ATMS 103 Final
If the environment is conditionally unstable, moistening the air at the surface will tend to make the environment: A. More stable because the humid air is heavier than the dry air B. Less stable because the rising air will reach its dew point and become saturated more quickly C. The stability of the environment will remain the same D. There isn't enough information to tell
B
Once a tropical cyclone moves inland and into mountains, the greater threat to life comes from A. Flying debris B. Flooding C. Lightening D. Strong Winds
B
Over the last century, hurricane damage (as measured in inflation-adjusted dollars) has ______ because ______. A. Increased; hurricanes have grown more intense due to climate change B. Increased; coastal populations have increased dramatically C. Decreased; forecasting skill has improved markedly D. Decreased; buildings are considerably better constructed today
B
Over the past 20 years in the north Atlantic basin, tropical cyclone track forecasting has improved _____ and tropical cyclone intensity forecasting has improved _____. A. Little; significantly B. Significantly; little C. Little; little D. Significantly; significantly
B
The Enhanced Fujita scale categories are assigned to tornadoes based on wind speeds, which are most often estimated by analyzing ______. A. Computer model reconstructions of the tornado B. Damage left by the tornado C. Doppler radar reflectivities D. Doppler radar velocities
B
The image below shows a family of water spouts. The funnels lie A. Under a mesocyclone B. Along a zone of strong horizontal wind shear C. Along a line of strong sea surface temp contrasts D. Within a region of strong downdrafts
B
True or False: The Atlantic hurricane season tends to be more active when there is an El Nino in the equatorial Pacific Ocean A. True B. False
B
True or false: Doppler radar can always detect whether there is a tornado on the ground A. True B. False
B
True or false: below 0C, all water in clouds is frozen. A. True B. False
B
What brand new technology did Admiral Hasley's fleet have that should have helped him to avoid two typhoons in 1944 and 1945? A. Statellites B. Radar C. Radio D. Aircraft instrument
B
What process will tend to make a mixture of cloudy and unsaturated air become cooler than the unsaturated air was before mixing? A. Water vapor in the unsaturated air will tend to condense as cloudy air is mixed in, cooling the mixture B. Water droplets in the cloudy will tend to evaporate as unsaturated air is mixed in, cooling the mixture C. Water droplets in the mixture will tend to fall out and take away heat, cooling the mixture
B
When hurricane makes landfall, its intensity will _____. A. Strengthen, mostly due to higher temps at the surface B. Weaken, mostly due to less supply of water vapor C. Weaken only if there are mountains near the coast to disrupt the storm's circulation
B
When precipitation is formed by the ice crystal process ________. A. There is a net transport of water vapor from ice crystals to liquid droplets B. There is a net transport of water vapor from liquid droplets to ice crystals C. Liquid droplets collect ice crystals D. Larger ice crystals collect smaller ice crystals
B
Which of the following characteristics of supercell makes the distinctive difference from other types of thunderstorms? A. Significant amount of CAPE B. The rotation in the updraft C. Extremely warm and moist air at the surface D. Gust fronts
B
Which of the following scenarios will most likely result in locally enhanced precipitation from a tropical cyclone? A. The tropical cyclone moves over colder sea surface temps B. The tropical cyclone makes landfall in a mountainous region C. The tropical cyclone makes landfall on small, low-lying islands
B
Which of the following statements correctly describes the forecasts made 24 hours before Hurricane Katrina made landfall? A. The predicted track of the hurricane was not accurate B. The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane warnings that emphasized that the strength of the storm was unprecedented and would cause catastrophic damage C. Hurricane Katrina was poorly forecasted; the deadly flooding in New Orleans was completely unexpected
B
Which of the following statements describes what may happen to a tropical cyclone after it recurves and remains over the ocean? A. All tropical cyclones weaken and completely disappear shortly after recurving B. The tropical cyclone can transition into an intense midlatitude low C. The tropical cyclone often intensifies and accelerates toward the west D. None of the above
B
