Deck 8: Weather

Question 1

The wide end of a flat island in the tropics is likely to experience more rainfall than the narrow end because

A)more orographic uplift occurs over the wide end.
B)more convectional heating occurs over the wide end.
C)less advection occurs over the wide end.
D)different air masses affect each end of the island.
E)it is farther from the water.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following matches is true?

A)specific humidity of 17 g/kg = typical moisture content of mT Gulf air mass
B)very cold,dry,and stable air mass = mT Pacific air mass
C)warm,humid,very unstable air mass = mT Pacific air mass
D)Tropical air mass source region = 40° to 55° N or S
E)cA air mass = very cold and very moist

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following pressure systems reside within the source region for mP air masses?

A)Bermuda high and Pacific high
B)Aleutian low and Icelandic low
C)Bermuda high and Icelandic low
D)Aleutian low and Pacific high
E)ITCZ

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Given a cP air mass and cT air mass with the same relative humidity,which air mass would have higher specific humidity?

A)the cP air mass would have the higher specific humidity.
B)the cT air mass would have the higher specific humidity.
C)the specific humidity of both would be the same because their relative humidities are the same.
D)it is impossible to say what would usually be true of their specific humidities.
E)the cP air mass would have the higher specific humidity since it originates in the Pacific.

Question 5

Which of the following results in the modification of the air mass?

A)a mT air mass moving across the Carribean.
B)a cP air mass moving across Nunavut.
C)a mT air mass moving across the Gulf of Mexico.
D)a cA air mass moving across Alaska.
E)a mT air mass moving over the Great Lakes.

Question 6

With respect to the three main lifting (cooling)mechanisms (local heating,orographic,and frontal),which of the following is correct?

A)the greatest average annual rainfall on Earth is due to local heating and frontal activity.
B)a single convectional storm triggered by local heating affects large geographical regions.
C)all three mechanisms do not occur within North America.
D)given the necessary physical requirements,orographic precipitation is usually the most consistent type of the three.
E)given the necessary physical requirements,frontal precipitation is usually the most consistent type of the three.

Question 7

Which is true of weather-related damage?

A)the cost has increased 5000% during the last 20 years.
B)the cost has reached $10 billion annually.
C)the damage has never exceeded $90 billion worldwide.
D)damage is costing less as time goes on due to better warning systems.
E)damage costs are spread over wide areas and are easily absorbed by government.

Question 8

In Canada,intense weather is caused by

A)tornadoes,hurricanes,blizzards,ice storms,and floods.
B)blizzards,ice storms,and floods only.
C)blizzards in winter and tornadoes in summer.
D)hurricanes and ice storms only.
E)blizzards and ice storms only.

Question 9

The term "orographic" refers to

A)convection stimulated principally by local heating.
B)lifting along the edges of conflicting air masses.
C)air mass modification and the formation of secondary air masses.
D)forced uplift due to the presence of a physical barrier.
E)vertical lifting due to converging air masses

Question 10

Air masses which develop over Canada are examples of ________ air masses.

A)mT
B)mP
C)cT
D)cP
E)cAA

Question 11

Weather is

A)the climate of a region.
B)the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
C)the long-term atmospheric condition,including extremes that may occur.
D)a reference to temperature patterns only.
E)a method to describe moisture in the atmosphere.

Question 12

Which of the following is false regarding air masses?

A)an air mass initially reflects the characteristics of its source region.
B)they are homogenous in terms of temperature and humidity.
C)they may dominate half the depth of the troposphere.
D)air masses tend to maintain their original characteristics as they migrate from their source regions.
E)air masses are named for the region of their origin.

Question 13

The maritime tropical Pacific (mT)and maritime tropical Gulf and Atlantic (mT)air masses are

A)different from one another because the Pacific air mass usually has lower specific humidity than the Gulf/Atlantic air mass.
B)both usually extremely unstable.
C)very different because the Pacific air mass is very unstable and the Gulf/Atlantic air mass is usually stable.
D)both less active during summer months.
E)have exactly the same moisture and temperature characteristics since they originate over oceans.

Question 14

Which of the following is true regarding orographic lifting?

A)orographic lifting is related to moderate amounts of precipitation.
B)The world record holder for wettest year and wettest month is due to orographic lifting.
C)Orographic lifting occurs in only a few small areas of the globe.
D)Heavy rain and snow fall on the eastern sides of the Sierra Nevadas,Rocky Mountains,and Cascades is due to orographic lifting.
E)orographic lifting results from intense heating of the surface.

