METR Quizzes
9. On the scale of a convective cloud, and smaller, a __________ pressure perturbation forms from clockwise motion and a __________ pressure perturbation forms from counter-clockwise motion. (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
low, low
6. The lifecycle stage in which an ordinary cell is comprised of both a strong updraft and a strong downdraft is called the __________ stage: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
mature
19. In the United States, the month with the greatest occurrence of tornadoes is: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
may
8. In the Northern Hemisphere, counter-clockwise rotating updrafts in a supercell are called ____________ while in Australia (Southern Hemisphere) counter-clockwise rotating updrafts are called ________________. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
mesocyclones, meso-anticyclones
8. In the post-satellite era, the deadliest hurricane on record was Hurricane _________. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
mitch
4. The longest lightning flash on record occurred in Oklahoma and was about ________ km long. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
300
18. In the United States, the local time of day during which the greatest number of tornadoes have occurred is: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
5 pm
6. The electrical current within a lightning channel raises the air temperature to ________ degrees, which is ________ times hotter than the surface of the Sun. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
54,000°F; about four
24. The United States of America has roughly what percentage of the total global tornado occurrence? (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
70
10. In an average year, about ________ tropical storms would develop globally. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
80
6. The balance between the horizontal pressure gradient force and the Coriolis Force is called: (Quiz 16 - Forces)
Geostrophic Balance
7. The balance between the horizontal pressure gradient force, Coriolis Force, and the component of Centrifugal Force associated with a local axis of rotation is called: (Quiz 16 - Forces)
Gradient Wind Balance
5. The balance between the vertical component of the pressure gradient force and the force of gravity is called: (Quiz 16 - Forces)
Hydrostatic Balance
15. Using numerical simulations of three-dimensional convective lines, Weisman found what new aspect of storm dynamics that aided in the development of bow echoes? (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
counter-rotating bookend vortices
19. If caught outdoors during an electrical storm, the best action to take is to: (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
crouch down in a ball-like position
3. The Coriolis force acts to turn the air ___________ in the northern hemisphere and ____________ in the southern hemisphere. (Quiz 16 - Forces)
cyclonically, cyclonically
7. The Coriolis force acts to turn the air ___________ in the northern hemisphere and ____________ in the southern hemisphere. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
cyclonically, cyclonically
6. aircraft generally avoid flying through thunderstorms due to turbulence associated with: (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
departures from hydrostatic balance
10. T or F : air can only rise after becoming less dense than surrounding air parcels. (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
false
21. If several boxcars from a train where pushed over from a tornado, the EF-rating would be at least: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
EF-2
4. The Thunderstorm Project was created by ___________ and led by_____________: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
Chief of the Weather Bureau, Dr. Horace Byers
13. to assess atmospheric stability we evaluate the result of vertically displacing an imaginary air parcel that has which of the following characteristics/constraints? (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
(all the responses are correct) - it follows a dry adiabatic lapse rate when unsaturated and a moist adiabatic lapse rate when it is saturated - it instantaneously adjusts to the pressure of the environment - it contains enough mass for a meaningful definition of its state variables
2. In the contiguous United States it is estimated that about __________ locations are struck by CGs per year. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
30 million
13. The percent of USA tornadoes that are nocturnal is about ________ and they account for around ________ of tornado-related fatalities. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
30, 45
20. With regard to the older Fujita-scale, F4 and F5 tornadoes account for ________ percentage of tornado events and cause roughly __________ percentage of tornado related fatalities. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
1, 70
4. if an air parcel is unsaturated during ascent through the atmosphere its temperature will decrease at a rate approximately equal to: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
10 degrees Kelvin per kilometer of altitude, regardless of temperature or pressure
4. in the United States, typically how many properties are affected by hail damage annually (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
10 million
8. Although no perfect threshold exist, a 0-1 km storm-relative helicity greater than _______ and a 0-3 km storm relative helicity greater than ________ is thought to represent the low end of an enhanced threat of tornado activity occurring within a given area. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
100 (m/s) squared, 250 (m/s) squared
5. A hurricane that produces a 10-foot surge height would most likely have wind speeds between ________ and _________. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
111, 130
2. Given the speed of rotation of the Earth, a calm wind for an observer on the ground at 30 degrees latitude would be moving at what speed for an observer out in space? (Quiz 16 - Forces)
1446 km/h
22. According to the enhanced Fujita scale, violent tornadoes have damage associated with wind speeds of at least: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
166 mph
10. Meso-beta-scale refers to atmospheric phenomena that have characteristic horizontal scales between (roughly): (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
2-200 kilometers
1. What percentage of lightning discharges are cloud-to-ground flashes? (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
20%
5. The current within a lighting channel is typically around _______ amps. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
20,000
12. On average, a lighting discharge is believed to neutralized between _________ percent of the available charge within the cloud system (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
20-50
9. Roughly what percentage of supercell storms produce tornadoes? (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
25%
15. In the United States, the area with the greatest number of tornado fatalities per 3600 square-kilometer area is near: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
Alabama
14. If you wanted to observe tornadoes in March, the best place to conduct a field campaign would be in _____________ and in May it would be in __________. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
Alabama, Oklahoma
10. Newton's First Law of Motion states that: (Quiz 16 - Forces)
An object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by a force and an object in motion will stay in motion along a straight line unless acted upon by a force.
