Deck 5: Atmospheric Pressure and Wind

Question 1

City A has an air pressure of 1,000 millibars. City B has an air pressure of 1004 millibars. The distance between the two cities is 100 kilometers. The difference of 4 millibars over 100 kilometers is known as ________.

A) wind
B) force
C) the pressure gradient
D) velocity
E) Coriolis effect

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Wind speed may be roughly indicated by ________.

A) spacing of isobars on a weather map
B) reading a barometer
C) the cardinal direction on a weather map
D) checking the thermometer
E) reading the hygrometer

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which factor is corrected for on most maps of atmospheric pressure?

A) wind
B) latitude
C) longitude
D) altitude
E) Coriolis effect

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its temperature and ________.

A) turbidity
B) volume of water vapor
C) density
D) atomic number
E) atomic weight

Question 5

An Earth surface pressure of pressure of 1,005 millibars is associated with ________.

A) a ridge
B) a trough
C) a low
D) a high
E) lows or highs depending on conditions

Question 6

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its density and ________.

A) altitude
B) adiabatic rate
C) temperature
D) chemical composition
E) friction

Question 7

The rate of pressure decrease ________.

A) is constant with altitude
B) decreases with altitude
C) increases with altitude
D) is unaffected by altitude
E) can be described by all of the above at one time or another

Question 8

At Earth's surface, warm temperatures are associated with ________.

A) low pressure
B) anticyclones
C) cyclones
D) high pressure
E) adiabatic cooling

Question 9

The angle of the wind flow across the isobars ________.

A) is uniform with height
B) becomes larger with height
C) becomes smaller with height
D) is more affected by friction with height
E) is not correctly described above

Question 10

________ are map lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.

A) Isobars
B) Millibars
C) Contours
D) Isohyets
E) Isotherms

Question 11

When air is heated it expands and ________.

A) explodes
B) contracts
C) sinks
D) lowers its pressure
E) burns

Question 12

At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a force closest to ________ kilogram(s) per square centimeter.

A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1,000
E) 10,000

Question 13

A(n) ________ is a linear zone of lower pressure between two areas of high pressure.

A) storm
B) anticyclone
C) trough
D) cyclone
E) ridge

Question 14

The denser packing of molecules at the bottom of the atmosphere than molecules at the top of the atmosphere is a result of ________.

A) Coriolis effect
B) friction
C) gravity
D) the sorting caused by varying weights of the gases
E) very good planning at the time of Earth's beginnings

Question 15

Of the weather elements below, which is the one of which we are usually LEAST aware without the use of weather instruments?

A) temperature
B) pressure
C) wind
D) moisture
E) We are very aware of all of the above.

Question 16

Gas molecules in the lower atmosphere ________.

A) are strongly bound to each other
B) infrequently collide with each other
C) tend to explode when they collide with each other
D) tend to stay at rest
E) are readily compressed and heated

Question 17

Flowing air responding to the difference between higher and lower pressure is responding to the ________.

A) pressure gradient
B) Coriolis effect
C) anticyclone
D) intertropical convergence
E) Trade winds

Question 18

A "dynamic low" is produced by ________.

A) very warm surface conditions
B) very cold surface conditions
C) the strong rise of air
D) the strong descent of air
E) many kilometers of smooth Earth surface

Question 19

The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is ________.

A) pounds per square inch
B) knots
C) miles per hour
D) millibars
E) micrometers

Question 20

The density of a substance might be measured in ________.

A) kilograms
B) cubic meters
C) micrometers
D) kilograms per cubic meter
E) joules

Question 21

Coriolis effect exists because ________.

A) the Earth rotates
B) gravity exists
C) friction and pressure gradient are balanced
D) geostrophic force and gravity are balanced
E) the Earth is an oblate spheroid

Question 22

A regular mile an hour is 5,280 feet per hour. A knot is ________.

A) slightly faster than a regular mile per hour
B) slightly slower than a regular mile per hour
C) much faster than a regular mile an hour
D) much slower than a regular mile an hour
E) a metric unit of measurement

Question 23

The place with the fastest average winds on Earth is ________.

A) in Antarctica
B) Siberia
C) Oklahoma
D) in the Himalaya Mountains
E) in Death Valley, California

Question 24

Above the influence of friction, most winds follow a(n) ________ course.

A) geostrophic
B) anticyclonic
C) prevailing
D) clockwise
E) chaotic and turbulent

Question 25

Which of the following is directly from high pressure to low pressure?

A) a surface cyclone
B) a surface anticyclone
C) an upper-air cyclone
D) an upper-air anticyclone
E) pressure gradient force

Question 26

Which of the following refers only to the horizontal motion of air?

A) the general circulation
B) subsidence
C) updraft
D) a balance of atmospheric forces
E) wind

Question 27

Geostrophic wind always flows ________.

A) parallel to the isobars
B) to the left
C) counterclockwise
D) slowly
E) at the surface of the Earth

Question 28

Wind speed is determined by ________.