Question 15

The scientific study of the short-term condition of the atmosphere is

A)weatherology.
B)climatology.
C)meteorology.
D)geography.
E)biogeography.

Question 16

The transition from the Ice Age to the present warm conditions can best be considered an example of

A)a change in weather.
B)a change in climate.
C)changes in the midlatitude wave-cyclone cycle.
D)transition from a cold front to a warm front.
E)evidence that climate change is not occurring.

Question 17

A mT air mass is likely to be ________ than a cT air mass because the mT air mass ________.

A)wetter is warmer than the cT air mass
B)wetter forms over the ocean
C)drier is a cold air mass
D)drier forms under the equatorial low
E)hotter forms over the ocean

Question 18

Lake effect snow involves

A)light snowfall on the windward shores of Great Lakes.
B)heavy snowfall on the windward shores of the Great Lakes.
C)cP and cA air masses being humidified and warmed by the Great Lakes.
D)stable air over the region
E)mT air moving into the Great Lakes region.

Question 19

A mT air mass ________ than a cT air mass.

A)forms over tropical rainforests and is usually more humid
B)forms over an ocean and is usually more humid
C)forms over an ocean and is usually less humid
D)forms under the equatorial low and is usually less humid
E)forms over tropical rainforests and is usually less humid

Question 20

A well-developed,newly formed cP air mass would have which of the following characteristics?

A)cold temperatures
B)cloudy skies
C)low pressure
D)fog
E)heavy precipitation

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true?

A)when air is warmed,its ability to hold moisture decreases.
B)one would expect less precipitation near the equator than near the poles.
C)one would expect winters in Siberia to be very dry,with little precipitation.
D)one would expect precipitation to occur when dry air rises over a mountain.
E)one would expect summers in Libya to be very hot,with intense precipitation.

Question 22

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)abruptly lifted warmer air - warm front
B)intense precipitation - warm front
C)cold front - clear cold air and high clouds as the front approaches
D)drizzle,light winds - cold front
E)squall line - turbulent,changing wind patterns slightly ahead of a cold front

Question 23

The record precipitation received in a single year was

A)in the United States.
B)in the Amazon in Brazil.
C)on the slopes of the Assam Hills in India.
D)in Southeast Asia.
E)in the Nile Valley.

Question 24

After a cold front passes,the temperature ________ and the pressure ________ (relative to the conditions that existed prior to the passage of the front).

A)increases increases
B)increases decreases
C)decreases increases
D)decreases decreases

Question 25

Which of the following is true regarding wave-cyclone development,intensification,and strengthening?

A)the process cannot occur along the polar front.
B)Terragenesis is the name for this process.
C)a midlatitude cyclone,from birth to maturity to dissolution,takes an average of a month.
D)a midlatitude cyclone involves two fronts and three air masses.
E)the cyclonic motion is not related to pressure gradient force.

Question 26

Which of the following occurs at some stage during the development of a chinook wind? (Assume rain occurs near the mountain summit. )

A)compression of the air as it rises up the windward side of the mountain
B)increase in specific humidity of the air near the summit
C)decrease in relative humidity during the air's ascent up the windward side
D)increase in relative humidity on the leeward side
E)compressional heating of the air on the leeward side

Question 27

The weather conditions at point A are best described by which of the following?

A)wind shifting and strong,warm air abruptly lifted by colder air
B)warm air being lifted gently and steadily over cooler air
C)an area of clear skies and north winds
D)mT air mass,warm,wet,and humid from the Pacific.
E)rapidly falling air pressure and increasingly cloudy skies.

Question 28

The weather conditions along point B are described by which of the following?

A)wind shifting and strong,warm air abruptly lifted by colder air
B)warm air being lifted gently and steadily over cooler air
C)an area of clear skies and north winds
D)the center of the cyclone,lowest pressure,counterclockwise winds
E)rapidly falling air pressure and increasingly cloudy skies.

Question 29

Storms along cold fronts are more severe than storms along warm fronts because

A)cold fronts move more slowly than warm fronts.
B)uplift is more rapid along cold fronts than along warm fronts.
C)cold air holds more moisture than warm air.
D)higher air pressure ahead of the cold front creates greater atmospheric turbulence.
E)cold fronts are less steep than warm fronts.

Question 30

The wetter,intercepting slope of a mountain is termed the ________ slope,whereas the drier,downwind slope is termed the ________ slope.