8. In a small-scale circulation above the earth's surface, like in a funnel cloud, the only balance flow that could exist is called cyclostrophic balance. Given what you know about forces and force balances, what two forces would be important and could be in balance in such a flow? (Quiz 16 - Forces)
Centrifugal Force associated with flow about a local axis of rotation and the horizontal Pressure Gradient Force
4. All the statements about Coriolis Force are true below except for which one? (Quiz 16 - Forces)
Coriolis Force acts in the same direction of the wind speed.
13. True or false: The gradient of a quantity is just the difference between the values of the quantity at two random points in space. (Quiz 16 - Forces)
False
15. True or False: Due to the combination of Newton's Gravitational Force and the Centrifugal Force associated with the rotation of the earth's surface, a person would weigh slightly more at the equator than the north or south pole. (Quiz 16 - Forces)
False
16. The area in the United States with the greatest number of violent tornado days is: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
Oklahoma
15. The largest convective rain band that spirals in towards the center of the hurricane is called the: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
Principal band
16. RADAR is an acronym that stands for (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
Radio Detection and Ranging
12. All the following statements are true about Frictional Force except which one? (Quiz 16 - Forces)
The Frictional Force includes both the friction at the earth's surface and friction within the free atmosphere.
11. Buys-Ballot's Law is a consequence of balance between what forces? (Quiz 16 - Forces)
The horizontal Pressure Gradient Force and Coriolis Force
14. True or false: The stronger the pressure gradient force, the faster the wind speed that will be associated with it. (Quiz 16 - Forces)
True
18. True or false: Storms can generate and feed on their own sources of horizontal vorticity. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
True
21. A shallow, sloped continental shelf will generate more surge for a given wind speed than a deep continental shelf. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
True
22. A mature hurricane can have more than one eyewall. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
True
24. A cold core low pressure center can transition and become a warm core low pressure center over the ocean. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
True
25. The hurricane eyewall slopes radially outward from the center with height due to the conversation of angular momentum and the decrease in horizontal pressure gradient with height. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
True
26. True or False: Globally, the ITCZ is where most tropical cyclones originate. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
True
27. True or False: In a warm core low-pressure system, there will be low level convergence and upper level divergence, which aids the development of upward motion. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
True
9. Based on a short three-year climatological study, the US state with the greatest percentage of tornadoes not associated with supercell thunderstorms is: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
Vermont
16. A derecho is another name for: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
a family of downburst clusters
18. A mesoscale convective system refers to: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
a group of multicell storms that act in some fashion as to be defined as a system (for example, merged anvils aloft or merged outflows near the surface) that lasts longer than the lifecycle of an individual ordinary convective cell
7. The leading edge of a cold pool is usually called ________: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
a gust front
8. In the United States, a haboob is generally driven by _________ while across northern Africa they can also be driven by __________. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
a gust front, large-scale wind patterns
2. For this course, a microburst is defined as: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
a localized column of descending thunderstorm atir with a diameter of 2.5 miles or less that produces severe winds at the surface
16. A "clear slot" developing indicates what process is occurring in a supercell storm? (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
a rear flank downdraft is wrapping around the mesocyclone
4. the height at which about half of the atmospheric mass is above and half below is (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
about 5.5 km
7. To hear the bang associated with the shock wave of the air in the lightning channel being superheated you have to be within ________ of the CG location. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
about a mile
12. All the following are usually required for a hurricane to form except for which one? - an eye must be present - organized convection must be present - the atmosphere must be moist in a deep layer that includes the mid-levels of the troposphere - the environment vertical shear of the horizontal wind must be weak - the ocean temperature must be 26.5°C or warmer (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
an eye must be present
11. All the following are current hypotheses related to supercell tornado formation mechanisms except which one? (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
an updraft lifting pre-existing vertical vorticity near the surface
1. the main reason that meteorologists prefer using a SkewT-logP diagram instead of something simpler, like a Stuve diagram, is because: (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
area enclosed by parcel paths and the environment temperature on the SkewT-logP diagram is proportional to energy
17. The strongest winds within a hurricane are usually found where? (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
at low levels on the right side of the hurricane near the eyewall
13. The area in which a tornado is most likely to form in a supercell is __________ (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
at the intersection of the rear flank and the forward flank gust fronts
5. in terms of dollars, hail causes the most damage to what on an annual basis. (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
automobiles and the roofs of single-family homes
