Deck 9: Severe Weather

Question 1

Most weather activity occurs in the __________________.

A) ionosphere
B) magnetosphere
C) stratosphere
D) troposphere

Answer 1

D

Question 2

During a strong El Nino event which of the following is unlikely to occur?

A) Strengthening of the trade winds
B) Drought in Australia
C) Fewer hurricanes along the Atlantic coast
D) All of these are correct
E) Both the strengthening of the trade winds and drought in Australia

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A polar jet is a belt of winds about 1,000 km wide,flowing as fast as _________ in its central "core."

A) 60 km/h
B) 600 km/h
C) 6,000 km/h
D) the speed of sound
E) an orbiting satellite

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A strong El Nino is characterized by ____________________.

A) the arrival of warm ocean water to Peru and Ecuador near Christmastime
B) the trade winds weaken
C) some surface currents are reversed
D) all of these are correct
E) both the arrival of warm ocean water to Peru and Ecuador near Christmas time and the weakening of the trade winds

Question 5

Ascending air at the equator and descending air around 30°N and S latitudes create air circulation patterns known as _____________________.

A) the semi-troposphere
B) the trade winds
C) westerly winds (westerlies)
D) the Subtropical High Pressure Zone
E) Hadley cells

Question 6

In the northern hemisphere,surface blow counter-clockwise when they are pulled into a low-pressure zone called ________.

A) a cyclone
B) an anti-cyclone
C) a Ferrel cell
D) a Polar cell

Question 7

Water has a _______ heat capacity than land and therefore land heats more _______ than water.

A) lower;quickly
B) higher;quickly
C) higher;slowly
D) lower;slowly

Question 8

Adiabatic cooling of rising air results in a ______ per kilometre decrease in temperature.

A) 5°C
B) 10°C
C) 15°C
D) 20°C

Question 9

The polar jet stream flows from west to east,under the influence of the Earth's rotation,in ______________________.

A) only the Southern Hemisphere
B) only the Northern Hemisphere
C) both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
D) neither hemisphere
E) one hemisphere in summer and the other in winter

Question 10

The Intertropical Convergence Zone is part of the ____________.

A) Ferrel cell
B) Polar cell
C) polar jet system
D) middle latitudes circulation
E) Hadley cell

Question 11

During a La Nina event which of the following is most likely to occur?

A) Strengthening of the trade winds
B) Drought in Australia
C) Fewer hurricanes along the Atlantic coast
D) All of these are correct
E) Both the strengthening of the trade winds and drought in Australia

Question 12

Which of the following lists the correct sequence from the equator to the poles?

A) Hadley Cell;Ferrel Cell;Polar Cell
B) Ferrel Cell;Hadley Cell;Subpolar Cell
C) Hadley Cell;Subtropical Cell;Subpolar Cell
D) Hadley Cell;Subtropical Cell;Polar Cell

Question 13

When cool air from aloft sinks into altitudes of greater pressure the air _________ and _________ adiabatically.

A) compresses;warms
B) expands;warms
C) compresses;cools
D) expands;cools

Question 14

Which of the following statements is false regarding the jet streams?

A) They flow from east to west.
B) They occur above the subtropics and the polar front.
C) A polar jet stream's path is ever changing like a meandering river.
D) These upper-level winds flow in relatively narrow bands.

Question 15

There are two main jet streams ___________.

A) a polar jet and a subtropical jet.
B) a temperate jet and a tropical jet.
C) a polar jet and a temperate jet.
D) a slow jet and a fast jet.
E) an eastward jet and a westward jet.

Question 16

The cost of weather-related disasters has ____________ since the 1950s.

A) decreased
B) remained stable
C) increased
D) shown no discernible trend

Question 17

One of the greatest weather disasters in North American history occurred during the ________,when several years of drought turned grain-growing areas in the Great Plains into the "Dust Bowl."

A) 1920s
B) 1930s
C) 1940s
D) 1950s
E) 1960s

Question 18

A sloping surface separating air masses that differ in temperature and moisture content is called ____________________.

A) a front
B) a jet stream
C) a Hadley cell
D) a trade wind
E) none of these are correct

Question 19

Summer Monsoon occurs because __________.

