Exam 13: The Atmosphere in Motion

Considering the repositioning of continents due to plate tectonics over geologic time, would you expect that the atmospheric circulation of the past would have been the same as we see today? Why or why not?

A(n)________ provides a rough indication of wind speed and direction, though it's not as precise as a cup anemometer paired with a wind vane.

This pressure zone is associated with abundant precipitation and warm temperatures.

Which of the four lettered locations on this barometer would correspond to a hurricane (tropical cyclone)?

Examine the figure. The prevailing wind depicting on this wind rose blows from the ________ towards the ________.

Chinook and Santa Ana winds are warm, dry winds created when air descends the leeward side of a mountain and ________ by compression.

The wind that mostly closely resembles a chinook is ________.

________ are high-elevation "rivers" of air that travel between 120 and 240 kilometers (75 and 150 miles)per hour in a west-to-east direction.

Cyclones are usually associated with stormy weather.

Examine the map showing air pressure in millibars. Compare and contrast what sorts of weather situations would you expect at sites "B" and "D" on the map.

________ is the result of horizontal differences in air pressure.

Examine the map showing air pressure in millibars. Which of the four lettered locations deserves a wind hazard alert?

For a low-pressure center to be maintained or strengthened, the surface convergence must be balanced by ________ aloft.

Low pressure systems are usually associated with clear weather.

A north wind blows from the north toward the south.

The Sahara and Australian deserts (among others)are associated with the ________.

Why are coastal and mountainous regions often much more windy than other locations at similar latitudes?

Because unequal heating of Earth's surface generates these pressure differences, ________ is/are the ultimate energy source for most wind.

The jet stream is a surface wind feature.

If divergence in the jet stream above a surface low-pressure center exceeds convergence at the surface, will surface winds likely get stronger or weaker?