6. temperature is a measure of the ____ of an object (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
average kinetic energy
11. In the three-cell meridional mean circulation, the latitudes at which deserts would most like be found would be ___________ while a band of cloudiness would most likely be found _____________. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
between the Hadley and the Farrell cells, in the upward branch of the Hadley cell
13. The relationship between electric charge and the strength of the electric field results in the electric field being strongest where? (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
between the mid-level negative charge and the upper-level positive charge
15. Recent research suggest that most lightning discharges that travel through the stratiform region of a squall line system were initiated where? (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
between the upper positive and mid-level negative charge layers within the convective region
17. All natural lighting flashes start as a set of __________ leaders, with the _______ charged leaders travelling through positive charge and ____________ charged leaders travelling through negative charge. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
bi-directional step leaders, negative, positive
9. In a thunderstorm system that develops in a weak vertical wind shear environment with significant CAPE and no CIN, new cell growth _____________. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
can occur in any direction
8. Burst swaths are: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
caused by breakaway segments of the vortex ring around the edge if a microburst outflow
12. According to the text book, the thin line of weak radar reflectivity that is often seen at the leading edge of the gust front is caused by _______________ while in the lecture notes the feature is related to ______________. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
cloud droplets in the arc (or shelf) cloud, convergence of bugs
7. as air temperature decreases, the ability to hold water vapor ____, leading to the ____ (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
decreases, formation of cloud drops
13. According to the Leary and Houze (1979) conceptual model of a squall line lifecycle, the stage of lifecycle in which the radar bright band is most produced is during the ______ stage. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
dissipating
11. According to Rotunno and Klemp (1982), in a moderate vertical wind shear environment, new convective cell growth is favored on the _______ side of an existing updraft due to ___________. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
downshear, low pressure perturbations that form on the downshear side of an updraft in a sheared flow environment
7. Using a hodograph, the way to determine the magnitude and direction of vertical wind shear between two altitudes is to: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
draw an arrow from the lower altitude to the higher altitude
4. in the traditional SkewT-logP diagram shown in the lecture, solid brown curved lines that slope from the lower-right upwards to the upper-left represent (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
dry adiabats
17. Maddox (1980) found that some severe weather occurred during the early stages of Mesoscale Convective Complexes while other types occurred more frequently during the later stages. Hail and tornadoes occurred more frequently during the ______ stage because __________________. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
early, the convection is isolated and able to use more of the wind shear to generate rotation and updrafts have not yet become upshear tilted
7. All the statements below regarding wind shear's impact on supercell storms is true except for which one? (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
environmental wind shear magnitude is directly correlated to tornado potential
15. Anvil clouds would tend to spread out at the ___________: (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
equilibrium level
1. True or false: A funnel cloud does not have to touch the ground to be considered a tornado. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
false
1. True or false: Possible modes of convective behavior consist of just multicellular structures or supercell structures. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
false
19. True or false: Classic supercells are observed more frequently than any other type of supercell, especially in the eastern Great Plains and Southeastern USA. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
false
2. True or false: All tornadoes originate from a mesocyclone. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
false
2. True or false: Convective updrafts can only extract potential energy from the environment in which they form, the so-called Convective Available Potential Energy. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
false
23. All the energy that gets converted into the kinetic energy of the hurricane winds comes from sensible heat from the ocean. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
false
29. True or false: The strongest winds in a warm core low pressure system are usually found at mid-levels in the atmosphere. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
false
3. True or false: All convective cells move within ±30 degrees and 70-80 percent of the density-weighted average wind. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
false
30. True or False: In the Pacific basin, the strength of a tropical cyclone is determined solely on the 1-minute average wind speed. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
false
5. True or False: Tornado families are always the result of more than one supercell thunderstorm. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
false
6. True or False: Horizontal shear instability (HSI) is the only mechanism for forming non-supercell tornadoes. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
false
7. True or False: A tornado will always produce an observable tornado vortex signature in the Doppler display of a weather radar (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
false
3. the sea breeze is caused by: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
faster solar heating of the land than the nearby water due to the land having a lower specific heat than the nearby water