A) the landmass is colder than the ocean
B) the ocean is colder than the landmass
C) of a dip in the subtropical jet stream
D) of a dip in the polar jet stream

Question 20

In the northern hemisphere,descending air forms a high-pressure zone called _________ and surface winds blow in a ________ direction.

A) a cyclone;counter-clockwise
B) an anti-cyclone;counter-clockwise
C) a Ferrel cell;clockwise
D) an anti-cyclone;clockwise

Question 21

The effects of drought in Canada are felt mostly in _________.

A) Alberta and British Columbia
B) Manitoba and Ontario
C) Saskatchewan and Alberta
D) Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Question 22

The basic sequence within a lightning flash includes all but which of the following?

A) Static electricity builds up within the lower thundercloud and induces identical-polarity charges on the ground.
B) Discharge begins within the cloud and initiates a dimly visible,negatively charged stream of electrons propagating downward.
C) The conductive stream moves earthward in 50-metre jumps as a stepped leader;as the stepped leader nears the ground,the electric field at the surface increases greatly,shooting streamers of positive sparks upward and connecting with the stepped leader about 50 metres above ground.
D) The connection initiates the return stroke,sending positive charges up to the cloud with a brilliant flash;more lightning strokes occur as charges flow between the cloud and the earth.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 23

The areas where buildings and streets absorb solar heat all day and then release it at night are called ______.

A) urban cooling islands
B) urban breeze depressions
C) humidex schelters
D) urban heat islands
E) urban killer islands

Question 24

The energy source for severe weather including thunderstorms is derived from ___________.

A) strong winds
B) the release of latent heat due to condensation
C) the release of latent heat due to evaporation
D) the absorption of heat due to melting
E) none of these are correct

Question 25

Thunderstorms occur where warm,moist air has absorbed enough heat and moisture to be significantly ____________ than the surrounding air.

A) less dense
B) more dense
C) less energetic
D) drier
E) none of these are correct

Question 26

There are three stages in the developed of a thunderstorm which of the following statements regarding these stages is incorrect?

A) Early Stage: cooling of warm humid air causes condensation to form cumulus clouds
B) Mature Stage: rain starts to fall and causing strong downdrafts
C) Dissipating Stage: updrafts pull warm moist air into the thunderstorm and clouds begin to evaporate
D) Dissipating Stage: downdrafts dominate and clouds begin to evaporate
E) None of these are correct

Question 27

Thunder is caused by ______________________________.

A) the compression of free neutrons in the lightning bolt
B) the compression of free photons in the lightning bolt
C) the compression of free electrons in the lightning bolt
D) the combustion of flammable atmospheric gases by the lightning bolt
E) high temperatures of lightning that flash heat the surrounding air,causing it to expand explosively

Question 28

In Canada 28 people died due to the St.Lawrence River Valley ice storm of 1998,which of the following causes is false?

A) Hypothermia
B) Ice falls
C) Electrocution
D) Carbon monoxide poisoning
E) Fire

Question 29

Thunderstorms wreak havoc with ___________________.

A) their heavy rains and sometimes flash floods
B) hail
C) lightning
D) high-speed winds
E) all of these are correct

Question 30

Important requirements for hail to form are _________________________________.

A) large thunderstorms with buoyant hot air rising from heated ground
B) upper-level cold air creating maximum temperature contrasts
C) strong updrafts to keep hailstones suspended while adding coatings of ice onto ever-growing cores
D) all of these are correct

Question 31

Conditions that must be fulfilled for a winter storm to be officially classified as a blizzard include all but which of the following?

A) Visibility less than 1 km
B) Minimum duration of 3 hours
C) Temperature less than 0°C or wind chill of -25°C or lower
D) Winds in excess of 100 km/h

Question 32

Freezing rain forms when ___________________________________.

A) hailstones melt while falling down towards the ground
B) there is a steady decrease in temperature from the onset of rain
C) there is a steady increase in temperature from the onset of a snow storm
D) precipitation occurs through a layer of warm air sandwiched between two layers of cold air
E) none of these are correct

Question 33

The Canadian city with the highest number of hours of freezing rain per year is ______________________.

A) Montreal
B) St.John's
C) Toronto
D) Vancouver
E) Whitehorse

Question 34

The Canadian province where thunderstorms are most frequent is ________________.

A) Alberta
B) British Columbia
C) Newfoundland
D) Ontario
E) Quebec

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true regarding heat waves?

