Deck 5: Atmospheric Pressure and Wind

Question 1

A north wind

A) is always a cold wind on Earth.
B) is blowing to the north.
C) is blowing to the south.
D) can mean any of the above because of the lack of precise wind terms.
E) is blowing from the east to the north.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

El Niño received its name because of its association with .

A) sea birds
B) the ninth month of the year
C) human health problems
D) fog
E) Christmas

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Where would be the most likely place to find a subtropical high?

A) near the Equator
B) over the tropical continents
C) over subtropical oceans
D) above the polar front jet stream
E) at any of the above locations

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Geostrophic wind always flows .

A) at the surface of the Earth
B) slowly
C) counterclockwise
D) to the left
E) parallel to the isobars

Question 5

Circulation in the troposphere is mainly a(n) system.

A) equilibrium
B) open
C) cascading
D) closed
E) non- existent

Question 6

City A has an air pressure of 1,000 millibars. City B has an air pressure of 1004 millibars. The distance between the two cities is 100 kilometers. The difference of 4 millibars over 100 kilometers is known as

A) Coriolis effect.
B) the pressure gradient.
C) velocity.
D) wind.
E) force.

Question 7

"Zonal" air flow means a/an flow of air.

A) south- north
B) north- south
C) west- east
D) east- west
E) fast

Question 8

A is a seasonal reversal of wind.

A) mistral
B) chinook
C) sea breeze
D) monsoon
E) taku

Question 9

El Niño is most closely associated with

A) weakening of a cold current.
B) normal weather around the world.
C) the polar front jet stream.
D) Africa.
E) strengthening of a subtropical high.

Question 10

is (are) found in the Equatorial zone.

A) Westerlies
B) Horse latitudes
C) Trade winds
D) The intertropical convergence zone
E) Polar easterlies

Question 11

Cyclones, in the Northern Hemisphere, are air flows.

A) counterclockwise
B) clockwise
C) southflowing
D) northflowing
E) mythical

Question 12

The polar front and subtropical jet streams are both high- altitude flows which circulate .

A) at the Poles
B) from west to east
C) from east to west
D) in the Tropics
E) along the Prime Meridian

Question 13

When air is heated it expands and _.

A) lowers its pressure
B) sinks
C) contracts
D) burns
E) explodes

Question 14

Gas molecules in the lower atmosphere

A) tend to stay at rest.
B) tend to explode when they collide with each other.
C) infrequently collide with each other.
D) are strongly bound to each other.
E) are not described by any of the above

Question 15

Which portion of the United States tends to have the greatest average wind speeds in all seasons?

A) the Great Lakes
B) New England
C) the Pacific Coast
D) the Great Plains
E) the Rocky Mountains

Question 16

Wind farms started appearing on the landscape in the .

A) 1980s
B) 1960s
C) 1970s
D) 1950s
E) 1990s

Question 17

In the upper troposphere, where is the region of easterly winds?

A) at 30- 50° from the Equator
B) at all latitudes
C) at 50- 70° from the Equator
D) at 0- 20° from the Equator
E) at none of the latitudes

Question 18

Surface westerly winds on a global scale exist because of air flow out of the of the general circulation.

A) sub Polar low pressure
B) equatorial low
C) subtropical high pressure
D) Polar easterlies
E) intertropical convergence

Question 19

Cold winds pouring downhill because of gravity are called .

A) valley breezes
B) trade winds
C) monsoons
D) katabatic winds
E) cyclones

Question 20

A counterclockwise atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is known as a/an .

A) cyclone
B) anticyclone
C) troposphere
D) Coriolis effect
E) pressure gradient

Question 21

The "mistral", "taku", "bore" are regional names for a gravity flow wind which is properly termed a wind.

A) monsoon
B) Hadley cell
C) sea breeze
D) foehn
E) katabatic

Question 22

Trade winds are found _ .

A) between 25° north and south of the Arctic Circle
B) centered on the longitudinal zone of the prime meridian
C) between 25° north and south of the Equator
D) north of the monsoon regions
E) over all of the world's deserts

Question 23

The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is .

A) miles per hour
B) micrometers
C) knots
D) pounds per square inch
E) millibars

Question 24

Surface winds tend to be those at a higher level.

A) clockwise to
B) the same as
C) slower than
D) faster than
E) counterclockwise to

Question 25

The largest Hawaiian Islands are in the far northern tropics, and so, are in the portion of the global circulation.

A) horse latitude
B) trade wind
C) hottest
D) intertropical convergence
E) subtropical high

Question 26

Which of the following does NOT act upon winds that blow far above the surface of the Earth?

A) geostrophic
B) pressure gradient
C) gravity
D) Coriolis
E) friction

Question 27

At Earth's surface, warm temperatures are associated with .

A) high pressure
B) low pressure
C) anticyclones
D) cyclones
E) adiabatic cooling

Question 28

Which of the following is one of the causes of monsoons?