9. In a large-scale wave pattern in the mid-troposphere, the wind speed at the crest of the ridge would be ____________ the geostrophic windspeed. In the trough of the same wave pattern, the wind speed in the trough would be ____________ the geostrophic windspeed. (Quiz 16 - Forces)
faster than, slower than
1. On a station model of meteorological observations, the dew point temperature is given: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
in the lower left side of the circle
11. examples of external forcing that can provide lift of an air parcel include: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
flow over frontal zones, sea breeze circulations, flow over terrain
14. The precipitation region that is downshear of the primary updraft in a supercell thunderstorm is called the ___________ (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
forward flank
5. On a station model of meteorological observations, if the winds were plotted with a wind pole at the top of the circle and the pole having two pennants, three full barbs, and one half-barb, the wind speed and direction would be: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
from the north at 135 knots
5. hydrostatic balance is a balance between which two vertically directed forces? (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
gravity and vertical pressure gradient force
5. Multicell storms are favored for environments with Richardson numbers _____________ while supercells are favored for environments with Richardson number __________________. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
greater than 50, less than 35
2. In a warm core pressure system a low pressure at the surface will ____________ at upper levels and in a cold core pressure system a low pressure at the surface will ________ at upper levels. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
grow into a high-pressure center, grow into a stronger low-pressure center
12. The four types of supercell thunderstorms are: (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
heavy precipitation, low precipitation, classic, and shallow
25. The largest tornado on record occurred: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
in El Reno, OK in May 2013
6. according to the equation of state for an ideal gas and the first law of thermodynamics, as an air parcel ascends the volume of the parcel ____ and the temperature ____. (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
increases, decreases
8. The two type of charging mechanisms are: (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
inductive and non-inductive
2. In the correct order of evolution, the three stages of the lifecycle of an ordinary convective cell is: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
initiating / developing, mature, and dissipating
1. A warm core low pressure center is called warm core because: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
it has a warm air temperature perturbation near its middle
9. In the United States, the most costly hurricane on record was Hurricane: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
katrina
5. for the same volume, fluid of a lower density weighs ____ than a fluid of higher density and would have a tendency to ____ relative to the higher density fluid (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
less, rise
9. A parcel of air that is initially unsaturated can become saturated by: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
lifting the air
9. considering the ASOS Technical Manual, what instrument is sometimes available at an ASOS site but was not shown in the picture in slide 17 of Lecture 1? (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
lightning detector
13. hail can be detected using a dual-polarimetric radar based on observing what (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
near zero values of differential radar reflectivity (ZDR), and high values of radar reflectivity (Z)
9. In general, the sign of charge transferred onto graupel during graupel/ice-crystal collisions in environments with moderate supercooled water between -10 to -30°C is ________. For high supercooled water content environments, the sign of the charge transferred to graupel is ________. (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
negative, positive
19. The part of the hurricane that is associated with the most tornadoes is: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
on the right side of the hurricane
18. The greatest surge will be found in what part of a hurricane? (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
on the right side of the hurricane near the eyewall
10. Microbursts are a hazard for aircraft because: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
planes initially gain lift and then rapidly lose lift as they cross through a microburst event
3. both ____ and ____ vary inverse exponentially with height in the atmosphere (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
pressure and density
15. dual-polarimetric radar is useful because (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
rain drops have well-defined non-spherical equilibrium shapes as a function of their diameter
3. In the United States, lightning is second only to __________ in terms of loss of life from convective weather systems: (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
river and flash flooding
17. The two types of derechos are: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
serial and progressive
6. The two components of vertical wind shear are: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
speed and direction
14. The two methods of initiating a lighting discharge is: (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
spontaneous electric field breakdown and background-initiated electron cascade
7. Based on damage surveys, Dr. Fujita created conceptual models for which two types of microbursts? (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
stationary and traveling
14. Biggerstaff and Houze (1991) used backward precipitation trajectories to determine that the width of a stratiform rain region was associated with a combination of __________ and __________. (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
storm-relative winds and the flux of hydrometeors from the convective line
12. The wake low in a squall line system is associated with: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
strong subsidence in the rear inflow at the rear of the convective system
