Meteorology Final
If you were 300 kilometers ahead of the surface position of a warm front, you would find the frontal surface a height of_______ km overhead a) 1 b) 1.5 c) 2.5 d) 2 e) 0.5
1
About what percent of thunderstorms in the United States become severe? A) 10% B) 20% C) 25% D) 50%
10%
By international agreement, a hurricane has sustained wind speeds of at least __________ kilometers per hour and a rotary circulation. a) 47 b) 84 c) 119 d) 148 e) 167
119
An immense body of air characterized by homogeneous physical properties is called a)Hurricane b)Cyclone c)Air Mass d)Tropical Storm e)Nebula
Air Mass
An air mass modifies a) Via radiational cooling b) by exchanging heat and/or moisture with the surface over which it travels c) Through large scale ascent or descent d) Any of the above is correct
Any of the above
Which of the following air mass types exerts the highest surface pressure a) Maritime tropical b) Pacific c) Continental polar d) Artic
Artic
A(n)______ is the product of extreme radiational cooling a) thermal low b) cold core cyclone c) artic high d) warm core anticyclone
Artic High
Why are thunderstorms most likely to occur in the afternoon and early evening? A) Atmosphere is most unstable at that time. B) Upper-level winds are too fast at night and in morning. C) Water-vapor contents are too low at night. D) It takes all day for them to mature. E) Lower atmosphere is too unstable in the morning
Atmosphere is most unstable at the night time
Tornadoes and midlatitude cyclones are similar in that: A) both are areas of low pressure. B) both are most common and well-developed in the winter season. C) both have conspicuous surface fronts. D) both form in the trade-wind belt
Both are areas of low pressure
On a weather map, ________ Fronts are shown with blue triangular points along a blue line. a) Cold b) Stationary c) Occluded d) Warm
Cold
Cyclones that follow the___ track bring that heaviest winter snows to the upper mid-west a) Colorado b) Alberta c) East Gulf d) North Pacific
Colorado
Type of air mass that occurs to the northwest of the center of a mature extra-tropical cyclone a) Continental polar or artic b) maritime tropical c) continental tropical d) maritime polar
Continental polar or artic
A force that is usually negligibly small in a sea breezes a) friction b) pressure gradient c) Coriolis effect d) none of the above is correct
Coriolis effect
This type of cloud brings thunderstorms. A) cumulus B) altostratus C) nimbostratus D) stratocumulus E) cumulonimbus
Cumulonimbus
Updrafts dominance relate to the ________ in the development of a thunderstorm. A) cumulus stage B) dissipating stage C) mature stage
Cumulus stage
Generally there are three stages involved in the development of thunderstorms. They are: A) cumulus stage, mature stage, and dissipating stage. B) cumulus stage, mature stage, and deconstructing stage. C) cumulus stage, adolescent stage, and dissipating stage. D) cumulus stage, dissipating stage, and deconstructing stage
Cumulus stage, mature stage, and dissipating stage
A tornado is a small, very intense example of the: A) Coriolis effect. B) anticyclone. C) jet stream. D) geostrophic wind. E) cyclone
Cyclone
Thunderstorms can be associated with these weather activities: A) cyclones. B) hurricanes. C) tornadoes. D) cyclones, hurricanes, and tornadoes.