Which of the following statements is true about hailstones? A. The clear layers form when the new ice freezes rapidly onto the hailstone while the "milky" layers form when the new ice freezes slowly onto the hailstone B. The layers in these hailstones formed as they recirculated through different parts of the storm having different sized cloud droplets and precipitating particles at different temps C. The layers in these hailstones are a result of the hailstones passing through the different electrical charges in the thunderstorm
B
Rotation in hurricane
By Coriolis force Coriolis force turns wind to the right in NH, and left in SH Hurricanes are all counterclockwise in NH, all clockwise in SH
A precipitating cloud was measured to have a temp at its base of 20C and a temp at the top of 0C. Which of the following was the key process that converted cloud droplets into raindrops? A. The ice crystal process B. Condensation of water vapor C. Collision and coalescence
C
All ______ contain a ______. A. Mesocyclones; tornado B. Supercells; tornado C. Supercells; mesocyclone D. Thunderstorms; mesocyclone
C
An increase in temp would cause: A. Increase in both dew point and relative humidity B. Increase in dew point and decrease in relative humidity C. Dew point remains the same and decrease in relative humidity
C
As the winds of a hurricane increase, more water vapor is evaporated from the sea surface. This tends to _____ the hurricane and _____ the sea surface A. Weaken; cool B. Weaken; warm C. Strengthen; cool D. Strengthen; warm
C
Consider a sealed container that is half filled with water and half filled with dry air. If the air and the water are the same temps, what would it mean to say that the air is "saturated"? A. The temp is greater than the dew point B. Evaporation is no longer occurring C. The amount of water vapor entering the air through evaporation and leaving through condensation are equal D. The saturation vapor pressure is 1013 millibars
C
Developing supercells often begin as a single thunderstorm that splits into two because of what mechanism? A. Oppositely-rotating updrafts repelling each other B. Vertical wind shear tearing the storm in half C. Rain falling into the initial updraft D. All of the above
C
How are tropical cyclones different from midlatitude cyclones? A. Tropical cyclones are often visually asymmetric while midlatitude cyclones are visually symmetric B. The strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are near the tropopause while the strongest winds in a midlatitude cyclone are near the surface C. Tropical cyclones are powered by the release of latent heat in thunderstorms while midlatitude cyclones are powered by horizontal temp differences D. All of the above
C
How did Hurricane Andrew affect the US insurance industry? A. The industry boomed as residents of South Florida clamored to buy insurance in the wake of Andrew B. Insurers were not implicated by Hurricane Andrew; business continued as usual C. Many insurers went out of business because they could not afford to pay out all of the claims from storm damage
C
Hurricane Mitch (1998) is the second-deadliest Atlantic Hurricane ever on record (after the Great Hurricane of 1780). What made Hurricane Mitch so deadly? A. An extraordinarily large storm surge inundated vast stretches of coastline B. Mitch transitioned into a midlatitude low upon interacting with the mountains of Central America C. Intense rains led to extreme flooding and mudslides D. Extreme Category-5 winds destroyed numerous shantytowns in Honduras
C
The 1962 Columbus Day Storm in the Pacific Northwest was cause by A. The landfall of a tropical cyclone on the Oregon coast B. The polar vortex bringing in an extremely cold air mass from Canada C. An extra-tropical cyclone that originally was a western Pacific typhoon
C
The Atlantic seasonal hurricane forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center predicts all of the following except A. The number of named tropical storms B. The number of hurricanes C. The number of hurricanes that will make landfall in the U.S. D. The number of major (Category 3 or higher) hurricanes
C
The direct cause of most fatalities in the deadliest hurricanes on record were produced by which of the following hazards? A. Lightening B. Strong Winds C. Storm Surge D. Rip Currents
C
Weak waterspouts are caused by A. Lifting at a gust front B. Uneven solar heating of the ocean C. Updrafts lifting air over a region or horizontal wind shear D. Rotation from a mesocyclone
C
What kind of hazards are usually NOT associated with air-mass thunderstorm? A. Lightening B. Flash flood C. Tornado D. Gust front
C
What time of day are tornados most likely to form in Kansas? A. Early morning B. Noon C. Late afternoon D. Night
C
Which of the following is an effect of global warming that could possibly increase the intensity of future tropical cyclones? A. Increased upper-level winds in the tropics B. Increased global average sea levels C. Increased tropical sea surface temps D. Increased ocean acidity