3. All the factors below aid in microburst development except which one? - melting of graupel - evaporation of rain - melting of hail - precipitation loading - strong vertical shear of the horizontal wind (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
strong vertical shear of the horizontal wind
10. All the following are true except? - the structure of a storm system is very sensitive to changes in the magnitude, direction, and depth of vertical wind shear - supercell storms always move to the right of the mean wind - the structure of a storm system depends on the shape of the environmental hodograph - supercell thunderstorms favor environments with at least 40 knots of vertical wind shear in the lowest 6 km of the atmosphere - the type of convective storm produced depends on the magnitude of the low-to-mid-level vertical wind shear (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
supercell storms always move to the right of the mean wind
6. Hurricanes cannot cross the equator because: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
the Coriolis force changes direction at the equator which would make the hurricane have to spin in the other direction
4. The area of the United States with the greatest potential for microburst activity is: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
the Gulf Coast states
9. The reason why the FAA developed and installed their own Terminal Doppler Weather Radar network is: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
the National Weather Service radars scanned too slowly to adequately detect microbursts
5. The type of aircraft used in the Thunderstorm Project was: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
the P-61 Black Widow two-engine propeller aircraft
15. The occlusion stage of a mesocyclone's lifecycle occurs when: (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
the RFD (sometimes augmented by the occlusion downdraft) wraps around the mesocyclone cutting off its environmental inflow
4. The naming convention for tropical cyclones is provided by: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
the World Meteorological Organization
8. Everything below is true about horizontal vorticity except what? (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
the amount of horizontal vorticity is a constant in the atmosphere
18. Specific differential phase from a dual-polarimetric radar can be used to show all the following except: - the area in which a CG is most likely to strike - areas of strong electric fields in the upper portions of stratiform regions - areas of strong electric fields in the upper portions of convective regions - the areas in which step leaders associated with intracloud lightning are most likely to propagate - he area in the upper levels of the stratiform region in which few lighting channels are likely to propagate (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
the area in which a CG is most likely to strike
4. The Richardson number is a ratio of what two quantities? (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
the available potential energy to available kinetic energy that a convective updraft can extract from the environment in which a convective cloud grows
17. Streamwise vorticity refers to: (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
the component of horizontal vorticity that is parallel to the wind direction
5. The area with the strongest microburst winds expected to occur over a 50-year period is: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
the desert southwest
16. Specific differential phase from a dual-polarimetric weather radar is a measure of: (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
the difference in the reduction of propagation speed for horizontally and vertically polarized electromagnetic waves from the radar pulse as it travels through hydrometeors in the cloud
15. The secondary band in a squall line system refers to: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
the enhanced region of stratiform rain which can be traced back to hydrometeor flux from the strongest part of the convective line
3. Ordinary convective cells are sometimes called "airmass" thunderstorms due to: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
the environmental conditions (wind, temperature, and moisture) were relatively uniform in the airmass in which they were observed
16. All the following statements are true regarding the eyewall replacement cycle except for which one? - the formation of an outer eyewall occurs near landfall - the outer eyewall cuts off the inflow of warm, moist air into the inner eyewall -the inner eyewall weakens and dissipates after the outer eyewall has formed -the strength of the hurricane temporary weakens during an eyewall replacement cycle -the outer eyewall contracts and replaces the inner eyewall (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
the formation of an outer eyewall occurs near landfall
17. Considering all tornadoes, the greatest frequency of tornadoes per 10,000 square mile area occurs in: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
the great planes, tornado alley, florida, and the midwestern US
10. The graupel/ice-crystal collision explanation for electric charge generation explains which layers of charge in a multicell storm system? (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
the lower positive, mid-level negative, and upper level positive in the convective updraft
23. Tornadoes are classified by: (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
the maximum damage that occurred along their track
14. The rear-to-front flow in a squall line system develops in response to: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
the mid-level and LeMone low pressure perturbations
18. Derechos are most commonly observed in what part of the United States? (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
the mid-west and Arkansas/Oklahoma
3. In the Atlantic basin, a tropical cyclone becomes named when the following meteorological condition has been met. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
the one-minute average near surface wind speed has exceeded 38mph
13. All the following are aspects of the pouch theory of tropical cyclone formation except for which one? (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
the outflow from convective downdrafts within the pouch forms a cold pool that organizes the convection
14. For a unit mass of air, angular momentum is: (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
the product of tangential velocity and distance from the center of rotation