A) The elderly and the young are often the ones who die during these events.
B) More people die in rural areas than do in cities during these events.
C) The number of hot summer days in Toronto is not projected to increase in the next 40 years.
D) Heat waves are still one of the main causes of death due to natural disasters in Canada.

Question 36

Which of the following statements regarding drought in Canada is false?

A) Nine of the ten driest years since 1948 were also warmer than normal.
B) The effects of the 1988 drought were disastrous for almost all segments Canada's economy.
C) Drought is one of the hazards likely to improve due to climate change.
D) In Saskatchewan a period of drought lasted 70-years.

Question 37

Much of the mid-latitude severe weather in the Northern Hemisphere occurs via cyclones: air masses rotating ___________________________________.

A) clockwise about a high-pressure core
B) counter-clockwise about a high-pressure core
C) clockwise about a low-pressure core
D) counter-clockwise about a low-pressure core
E) none of these are correct

Question 38

Typical fatalities occurring during blizzards include all but which of the following?

A) Buried by snowdrifts and asphyxiated
B) Heart attack while shoveling snow
C) Freezing
D) Ice slip and fall accidents
E) Road accidents

Question 39

A "weather bomb" is a powerful maritime storm,which of the following statements is false?

A) Central pressure must rise at least 2.4kPa in 12 hours.
B) Central pressures must drop 2.4kPa in 24 hours.
C) They tend to occur after hurricane season.
D) It is a form of a nor'easter.

Question 40

Supercell thunderstorms are violent storms.Which of the following statements is false?

A) The rotation with a supercell is called a mesocyclone.
B) Rain and hail commonly fall from their leading edge.
C) Tornadoes may spin out of their trailing edge.
D) Hurricanes may spin out of the trailing edge if they form over water.

Question 41

The process of expanding air causes cooling,an adiabatic process where temperature changes without the addition or subtracting of heat.

Question 42

Electrical lines were damaged during the Toronto ice storm (December,2013)by:

A) strong winds.
B) falling trees and branches.
C) hail impact.
D) lower temperatures.
E) both strong winds and hail.

Question 43

In Canada,most tornadoes occur in ___________________.

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

Question 44

The most violent stage of the single-cell thunderstorm is when _________________.

A) cool,dry air is rising high.
B) updrafts and downdrafts operate side by side in the same direction.
C) warm,moist air is rising high and at the same time as cool,dry air is descending rapidly.
D) downdrafts drag in so much cool,dry air that it chokes off the updrafts of warm,moist air.
E) none of these choices are correct

Question 45

In North America,conditions necessary to turn an ordinary thunderstorm into a tornado-spinning monster include _________________.

A) a low-altitude,northerly flow of warm,humid,tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico
B) a cold,dry air mass from Canada moving at speeds in excess of 80 km/h
C) a cold,dry air mass from the Rocky Mountains moving at speeds in excess of 80 km/h
D) jet-stream winds racing east at speeds in excess of 250 km/h
E) all of these are correct

Question 46

The Enhanced Fujita scale ranks tornadoes according to ___________________.

A) the weight of hailstones
B) the amount of precipitation,expressed in millimetres of rain
C) the wind damage caused to infrastructure
D) the lowest barometric pressure recorded
E) the number of fatalities

Question 47

Lightning tragedies can be avoided by taking safety precautions.Which of the following statements is false?

A) Water is a good conductor of electrical current;therefore swimming is very dangerous and should be stopped until the threat has passed.
B) A car or school bus makes an excellent shelter due to the insulating effect of their rubber tires.
C) Waiting 30 minutes or more after the last flash of lightning of sound of thunder before leaving shelter is sufficient.
D) Lightning can strike up to 15 km away from any rainfall and many deaths occur ahead of the storm because people are waiting until the last minute to take shelter.

Question 48

A widespread,powerful wind storm with straight-line winds is referred to as a __________________.

A) tornado
B) hurricane
C) typhoon
D) cyclone
E) derecho

Question 49

Stages in the development of a single-cell thunderstorm are characterized: during the early stage ______,during the mature stage ________ and during the dissipating stage _________.