Cyclones, hurricanes, and tornadoes
Downdrafts totally dominate the ________ in the development of a thunderstorm. A) dissipating stage B) mature stage C) cumulus stage
Dissipating stage
Which of these is common to both cold and warm fronts? a) Divergence of surface winds b) Light to calm winds c) Lifting of warm air over cold d) Decreasing precipitation rates e) Steady barometer readings
Lifting of warm air over cold
Which of the following is likely during the mature stage of a thunderstorm? A) lightning B) light winds C) light precipitation D) no precipitation
Lightning
An air mass thunderstorm is most intense during the ________ stage. A) multicell B) cumulus C) dissipating D) mature
Mature
Downdrafts and updrafts found side by side relate to the ________ in the development of a thunderstorm. A) dissipating stage B) mature stage C) cumulus stage
Mature Stage
In the development of a thunderstorm, sharp and cool gusts beginning at the surface are characteristic in the ________. A) cumulus stage B) dissipating stage C) mature stage
Mature Stage
Alberta-track cyclones a) occur primarily in summer b) usually produce heavy precipitation c) may occur at any time of the year d) often affect the weather of the American southwest
May occur at any time of the year
At what time of day is an air-mass thunderstorm more likely to develop? A) midafternoon B) midnight C) midmorning D) pre-dawn
Midafternoon
The __________ scale is used to establish categories of hurricane intensity a) Force b) Kinetic c) Rotational Velocity d) Saffir-Simpson e) Fujita
Saffir-Simpson
What causes the dissipating stage of a thunderstorm? A) converging surface winds B) loss of radiant energy from cloud top C) release of latent heat within the cloud D) converging winds aloft E) spreading downdraft cuts off air inflow
Spreading downdraft cuts off air inflow
When winds aloft blow parallel to a front, then the front is usually a) cold front b) warm front c)an occluded front d) stationary
Stationary
The storm surge is most intense on the right side of the hurricane eye where winds are blowing towards the shoreline True or False?
True
the primary source of energy for a hurricane is the latent heat that is liberated when huge quantities of water vapor condense True or False
True
Air masses are identified by ____
Two-letter codes: first is lowercase and second is uppercase
Thunderstorms and large cumulus clouds are characteristic of: A) all polar air masses. B) isothermal lapse rates. C) all warm fronts. D) unstable air. E) stable air
Unstable air
The circulation in the immediate vicinity of a thunderstorm is: A) anticyclonic. B) variable and gusty. C) cyclonic. D) calm.
Variable & Gusty
The lifting of air and the resulting formation of clouds and rain is more gentle (gradual) for a: a) Cold front b) Occluded front c) Warm front d) Divergence zone e) Mesocyclone
Warm front
Colorado-track cyclones are most common in a) summer b) autumn c) winter d) spring
Winter
This air mass is most associated with lake-effect snow a) cA b) mP c) mT d) cP e) mA
cP
As a warm front approaches, clouds usually appear in the following sequence.. a) stratus, altostratus, cumulous b) nimbostratus, cumulous, cirrocumulus c) cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus d) cirrus, cumulus, stratus
cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus
An __________ air mass may produce an occasional nor'easter during the winter, but summertime incursions of this air often bring pleasant weather a) cA b) cP c) mA d) mT e) mP
mP
Hurricanes do not form at the equator because a) Sea-surface temperatures are too low b) winds in the upper troposphere are always too strong c) The Coriolis effect is zero d) thunderstorms are infrequent
the Coriolis Effect is too small
About how many thunderstorms take place on Earth every day? A) 300 B) 1300 C) 5000 D) 45,000
45,000
Most hurricanes form between the latitudes of__________ and _________. a) 0°, 5° b) 5°, 20° c) 20°, 35° d) 35°, 50° e) 50°, 65°
5°; 20°
Two (2) important factors in the hurricane watch and warning decision process include _____________________ and _______________________. a) Adequate lead time and over warnings b) Adequate lead time and minimal over warnings
Adequate lead time and over warnings
A warm front is said to exist when a) Advancing warm air overrides retreating cold air b) Moving cold air overrides warmer air c) Warm air pushes underneath cold air d) Warm and cold air meet e) invading cold air pushes underneath warmer air
Advancing warm air overrides retreating cold air
An Air mass source region must be associated with a generally stagnant area such that_______ a)Air will stay over it long enough to come to some measure of equilibrium. b)Air must be over 32 degrees F c)
Air will stay over it long enough to come to some measure of equilibrium.
Mountain and valley breezes are most likely to develop a) during fair weather b) in summer c) when synoptic scale winds are light d) All of the above are correct
All of the above ae correct
The term cyclone is BEST defined as: A) a hurricane. B) a violent tornado. C) any circulation around a low-pressure center. D) a storm that develops over an ocean.