A)left side right side
B)west side east side
C)windward leeward
D)leeward windward
E)north side south side

Question 31

Which of the following is true of migrating centers of low pressure in the northern hemisphere?

A)the winds diverge from the pressure system and spiral outward in a clockwise fashion.
B)these pressure systems tend to move east to west along storm tracks.
C)these pressure systems are characterized by converging,ascending air that spirals inward in a counterclockwise fashion.
D)they form only a minor weather pattern in the middle and higher latitudes.
E)they are associated with dry weather and drought.

Question 32

The weather conditions along point C are described by which of the following?

A)wind shifting and strong,warm air abruptly lifted by colder air
B)warm air being lifted gently and steadily over cooler air
C)an area of clear skies and north winds
D)mT air mass,warm,wet,and humid from the Gulf states
E)rapidly falling air pressure and increasingly cloudy skies.

Question 33

After a warm front passes,the temperature ________ and the pressure ________ (relative to the conditions that existed prior to the passage of the front).

A)increases increases
B)increases decreases
C)decreases increases
D)decreases decreases

Question 34

The severity of storm activity along a warm front is ________ than that along most cold fronts because the rate of uplift is ________ along a warm front.

A)less slower
B)less faster
C)greater slower
D)greater faster

Question 35

When a cold front approaches,air pressure will initially ________ due to the displacement and uplift of ________ air.

A)increase cold
B)increase warm
C)decrease cold
D)decrease warm

Question 36

The term "rain shadow" refers to

A)periods of time during which there is a lack of rainfall.
B)dry regions on the leeward side of mountain ranges.
C)areas that are characteristic of the Western slopes and margins of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.
D)windward slopes of mountains.
E)wet areas on the downwind sides of mountains.

Question 37

The weather conditions along point D are described by which of the following?

A)strong shifting winds,and warm air abruptly lifted by colder air
B)warm air being lifted gently and steadily over cooler air
C)an area of clear skies and north winds
D)mT air mass,warm,wet,and humid from the Gulf states
E)rapidly falling air pressure and increasingly cloudy skies.

Question 38

The place on Earth with the highest annual average rainfall is located in

A)the United States.
B)the Amazon Basin.
C)Southeast Asia.
D)equatorial Africa.
E)New Zealand.

Question 39

The severity of storm activity along a cold front is ________ than that along most warm fronts because the rate of uplift is ________ along a cold front.

A)less slower
B)less faster
C)greater slower
D)greater faster

Question 40

The highest rainfall in the world occurs in an area whose rainfall is generated by

A)advectional cooling of air masses over cold ocean currents.
B)orographic uplift of warm,moist air.
C)convectional uplift of warm,moist air.
D)radiative cooling of cold,moist air.
E)convergent lifting of cold,moist air.

Question 41

In the United States,tornadoes are ranked in terms of wind speed and related property damage using the ________ scale.

A)Beaufort
B)Enhanced Fujita
C)Mercalli
D)Richter
E)Saffir-Simpson

Question 42

Which of the following is true regarding tornados?

A)wind speeds can exceed 322 kmph
B)since 2000,North America has averaged over 7000 per year.
C)the air pressure inside a tornado funnel is 10% greater than the surrounding air.
D)the peak months are March and August.
E)there is a magnetic attraction between tornadoes and mobile home parks.

Question 43

The location that experiences the greatest number of thunderstorms in a given year is in

A)the Great Plains of the United States.
B)central South America.
C)southeast Asia.
D)East Africa,north of Lake Victoria.
E)central Australia.

Question 44

Storm tracks across the United States and Canada generally

A)shift to the south in winter,and toward the north in summer.
B)move east to west.
C)move south to north.
D)exist in spring and fall only.
E)are less intense from October to April.

Question 45

Which site is experiencing strong rain and wind from the northwest?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 46

Tornadoes

A)are rarely associated with hurricanes.
B)are associated with mesocyclones.
C)do not occur anywhere else in the world outside of the North America.
D)are called funnel clouds after they come in contact with the ground.
E)are created by hurricanes that move over land.

Question 47

Which of the following is thought to be necessary for the development of a tornado?

A)a horizontally rotating body of air generated by differences in wind speed between low-level and upper-level air flow
B)a weak updraft
C)a warm front,light precipitation and straight winds.
D)hot,dry air.
E)low relative humidity.

