Deck 10: Weather Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

Question 1

Monsoon rains in India form when high pressure over China pulls air southwestward over the peninsula.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Tornadoes are triggered by downbursts of cold, descending air in a thunderstorm.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

eastward-flowing wind pattern along the Arctic and Antarctic Circles

A)eastward-flowing wind pattern along the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
B)westward-flowing wind pattern along the Arctic and Antarctic Circles ​
C)region of cold air permanently centered over the North and South Poles
D)circulating air mass between the Arctic Circle and North Pole
E)circulating air mass between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole

Answer 3

A

Question 4

You would expect the most severe weather effects at the border of a ____ front.

A)cold
B)warm
C)low
D)high
E)stationary

Question 5

The jet stream is ____.

A)a "river of air" flowing from east to west across the northern part of America
B)generally marked by fronts and storms
C)located in the stratosphere and does not affect frontal systems
D)bordered by low pressure areas to the north and south
E)an eastward flowing "river of air" located near the arctic circle

Question 6

Snow and blizzard conditions are enhanced downwind from lakes.

Question 7

The Coriolis effect arises because ____.

A)the surface of Earth moves slower at the equator than at the poles
B)equatorial winds are westerly, while higher latitude winds are easterly
C)water and air move with Earth's surface
D)air and water are not rigidly connected to the rotating surface of the Earth
E)high altitude winds are stronger than low altitude winds

Question 8

Lightning is caused by the interaction between upward-moving moist air and downward-moving dry air in a thunderstorm.

Question 9

Tornadoes form near the trailing edge of thunderstorms.

Question 10

In an adiabatic process, ____.

A)there is no change in heat content
B)there is no change in pressure
C)there is no change in temperature
D)temperature always increases
E)temperature always decreases

Question 11

In a cold front, ____.

A)a more rapidly moving cold air mass collides with warm air, lifting it
B)a more rapidly moving cold air mass collides with warm air, directing wind to either side
C)a more rapidly moving warm air mass collides with cold air and cools
D)a more rapidly moving warm air mass collides with a cold air mass and flows over it
E)two cold air masses moving at similar rates collide

Question 12

Thunderstorms form most commonly on the border of warm fronts.

Question 13

When air near the ground is heated, air pressure ____.

A)remains constant as cool air replaces warm air forced upward
B)drops as air is forced upward
C)drops as air is drawn downward
D)rises as air is forced upward
E)rises as air is drawn downward

Question 14

The rate of temperature decrease with altitude is greater for humid air than dry air.

Question 15

Low-pressure systems tend to form where ____.

A)a warm air mass is expanding
B)a cold air mass is being forced to collide with a warm air mass
C)a warm air mass is being forced to collide with a cold air mass
D)warm air and cold air are moving parallel in the same direction
E)warm air and cold air are moving in parallel but opposite directions

Question 16

Low-pressure zones circulate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Question 17

At the dew point, ____.

A)all water has condensed out of the air
B)air becomes opaque and forms the surface of a cloud
C)droplets of water in the air are large enough to be visible
D)air is completely saturated with water vapor
E)saturated air is in contact with the ground

Question 18

The latent heat (heat of condensation) released by condensing liquid ____.

A)makes dry air more buoyant ​
B)makes moist air denser
C)adds heat to moist air that rises
D)removes heat from moist air that rises
E)adds heat to dry air that rises

Question 19

Dust storms are caused by natural conditions, which are not affected by human activity.

Question 20

Equatorial ocean circulation normally moves from west to east.

Question 21

Lake-effect snow is primarily a problem ____ of large lakes.

A)around the entire border
B)in the center
C)to the north
D)to the south
E)downwind

Question 22

The largest number of lightning deaths occur in ____.

A)Florida
B)Texas
C)Kansas
D)Georgia
E)Mississippi

Question 23

Desertification is ____. ​

A)strongly linked to human activity
B)only a problem in areas near existing deserts
C)occurring mostly in regions near the equator
D)not a significant problem in the United States
E)a slow natural process that does not cause large economic losses

Question 24

An El Niño event would be expected to produce ____.

