Deck 6: Atmospheric Moisture

Question 1

Which of the following lapse rates represents the greatest temperature change over altitude?

A) wet adiabatic
B) average
C) dry adiabatic
D) they are all very close to being the same rate
E) more information needed

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Grams per cubic meter would be the measurement units used to describe

A) absolute humidity.
B) saturation.
C) vapor pressure.
D) evapotranspiration.
E) relative humidity.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The total amount of water vapor leaving the Earth's surface is called

A) runoff.
B) evapotranspiration.
C) latent heat.
D) evaporation.
E) transpiration.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The hydrologic cycle refers to the .

A) unending circulation of Earth's water supply
B) flow of rivers
C) latent heat of vaporization
D) groundwater flow to the surface
E) totality of forms of precipitation

Question 5

Showery precipitation is most closely associated with .

A) non- buoyant air
B) cirrus clouds
C) sinking air
D) unstable air
E) stable air

Question 6

If the of air changes, the value of the absolute humidity changes even though there is no change in the actual amount of water vapor present.

A) wind speed
B) rate of emission of electromagnetic energy
C) volume
D) temperature
E) color

Question 7

Which part of the United States has the least annual variability of precipitation?

A) The eastern United States
B) The Great Plains
C) The western United States
D) The Rocky Mountains
E) All areas have close to equal precipitation variability.

Question 8

Downwind of large mountain ranges there is less precipitation; this drier zone is called the .

A) rain shadow
B) adiabatic area
C) advection side
D) lifting condensation level
E) windward side

Question 9

Which of the following comprise common hygroscopic nuclei?

A) bacteria
B) dust
C) all of the above smoke
D) pollen
E) sea salt

Question 10

Water is unique because no other substance occurs in

A) liquid form.
B) solid form.
C) gaseous form.
D) more than one form.
E) all three forms in the atmosphere

Question 11

Relative humidity is "relative" to .

A) vapor pressure
B) evaporation
C) saturation
D) temperature
E) moisture

Question 12

The amount of water vapor expressed as the mass of water vapor in a given mass of air is .

A) relative humidity
B) pressure gradient
C) dew point
D) specific humidity
E) absolute humidity

Question 13

Which is NOT among the main types of atmospheric lifting and precipitation?

A) convergent
B) frontal
C) convective
D) orographic
E) advective

Question 14

Which of the following would one expect to find associated with low annual precipitation totals?

A) fronts
B) mountain ranges
C) convergence
D) convection
E) STH's

Question 15

A precipitation variability map would show which of the following areas of the U.S. to have the most variable precipitation?

A) the southeast
B) the southwest
C) the northwest
D) the Great Plains
E) the northeast

Question 16

The most common and widespread form of precipitation is

A) snow.
B) sleet.
C) rain.
D) fog.
E) hail.

Question 17

Acid rain has a pH of less than .

A) 7.6
B) 15.6
C) 5.6
D) 12.6
E) 1.6

Question 18

Maximum absolute humidity is governed by .

A) proximity to water surface
B) vapor content
C) the hydrologic cycle
D) temperature
E) the adiabatic rate

Question 19

refers to water vapor leaving the Earth's surface through plants.

A) Evaporation
B) Transpiration
C) Potential evapotranspiration
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 20

The least obvious and most important state of water in the atmosphere is .

A) rain
B) water vapor
C) ice crystals
D) hail
E) evaporation

Question 21

Which of the following is SMALLEST?

A) a small piece of hail
B) raindrops in a convection storm
C) a small raindrop
D) a condensation nucleus
E) an average pellet of sleet

Question 22

Most of the wettest areas around the world are located in the _ .

A) midlatitude west coasts
B) Tropics
C) Southern Hemisphere
D) continental interiors
E) none of the above

Question 23

Some parts of Earth appear unaffected when acid rain falls. This is because they _ .

A) are outside of the United States
B) channel the runoff into large rivers
C) are covered with types of marble
D) have few cities and acid rain tends not to affect natural settings
E) have alkaline soils

Question 24

Showery weather and cumuliform clouds point to the presence of .

A) orographic lift of air
B) anticyclonic descent of air
C) atmospheric equilibrium
D) relatively few condensation nuclei
E) instability

Question 25

Clouds of vertical development include .

A) cumulonimbus
B) cirrus
C) fog
D) stratocumulus
E) altocumulus

Question 26

Which of the following occurs because water is added to atmosphere?

A) advection fog
B) radiation fog
C) upslope fog
D) orographic fog
E) none of the above

Question 27

The leeward slope of a hill or mountain blocking precipitation is called the .

A) lifting condensation level
B) coalescence zone
C) rain shadow
D) convergence zone
E) none of the above

Question 28

Over the Earth, regions of heavy precipitation normally experience variability.