C
Which of the following is the original source of rotation for a tornado associated with a mesocyclone? A. The Earth's rotation (the Coriolis Force) B. Horizontal wind shear C. Vertical wind shear D. A strong updraft
C
Which of the following properties distinguishes environments that produce supercell thunderstorms from environments that produce other types of thunderstorms? A. The presence of high, thin clouds B. An unusually unstable atmosphere C. Strong environmental wind shear between the surface and the tropopause D. High surface dew points
C
Which of the following statements about changes in a warming climate is most certain? A. Tropical cyclones will become more frequent B. All tropical cyclones will become more intense C. Global sea levels will continue to rise D. Global precipitation will, on average, decrease
C
Why is the front right quadrant of a hurricane the most hazardous for ships? A. The storm surge is at its lowest point in that quadrant B. There are more tornadoes there than in the other quadrants C. The high winds on the right side create large waves just forward of the storm D. The winds and waves are most amplified by the Coriolis force in that quadrant
C
Thunderstorm type determinants
CAPE and low level wind shear
Eye
Clear area in the center (but not always clear)
Eyewall
Clouds immediately surrounding the eye (highest winds and rain)
Ice accumulation on airplane wings during flight can be a significant aviation hazard. Icing occurs on an airplanes wings when flying through super-cooled water clouds because A. Jet exhaust releases particles that cause more water droplets to form B. The impact of the wing on the droplets lowers their temp, so they freeze C. The wing is made of metal, which is colder than its surroundings, causing the droplets to cool to freezing D. The wings surface provides microscopic irregularities onto which the droplets can freeze
D
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the government and people of New Orleans have A. Developed housing more suitable for withstanding flooding B. Had NPO volunteers to help evacuation C. Increased property taxed to fund improved levee maintenance D. Choices (a) and (b) E. Choices (a), (b), and (c)
D
In which tropical basin are there, on average, the most tropical cyclones per year? A. The north Indian ocean basin B. The eastern north Pacific ocean basin C. The north Atlantic ocean basin D. The western north Pacific ocean basin
D
Most clouds form when A. Moisture is added to the air through evaporation B. Moisture is removed from the air through evaporation C. Air descends and is warmed to saturation D. Air is lifted and cooled to saturation
D
Prior to 1960, we did not realize that there were more Eastern Pacific hurricanes each year on average than in the Atlantic. Why? A. The Eastern Pacific is not a region with many shipping lanes, removing potential witnesses to the storm B. The tracks of most Eastern Pacific hurricanes take them away from land C. No weather satellites were monitoring the region D. All of the above
D
Sever weather warnings alert you when ______ and sever weather watches alert you when ______. A. Conditions are favorable for severe weather in a local region; conditions are favorable for severe weather in a large region B. Dangerous condition are imminent in a local region; dangers conditions are imminent in a large region C. Conditions are favorable for severe weather; dangerous conditions are imminent D. Dangerous conditions are imminent; conditions are favorable for severe weather
D
The cold, sinking air that wraps around the updraft is called the A. Mesocyclone B. Anticyclone C. Tornado D. Rear flank downdraft
D
Tornados can completely destroy one house while leaving the neighboring one almost untouched because A. Tornadoes often lift houses and set them back down in the same place B. There's no wind immediately outside of a visible funnel C. All the windows were opened before the storm in the untouched house D. Powerful suction vorticies within the main funnel can cause severe isolated damage
D
Water vapor is _____ and clouds are composed of _____ A. Visible; water vapor B. Invisible; water droplets only C. Visible; ice crystals only D. Invisible; water droplets and ice crystals
D
What causes the rotation inside a developing tornado to intensify? A. Air parcels within the tornado become dry-unstable and begin to rapidly rise and rotate within the mesocyclone B. Vertical wind shear adds vertical rotation to a preexisting column of vertical rotating air C. The mesocyclone descends from the bottom of the cloud to the ground D. Existing rotating is concentrated as columns of air are stretched upwards in the updraft
D