A)dry conditions in Peru
B)rains and floods in Australia
C)dry conditions in Washington and Oregon
D)rains and floods in Japan
E)rains and floods in Mexico and California

Question 25

All of the following reduce the danger posed by lightning EXCEPT ____.

A)do not use running water if inside a home
B)avoid touching metal surfaces if inside a car
C)stay away from open water if outside
D)go to the center of an open field if outside
E)do not touch appliances that are plugged in if inside a home

Question 26

Thunderstorms form when ____.

A)cool, dry air descends into warm, moist air
B)warm, moist air flows upward into cool, dry air
C)cool, moist air flows below warm, dry air
D)cool, moist air flows above warm, dry air
E)warm, moist air flows below cool, moist air

Question 27

Blizzard conditions must include ____.

A)winds over 56 km/h in the United States
B)dry, dusty snow
C)air temperatures below 0° F
D)winds over 70 mph in Canada
E)whiteout

Question 28

Downbursts from a thunderstorm ____.

A)create high surface winds that extend in every direction from the center of the burst
B)are a hazard to air traffic but dissipate before reaching the ground
C)can only form from pockets of cold, dry air
D)are most common on the trailing edge of a thundercloud
E)are a wind effect that is not linked to rainfall

Question 29

The effects of drought in the United States ____.

A)are unpredictable, and strong damage occurs typically once every twenty years
B)cause billions of dollars of damage per year
C)are mostly due to short-term events
D)do not affect the eastern U.S.
E)do not affect the northern U.S.

Question 30

An ice storm can form when a ____.

A)layer of cold air and a layer of warm air mix between the clouds and the ground
B)layer of cold, dry air lies over a layer of warm air
C)layer of cold, moist air lies over a layer of warm air
D)layer of cold air lies under a layer of warm, dry air
E)layer of cold air lies under a layer of warm, moist air

Question 31

Warm shallow ocean temperatures in the equatorial western Pacific Ocean are characteristic of the ____. ​

A)Arctic Oscillation
B)North Atlantic Oscillation
C)Pacific decadal oscillation
D)El Niño
E)La Niña

Question 32

Lightning results from electrical charge differences ____.

A)carried through the thundercloud by hail nuclei
B)between the leading and trailing edge of a thundercloud
C)between the upper and lower parts of a thundercloud
D)carried from the lower thundercloud to the ground by rain
E)carried from the center to the edge of the lower thundercloud by wind

Question 33

Water temperatures in the northern Pacific Ocean vary from warm to cool due to the ____.

A)Pacific decadal oscillation
B)Arctic oscillation
C)North Atlantic oscillation
D)El Niño
E)La Niña

Question 34

Lightning flows ____. ​

A)only in areas of heavy rainfall
B)from the top of a thundercloud to the ground, passing through the lower cloud
C)from the cloud and the ground to a midpoint at low altitude
D)only in the area directly below the thundercloud
E)from the cloud to the ground in short, zig-zagging steps

Question 35

The adiabatic lapse rate for moist air is ____.

A)higher than for dry air due to latent heat absorbed during condensation
B)higher than for dry air due to latent heat released during condensation
C)higher than for dry air due to latent heat absorbed during evaporation
D)lower than for dry air due to latent heat released during condensation
E)lower than for dry air due to latent heat released during evaporation

Question 36

Dust storms ____.

A)are only a concern in areas near deserts
B)affect vegetation and agriculture, but have little direct effect on humans
C)can cause effects on a global scale
D)are always caused by weather patterns and are not affected by human activity
E)are prevented by agricultural planting in sensitive areas

Question 37

Regular variations in the winter atmospheric pressure over the northern Atlantic Ocean are associated with the ____.

