Earth; toward Earth

d. away from Earth; toward Earth

On a weather map of the Northern Hemisphere, one would observe the westerlies ____. a. north of the subpolar lows b. south of the subtropical highs c. between the doldrums and the horse latitudes d. between the subpolar lows and the subtropical high

d. between the subpolar lows ad the subtropical high

The wind around a surface low pressure center in the Southern Hemisphere blows ____ the center. a. counterclockwise and outward from b. counterclockwise and inward toward c. clockwise and outward from d. clockwise and inward toward

d. clockwise and inward toward

The surface air around a strengthening low pressure area normally ____, while, above the system, the airnormally ____. a. diverges; diverges b. diverges; converges c. converges; converges d. converges; diverges

d. converges; diverges

The winter monsoon in eastern and southern Asia is characterized by ____ weather and winds blowing from____. a. wet; land to sea b. wet; sea to land c. dry; sea to land d. dry; land to sea

d. dry; land to sea

A wind that blows at a constant speed parallel to curved isobars or contour lines is called a ____ wind. a. geostrophic b. cyclonic c. convergent d. gradient

d. gradient

The most practical location for building a wind turbine would be ____. a. in a region of strong, gusty winds b. on the downwind side of a mountain c. in a region that often has a slight breeze d. in a region of moderate, steady wind

d. in a region of moderate, steady wind

The polar front jet stream blows ____. a. directly from west to east b. directly from east to west c. from the equator towards the poles d. in a wavy pattern from west to east

d. in a wavy pattern from west to east

The tropical western Pacific Ocean regions experience ____ during strong ENSO events. a. lower surface air pressure b. higher sea levels c. strong trade winds d. lower sea levels

d. lower sea levels

Many of the world's deserts are found near 30° latitude because ____. a. the intertropical convergence zone is located there b. of sinking air found near the polar front c. of the convergence of the prevailing westerlies and the northeast trade winds d. of the sinking air of the subtropical high

d. of the sinking air of the subtropical high

A sea breeze circulation will reverse direction and become a land breeze circulation ____. a. once every few days b. at the beginning and the end of the summer c. several times per day d. once per day

d. once per day

A wind profiler obtains wind information using a(n) ____. a. aerovane b. theodolite c. infrared radiometer d. Doppler radar

d. theodolite

An object is falling at constant speed. The net force is ____. a. upward b. downward c. horizontally directed d. zero

d. zero

Match each weather pattern with the appropriate description. a. Over the northern central Pacific and along the west coast of North America the surface water temperature reverses every 20 to 30 years. b. The variations of atmospheric pressure between the Arctic and the North Pacific and the Atlantic. c. High pressure over the southeastern Pacific and lower pressure near Indonesia produce easterly trade winds along the equator promoting upwelling and cooler ocean water in the eastern Pacific. d. The periodic reversal of atmospheric pressure between the vicinity of the Icelandic low and the region of the Bermuda-Azores high. e. When atmospheric circulation patterns change over the tropical Pacific, and the trade winds weaken or reverse direction, warm tropical water is able to flow eastward toward South American where it chokes off upwelling. 91. Pacific Decadal Oscillation 92. North Atlantic Oscillation 93. Arctic Oscillation 94. El Niño 95. La Niña

91. a 92. d 93. b 94. e 95. c

Match each weather instrument with the appropriate description. a. ​a very old, yet reliable, weather instrument for determining wind direction b. ​an instrument that obtains the vertical profile of wind speed and direction up to an altitude of 16 km above the ground c. ​an instrument that measures wind speed d. ​an instrument that indicates both wind speed and direction e. ​an instrument package designed to measure the vertical profile of temperature, pressure, and humidity 96. aerovane 97. anemometer 98. radiosonde 99. wind profile 100. wind vane

96. d 97. c 98. e 99. b 100. a