A) Oceans have large, seasonal temperature changes.
B) Polar easterlies bring contrasting air to the tropics.
C) Continents heat and cool differently than oceans.
D) Jet streams strengthen in the summer.
E) Land cools off quickly in the summer.

Question 29

TAO/TRITON is a(n) helping to pinpoint El Niño conditions.

A) series of weather stations
B) remote sensing device
C) series of buoys
D) satellites
E) experimental submarine

Question 30

The denser packing of molecules at the bottom of the atmosphere than molecules at the top of the atmosphere is a result of .

A) very good planning at the time of Earth's beginnings
B) friction
C) the sorting caused by varying weights of the gases
D) Coriolis effect
E) gravity

Question 31

The so- called "winds of commerce" are the winds.

A) horse latitude
B) trade
C) Rossby wave
D) westerly
E) monsoon

Question 32

Which of the following is associated with the wind moving directly from high pressure to low pressure?

A) a surface cyclone
B) an upper- air anticyclone
C) a surface anticyclone
D) an upper- air cyclone
E) none of the above

Question 33

The major global wind and pressure systems

A) shift with the seasons.
B) stay in just about the same place the entire year.
C) seem to be independent of the jet stream.
D) are controlled by Earth/Sun distance.
E) are found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 34

In a surface anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral

A) counterclockwise and inward.
B) to the west
C) clockwise and outward.
D) counterclockwise and outward.
E) clockwise and inward.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT closely related to ENSO?

A) La Niña
B) The Southern Oscillation
C) El Niño
D) South Pacific Ocean conditions
E) North America

Question 36

The polar front jet stream can be found

A) poleward of the Rossby waves.
B) embedded in easterly flow far aloft.
C) near the Earth's surface.
D) at the boundary between warm and cold air.
E) over the North and South poles.

Question 37

Which factor is corrected for on most maps of atmospheric pressure?

A) latitude
B) Coriolis effect
C) longitude
D) altitude
E) wind

Question 38

A wet monsoon is associated with high rainfall totals and is caused by .

A) Coriolis effect
B) the Jet stream
C) a seasonal reversal of winds
D) gravitational forces
E) volcanic gases

Question 39

The "snow- eater" wind of the Rocky Mountains is called the _ .

A) Hadley
B) chinook
C) monsoon
D) Rossby
E) Santa Ana

Question 40

La Niña

A) stops the upwelling of cold ocean water.
B) occurs in the Northern Hemisphere.
C) is a phenomenon that was recognized centuries ago.
D) is a middle latitude phenomenon.
E) is the opposite of El Niño.

Question 41

The region in which the intertropical convergence can be found is .

A) the Equator
B) northern Australia
C) central Siberia
D) near the North Pole
E) the Southeastern United States

Question 42

An Earth surface pressure of pressure of 1,005 millibars is associated with _.

A) a trough
B) a high
C) a ridge
D) a low
E) any of the above, depending upon conditions

Question 43

Which of the following refers only to the horizontal motion of air?

A) a balance of atmospheric forces
B) updraft
C) the general circulation
D) subsidence
E) wind

Question 44

Sinking air that diverges when it reaches Earth's surface is closely associated with .

A) the absence of Coriolis effect
B) anticyclones
C) cyclones
D) tornadoes
E) the absence of friction

Question 45

and _ both occur at night.

A) Mountain breezes, land breezes
B) Sea breezes, mountain breezes
C) Sea breezes, land breezes
D) Valley breezes, mountain breezes
E) Land breezes, valley breezes

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT descriptive of the intertropical convergence zone?

A) convergence of the trade winds
B) associated with rising air
C) light and variable winds
D) centered around the Equator
E) a cloud- free set of places

Question 47

Coriolis effect exists because

A) gravity exists.
B) the Earth rotates.
C) the Earth is an oblate spheroid.
D) geostrophic force and gravity are balanced.
E) friction and pressure gradient are balanced.

Question 48

Rising and falling of air over large areas is most properly known as and .

A) ascent, subsidence
B) updrafts, downdrafts
C) rising, falling
D) swell, swal
E) give, take

Question 49

The density of a substance might be measured in _.

A) micrometers
B) kilograms
C) kilograms per cubic meter
D) joules
E) cubic meters

Question 50

At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a force closest to kilogram(s) per square centimeter.

A) 1
B) 1,000
C) 10
D) 10,000
E) 100

Question 51

The seasonal shift of the intertropical convergence is greatest .

A) at a bar called Joe's in Stillwater, Oklahoma
B) at high altitudes
C) at high latitudes
D) over the continents
E) over the oceans

Question 52

As a general rule, friction is greatest _ .

A) near the Equator
B) in the middle latitudes
C) near the poles
D) at jet stream altitudes
E) near Earth's surface

Question 53

The is the boundary between near- surface and cold, deep ocean waters.

A) Walker Circulation
B) Kelvin wave
C) tidal wave
D) thermocline
E) Peru Current

Question 54

Air in an anticyclone always flows _ in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) slowly
B) clockwise
C) from the southwest
D) counterclockwise
E) from the northeast

Question 55

Which of the following is TRUE concerning the surface westerlies?

