Deck 11: Hurricanes

Question 1

Why do surface wind speeds increase toward the center of a hurricane?

A)reduced friction
B)stronger Coriolis effect
C)conservation of angular momentum
D)warmer water

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Why do hurricanes initially form only in the tropics?

A)Warm water temperatures are found there.
B)Stronger pressure gradients are found there.
C)Coriolis is weaker there.
D)Subsiding air currents are found there.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Compared to the North Atlantic,hurricanes form in the South Atlantic:

A)much less frequently.
B)more frequently.
C)with about the same frequency and intensity.
D)with about the same frequency,but with much less intensity.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The very center of a hurricane is called the:

A)eye.
B)eye ring.
C)eye wall.
D)core.

Question 5

Hurricanes form

A)between 35 degrees and 50 degrees latitude.
B)between 20 degrees and 35 degrees latitude.
C)at the equator.
D)at various latitudes depending upon local conditions.
E)between 5 degrees and 20 degrees latitude.

Question 6

The eye wall of a hurricane:

A)has the greatest wind speeds.
B)lies at the hurricane's outer edge.
C)has the lightest precipitation.
D)has the highest barometric pressure.

Question 7

The outflow at the top of a hurricane prolongs the storm's lifespan because:

A)it provides an outlet for excess moisture that might otherwise "rain out" the storm.
B)it causes winds to converge at the top of the storm.
C)it prevents surface convergence from "filling in" the low-pressure center of the storm.
D)it helps to bring in cold air to strengthen the hurricane's eye.

Question 8

Why don't hurricanes develop on or near the Equator?

A)The Coriolis effect is too weak to create rotation.
B)The ITCZ inhibits the growth of the hurricane's thunderstorms.
C)The water is too warm to allow for the storm's development.
D)The question is false;hurricanes develop on the Equator all the time!

Question 9

What are hurricanes known as in the Indian Ocean,including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea?

A)tropical breezes
B)typhoons
C)cyclones
D)tsunamis

Question 10

When occurring in the Atlantic Ocean they are known as hurricanes.What are they known as when occurring in the western Pacific?

A)typhoons
B)tropical breezes
C)tsunamis
D)cyclones

Question 11

What is the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane?

A)A hurricane is a true tropical cyclone,but a typhoon is not.
B)A hurricane is stronger than a typhoon.
C)They represent different phases in the development of a tropical storm.
D)They occur in different ocean basins.

Question 12

A hurricane must have sustained wind speeds of at least:

A)64 miles per hour.
B)94 miles per hour.
C)84 miles per hour.
D)74 miles per hour.

Question 13

The ________ has the greatest number of storms,averaging 20 per year.

A)North Atlantic
B)South Atlantic
C)North Pacific
D)South Pacific

Question 14

What causes the winds of a hurricane to be so fast?

A)coupling with the jet stream
B)stronger Coriolis force
C)very strong pressure gradient force
D)tidal effects
E)weaker Coriolis force

Question 15

The doughnut-shaped wall of intense convective activity surrounding the center of the storm is called the:

A)eye.
B)eye ring.
C)eye wall.
D)core.

Question 16

What general circulation wind belt is the place of origin for hurricanes?

A)westerlies
B)trade winds
C)doldrums
D)horse latitudes

Question 17

Hurricanes develop most often in the late summer when ocean waters have reached what temperature?

A)50 °F
B)80°F
C)60°F
D)70°F
E)100°F

Question 18

To officially be a hurricane,the disturbance must have rotary circulation and have wind speeds of at least ________ kilometers per hour.

A)70
B)119
C)195
D)92
E)161

Question 19

What type of clouds is most common in a hurricane?

A)cumulonimbus
B)cirrus
C)nimbostratus
D)stratus

Question 20

What is the approximate diameter of a mature hurricane?

A)50 -100 km
B)50 km or less
C)about 1000 km
D)about 600 km
E)more than 1000 km

Question 21

What is the proper order of storm intensity in terms of increasing wind speed?

A)tropical storm,hurricane,tropical depression
B)tropical depression,hurricane,tropical storm
C)tropical storm,tropical depression,hurricane
D)hurricane,tropical depression,tropical storm
E)tropical depression,tropical storm,hurricane

Question 22

Which of the following can diminish the intensity of a hurricane?

A)moving over land
B)significant increase in large-scale air flow aloft
C)moving over warmer water with more moisture above it
D)frequent lightning

Question 23

Which "famous" hurricane was the costliest in United States history?

A)Hurricane Floyd
B)Hurricane Hugo
C)Hurricane Diane
D)Hurricane Katrina

Question 24

What system is used to name hurricanes if the established list of names is exhausted in a given year?

A)Latitude/longitude
B)The Greek alphabet
C)U)S.Presidents
D)Roman numerals

Question 25

What cold area do tropical disturbances have to survive through to then be rejuvenated by heat and moisture of the warmer water of the mid-Atlantic?

