Exam 9: Atmosphere and Severe Weather

Explain what happens to temperature and pressure in the atmosphere as you go upward as in climbing a very tall mountain or flying in an airplane. Explain why these changes occur.

What is the weather that is generally associated with high pressure systems?

Energy is the ability to do work.

In which part of the atmosphere are the clouds found?

What happens to air as it rises in the troposphere?

Relative humidity describes how close the air is to being saturated.

Which of the following hazards is NOT influenced by the weather?

In the shrinking stage of tornado development the tornado gets smaller in diameter and actually increases its wind speed.

An ice storm is defined by small chunks of ice falling from the sky.

Which is the most common type of severe thunderstorm?

Which of the following has a low albedo?

What is wind shear?

What part of the day usually has the highest relative humidity?

Cumulus clouds are puffy clouds that form during the mature stage of a thunderstorm.

Which of the following is TRUE about lightning?

There were many hazards discussed in this chapter. Choose two hazards that you would consider able to cause catastrophe and two that you would not consider catastrophic. Explain your reasoning.

Hail is usually associated with winter storms that produce sleet and freezing rain.

What drives the movement of wind?

Disregarding the Coriolis effect, explain how and why air moves globally between the poles and the equator.

Air moves from low pressure to high pressure, creating wind.