A) cause weather to move from east to west
B) are found from 10- 20 degrees away from the Equator
C) are composed of winds from all directions
D) are the most reliable air flow on Earth
E) are unrelated to the jet streams

Question 56

The contact zone of warm tropical and cold Polar air is known as the

A) subtropical high.
B) monsoon.
C) polar front.
D) polar easterlies.
E) intertropical convergence.

Question 57

At any given time, there are usually Rossby waves in the westerly winds of each hemisphere.

A) 50- 100
B) 10- 20
C) 3- 6
D) 1- 2
E) thousands upon thousands

Question 58

Wind speed is determined by .

A) pressure gradient force
B) Coriolis effect
C) random motions of gas molecules
D) latitude
E) parallax

Question 59

The "horse latitudes" are zones of minimal winds which are associated with the system.

A) subtropical high pressure
B) intertropical convergence
C) trade wind
D) Polar easterly wind
E) westerly wind

Question 60

A regular mile an hour is 5,280 feet per hour. A knot is

A) a metric unit of measurement.
B) slightly faster than a regular mile per hour.
C) much slower than a regular mile an hour.
D) slightly slower than a regular mile per hour.
E) much faster than a regular mile an hour.

Question 61

Above the influence of friction, most winds follow a course.

A) prevailing
B) anticyclonic
C) geostrophic
D) clockwise
E) chaotic and turbulent

Question 62

Flowing air responding to the difference between higher and lower pressure is responding to the .

A) pressure gradient
B) Coriolis effect
C) anticyclone
D) Trade winds
E) intertropical convergence

Question 63

The phenomenon most directly responsible for the seasonally moist climate of northern Australia is

A) monsoon.
B) Hadley cells.
C) convection.
D) jet stream.
E) tornadoes.

Question 64

You are in the Northern Hemisphere. The pressure gradient force is from north to south. The surface wind which blows

A) is from south to north.
B) is from north to south.
C) is from northeast to southwest.
D) is from southwest to northeast.
E) cannot be correctly described unless more information is provided.

Question 65

In the Northern Hemisphere, air converging in a counter- clockwise direction, is termed a(n) .

A) westerly
B) Coriolis effect
C) cyclone
D) anticyclone
E) dyne

Question 66

The city of Chicago has a latitude (42°N) within which part of the global circulation?

A) subtropical high
B) westerlies
C) antitrade winds
D) trade winds
E) polar easterlies

Question 67

The following state now has the most installed wind power capacity:

A) Texas
B) New York
C) South Carolina
D) California
E) North Dakota

Question 68

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its temperature and .

A) atomic number
B) atomic weight
C) density
D) volume of water vapor
E) turbidity

Question 69

Which of the below takes place in cycles much longer than the time taken by an El Niño event?

A) Arctic Oscillation
B) PDO
C) NAO
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 70

If there were no continents and the Earth did not rotate, the surface wind patterns would be simple. Winds would blow from .

A) west to east everywhere on Earth
B) the north in the Southern Hemisphere
C) the north in the Northern Hemisphere
D) the south everywhere on Earth
E) the east in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 71

Cold air pushes equatorward and warm air pushes poleward when _.

A) the Rossby waves have great amplitude
B) the polar front is weakest
C) the subtropical high arrives overhead
D) the westerlies reverse flow and become easterlies
E) there are few Rossby waves

Question 72

In which situation would Coriolis effect be GREATEST?

A) high wind speeds, high latitude
B) Coriolis effect is a constant.
C) low wind speeds, low latitude
D) low wind speeds, high latitude
E) high wind speeds, low latitude

Question 73

are map lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.

A) Millibars
B) Isotherms
C) Contours
D) Isobars
E) Isohyets

Question 74

A "dynamic low" is produced by

A) very cold surface conditions.
B) the strong descent of air.
C) the strong rise of air.
D) very warm surface conditions.
E) many kilometers of smooth Earth surface.

Question 75

The antitrade winds can be found

A) in the tropics blowing from north to south.
B) in the polar regions.
C) in the intertropical convergence zone.
D) at great heights over the trade winds.
E) near the polar front jet stream.

Question 76

Katabatic winds are those which _.

A) flow up narrow valleys
B) flow parallel to isobars
C) spiral counterclockwise
D) flow down narrow valleys
E) are associated with flat regions

Question 77

El Niño has been noticed for centuries by fishermen in .

A) Turkey
B) France
C) Brazil
D) Chile
E) Antarctica

Question 78

The rate of pressure decrease _.

A) is constant with altitude
B) increases with altitude
C) is unaffected by altitude
D) decreases with altitude
E) can be described by all of the above at one time or another

Question 79

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its density and .

A) altitude
B) temperature
C) adiabatic rate
D) chemical composition
E) friction

Question 80

Wind speed may be roughly indicated by .

A) spacing of isobars on a weather map
B) checking the thermometer
C) reading the hygrometer
D) reading a barometer
E) the cardinal direction on a weather map