Any circulation around a low-pressure center
Which of the following contribute to the decline in the intensity of a hurricane as it moves onto land a) Heating from below by the land b) Friction c) Lack of warm, moist air d) Both heating from below and friction e)Both friction and lack of warm, moist air
Both friction and lack of warm moist air
The classification of an air mass depends upon ________ a) Density of the air b) The lapse rate of the air c) The latitude of the source region d) The surface in the area of origin e) Both latitude and surface of origin
Both latitude and surface of origin
The cloud shield of a warm front typically is___ that of a cold front.. a) broader than b) narrower than c) about the same width as
Broader then
In which of the following places are thunderstorms most common? A) central Nevada B) central Florida C) northern Wisconsin D) west of Hudson Bay (Canada) E) The occurrence of thunderstorms at all of these places should be about the same.
Central Florida
The doughnut-shaped wall of intense convective activity surrounding the center of a hurricane is called the __________. a) Convective cell b) Rational front c) Eye wall d) Storm center e) None of the above
Eye wall
A steep pressure gradient generates rapid, outward spiraling winds of a hurricane True or False?
False
Areas in which air masses originate are called development regions.
False
Continental artic (cA) air is distinguished from cP air by its generally warmer temperatures
False
In the middle latitudes, relatively few weather events are associated with the movements of air masses.
False
Lifting over a mountain barrier will probably not produce any appreciable modification to an air mass.
False
Most tropical disturbances that occur each year develop into full-fledged hurricanes. True or False
False
North Atlantic hurricanes develop in the trade winds, which generally move these storms from west to east True or False?
False
On the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale, a category 1 hurricane causes catastrophic damage True or false?
False
The highest pressures ever recorded in the western hemisphere are associated with hurricanes True or False?
False
The moisture content of an air mass is directly related to its air pressure
False
Which of the following U.S. states experiences the most thunderstorms each year? A) Florida B) Texas C) Colorado D) Oklahoma
Florida
An air mass source region must be characterized by a _______ of atmospheric circulation a) Complete Stagnation b) Complete Stability c) General Stagnation D) General Subsidence
General stagnation
Continental polar air modifies more rapidly when it travels over a) Snow covered ground b) ground that is bare of snow
Ground that is bare of snow
Why is strong heating of the ground by the Sun associated with thunderstorms? A) reduces the relative humidity B) reduces the dew point C) increases the wind speed D) increases the pressure gradient E) leads to greater instability
Leads to greater instability
Another common term for the wave cyclone is: a) Tropical cyclone b) Polar-front cyclone c) Intertropical convergence zone d) Midlatitude cyclone
Midlatitude cyclone
Why is very humid air near the surface a necessary ingredient for severe thunderstorms? A) High humidity strengthens the cold front. B) High humidity makes the air more dense. C) High humidity makes the rising air cool more rapidly. D) Lapse rates are larger in humid air. E) More latent heat is then available as energy for the storm
More latent heat is then available as energy for the storm
Thunderstorm tops most likely occur: A) in the lower troposphere. B) in the middle stratosphere. C) in the mesosphere. D) near the tropopause
Near the tropopause
In the western Pacific, intense tropical storms are called a) Squalls b) Cyclones c) Tornadoes d) Hurricanes e) None of the above
None of the above
Surface winds in the northwest sector of a mature extra-tropical cyclone blow from the.. a) southeast b) northwest c) east d) northeast
Northwest
The coldest sector of a mature extra-tropical cyclone is located to the ___ of the cyclone center.. a) southeast b) northeast c) northwest d) southwest
Northwest
A location which is not likely to experience a hurricane is a) new England b) Florida c) Louisiana d) Oregon
Oregon
Dust devils a) are tornadoes that form over desserts b) are linked to cumulonimbus clouds c) often cause major property damage d) originate over hot and dry surfaces
Originate over hot and dry surfaces
The best process best in the diagram of a front above is a) Convection b) Convergence c) Overrunning d) Occlusion
Overrunning
The general term applied to warm air moving up over a colder air mass is a) Overrunning b) Warm front c) Cold front d) Orographic lifting
Overrunning
When the westerly wave pattern is mostly zonal,__, air floods the eastern two thirds of the US a) artic b) maritime tropical c) pacific s) continental tropic
Pacific
Because tropical and subtropical regions that spawn hurricanes cover vast amounts of open ocean, meteorological data consists primarily of____________ a) Radar data b) Data buoys c) High altitude aircraft data d) Satellite data
Satellite data
On a weather map, a line with blue triangles on one side and red semicircles on the other represents: a) Cold front b) Warm front c) Stationary front d) Occluded front
Stationary front
As a hurricane moves ashore, the most devastating damage in the costal zero is caused by the _______ a) numerous lightning strikes b) drop in temperature c) torrential rains d) Strong winds e) Storm surge
Storm Surge
An air mass thunderstorm rarely lives long enough to create very severe weather because: A) the downdrafts quickly become strong enough to stop the updraft and influx of moisture to the storm. B) the atmosphere is generally fairly stable when these storms develop. C) there is rarely enough moisture available to keep the storm alive for longer than 30 minutes. D) wind shear causes the storm's updraft to become tilted
The downdrafts quickly become strong enough to stop the updraft and influx of moisture to the storm.