A) no
B) equinoctial
C) the least
D) sunspot
E) the most

Question 29

In the atmosphere, some liquid water exists until the temperature lowers below degrees Celsius.

A) - 10
B) 40
C) - 0
D) 10
E) - 40

Question 30

The most conspicuous difference between winter and summer precipitation totals is found in

A) the intertropical convergence zone.
B) Europe.
C) the eastern U.S.
D) Antarctica.
E) southern and eastern Asia.

Question 31

The rainiest portion of South America is the .

A) southeast coast
B) north coast
C) southern tip
D) central west coast
E) central interior

Question 32

A lack of atmospheric buoyancy is called .

A) instability
B) stability
C) coalescence
D) pseudoadiabat
E) dew point

Question 33

In order for atmospheric condensation to take place, .

A) the relative humidity must be low
B) plenty of "surfaces" need to be present in the atmosphere
C) the temperature must be above freezing
D) air has to be near sea level
E) all of the above must be true

Question 34

The capacity of air to hold water

A) is a constant.
B) increases as temperature decreases.
C) decreases as evaporation decreases.
D) is not related to temperature.
E) increases as temperature increases.

Question 35

Global dimming is caused by .

A) poor scores on physical geography exams
B) carbon dioxide
C) human release of aerosols
D) ozone
E) a lessening of solar output

Question 36

Most of Earth's cloudiness can be said to result directly from .

A) sublimation
B) air pollution
C) evaporation
D) adiabatic cooling
E) vertical temperature gradient

Question 37

Potential evapotranspiration is

A) usually about the same as actual evapotranspiration.
B) usually not as great as actual evapotranspiration.
C) an amount much less than transpiration.
D) very small when the atmosphere is warm.
E) not described by any of the above

Question 38

Usually, the highest relative humidity is .

A) at sunset
B) in the late afternoon
C) in the evening
D) at dawn
E) at midnight

Question 39

Which of the following promotes evaporation?

A) warm air
B) moving air
C) warm water
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 40

Which of the following is TRUE concerning precipitation in the interiors of continents?

A) They tend to have their wettest season in the summer.
B) They tend to have more balanced seasonal precipitation regimes than the coastal areas.
C) They tend to have anticyclonic conditions in the summer.
D) They tend to be wetter than the coastal areas.
E) They tend to be without orographic uplift.

Question 41

The rising and subsequent cooling of air at the rate of 10°C per 1,000 meters is called .

A) the dry adiabatic lapse rate
B) the wet adiabatic lapse rate
C) the dew point
D) supercooling
E) the latent heat of condensation

Question 42

A piece of unsaturated air is forced to rise. The lapse rate in the surrounding air is much less than the rate in change of temperature in the rising air. The rising air is said to be

A) about to produce much rain.
B) conditionally unstable.
C) unstable.
D) metastable.
E) stable.

Question 43

White frost is simply a cold weather form of _ _.

A) advection fog
B) hail
C) a cloud
D) dew
E) radiation fog

Question 44

Among cloud types, those that occur at the highest altitudes are the _.

A) stratocumulus
B) cumulus
C) stratus
D) altocumulus
E) cirrus

Question 45

The number of condensation nuclei in a raindrop is on the order of .

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

Question 46

High emissions of energy in the 6.7 - 7.3 micrometer range allows satellites to detect _ .

A) lightning
B) lakes
C) water vapor
D) clouds
E) rain

Question 47

Atmospheric water vapor can be described as .

A) having an erratic distribution
B) fairly evenly distributed by altitude
C) composing most of the mass of the atmosphere in wet climates
D) fairly evenly distributed over time in most locations
E) most plentiful in the colder regions of Earth

Question 48

How warm or cold it feels to us is the temperature.

A) latent
B) dewpoint
C) sensible
D) common
E) adiabatic

Question 49

Acid rainfall does conspicuous damage to _ _.

A) Antarctic ice sheets
B) aquatic ecosystems
C) human health
D) crop production
E) all of the above

Question 50

The release of latent heat along from water molecules on a wet surface is called .

A) condensation
B) vapor pressure
C) specific humidity
D) evaporative cooling
E) none of the above

Question 51

Clouds form if air is _ _.

A) cooled to the dew point
B) below freezing
C) unstable
D) stable
E) windy

Question 52

Cold air moving over a warmer lake surface will result in a(n) type of fog.

A) advection
B) convection
C) evaporation
D) radiation
E) none of the above

Question 53

In terms of the lower part of the troposphere, more than _% of all water vapor is found within 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) of the Earth's surface.

A) 1
B) 10
C) 50
D) 95
E) 75

Question 54

Which of the following is most closely associated with unstable air?

A) heating of air
B) cooling of air
C) rising air
D) descending air
E) both A and C

Question 55

"Extreme danger", "Danger", Extreme caution", and "Caution" are categories of .