What is the Saffir-Simpson Scale for tropical cyclones based on? A. Surveys of damage from the storm B. The diameter of the eye of the storm C. The surface pressure in the eye of the storm D. The speed of the storms sustained winds
D
Which of the following affects the motion of tropical cyclones? A. The change in the strength of the Coriolis force with latitude B. The trade winds in the tropics C. The westerlies in the midlatitudes D. All of the above
D
Which of the following are NOT used in short term (5 days or less) forecasts of hurricanes? A. Satellite imagery B. Aircraft measurements C. Ocean buoy measurement D. All of the above are used in forecasting hurricanes
D
Which of the following is associated with Hurricane Maria? Select all that apply A. Brought over 40" of rainfall to parts of Texas B. It was the deadliest in US history C. It was the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide D. It caused a months-long blackout across much of Puerto Rico
D
Which of the following is important in determining the type of thunderstorm that might develops over a given region? A. The vertical wind shear B. The difference in temp between a rising air parcel and its environment (CAPE) C. The total amount of moisture an air parcel has D. All of the above
D
Which of the following makes hurricanes hard to forecast? A. Complete observations of the current state of the atmosphere around and wishing the hurricane are hard to obtain B. Some of the important physical processes governing hurricanes are not perfectly represented in current forecast models C. The behavior of hurricanes is very sensitive to small changes in their structure and in the surrounding environment D. All of the above
D
Which of the following statements about the levees in New Orleans is correct? A. The failure of the levees was largely blamed on design flaws B. The levees started to fail a few hours after Katrina made landfall and continued to fail over the next several days C. The levees were essential to the safety of New Orleans since a large portion of the city lies below sea level D. All of the above
D
Why does low-level wind shear extend the lifetime of a thunderstorm? A. It makes the storm move more slowly B. It draws cooler, more moist air into the thunderstorm C. It causes the downdraft to rotate D. It helps prevent the cold pool (gust front) from cutting off the supply of warm, moist air to the updraft
D
All of the following are impacts of hurricanes that cause severe damage except: A. Hail B. Flooding C. Storm surge D. High winds
A
As an air parcel rises in the atmosphere, it cools because A. It expands and does work as the atmospheric pressure decreases B. It encounters cooler air at higher altitudes C. Water vapor absorbs latent heat as it condenses out of the parcel
A
Consider three one-liter samples of air at a temp of 90 degrees F. The dew points of each sample are listed below. Which dew point corresponds to the sample with the largest number of water vapor molecules? A. 60 F B. 30 F C. -10 F
A
Coriolis force on its own causes particles to move in A. A perfect circle B. An infinity C. Upwards
A
How did the extremely small size of Cyclone Tracy impact the ability of the Darwin Tropical Cyclone Warning Center to forecast the path and intensity of the storm? A. The small size made it very hard to determine the current strength of the storm since no measurements happened to be taken near its center B. The small size made it very easy to measure the environment around the storm, leading to more accurate forecasts of strength and track C. Neither of the above
A
How does the behavior of water molecules in ice compare to the behavior of water molecules in water vapor? A. Water molecules in ice are connected by many bonds while water molecules in water vapor are only very rarely B. Water molecules in ice are bonded together in large triangles while water molecules in water vapor are bonded together in small triangles C. Water molecules in ice are made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom while water molecules in vapor are made of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom
A
If you want to observe clouds at nighttime, which of the following satellite images will be useful? A. Infrared (IR) only B. Visible only C. Both are useful D. Neither are useful
A
In a developing supercell, how is the horizontal line about which a paddle wheel would rotate (a vortex line) tilted vertically? A. An updraft pulls part of the vortex line into a vertical orientation B. It encounters a zone of horizontal wind shear C. The Coriolis Force twists the vortex line up into the vertical
A
In which of the following cases, the pressure of a point does NOT match the weight of the air above the point? A. An air parcel in the middle of a supercell B. An air parcel in a clear sky with high CAPE C. An air parcel in a saturated environment D. All of the above pressure matches the weight of the air above