8. which of the following factors do not contribute to uncertainty in numerical weather predictions? (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
the recent increase in computer speed used to perform the calculations
1. Newton's Gravitational Law depends on everything listed below except for what? (Quiz 16 - Forces)
the speed of rotation of the planet
16. The optimal state of convection in a squall line system is when: (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
the updraft exits the top of the cold pool vertically oriented
10. In the Great Plains, supercell storms tend to move to the right of the density-weighted average wind because: (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
the wind shear direction rotates clockwise with height, leading to a high pressure - perturbation at low levels and a low pressure - perturbation at mid-levels on the right side of the storm, which favors new updraft growth on that side of the exiting updraft
12. All the characteristics listed below apply to landspout tornadoes except for which one? (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
they are capable of producing up to EF-3 damage
1. All the following is true about ordinary convective cells except: - their lifecycle is about 60-90 minutes long - they are thought of as a bubble rising through the atmosphere - they form in regions of weak to modest low-level vertical wind shear - they can be unorganized or organized - they are not associated with severe weather (Quiz 10 - Multicell Storms)
they are not associated with severe weather
11. The current conceptual thinking regarding the average distribution of electric charge in a multicell thunderstorm complex is referred to as the: (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
tripole model
20. Miniature supercells can be found in the outer rain bands of some hurricanes. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
true
20. True or false: All supercells initially start as multicell storms. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
true
28. True or false: For a low-pressure area to be defined as a tropical cyclone it must have a closed surface wind circulation. (Quiz 15 - Hurricanes)
true
3. True or false: Using the course textbook definition, there are two types of tornadoes: supercell tornadoes and landspout tornadoes. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
true
4. True or false: Very large, violent tornadoes often have embedded within the main tornado vortex a number of smaller vortices called suction spots. (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
true
6. True or false: Convective storms in high CAPE environments can produce their own localized shear resulting in supercell formation despite an unfavorable Richardson number in the larger-scale environment. (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
true
11. Splitting supercells that form a right-mover and a left mover are favored to occur for environments with what characteristic? (Quiz 13 - Supercells)
unidirectional wind shear
8. Debris flows typically occur on the ____ side of California mountains, while little precipitation falls on ____ side (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
upwind, downwind
20. Inside lightning safety protocols suggest avoiding all the following except: - using a cell phone - standing near a window - taking a shower/bath - washing dishes - using your computer while it is plugged in recharging (Quiz 12 - Lightning)
using a cell phone
10. Out of the five current hypotheses related to supercell tornado formation, which two require a downdraft to explain part of the process? (Quiz 14 - Tornadoes)
vortex arch theory and vortex breakdown
13. The mid-level low in a squall line system is associated with: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
warm, ascending front to rear flow in the stratiform region
11. The LeMone Low in a squall line system is associated with: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
warm, sloping updrafts through the convective region
6. The two microphysical types of microbursts are: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
wet and dry
19. The reason why bow echoes and derechoes tend to form in regions of moderately strong low-level wind shear (20-30 m/s in the lowest 2.5 km) is: (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
wind shear helps support deeper cold pools that can propagate faster, which typically increases the probability of severe surface winds
1. A severe thunderstorm would contain which of the following elements? (Quiz 11 - Straight-line Windstorm)
winds of at least 50 knots
7. In 1811, the Italian physicist Amedeo Avogadro discovered that: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
any gas at the same temperature and pressure has the same number of molecules
8 the three primary states at which matter can exist are : (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
solid, gas, liquid
1. latent heat is defined as: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the energy required to change the phase of a 1 kilogram of a substance
8. to perform a lifted-parcel stability analysis, like that shown in the lecture, we need to define what characteristics of a low-level parcel that would feed a thunderstorm (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
average mixing ratio, average temperature, and average pressure
7. the quick graphical way to determine the stability of a layer in an environmental sounding is to (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
examine the slope of the environmental temperature profile relative to the slope of the closest dry and moist adiabats
9. the three things that are necessary for hail to grow within a cumulonimbus are (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
hail embryos, supercooled water, and strong, sustained or cyclic updrafts
5. The weather related phenomena that causes the greatest fatalities, on average, in the United States is: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
heat waves
4. The heat index is combination of what two variables? (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
humidity and temperature
10. according to the video found in the satellite link of the Instrument Module, the first weather satellite was launched in order to look for what type of weather phenomena? (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
hurricanes
2. the main difference between a graupel and an ice pellet particle is that (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