A) the heat index
B) humidity
C) wind speed
D) temperature
E) ultraviolet energy

Question 56

The net effect of global dimming has been to the effect of human- caused greenhouse gas emissions.

A) half
B) completely negate
C) double
D) slightly lessen
E) slightly increase

Question 57

Which of the following would SLOW evaporation from a water surface?

A) calm air
B) turbulence of air molecules
C) air with low relative humidity
D) warm water temperatures
E) high air temperatures

Question 58

If air's capacity for holding water vapor is diminished then the relative humidity will .

A) double
B) be unchanged
C) fall
D) rise
E) none of the above

Question 59

The transfer of moisture from land to air is termed .

A) condensation
B) dew point
C) specific humidity
D) evapotranspiration
E) evaporative cooling

Question 60

In degrees Celsius, how much GREATER is the dry adiabatic lapse rate than the saturated adiabatic lapse rate over 1,000 meters?

A) almost 0
B) a bit above 15
C) exactly 30
D) averages around 4
E) almost 45

Question 61

Rising air, warmed by the release of latent heat, cools at a rate called .

A) stability
B) the variable lapse rate
C) the dry adiabatic lapse rate
D) the saturated adiabatic lapse rate
E) the average lapse rate

Question 62

Which of the following cloud types has the greatest height (from top to bottom)?

A) cirrus
B) cumulus
C) cumulonimbus
D) stratus
E) altostratus

Question 63

The Bergeron process is also known as the process.

A) hail
B) glaze
C) ice crystal formation
D) acid rain formation
E) collision/coalescence

Question 64

Liquid water that has cooled below the dew point becomes .

A) stable
B) violent
C) supercooled
D) unstable
E) foggy

Question 65

The GOES satellites monitoring the weather of the United States are _ .

A) are still classified so that the public cannot view their output
B) orbiting Earth at an altitude of 80 kilometers
C) responsible for x- ray analyses of clouds
D) geostationary
E) no longer used

Question 66

The western coasts of continents in the subtropical zones are in precipitation zones.

A) moderate
B) monsoon
C) high
D) arid
E) snowy

Question 67

In the "Ice Crystal Formation" process, precipitation occurs because ice crystals

A) form from raindrops.
B) grow at the expense of raindrops.
C) have a low specific heat.
D) hook together.
E) melt as they fall.

Question 68

The average lapse rate in the troposphere .

A) is 10°C per 1,000m
B) is about the same as the dry adiabatic lapse rate
C) describes temperatures in adiabatic air
D) is proof that temperatures usually increase with altitude
E) is quite variable by time and region

Question 69

The sky is covered with stratiform clouds and drizzle is falling. Without measuring, one could reliably guess the atmosphere is

A) about to produce much rain.
B) unstable.
C) conditionally unstable.
D) stable.
E) metastable.

Question 70

When air is heated enough so that it is warmer than the surrounding air, it is .

A) unstable
B) stable
C) saturated
D) convective
E) none of the above

Question 71

Relative humidity is _ related to air temperature.

A) not
B) sometimes
C) inversely
D) unevenly
E) positively

Question 72

The textbook map shows the region of the United States to have the greatest July precipitation totals.

A) Great Plains
B) West Coast
C) Gulf Coast
D) Rocky Mountains
E) New England

Question 73

A certain volume of air holds 20 grams of water vapor. At that temperature, the maximum amount the air can contain is 100 grams. What is the relative humidity?
A) 100%

A) 20 grams
B) 100 grams
B) More information must be supplied
C) 20%

Question 74

Concerning acid rain, which fact is false?

A) It seems possible to decrease its occurrence.
B) The problem is caused by air pollution.
C) It can harm living organisms.
D) It can wear away rock structures like the Parthenon.
E) It seems to be equally serious everywhere in the U.S.

Question 75

Water that stays in liquid form at temperatures below freezing is termed .

A) at the dew point
B) supercooled
C) white frost
D) exhibiting vapor pressure
E) releasing the latent heat of vaporization

Question 76

Any buoyant parcel of air is said to exhibit .

A) the dry adiabatic lapse rate
B) instability
C) stability
D) advection
E) the moist adiabatic lapse rate

Question 77

Most regions of the globe receive a maximum of rainfall.

A) winter
B) summer
C) January
D) equinotial
E) none of the above

Question 78

In the United States, winter precipitation exceeds summer precipitation in .

A) the Midwest
B) the Rocky Mountains
C) New England
D) California
E) the South

Question 79

Central Asia and western North America experience dryness because of .

A) rapid uplift of air
B) the polar frontal zone
C) cold temperatures
D) lack of moist air masses
E) all of the above

Question 80

Air containing all of the water vapor it can hold is .

A) saturated
B) adiabatic
C) unstable
D) convective
E) dew point