Question 48

Which of the following is true of the occluded stage of a midlatitude cyclone?

A)it occurs when the cold front overruns the slower moving warm front.
B)it occurs as soon as air begins to be uplifted along the cold front.
C)it occurs at the time when the cold front and warm front are clearly and distinctly separated from one another.
D)this stage is characteristic of an early stage of cyclone development.
E)it occurs when the lifting mechanism is cut off from the warm air mass that was its source of energy and moisture.

Question 49

Which site is experiencing warm,steady rain and wind from the southwest?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 50

About ________ percent of lightning strikes occur over water.

A)10
B)20
C)45
D)70
E)85

Question 51

Which of the following areas are not suitable for the development of thunderstorms?

A)in areas of orographic uplift
B)in areas of surface convergence
C)along frontal boundaries
D)under areas of strong high pressure
E)over areas of intense heating.

Question 52

Occlusion in a midlatitude wave cyclone can occur because

A)warm fronts travel more quickly than cold fronts.
B)cold fronts travel more quickly than warm fronts.
C)warm and cold fronts travel at the same speed.
D)warm air sinks in low pressure areas.
E)cold air rises up,covering the warm air.

Question 53

Hail generally forms

A)within nimbostratus clouds.
B)in association with warm front activity.
C)within cumulonimbus clouds,and sometimes in association with cold front activity.
D)in altocumulus and cirrocumulus clouds.
E)in cirrostratus clouds.

Question 54

Summer thunderstorms in the southern United States are usually produced by towering ________ clouds that form by ________.

A)nimbostratus convection
B)nimbostratus frontal uplift
C)cumulonimbus frontal uplift
D)cumulonimbus convergence
E)cumulonimbus convection

Question 55

Which of the following is true regarding thunderstorms?

A)In North America the least thunderstorms occur in areas dominated by mT air masses.
B)The largest authenticated hailstone weighed 75.8 g.
C)In the North America,the area with the highest number of thunderstorms per year has the highest average number of tornadoes per year.
D)The temperature inside a bolt of lightning can reach 300 degrees C.
E)Kampala,Uganda,is the place with the most thunderstorms per year (242)and it sits virtually on the equator.

Question 56

Which of the following is true?

A)lightning follows thunder.
B)thunder is caused by rapid heating and expansion of the air.
C)thunder is caused by rapid contraction of the air.
D)because lightning is only static electricity,it poses no threat to human safety.
E)lightning shifts are completely random and cannot be correlated with seasonal shifts of the Sun's declination.

Question 57

Which of the following cloud types is associated with tornado development?

A)cumulus
B)nimbostratus
C)altocumulus
D)cumulonimbus
E)cirrostratus

Question 58

Weather forecasting accuracy has improved due to

A)advancements in weather modeling,including 2-D models.
B)advancements in computer technology,including the High Performance Computing System.
C)the use of radar to analyze temperatures from the surface to high altitudes.
D)an increased density in sampling and monitoring stations across all of North America.
E)Despite improvements in technology,weather forecasts have not improved.

Question 59

Tornadoes in the Canada occur as a result of the interaction of warm,moist ________ air masses with cold,dry ________ air masses,respectively.

A)mT cP
B)cP mT
C)mP cP
D)mT mP
E)cA cP

Question 60

Hail forms

A)when water falls from a cloud and freezes during its fall to the ground.
B)every time water condenses onto dust particles.
C)when water freezes inside a cloud and is then recirculated by convections currents until it falls.
D)when water vapour sublimates (deposits)inside a cirrus cloud.
E)when it comes in contact with an object with a temperature below freezing.

Question 61

Which of the following was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane of the last 100 years?

A)Hurricane Mitch
B)Hurricane Bonnie
C)Hurricane Andrew
D)Hurricane Camille
E)Hurricane Katrina

Question 62

Which hurricane holds the western hemisphere records for lowest barometric pressure?

A)Hurricane Camille
B)Hurricane Hugo
C)Hurricane Agnes
D)Hurricane Wilma
E)Hurricane Katrina

Question 63

Which hurricane holds the Atlantic basin record for most damage (cost)?

A)Hurricane Wilma
B)Hurricane Ioke
C)Hurricane Floyd
D)Hurricane Camille
E)Hurricane Katrina

Question 64

Which of the following is correct?

