OCe Ch6

What type of force is the Coriolis effect?

ficticious

Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?

in a clockwise direction

Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?

in a counterclockwise direction

Where are Hadley cells found?

in the atmosphere near the equator

How does air move near the top of a cyclone?

in the same direction as air in the upper atmosphere Submit

Earth's atmosphere is heated primarily by __________.

re-radiation of solar energy from Earth's surface back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation

The largest loss of life from a hurricane is usually due to:

storm surge.

When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night?

September and March Equinox

At what latitude(s) on Earth is the speed of rotation the greatest?

0 degrees

If you were the captain of a sailing ship, which of the following latitudes would you want to avoid MOST?

30 degrees

The prevailing westerlies occur in which of the following regions?

30 to 60 degrees

Which of the following will cause the lowest air pressure at the surface?

A column of warm, less dense air

Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain?

Air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends.

Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain?

Air in cyclones undergoes cooling as it rises.

When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?

During the March and September Equinox

The prevailing westerly winds blow in which of the following directions in the Southern Hemisphere?

From northwest to southeast

Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the Coriolis effect?

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes an object to be deflected to the right of its intended direction, In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes an object to be deflected to the left of its intended direction.

At which latitude on the Earth is the speed of Earth's rotation the slowest?

North and South poles

Which wind belt curves to the right due to the Coriolis effect and blow from northeast to southwest?

Northeast trade winds

Polar high pressure occurs in which of the following regions?

Polar (90 degrees)

Based on the characteristics, what is the name of the wind belt being described as cold, dry winds generally from the east?

Polar easterlies

A boundary or belt characterized by cold deserts occurs in which of the following regions?

Poles (90 degrees)

Which of the following is responsible for 90% of the deaths associated with hurricanes?

Storm surge

How does the location of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) change over time?

The ITCZ migrates south of the equator in Northern Hemisphere winter and north of the equator in Northern Hemisphere summer.

You are enjoying time at the beach on a warm summer day. It is late afternoon, and a breeze has started to develop. For most of the day, the winds were calm; the breeze only started within the past hour or so. Based on these details, what can you say about this breeze? Select all of the options that apply to this scenario.

The breeze is most likely a cool breeze coming from the water., Warm land has now sufficiently heated the overlying air, so that cooler air over the ocean is now moving onshore as a sea breeze.

If Earth rotated in the opposite direction, how would global atmospheric circulation be affected?

The global wind belts would blow in the opposite east-west direction.

How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?

The inclination of Earth's axis does not change.

A jet stream generally diverges above a low-pressure (warm) center. However, at Earth's surface, air converges at a low-pressure center. If the divergence of the jet stream is greater than the convergence of air at the surface low-pressure center below it, what will happen to the surface winds?

The surface winds will likely get stronger.

What two factors explain why the prevailing westerlies blow toward the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and the southwest in the Southern Hemisphere?

The two factors are the direction of circulation in the Ferrel cell and the Coriolis effect. Submit

In which layer of the atmosphere is all weather generated?

Troposphere

Which of the following statements provides a possible logical explanation for the increased number of tornadoes during the 1990s and 2000s compared to the 1950s and 1960s?

Using Doppler radar more effectively allows scientists to detect more tornadoes than was previously possible., Population increases mean that more people could report tornadoes in more areas.

What is an anticylone?

a center of high atmospheric pressure Submit

What is a cyclone?

a center of low atmospheric pressure

The percentage of solar radiation reflected from the surface of Earth back into space is known as the __________.

albedo

Which areas of Earth experience the most precipitation?

areas near the ITCZ

Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?

at the equator

In the Northern Hemisphere, September 23 is known as ________.

autumnal equinox

A cold air mass moving into an area occupied by relatively warm air is called a(n) ________.

cold front

In which direction must the merry-go-round be pushed to simulate the Coriolis effect on Earth?

counterclockwise

Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?

down, and in a clockwise direction

Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?

down, and in a counterclockwise direction

When would you expect the low-pressure cell over the North Pole to be most developed?

during the Northern Hemisphere winter

Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons?

earth spins on its axis completing one rotation each day, earth's axis is always pointing in the same direction relative to the stars, earth orbits around the sun, completing one orbit each year, earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane

A tropical cyclone with a wind speed of 220 km/hr. would be classified as Category ________ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensity.

four

What drives Hadley cell circulation?

heating from the Sun

Earth rotates about its axis and all objects on its surface are constantly moving around in a large circle in space. Which of the following are influenced by Coriolis effect?

ocean currents, helicopter, or a flight

Typically, the United States is influenced more by ________ air masses during the winter and more by ________ air masses during the summer.

polar; tropical

A person experiences a popping feeling in their ears during the takeoff or landing of an airplane or while driving on steep mountain roads due to changes in the ________ of the atmosphere.

pressure

Areas of low pressure tend to have ______ air and _____ weather.

rising, stormy

Air warmed by the land that rises and is replaced by cooler air from the ocean may produce a:

sea breeze

The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer, during the:

summer solstice

Hurricanes frequently make landfall on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but rarely, if ever, occur on the Pacific coast. The primary reason for the rarity of West Coast hurricanes is that __________.

the ocean water near the U.S. coast does not get warm enough to supply the needed heat energy for

The Coriolis effect is caused by __________.

the rotation of Earth

What two features are many of Earth's deserts associated with?

the subtropical highs and cool ocean currents found along the west coasts of continents Submit

What is the December solstice?

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun Submit

What is the June solstice?

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly toward the Sun

As a result of the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere, winds always are deflected:

to the right of their original direction.

The wind belt(s) with strong, reliable, generally easterly winds is (are) the:

trade winds.

What are tropical cyclones called in the western North Pacific Ocean?

typhoons

The Coriolis effect is due to changes in the ________ of Earth with latitude.

velocity