A)Polar Vortex oscillation
B)North American oscillation
C)Arctic oscillation
D)Atlantic multidecadal oscillation
E)North Atlantic oscillation

Question 38

Monsoons in southern Asia are ____.

A)regular yearly variations between dry winter and wet summer weather
B)large waves of storms and rain entering Asia from the Pacific Ocean
C)large waves of storms and rain entering Asia from the Indian Ocean
D)temporary effects of a strong El Niño
E)temporary effects of a strong La Niña

Question 39

The Santa Ana winds are ____.

A)strong, dry winds arising from high pressure pushing air westward over southern California
B)strong, moist winds drawn eastward from southern California toward an area of low pressure
C)weak, moist winds covering southern California during an El Niño
D)weak, dry winds covering southern California during a La Niña
E)strong, dry winds covering southern California during an El Niño.

Question 40

The average number of tornadoes per year is highest in ____.

A)Oklahoma
B)Kansas
C)Texas
D)Florida
E)Nebraska

Question 41

Tornadoes generally form ____ of a thunderstorm cloud.

A)at the trailing edge
B)in the center
C)at the leading edge
D)at the windward edge
E)at the leeward edge

Question 42

Updrafts create tall ___________________ clouds, which form wide, flat tops at high altitude.

Question 43

Tornado strength is classified from EF0 to EF5 on the Enhanced __________________ Scale.

Question 44

Negatively charged __________________ leaders mark the beginning of a chain reaction causing a lightning strike.

Question 45

Tornadoes are the most significant natural hazard in the American ____.

A)Southwest
B)Midwest
C)South
D)Northeast
E)Northwest

Question 46

The __________________ lapse rate describes the rate of cooling of an air mass as it rises.

Question 47

Small areas of rapidly descending air below a thunderstorm called __________________ create temporary regions of high-speed winds.

Question 48

__________________ is a prolonged dry climatic event that dramatically lowers the available water below normal levels.

Question 49

Strong, warm _________________ winds can descend from the Rocky Mountains to affect areas east of the range.

Question 50

Moist air that is forced to rise over a mountain range expands and cools through the __________________ effect.

Question 51

A tornado's rotation is created by ____.

A)rotation of the thunderstorm cloud
B)upward flowing air in the center of a thunderstorm interacting with downward flowing air at the edges
C)surface winds blowing in the opposite direction of the thunderstorm downdraft
D)surface wind shear in an area where warm, humid air is rising over advancing cold air
E)rising surface air meeting a downburst at the trailing edge of a thunderstorm

Question 52

A tornado __________________ is issued when Doppler radar shows strong indications of vorticity.

Question 53

A large rotating band of cloud extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm before a tornado forms is a ____ cloud.

A)Mammatus
B)cumulonimbus
C)hook
D)mesocyclonic
E)wall

Question 54

A(n) _________________ cloud forms when a rotation cell sags below the cloud base, indicating tornado danger.

Question 55

A(n) __________________ is a U.S. snow storm with wind speeds above 56 km/h.

Question 56

Moisture that evaporates from the oceans returns after condensation, precipitation, and runoff in the __________________ cycle.

Question 57

A tornado system can be detected on Doppler radar by the appearance of a ____ echo.

A)bend
B)wall
C)meso
D)hook
E)debris

Question 58

Air masses and ocean currents develop circulation due to the Earth's rotation as a result of the __________________ effect.

Question 59

The combination of global air movements and the Coriolis effect create northeast-moving __________________ winds.

Question 60

The polar __________________ is a region of cold air permanently centered over the North and South Poles.

Question 61

Describe four steps that can be taken to minimize the danger of being hurt by lightning during a thunderstorm.

Question 62

Explain two ways in which human activity increases the danger of drought and desertification.

Question 63

Discuss the atmospheric processes that give rise to the trade winds, and describe the typical pattern of these winds.

Question 64

Describe the processes that cause damage from tornadoes.

Question 65

Describe the source and effects of an El Niño event.