Question 1

The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the

Accepted Answer

A)  environmental lapse rate. 
B)  dry adiabatic rate. 
C)  moist adiabatic rate. 
D)  thermocline. 
A)  environmental lapse rate. 
B)  dry adiabatic rate. 
C)  moist adiabatic rate. 
D)  thermocline. A

Question 2

Would you expect to find a subsidence inversion to be associated with high or low pressure?

Accepted Answer

A subsidence inversion is typically associated with high-pressure systems. In meteorology, a subsidence inversion occurs when a layer of air descends and warms adiabatically, which means without losing or gaining heat to the surrounding environment. This descending air is a characteristic of high-pressure systems, where air from the upper levels of the atmosphere is pushed toward the ground, increasing the atmospheric pressure at the surface.

As the air descends, it compresses and warms, and since warmer air is less dense, it forms a layer above the cooler air at the surface. This warm layer acts as a cap and prevents the cooler air below from rising. This situation stabilizes the atmosphere and inhibits vertical mixing, often leading to clear skies and dry weather conditions.

In contrast, low-pressure systems are generally associated with rising air, which can lead to cloud formation and precipitation. Rising air cools and expands, which can lead to the condensation of water vapor and the development of weather fronts and storms.

Therefore, a subsidence inversion is more likely to be found in association with a high-pressure system, which promotes stable atmospheric conditions and can trap pollutants and lead to reduced air quality in the affected regions.

Question 3

Subsidence ____ stability.

Accepted Answer

A)  increases 
B)  decreases 
C)  has little effect on 
A)  increases 
B)  decreases 
C)  has little effect on A

Question 4

Convective instability associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can be brought on by

Accepted Answer

A)  lifting a stable air layer whose surface is humid and whose top is dry. 
B)  forcing a layer of moist air to descend a mountain range. 
C)  heating the upper portion of an unsaturated layer of air. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  lifting a stable air layer whose surface is humid and whose top is dry. 
B)  forcing a layer of moist air to descend a mountain range. 
C)  heating the upper portion of an unsaturated layer of air. 
D)  all of the above

Question 5

Which of the following would increase the environmental lapse rate?

Accepted Answer

A)  cold advection at higher altitudes 
B)  daytime solar heating 
C)  surface radiational cooling 
D)  all of the above 
E)  both cold advection at higher altitudes and daytime solar heating 
A)  cold advection at higher altitudes 
B)  daytime solar heating 
C)  surface radiational cooling 
D)  all of the above 
E)  both cold advection at higher altitudes and daytime solar heating

Question 6

Sinking air sometimes cools adiabatically.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Does radiational cooling at the ground at night act to increase or decrease atmospheric stability?

Accepted Answer

Radiational cooling at the ground at nig

Question 8

In a rising thermal,the dew-point temperature

Accepted Answer

A)  increases at a slower rate than the parcel temperature. 
B)  decreases at the same rate as the parcel temperature. 
C)  decreases at a slower rate than the parcel temperature. 
D)  increases at a faster rate than the parcel temperature. 
A)  increases at a slower rate than the parcel temperature. 
B)  decreases at the same rate as the parcel temperature. 
C)  decreases at a slower rate than the parcel temperature. 
D)  increases at a faster rate than the parcel temperature.

Question 9

Which of the following sets of conditions would produce a cumulus cloud with the lowest base?

Accepted Answer

A)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 50 F 
B)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 40 F 
C)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 60 F 
D)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 20 F 
A)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 50 F 
B)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 40 F 
C)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 60 F 
D)  air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 20 F

Question 10

If the environmental lapse rate is 5 C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25 C,then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is

Accepted Answer

A)  25 C. 
B)  30 C. 
C)  20 C. 
D)  15 C. 
A)  25 C. 
B)  30 C. 
C)  20 C. 
D)  15 C.

Question 11

List and explain the four processes that cause rising air motions in the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

1. Convection: This process occurs when

Question 12

Soaring birds in flight,like hawks and eagles,often indicate the presence of

Accepted Answer

A)  irreversible pseudoadiabatic processes. 
B)  absolute instability. 
C)  thermals. 
D)  subsidence inversions. 
A)  irreversible pseudoadiabatic processes. 
B)  absolute instability. 
C)  thermals. 
D)  subsidence inversions.

Question 13

A knowledge of air stability is important because

Accepted Answer

A)  it determines the direction of movement of storms. 
B)  it determines the vertical motion of air. 
C)  it determines the movement of high pressure areas. 
D)  it determines seasonal weather patterns. 
A)  it determines the direction of movement of storms. 
B)  it determines the vertical motion of air. 
C)  it determines the movement of high pressure areas. 
D)  it determines seasonal weather patterns.

Question 14

A conditionally unstable atmosphere is ____ with respect to unsaturated air and ____ with respect to saturated air.

Accepted Answer

A)  unstable,stable 
B)  unstable,unstable 
C)  stable,unstable 
D)  stable,stable 
A)  unstable,stable 
B)  unstable,unstable 
C)  stable,unstable 
D)  stable,stable

Question 15

The temperature an air parcel would have if it were moved to a pressure of 1,000 mb at the dry adiabatic rate is called the

Accepted Answer

A)  descending temperature. 
B)  adiabatic temperature. 
C)  potential temperature. 
D)  dew point temperature. 
E)  base temperature. 
A)  descending temperature. 
B)  adiabatic temperature. 
C)  potential temperature. 
D)  dew point temperature. 
E)  base temperature.