A) latitude
B) parallax
C) pressure gradient force
D) Coriolis effect
E) random motions of gas molecules

Question 29

In which situation would Coriolis effect be GREATEST?

A) low wind speeds, low latitude
B) low wind speeds, high latitude
C) high wind speeds, high latitude
D) high wind speeds, low latitude
E) Coriolis effect is a constant

Question 30

Which portion of the United States tends to have the greatest average wind speeds in all seasons?

A) New England
B) the Great Lakes
C) the Great Plains
D) the Rocky Mountains
E) the Pacific Coast

Question 31

Over most of the United States ________ is the time of year with the greatest winds.

A) winter
B) spring
C) summer
D) fall
E) the transition time between summer and fall (the equinox)

Question 32

Which of the following does NOT act upon winds that blow far above the surface of the Earth?

A) Coriolis
B) geostrophic
C) gravity
D) pressure gradient
E) friction

Question 33

As a general rule, friction is greatest ________.

A) near Earth's surface
B) at jet stream altitudes
C) near the poles
D) near the Equator
E) in the middle latitudes

Question 34

Speed of the wind is unaffected by ________.

A) friction
B) pressure gradient
C) Coriolis effect
D) differences in heating between locations
E) the roughness of Earth's surface

Question 35

Surface winds tend to be ________ those at a higher level.

A) faster than
B) slower than
C) clockwise to
D) counterclockwise to
E) the same as

Question 36

The reason winds exist is ________.

A) the unequal heating of the Earth system
B) Coriolis effect
C) because air is a mixture of gases
D) friction
E) altitude differences

Question 37

If there were no continents and the Earth did not rotate, the surface wind patterns would be simple: Surface winds would blow from ________.

A) the south everywhere on Earth
B) west to east everywhere on Earth
C) the east in the Southern Hemisphere
D) the North in the Northern Hemisphere
E) the North in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 38

You are in the Northern Hemisphere. The pressure gradient force is from north to south. The surface wind which blows is from ________.

A) north to south
B) south to north
C) northeast to southwest
D) southwest to northeast
E) west to east

Question 39

Which of the following is the force that initially causes the wind to blow?

A) Coriolis
B) geostrophic
C) gravity
D) pressure gradient
E) friction

Question 40

Coriolis effect is NOT closely related to ________.

A) wind direction
B) the map patterns of isobars
C) gradient wind
D) friction
E) wind speed

Question 41

Wind has generated electricity since the ________.

A) 1880s
B) 1910s
C) 1940s
D) 1970s
E) 2000s

Question 42

Wind power currently generates close to ________ percent of the world's electricity.

A) 0
B) 3
C) 10
D) 30
E) 66

Question 43

Cyclones, in the Northern Hemisphere, are ________ air flows.

A) clockwise
B) counterclockwise
C) northflowing
D) southflowing
E) mythical

Question 44

An example of a geostrophic wind is ________.

A) chinook
B) Hadley cell
C) monsoon
D) jet stream
E) one caused by gravity

Question 45

Where would be the most likely place to find a subtropical high?

A) near the Equator
B) above the polar front jet stream
C) over the tropical continents
D) over subtropical oceans
E) at any of the above locations

Question 46

The following is an example of a disadvantage of the use of wind power for generating electricity:

A) It is associated with high levels of pollution.
B) The windiest places are seldom densely populated.
C) It can never be cost competitive with other energy sources.
D) It is impractical in the United States.
E) The voltage is not compatible with that of standard transmission lines.

Question 47

Sinking air that diverges when it reaches Earth's surface is closely associated with ________.

A) anticyclones
B) tornadoes
C) the absence of Coriolis effect
D) the absence of friction
E) cyclones

Question 48

A counterclockwise atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is known as a(n) ________.

A) anticyclone
B) cyclone
C) Coriolis effect
D) pressure gradient
E) troposphere

Question 49

Divergence is most closely associated with ________.

A) surface air in cyclones
B) surface air in anticyclones
C) cold air circulations
D) jet stream circulations
E) the intertropical convergence zone

Question 50

In the upper troposphere, where is the region of easterly winds?

A) at all latitudes
B) at 0-20° from the Equator
C) at 30-50° from the Equator
D) at 50-70° from the Equator
E) at none of the latitudes

Question 51

In a surface anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral ________.

A) clockwise and inward
B) clockwise and outward
C) counterclockwise and inward
D) counterclockwise and outward
E) to the west

Question 52

Most of the broad-scale air-movements that comprise the general circulation are ________.

A) vertical
B) horizontal
C) adiabatic
D) jet streams
E) none of the above

Question 53

Circulation in the troposphere is mainly a(n) ________ system.

A) equilibrium
B) cascading
C) open
D) closed
E) non-existent

Question 54

Air in an anticyclone always flows ________ in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) counterclockwise
B) clockwise
C) slowly
D) from the northeast
E) from the southwest

Question 55

"Zonal" air flow in the middle latitudes means a(n) ________ flow of air.