A) rain falls;warm,humid air rises;heavy rain falls
B) warm,humid air rises;weaker rain falls;heavy rain falls
C) warm,humid air rises;heavy rain falls;weaker rain falls
D) strong downdrafts operate;downdrafts dominate;updrafts continue
E) none of these are correct

Question 50

Adiabatic effects include expansion cooling or compression warming of air masses.

Question 51

Tornadoes preferentially kill all but which of the following?

A) Infants
B) Old people
C) Mobile-home residents
D) Occupants of exterior rooms with windows
E) Those unaware of broadcast tornado alerts

Question 52

The physical principle of a spinning tornado is ___________________.

A) conservation of mass
B) conservation of kinetic energy
C) conservation of potential energy
D) conservation of angular momentum

Question 53

The vertical movement of air is large compared to its horizontal motion.

Question 54

The main destructive actions of tornadoes include all but which of the following?

A) High-wind speeds blow away buildings and trees.
B) Debris picked up by the winds smash into buildings and trees damage or destroying them.
C) Flying debris acts like bullets or shrapnel killing people.
D) A strong high-pressure zone in the center blows buildings apart.

Question 55

In Figure 9.6 what are the appropriate characteristics of rotating air bodies?

A) "a" represents anticyclone and low pressure and "b" cyclone and high pressure.
B) "a" represents anticyclone and high pressure and "b" cyclone and low pressure.
C) "a" represents cyclone and high pressure and "b" anticyclone and low pressure.
D) "a" represents cyclone and low pressure and "b" anticyclone and high pressure.
E) None of these are correct because there is not enough data to draw conclusions.

Question 56

Tornadoes are typically found ___________________.

A) along the walls of a hurricane's eye
B) in the leading side of a single cell thunderstorm
C) in the trailing side of a supercell thunderstorm
D) preceding derechos

Question 57

A cooling air mass aloft sinks and compresses,becoming denser and warmer as it sinks.

Question 58

The figure above represents seasonal air circulation between ocean and land surface.What are the appropriate seasons for "a" and "b"?

A) "a" is winter and "b" is summer.
B) "a" is summer and "b" is winter.
C) "a" is spring and "b" is autumn.
D) "a" is autumn and "b" is spring.

Question 59

The highest wind speeds of any weather phenomenon occur in __________________.

A) tornadoes
B) hurricanes
C) typhoons
D) cyclones
E) derechos

Question 60

The tornado Elie,occurring in Manitoba on the 22^nd of June,2007 is the first officially documented ____ tornado in Canada.

A) F2
B) F5
C) F3
D) F4
E) F0

Question 61

The subtropical jets play a more dominant role in weather than do the polar jets.

Question 62

Canada has never experienced a tornado ranked F5 on the Fujita scale.

Question 63

Almost half of North Americans killed by tornadoes die inside their disintegrating mobile homes.

Question 64

Over the past century,damages due to lightning strikes have increased while numbers of lightning deaths have decreased.

Question 65

In Canada blizzards are most frequent in the Yukon.

Question 66

Air-mass thunderstorms are the most common and form when weather-system fronts collide.

Question 67

Thunderstorms require that warm,moist air be elevated.

Question 68

A blizzard can occur without snowfall.

Question 69

A typical La Nina winter brings cold air with high precipitation to the northwestern United States and western Canada,but causes below-average precipitation in most of North America.

Question 70

The Hadley cells and the Ferrel cells are both thermally driven circulation loops.

Question 71

There is evidence to support that the St.Lawrence River Valley ice storm of 1998 was a direct result of the El Nino.

Question 72

Drought describes times of abnormal dryness in a region.

Question 73

Nor'easter storms are far more frequent than hurricanes and most major snowstorms along North America's Pacific coast arise from these large scale cyclones.

Question 74

Periods of drought can lead to crop failure and food shortages.Unlike other natural disasters where people come together and help neighbours severe drought generally drives people apart.

Question 75

"Witches of November" storms over the Great Lakes can result in hurricane force winds and waves as high as 12 metres.

Question 76

Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of high-velocity winds that flow from west to east at high altitudes.

Question 77

The top half of a tall thundercloud is charged negatively.

Question 78

Thunderstorms can occur during the winter and although rare,they are much more powerful than summer storms.

Question 79

In the northern hemisphere,polar air masses are cold and moist.

Question 80

The drought of the in the 1930s did not affect Canada.