ice pellets have little air trapped inside the particle while graupel has many tiny air bubbles trapped inside it
4. the state variables that were held constant by Charles were ____ and ____ (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
pressure and mass
9. debris flows are particularly likely during a heavy rain event in what areas? (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
recent burn scars
1. the two fundamental types of instruments used to take measurements of the atmosphere are : (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
remote and in situ sensors
14. the clouds that form in a stable layer of the atmosphere are: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
shallow, with flat bottoms and tops
10. when matter changes phase directly from a solid form to a gas form we say that the matter has undergone? (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
sublimation
9. the first law of thermodynamics states : (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
that energy cannot be created nor destroyed
12. the following is all true about the convective available potential energy, except (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
the CAPE represents how much energy is required to lift a parcel to its level of free convection
3. the reason why a person weighs less on the moon than earth is because (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
the acceleration due to gravity is less for a person on the moon than for the person while on earth
1. The "capacity" of air to hold water vapor depends on: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
the average kinetic energy of the air
2. Saturation occurs when: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
the condensation rate is exactly equal to the rate of evaporation
3. Relative humidity depends on: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
the content of water vapor present and the air temperature
8. A chilled mirror device can used to determine the: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
the dew point temperature of the air
11. the GOES-16 satellite data has recently been used to develop a method to predict hail based on ____ (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
the diagnosis of above-anvil cirrus plumes
2. specific heat is derived as: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the energy required to raise 1kg of a substance 1 degree kelvin
10. Convection Inhibition is defined as: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the energy required to raise an air parcel to where it first becomes positively buoyant
8. a layer of the atmosphere is said to be conditionally unstable if: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the environmental lapse rate is between the values of moist (saturated) and dry (unsaturated) adiabatic lapse rate
7. a layer of the atmosphere is said to be absolutely unstable if: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the environmental lapse rate is less than the dry (unsaturated) adiabatic lapse rate
6. a layer of the atmosphere is said to be absolutely stable if: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist (saturated) adiabatic lapse rate
16. the reason why convective cloud tops overshoot the equilibrium level is (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
the kinetic energy of the updraft, which is maximized at the equilibrium level, has to be converted back into potential energy as the updraft speed decreases to zero
10. the level of free convection is (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
the level at which a lifted air parcel's buoyancy first changes from being negative (temperature colder than the environment) to positive (temperature warmer than the environment)
11. the equilibrium level is (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
the level at which a lifted air parcel's buoyancy first changes from being positive (temperature warmer than the environment) to negative (temperature colder than the environment)
9. the lifted condensation level is (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
the level at which a lifted parcel's saturation mixing ratio becomes equal to its initial actual mixing ratio
9. The Lifted Condensation Level (LCL) is defined as: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
the level where a lifted air parcel has cooled enough to become saturated
6. Dew point temperature is: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
the temperature that unsaturated air must be cooled to reach saturation under constant pressure
1. the weight of the atmosphere is equivalent to : (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
the weight of a column of mercury 29.92 inches high
7. atmospheric pressure at some height in the atmosphere is a measure of : (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
the weight of the air above that height, over a unit area
14. meteorologists take soundings of the atmosphere twice daily using radiosondes because (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
there is an international agreement to collect soundings of the atmosphere at the same time across the planet twice daily
8. one of the major challenges in forecasting hail is that (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
things like CAPE vary significantly in space and time, while our radiosonde network is sparse
7. in the correct order from the surface upwards, the four main thermo layers of atmosphere are: (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
10. A person starts to feel that the air is humid when the relative humidity reaches: (Quiz 4 - Moisture Variables)
70 percent
5. To satisfy the First Law of Thermodynamics the energy needed to perform work on the environment during parcel expansion comes from ____. (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
using some of the kinetic energy of the air inside the parcel
4. a radiosonde measures what? (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
vertical profiles of winds, temperature, dew point temperature, and pressure
1. Boyle's law states that under the right conditions the product of ____ and ____ is a constant (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
volume, pressure
3. Charles law states that under the right conditions, the ratio of ____ to ____ is constant (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
volume, temperature