A)the most severe weather in a hurricane occurs in the spiral bands.
B)by definition,hurricanes have sustained winds that exceed 65 knots (119 km?h?¹).
C)mature hurricanes develop a central eye of stormy conditions (in which it is often possible to see the sky)that is surrounded by a swirling eyewall.
D)only about 35 percent of tropical disturbances intensify into a full-fledged hurricane or typhoon.
E)hurricanes never move over central Canada.

Question 65

Uplift and storm development occur on the ________ side of an easterly wave.

A)northern
B)southern
C)eastern
D)western

Question 66

Which part of a hurricane consists of dry,subsiding air?

A)eye
B)spiral bands
C)eye wall (collar clouds)
D)there are no dry conditions in a hurricane

Question 67

The lowest sea-level pressure was recorded

A)just off the coast of Bangladesh.
B)at Death Valley in California.
C)at the bottom of a tornado.
D)in the center of Typhoon Tip.
E)off the coast of Libya.

Question 68

Which of the following is true regarding hurricanes?

A)2007 had the most active Atlantic basin hurricane season to date.
B)in 2006,Super Typhoon Ioke became the first category 5 super typhoon to develop in the Pacific.
C)the trend in increasing numbers of category 4 and 5 hurricanes is directly linked to a decrease in sea-surface temperatures.
D)the destruction from Hurricane Katrina was totally unexpected.
E)the strongest hurricane to make it to Canada was a Category 1.

Question 69

Tropical cyclones

A)are produced by the conflict between air masses and frontal activity.
B)originate entirely within tropical air masses.
C)usually form poleward of 23.5° latitude in either hemisphere.
D)are called hurricanes worldwide.
E)move directly north or south from the equator.

Question 70

Which of the following is true regarding hurricanes?

A)the strongest winds are in the left-front quadrant.
B)Hurricane Camille had 100 active tornadoes embedded when it made landfall.
C)the highest pressures measured on Earth have been inside hurricanes.
D)2002 holds the record for the greatest number of Atlantic hurricanes.
E)hurricanes are flat,only affecting the surface water and landmasses.

Question 71

Easterly waves travel from ________ in the ________ belt.

A)east to west trade wind
B)west to east trade wind belt
C)east to west westerly
D)west to east westerly
E)south to north,westerly

Question 72

Upper-level divergence above an easterly wave

A)weakens vertical convective circulation.
B)pulls moisture into the system.
C)causes the system to dissipate.
D)dries out the air mass.
E)forces the air mass north.

Question 73

Hurricanes derive their energy from

A)the latent heat of vaporization.
B)the latent heat of fusion.
C)the latent heat of condensation.
D)the latent heat of sublimation.
E)the latent heat of deposition.

Question 74

Hurricanes die when they move over land because

A)the Coriolis force is not sufficient to sustain them over land.
B)the land temperature is not warm enough to sustain the low pressure system.
C)evaporation and subsequent condensation are no longer sufficient to sustain them.
D)friction overcomes the forward momentum and the storm decays.
E)the specific heat and relative humidity ratios dissipate the storm's energy.

Question 75

The annual frequency of tropical cyclones is greatest in the ________ ocean.

A)Pacific
B)Atlantic
C)Indian
D)Southern
E)Arctic

Question 76

Which of the following is true of tropical cyclones?

A)sea surface temperatures must exceed 16 degrees Celsius for one to form.
B)they form around an intense high pressure center at the surface.
C)worldwide,about 10% of all tropical disturbances could become tropical cyclones.
D)they have hit Brazil,France,and Hudson Bay.
E)they travel in a north-south direction.

Question 77

Why are the winds in a hurricane and tornado so strong?

A)the pressure gradient is weak.
B)the pressure at the center of the storm is very low.
C)tremendous amounts of evaporation occur in the center of the storm.
D)friction in the air is minimal.
E)Coriolis makes them spin quickly.

Question 78

An air mass is a mass of air that may extend through the lower half of the troposphere and is homogenous in terms of temperature and humidity.

Question 79

Which of the following is true of hurricanes in the western Atlantic?

A)the peak months of occurrence are from August to October.
B)they are generally called cyclones or typhoons in this part of the world.
C)they are associated with the cool,southward-flowing Kuroshio current.
D)they occur in association with local monsoonal winds.
E)they move water from the southern ocean toward the north pole.

Question 80

When hurricanes first form in the northern hemisphere,they usually travel from ________,and later from ________ as they move to higher latitudes.

A)east to west west to east
B)west to east east to west
C)north to south west to east
D)Any path is equally likely.
E)south to north east to west.