A
Since the satellite age, the number of tropical cyclones per year worldwide has been relatively constant. However, individual basins like the north Atlantic can have widely varying numbers of tropical cyclones in different years. Why? A. In a given year, natural variations in global climate such as El Nino can create more or less favorable conditions for tropical cyclones in different regions of the world B. Average sea surface temps have risen in the north Atlantic but not in any other tropical cyclone basin C. High or low numbers of tropical cyclones occur completely randomly in individual basins, and the activity level in one basin is completely unrelated to that in another
A
The winds are strongest in the right-hand half (northern half if the storm is moving to the west) of a northern-hemisphere hurricane because in the right hand half, A. The hurricane's rotating winds add to the winds in the larger environment that are carrying it forward B. The eyewall is stronger C. The Coriolis force is weaker D. There is more vertical wind shear
A
Tornadoes will stop when A. Temp difference disappear, moisture in the air dries up, conditions become more stable B. Temp differences increase, moisture in air increases, conditions are unstable C. Temp differences disappear, moisture in air increases, conditions become more stable D. Temp differences increase, moisture in air dries up, and conditions are unstable
A
True or false: Suction vorticies can be more damaging than the actual center of the tornado. A. True B. False
A
True or false: The small size of the Labor Day Hurricane contributed to large forecast errors in the days before landfall on Long Key A. True B. False
A
What shape are raindrops? A. Small raindrops are spherical, but large ones tend to flatten on the bottom B. Small raindrops are teardrop shape, but large ones are spherical C. All raindrops are spherical D. All raindrops are flat and pancake-shaped
A
Which of the following is not a typical hazard from multi-cell thunderstorms? A. Violent tornadoes B. Flash flooding C. Hail D. High straight-line winds
A
Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between the size and intensity (in terms of wind speed) of hurricanes? A. Size and intensity are unrelated; storms of very different sizes may produce equally strong winds B. the smaller the diameter of the hurricane, the stronger its winds C. The larger the diameter of the hurricane, the stronger its winds
A
Which of the following will cause a tropical cyclone to weaken or dissipate? A. Moving over land B. Moving over a region of warmer sea-surface temps C. Weak vertical wind shear D. All of the above
A
Which weather phenomenon is the most dangerous to airplanes during takeoff and landing? A. Microbursts/downdrafts B. Snow C. Lightening D. Hail
A
Why were many houses built after 1980 more severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew than those built earlier? A. Because of inadequate building inspections during construction B. Because the Dade County building codes were unusually lax C. Because homes built after 1980 were less likely to be sheltered from the winds by large, sturdy trees
A
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground, connecting up to a cumulus cloud and often visible as a funnel cloud
Specific conditions for tornadoes include (select all that apply) A. Rising air B. A lot of moisture and condensation C. A huge cloud base D. Very stable air
A, B, C
Graupel
Formed by riming; looks white because air is trapped within the ice
Multi cell and Super cell thunderstorms last longer than single cell because
Low level vertical wind shear keeps the updrafts and downdrafts separate in multi cell and super cell thunderstorms
Spiral rain bands
Outer raining areas
Supercell
Severe hail, violent tornadoes, high lightening flash rates Long lived (because of wind shear that separates cold pool and the updrafts) Strong rotation (mesocyclone) Strong vertical wind shear (low-level and deep-layer) Upward pressure forces enhance updraft in addiction to buoyancy of warm air Doppler radar Some regions within the strong updraft turn have low reflectivity (BWER)
Although there are more thunderstorms in Florida, there are more sever hail storms in Kansas because
The altitude where the air temp is warmer than 0 degrees C is higher in Florida, which allows hailstones more time to melt
Hurricane ingredients
Warm SST's: water vapor evaporation, latent heat Weak vertical wind shear Some Coriolis force
Hail
White layers: new ice froze instantly when it contacted the stone Clear ice: water freezes slowly when it contacted the stone
Tropical Cyclone's main feature
Winds are strongest near the surface and weaken near the top of the storm