A) west-east
B) east-west
C) north-south
D) south-north
E) fast

Question 56

The antitrade winds can be found ________.

A) in the polar regions
B) in the intertropical convergence zone
C) near the polar front jet stream
D) in the tropics blowing from north to south
E) at great heights over the trade winds

Question 57

The so-called "winds of commerce" are the ________ winds.

A) horse latitude
B) Rossby wave
C) trade
D) monsoon
E) westerly

Question 58

The "horse latitudes" are zones of minimal winds which are associated with the ________ system.

A) subtropical high pressure
B) trade wind
C) westerly wind
D) polar easterly wind
E) intertropical convergence

Question 59

In a surface cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral ________.

A) clockwise and inward
B) clockwise and outward
C) counterclockwise and inward
D) counterclockwise and outward
E) to the west

Question 60

In the Northern Hemisphere, air converging in a counter-clockwise direction, is termed a(n) ________.

A) dyne
B) cyclone
C) anticyclone
D) westerly
E) Coriolis effect

Question 61

The intertropical convergence zone may be found as far as ________ north of the equator in July.

A) 5°
B) 25°
C) 65°
D) 90°
E) 135°

Question 62

Cold air pushes equatorward and warm air pushes poleward when ________.

A) there are few Rossby waves
B) the Rossby waves have great amplitude
C) the westerlies reverse flow and become easterlies
D) the polar front is weakest
E) the subtropical high arrives overhead

Question 63

The jet stream of the midlatitudes can usually be found at elevations ranging from ________ kilometers.

A) 1 to 2
B) 9 to 12
C) 20 to 31
D) 50 to 87
E) 103 to 107

Question 64

The ________ is/are found in the Equatorial zone.

A) intertropical convergence zone
B) horse latitudes
C) trade winds
D) westerlies
E) polar easterlies

Question 65

Trade winds are found ________.

A) at 10° north and south of the Equator
B) between 25° north and south of the Arctic Circle
C) centered on the longitudinal zone of the prime meridian
D) north of the monsoon regions
E) over all of the world's deserts

Question 66

Which of the following occurs closest to the Equator?

A) polar front
B) subpolar low
C) westerlies
D) doldrums
E) subtropical high

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT descriptive of the intertropical convergence zone?

A) convergence of the trade winds
B) light and variable winds
C) centered around the Equator
D) associated with rising air
E) a cloud-free set of places

Question 68

The largest Hawaiian Islands are in the far northern tropics, and so are in the ________ portion of the global circulation.

A) subtropical high
B) intertropical convergence
C) hottest
D) trade wind
E) horse latitude

Question 69

The seasonal shift of the intertropical convergence is greatest ________.

A) at high latitudes
B) over the oceans
C) at high altitudes
D) over the continents
E) at a bar called Joe's in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Question 70

The city of Chicago has a latitude (42°N) within which part of the global circulation?

A) trade winds
B) subtropical high
C) polar easterlies
D) antitrade winds
E) westerlies

Question 71

Which of the following is TRUE concerning the surface westerlies?

A) are the most reliable air flow on Earth
B) are found from 10-20 degrees away from the Equator
C) are composed of winds from all directions
D) are unrelated to the jet streams
E) cause weather to move from east to west

Question 72

The doldrums are most closely associated with ________.

A) polar fronts
B) STHs
C) the ITC
D) Rossby waves
E) the VTR

Question 73

Which of the below is located in the troposphere above the polar front?

A) the subtropical jet stream
B) the antitrade winds
C) the doldrums
D) the polar easterlies
E) the Rossby waves

Question 74

Surface westerly winds on a global scale exist because of air flow out of the ________ of the general circulation.

A) subtropical high pressure
B) intertropical convergence
C) polar easterlies
D) sub polar low pressure
E) equatorial low

Question 75

Rossby waves are ________.

A) tropical jet streams
B) large undulations in the upper air westerlies
C) reversed Hadley cells
D) continental scale sea breezes
E) ocean currents

Question 76

________ knots is the minimum speed for a wind aloft to be termed a "jet stream."

A) 6
B) 60
C) 600
D) 6,000
E) 60,000

Question 77

The region in which the intertropical convergence can be found is ________.

A) near the North Pole
B) the Equator
C) the southeastern United States
D) northern Australia
E) central Siberia

Question 78

At any given time, there are usually ________ Rossby waves in the westerly winds of each hemisphere.

A) 1-2
B) 3-6
C) 10-20
D) 50-100
E) thousands upon thousands

Question 79

The poles are most closely associated with ________.

A) very fast winds
B) high pressure
C) strong, migratory storms
D) strong pressure gradients
E) warm weather caused by descending air

Question 80

The polar front and subtropical jet streams are both high-altitude flows which circulate ________.

A) in the Tropics
B) at the Poles
C) along the Prime Meridian
D) from east to west
E) from west to east