Question 16

The difference between the "moist" and "dry" adiabatic rates is due to

Accepted Answer

A)  the fact that saturated air is always unstable. 
B)  the fact that an unsaturated air parcel expands more rapidly than a saturated air parcel. 
C)  the fact that moist air weighs less than dry air. 
D)  the fact that latent heat is released by a rising parcel of saturated air. 
A)  the fact that saturated air is always unstable. 
B)  the fact that an unsaturated air parcel expands more rapidly than a saturated air parcel. 
C)  the fact that moist air weighs less than dry air. 
D)  the fact that latent heat is released by a rising parcel of saturated air.

Question 17

The most latent heat would be released in a ____ parcel of ____ saturated air.

Accepted Answer

A)  rising,warm 
B)  rising,cold 
C)  sinking,warm 
D)  sinking,cold 
A)  rising,warm 
B)  rising,cold 
C)  sinking,warm 
D)  sinking,cold

Question 18

What would the air temperature inside a conventional jet airliner be,if outside air at an altitude of 10 km,pressure of 250 mb and a temperature of -60 C,is brought inside and compressed to a 1,000 mb pressure? (Hint: you may assume that 1,000 mb pressure is equivalent to 0 m altitude. )

Accepted Answer

A)  -60 C 
B)  0 C 
C)  40 C 
D)  60 C 
A)  -60 C 
B)  0 C 
C)  40 C 
D)  60 C

Question 19

Which of the following conditions would be described as the most stable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Environmental lapse rate is 13 C per kilometer. 
B)  Environmental lapse rate is 3 C per kilometer. 
C)  isothermal conditions 
D)  an inversion 
A)  Environmental lapse rate is 13 C per kilometer. 
B)  Environmental lapse rate is 3 C per kilometer. 
C)  isothermal conditions 
D)  an inversion

Question 20

Vertical mixing of air tends to ____ a large environmental lapse rate.

Accepted Answer

A)  decrease 
B)  increase 
A)  decrease 
B)  increase

The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the

Would you expect to find a subsidence inversion to be associated with high or low pressure?

Subsidence ____ stability.

Convective instability associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can be brought on by

Which of the following would increase the environmental lapse rate?

Sinking air sometimes cools adiabatically.

Does radiational cooling at the ground at night act to increase or decrease atmospheric stability?

In a rising thermal,the dew-point temperature

Which of the following sets of conditions would produce a cumulus cloud with the lowest base?

If the environmental lapse rate is 5 C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25 C,then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is

List and explain the four processes that cause rising air motions in the atmosphere.

Soaring birds in flight,like hawks and eagles,often indicate the presence of

A knowledge of air stability is important because

A conditionally unstable atmosphere is with respect to unsaturated air and with respect to saturated air.

The temperature an air parcel would have if it were moved to a pressure of 1,000 mb at the dry adiabatic rate is called the

The difference between the "moist" and "dry" adiabatic rates is due to

The most latent heat would be released in a parcel of saturated air.

What would the air temperature inside a conventional jet airliner be,if outside air at an altitude of 10 km,pressure of 250 mb and a temperature of -60 C,is brought inside and compressed to a 1,000 mb pressure? (Hint: you may assume that 1,000 mb pressure is equivalent to 0 m altitude. )

Which of the following conditions would be described as the most stable?

Vertical mixing of air tends to ____ a large environmental lapse rate.

Earth and Its Atmosphere

Energy: Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere

Seasonal and Daily Temperatures

Atmospheric Humidity

Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds

Precipitation

Air Pressure and Winds

Wind: Small Scale and Local Systems

Wind: Global Systems

Air Masses and Fronts

Middle-Latitude Cyclones

Weather Forecasting

Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

Hurricanes

Earths Changing Climate

Global Climate

Air Pollution

Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics

Filters

Exam 6: Stability and Cloud Development

The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the

Would you expect to find a subsidence inversion to be associated with high or low pressure?

Subsidence ____ stability.

Convective instability associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can be brought on by

Which of the following would increase the environmental lapse rate?

Sinking air sometimes cools adiabatically.

Does radiational cooling at the ground at night act to increase or decrease atmospheric stability?

In a rising thermal,the dew-point temperature

Which of the following sets of conditions would produce a cumulus cloud with the lowest base?

If the environmental lapse rate is 5 C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25 C,then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is

List and explain the four processes that cause rising air motions in the atmosphere.

Soaring birds in flight,like hawks and eagles,often indicate the presence of

A knowledge of air stability is important because

A conditionally unstable atmosphere is ____ with respect to unsaturated air and ____ with respect to saturated air.

The temperature an air parcel would have if it were moved to a pressure of 1,000 mb at the dry adiabatic rate is called the

The difference between the "moist" and "dry" adiabatic rates is due to

The most latent heat would be released in a ____ parcel of ____ saturated air.

What would the air temperature inside a conventional jet airliner be,if outside air at an altitude of 10 km,pressure of 250 mb and a temperature of -60 C,is brought inside and compressed to a 1,000 mb pressure? (Hint: you may assume that 1,000 mb pressure is equivalent to 0 m altitude. )

Which of the following conditions would be described as the most stable?

Vertical mixing of air tends to ____ a large environmental lapse rate.

Earth and Its Atmosphere

Energy: Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere

Seasonal and Daily Temperatures

Atmospheric Humidity

Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds

Precipitation

Air Pressure and Winds

Wind: Small Scale and Local Systems

Wind: Global Systems

Air Masses and Fronts

Middle-Latitude Cyclones

Weather Forecasting

Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

Hurricanes

Earths Changing Climate

Global Climate

Air Pollution

Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics

Filters

A conditionally unstable atmosphere is with respect to unsaturated air and with respect to saturated air.

The most latent heat would be released in a parcel of saturated air.