6. based on the passive microwave estimates of temperature perturbations across the Pacific ocean, the El Nino part of the El Nino - La Nina cycle (also called the El Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO) is associated with : (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
warmer than normal waters off the west coast of South America
12. examples of ways that atmospheric stability can change with time include: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
(all the responses are correct) - radiative heating of the environmental air - radiative cooling of the environmental air - large-scale ascent and descent of the environmental air - movement of air masses with different temperature aloft and below
8. ozone in the stratosphere: (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
(all the responses are correct) - can be destroyed by chlorofluorocarbons, is - constantly being broken down by UV light and recombined by collisions between oxygen atoms, diatomic oxygen, and a third molecule needed to carry away excess kinetic energy - absorbs most of the harmful UV sunlight before it reaches the ground - causes the stratosphere temperature to increase with height
1. according to the American Meteorological Society, hail is defined as precipitation in the form of ice balls or lumps that are greater than __ in size while the National Weather Service currently defines severe hail as having sizes greater than __ in diameter (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
5 mm, 25.4 mm
6. according to one estimate, a 3-inch diameter hailstone falling through the air near sea level will have a speed of (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
85 mph
3. there are approximately how many ASOS stations operating in the USA? (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
900
7. one of the key environmental ingredients needed to support severe hail growth is (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
Convective Available Potential Energy greater than about 1500 Joules/kilogram of air
13. the following is all true of the downdraft convective available potential energy, except (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
DCAPE starts at the lifted condensation level and extends down to the surface
3. On a station model of meteorological observations, the symbol used to report blowing dust in the air is: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
a capital S
12. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data can be used to diagnosis the presence of hail in convection based on (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
a reduction in upwelling 37GHz radiation caused by scattering from hail in clouds
5. numerical models are : (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
a set of mathematical equations that describe the atmosphere and its motion
5. if an air parcel is saturated during ascent through the atmosphere its temperature will decrease at a rate approximately equal to: (Quiz 6 - Sensible, Latent Heat and Stability)
a value that depends on the condensation rate, which varies with temperature and pressure
2. weather radar is an example of what type of instrument? (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
active remote sensor
10. all the following have been attempted to reduce the likelihood of hail formation except (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
aerial bombardment to suppress cloud formation by disrupting convective updrafts
7. using the ASOS meteogram from Salt Lake City as a guide, a cold frontal passage is accompanied by : (Quiz 1 - Instruments)
all the responses are right; decreasing temperature, decrease in visibility due to precipitation, a shift in wind direction and increase in wind speed, a trough in surface pressure
2. On a station model of meteorological observations, the symbol used to report no sky condition observation due to the sky being obscured is: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
an X placed in the middle of the circle
14. hail can be predicted using a dual-polarimetric radar based on observing what (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
an elevated positive ZDR column, an indication of graupel, and an indication of a vigorous cloud
9. nacreous clouds (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
consist of nitric and sulfuric acid ice facilitates the breakdown of ozone
10. sprites and elves are: (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
electrical discharges that occur in the ionosphere in association with tropospheric lighting from large storm systems below
2. in the traditional SkewT-logP diagram shown in the lecture, solid brown, horizontal lines represent (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
lines of constant pressure
5. in the traditional SkewT-logP diagram shown in the lecture, dashed green lines that slope from the lower-left upwards to the upper-right represent (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
lines of constant saturation mixing ratio
3. in the traditional SkewT-logP diagram shown in the lecture, solid brown straight lines that slope from the lower-left upwards to the upper-right represent (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
lines of constant temperature
2. the state variable that is a measure of the amount of matter in an object is ____ (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
mass
2. the state variables that were unwittingly held constant by Boyle were ____ and ____. (Quiz 3 - Equation of State)
mass, temperature
4. density is the ratio of ____ (in the numerator) over ____ (in the denominator) (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
mass, volume
1. The four fundamental state variables used to describe the atmosphere are : (Quiz 2 - State Variables)
mass, volume, temperature, and pressure
2. aneroid barometers: (Quiz 5 - Vertical Structure)
measure the atmospheric weight by depressing a closed container with a needle scale attached to the container to indicate the amount of depression
3. hail most frequently occurs across which portion of the globe during which season (Quiz 8 - Hailstorms)
middle-latitudes over land in the northern hemisphere, during northern hemisphere summer
4. On a station model of meteorological observations, the pressure is reported in: (Quiz 9 - Station Model, Wind Shear, and Hodographs)
millibars to the nearest tenth of a millibar, with the leading 9 or 10 omitted
6. in the traditional SkewT-logP diagram shown in the lecture, solid green curved lines that slope from the lower-right upwards to the upper-left represent (Quiz 7 - SkewT-logP)
moist adiabats