A)the Canary current
B)the African current
C)the upper Atlantic current
D)Humboldt current

Question 26

Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas in September of 2008,and went on to become the third costliest hurricane in U.S.history.At its peak,it had sustained winds of 233 kmh (145 mph).What category was Ike on the Saffir-Simpson scale at its peak?

A)Category 2
B)Category 3
C)Category 4
D)Category 5

Question 27

The eye of a hurricane:

A)is a figment of man's imagination.
B)has the most intense rainfall.
C)is the portion with the highest wind speeds.
D)is warmer than the rest of the storm.

Question 28

Why is the eye region of a hurricane largely free of precipitation and heavy clouds?

A)rising air motion
B)pressure gradient is weaker
C)cooler temperatures
D)sinking air motion

Question 29

Why do hurricanes in the Atlantic move toward the west during their early stages?

A)Prevailing winds are from the east.
B)steering influence of ocean currents
C)They move away from areas of high salinity.
D)Warmer water temperatures guide them.
E)Coriolis effect guides them.

Question 30

What circumstance may inhibit further development of a hurricane by diminishing air's ability to rise?

A)strong upper-level winds
B)trade wind inversion
C)convergence at the surface
D)unstable air

Question 31

What category of the scale of hurricane intensity is the strongest?

A)1
B)5
C)10
D)20
E)3

Question 32

Although damages caused by a hurricane depend on several factors,which is the most significant?

A)size and population density of the affected area
B)near-shore bottom configuration
C)strength of the storm
D)number of tornadoes

Question 33

An easterly wave contributes to hurricane development by:

A)creating surface convergence.
B)feeding warm waves of water into the vicinity of the hurricane.
C)steering disturbances over the Canaries current.
D)causing disturbances from the Bahamas to move to the east,over warmer waters.

Question 34

During which of the time spans listed below should hurricane formation in the North Atlantic be at a peak?

A)January-February
B)November-December
C)April-May
D)August-September

Question 35

When a hurricane moves onto land,it declines in intensity.Which of the factors listed below contribute to this loss of punch?

A)friction
B)lack of warm,moist air
C)heating from below by the land surface
D)both friction and the lack of warm,moist air

Question 36

When a cyclone's strongest winds do not exceed 37 miles per hour it is called a:

A)tropical depression.
B)tropical storm.
C)tornado.
D)hurricane.
E)dust devil.

Question 37

What determines when a tropical depression or storm is given hurricane status?

A)water temperature
B)wind speed
C)diameter
D)central pressure

Question 38

The deadliest natural disaster of any kind to ever occur in the United States was:

A)Hurricane Katrina.
B)The eruption of Mt.St.Helen's.
C)The Great Storm of 1900.
D)The 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Question 39

Which one of the following is most intense?

A)tropical storm
B)tropical depression
C)tropical disturbance
D)tropical water

Question 40

The United States deadliest hurricane happened in 1900 in Galveston,Texas.Approximately how many deaths did the hurricane cause?

A)1000
B)2000
C)4000
D)8000

Question 41

The initial detection and monitoring of tropical storms that may become hurricanes is accomplished by:

A)ocean ships.
B)ocean buoys.
C)satellites.
D)coastal observers.
E)aircraft.

Question 42

Carefully consider the photography of a hurricane in the South Atlantic shown above.Where would you expect to find the fastest winds?

A)Letter A
B)Letter B
C)Letter C
D)Letter D (central eye)

Question 43

A GPS dropwindsonde is used for:

A)measuring wind directions in the outflow of a hurricane.
B)measuring wind speeds throughout every level of a hurricane.
C)locating and measuring the diameter of the hurricane's eye at the surface.
D)forecasting precipitation associated with the hurricane's eye wall.

Question 44

The ________ scale is used to establish categories of hurricane intensity.

A)Stormfury
B)Fujita
C)Saffir-Simpson
D)Johnson-Hildebrandt

Question 45

What is the single greatest advancement in tools used for observing tropical cyclones?

A)aircraft reconnaissance
B)data buoys
C)radar
D)meteorological satellites

Question 46

The most important tool for detecting and monitoring hurricanes is:

A)radar.
B)data buoys.
C)submarine reconnaissance.
D)aircraft reconnaissance.
E)satellites.

Question 47

An announcement aimed at specific coastal areas that a hurricane poses a possible threat generally within 36 hours is called a:

A)hurricane warning.
B)tornado warning.
C)tornado watch.
D)hurricane watch.

Question 48

The greatest number of hurricane-related deaths may be attributed to:

A)strong winds.
B)inland freshwater flooding.
C)lightning.
D)storm surge.
E)tornadoes.