If an air mass is colder than the surface over which it is moving, the__________ a) Lapse rate of the air decreases b) Letter K is added after the mass symbol c) Air becomes stable d) All of the above e) None of the above
The letter k is added after the mass symbol
What is entrainment? A) the process of cool, dry air being pulled into a thunderstorm by the downdraft B) warm, moist air fed into a thunderstorm by the updraft C) rotation from the parent cloud transferring into a tornado D) a line of thunderstorms, one feeding into the next
The process of cool, dry air being pulled into a thunderstorm by the downdraft
Although damages caused by a hurricane depend on several factors, the most significant factor is ________________________ a) Nearshore bottom conditions b) the size and population density in the area affected c) Which way the hurricane spins d) The strength of the storm itself
The strength of the storm itself
An overshooting top means that: A) a thunderstorm will definitely produce a tornado B) the thunderstorm has very strong updrafts causing the cloud to grow into the stratosphere C) the thunderstorm is dissipating. D) lightning strikes will be especially intense
The thunderstorm has very strong updrafts causing the cloud to grow into the stratosphere
Changes to an air mass can result from vertical movements induced by ______. a) Topographic differences b) Cyclones c) Anticyclones d) All of the above
Topographic differences, cyclones, and anticyclones
The greatest proportion of thunderstorms occurs in the: A) middle latitudes. B) subtropics. C) polar regions. D) subarctic regions. E) tropics
Tropics
Hurricanes develop most often in the late summer when ocean waters have reached temperatures of 27°C (80°F) or higher. True or False
True
In the United States, the number of deaths caused by hurricanes has decreased while the amount of property damage has increased True or False
True
In the mid latitudes, most atmospheric disturbances occur along the boundaries separating air masses True or false?
True
Most hurricanes form within the global wind belt referred to as the trade winds True or False
True
One circumstance that may inhibit a tropical disturbance from becoming a hurricane is the formation of a trade wind inversion True or False?
True
The North Pacific Ocean has the greatest number of tropical storms, averaging more than the Atlantic events. True or False
True
Thunderstorms form when ________, humid air rises in a(n) ________ environment. A) warm; stable B) cold; unstable C) warm; unstable D) cold; stable
Warm; unstable
A hurricane _________ is an announcment aimed at a specific costal area that a hurricane poses a possible threat, generally within 36 hours a) alarm b) warning c) alert d) notice e) watch
Watch
A warm core cyclone a) has no fronts b) is associated with fair weather c) is most likely in summer d) all above are correct
all of the above are correct
The usual weather just ahead of a warm front is.. a) Thunderstorms b) clear skies c) fog and drizzle d) similar to the weather just ahead of a cold front
fog and drizzle
The air mass most likely to produce a thunderstorm would be a ____ air mass. a) mA b) mP c) cA d) mT e) None of the above
mT
Sea and land breezes are example of___ scale atmospheric circulation systems a) planetary b) synoptic c) meso d) micro
meso
If a warm front is approaching, you can expect a) Falling temperatures b) Rising temperatures c) Clearing skies d) Calm winds
rising temperatures
