Deck 15: Weather Systems

Question 1

What is the cause of cloud formation along a cold front?

A) Rising cold, dry air
B) Rising warm, humid air
C) Descending cold, humid air
D) Descending warm, dry air

Answer 1

Rising warm, humid air

Question 2

Use the map to answer this question.


-Identify the continental tropical air mass.

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

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Use the map to answer this question.


-Which air masses will contain the driest air?

A) A and C
B) B and C
C) C and D
D) D and E
E) E and A

Answer 3

B and C

Question 4

Use the map to answer this question.


-Which air masses will contain the warmest air?

A) A and C
B) B and C
C) C and D
D) B and D
E) E and A

Question 5

Use the map to answer this question.


-Which pair of air masses will contain the coldest air?

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

Question 6

Use the map below to answer this question.


-The map illustrates the relative positions of a warm and cold front. Where is the warm front located?

A) Between A and B
B) Between C and D
C) At E
D) Between C and G

Question 7

Use the map below to answer this question.


-Which location is in a maritime tropical air mass?

A) A
B) G
C) E
D) H

Question 8

Use the map below to answer this question.


-What direction is the mid-latitude cyclone traveling toward?

A) F
B) G
C) H

Question 9

Use the map below to answer this question.


-Which location will become warmer in the next 12 hours?

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

Question 10

The illustrations below represent a slice through the cold and warm fronts along line X- Y on the map. Which of the images below best represents conditions along the line X-Y?

A) Diagram a
B) Diagram b
C) Diagram c
D) Diagram d

Question 11

What characteristic of science best describes invention of thermometers and barometers as they relate to understanding weather?

A) Science is falsible.
B) Science is limited by technology.
C) Science is tentative.

Question 12

What technological development increased warning time of approaching tornadoes?

A) Satellite imagery
B) Doppler radar
C) Infrared imagery

Question 13

Why do maritime polar air mass have relatively high humidity and cold temperatures?

A) They form over low latitude oceans.
B) The form over low latitude continents.
C) They form over high latitude oceans.
D) They form over high latitude continents.

Question 14

Why do continental tropical air mass have relatively low humidity and high temperatures?

A) They form over low latitude oceans.
B) The form over low latitude continents.
C) They form over high latitude oceans.
D) They form over high latitude continents.

Question 15

How large is a typical, single air mass?

A) The size of a small state (e.g., Delaware)
B) The size of a larger state (e.g., Wyoming)
C) The size of a region (e.g., eastern United States)
D) The size of a continent (e.g., North America)

Question 16

What usually happens to cause an occluded front?

A) A warm front catches up to a cold front
B) A cold front catches up to a cold front
C) A warm front catches up to a warm front
D) A cold front catches up to a warm front

Question 17

Where are severe thunderstorms most frequent?

A) Along cold fronts
B) Along warm fronts
C) Along stationary fronts

Question 18

This stage of a thunderstorm is characterized by adiabatic cooling.

A) Cumulus stage
B) Mature stage
C) Dissipating stage

Question 19

This stage of a thunderstorm is associated with cool updrafts.

A) Cumulus stage
B) Mature stage
C) Dissipating stage

Question 20

What is the tornado intensity scale based upon?

A) Wind speed
B) Tornado size
C) Damage caused

Question 21

What determines the boundaries of an air mass?

A) Temperature and pressure gradient.
B) Pressure gradient and humidity.
C) Humidity and temperature.

Question 22

Suppose you observe spiraling winds causing clouds in a storm to roll. What are you observing?

A) The organizing stage of tornado formation
B) The mature stage of tornado formation
C) The dissipating stage of tornado formation

Question 23

What air pressure and wind directions are present in tornadoes?

A) High pressure, winds flow outward.
B) High pressure, winds flow inward.
C) Low pressure, winds flow inward.
D) Low pressure, winds flow outward.

Question 24

What air pressure and wind directions are present in hurricanes?

A) Low pressure, winds flow inward.
B) High pressure, winds flow inward.
C) High pressure, winds flow outward.
D) Low pressure, winds flow outward.

Question 25

What type of data would you need to measure hurricane intensity as it is reported today?

A) Wind speed and storm surge
B) Wind speed and potential damage
C) Wind speed and rainfall

Question 26

About how long does it take for a typical frontal system (mid-latitude cyclone) to cross the United States?

A) 12 hours
B) 1-2 days
C) 3-7 days
D) 8-13 days

Question 27

Where do most super-cells form?

A) Between cP and mP air masses along a cold front.
B) Between cP and mT air masses along a warm front.
C) Between cP and mP air masses along a warm front.
D) Between cP and mT air masses along a cold front.

Question 28

Which situations produce the highest wind speeds?

A) Hurricanes
B) Thunderstorms
C) Tornadoes

Question 29

Which situations produce the largest pressure gradients?

A) Frontal systems
B) Hurricanes
C) Tornadoes

Question 30

Thunderstorms are usually more severe along cold fronts than they are along warm fronts.

Question 31

Cumulonimbus clouds are more common along warm fronts than cold fronts.

Question 32

Warm fronts slope more gently than cold fronts.

Question 33

Largest tornado swarms are associated with warm fronts.

Question 34

Hurricane-generated winds cause most of the damages along the coast when they reach landfall.

Question 35

Most people who die in a hurricane drown.

Question 36

Cold fronts are more steeply inclined than warm fronts.

Question 37

Air masses moving south from Canada are likely to be cold and dry.

Question 38

Air masses moving north from the Gulf of Mexico are likely to be warm and dry.

Question 39

Air masses formed over water in winter are colder than air masses formed over land at the same latitude.

Question 40

Maritime polar air contains more water vapor than continental polar air.