Question 49

The rain associated with a hurricane:

A)can often bring benefits that outweigh the losses.
B)always leads to torrential flooding,no matter where the hurricane makes landfall.
C)is never associated with deaths in a hurricane.
D)is only threatening in the immediate area where the hurricane makes landfall.

Question 50

Since detection and tracking of hurricanes is now quite accurate,why does damage from these storms continue to increase?

A)continued development of coastal areas
B)poor forecasts of landfall area
C)changes in tidal patterns
D)hurricane intensity is greater

Question 51

Which of the following has historically proven most susceptible to large losses of life (>100,000)from storm surge in the twentieth century?

A)Bangladesh
B)Galveston,Texas
C)Myanmar
D)Both A and C
E)A large loss of life has not occurred in the 20th century.

Question 52

Surface wind speeds inside a hurricane are estimated by:

A)doubling the wind speeds measured on the outer perimeter of the storm.
B)analyzing wave patterns visible in satellite imagery.
C)calculating 90% of the wind speeds measured in the upper portions of the storm.
D)measuring them with instruments on hurricane hunter aircraft.

Question 53

Cyclone Nargis made landfall in:

A)Bangladesh.
B)Myanmar.
C)Australia.
D)Japan.

Question 54

Refer to the chart of wind speed and pressure observed during Cyclone Monty,which made landfall in Australia in 2004.When did the eye pass over the observing station?

A)Between 6:00 p.m.and midnight on March 1.
B)Just after midnight on March 2.
C)Between 2:00 a.m.and 6:00 a.m.on March 2
D)6:00 a.m.on March 2.

Question 55

As a strong hurricane moves ashore,which of the following causes the most devastating damage in the coastal zone?

A)storm surge
B)strong winds
C)torrential rains
D)lightning

Question 56

Which scale number(s)of hurricanes do only minimal or moderate damage?

A)4 and 5
B)3 only
C)2 and 3
D)4 only
E)1 and 2

Question 57

If you are in a tall building near the coast during a hurricane,where is the best place to be?

A)in the basement
B)on the highest floor possible
C)below the tenth floor but above the first few floors
D)in the stairwell

Question 58

A major limitation of Doppler radar for hurricane monitoring is its ability to "see":

A)over distances beyond 200 miles.
B)tornadic rotation.
C)areas of particularly intense rainfall.
D)direction of wind motion.

Question 59

Until Hurricane Katrina occurred,the costliest hurricane in U.S.history was Hurricane ________.

A)Iniki
B)Opal
C)Hugo
D)Andrew
E)Fran

Question 60

Which of the following best describes the hurricane data provided by aircraft reconnaissance?

A)They can create a complete three dimensional profile of the storm.
B)They provide detailed data while a hurricane is still very far away from the coast.
C)They provide sample snapshots of only small parts of the storm.
D)They provide accurate data about the wind speeds at the very bottom of the storm,near the surface.

Question 61

Hurricane wind speeds are fastest near the center of the eye.

Question 62

The term hurricane is derived from Huracan,a Carib god of evil.

Question 63

Hurricanes can form over tropical land masses as well as over tropical oceans.

Question 64

More hurricanes form in the South Atlantic and the eastern South Pacific than in any other regions.

Question 65

A tropical storm is given a name that it will keep if it becomes a hurricane.

Question 66

Hurricanes do not form within about 5 degrees latitude of the equator.

Question 67

One problem with issuing a hurricane warning is:

A)few people pay attention to warnings.
B)hurricane forecasts require large areas that will be unaffected to be included in the warning.
C)it is difficult to issue warnings with enough lead time for people to evacuate.
D)no standardized system for issuing warnings exists on a federal level in the United States.

Question 68

Doppler radar is of limited use in creating hurricane storm warnings because:

A)hurricanes must be within 320 km of the coast for Doppler radar to "see" them.
B)Doppler radar cannot penetrate into the center of a mature hurricane.
C)Doppler radar is not very accurate at measuring rainfall intensity associated with the hurricane.
D)Doppler radars are not commonly used in coastal areas.

Question 69

Hurricanes are so severe because there is no airflow outward from their upper levels.

Question 70

A hurricane's most important source of energy is solar radiation on its cloud tops.

Question 71

Hurricanes that affect the United States occur most frequently during the same months as tornadoes are most prevalent.

Question 72

One of the most important factors for a hurricane's rapid demise is the cut off of the storm's source of warm moist air.

Question 73

The tallest and most vigorous part of the hurricane is the eye wall region.

Question 74

Wind speeds at the eye of a hurricane are relatively calm.

Question 75

Each year between 100 and 200 tropical storms develop around the world.

Question 76

Hurricanes in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones.

Question 77

The largest number of hurricanes form right along the equator.

Question 78

In the western Pacific,hurricanes are called typhoons.

Question 79

The Coriolis force does not play a role in hurricane circulations.

Question 80

Tornadoes are cyclonic while hurricanes are anticyclonic.