Question 1

A layer of altostratus can change into one of altocumulus if the top of the original cloud deck cools while the bottom warms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

The combination of warming the surface and warming the air aloft creates the greatest atmospheric stability.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Lenticular clouds form on the ____________________ side of mountains.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lenticular clouds form on the ____________________ side...

Question 4

The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the ____ rate.

Accepted Answer

A) dry adiabatic 
B) environmental lapse 
C) moist adiabatic 
D) thermoclinic 
E) absolute stability

Question 5

Cumulus clouds are a common phenomenon over cool water surfaces.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Explain why an inversion represents an atmosphere that is absolutely stable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why an inversion represents an atmosphere...

Question 7

Explain why a rising parcel of air expands and cools, whereas a sinking parcel is compressed and warms.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why a rising parcel of air...

Question 8

Just above cumulus clouds, you would expect to find ____.

Accepted Answer

A) a stable layer 
B) an unstable layer 
C) a conditionally unstable layer 
D) unusually strong horizontal winds 
E) convective instability

Question 9

The dry adiabatic rate is the rate at which ____.

Accepted Answer

A) an air parcel rises 
B) temperature changes in a rising or descending parcel of unsaturated air 
C) volume changes when a parcel expands or is compressed 
D) latent heat energy is released in a rising air parcel 
E) temperature changes in a rising or descending parcel of saturated air

Question 10

Explain why afternoons tend to be windier than mornings, especially on warm days when the weather is clear or partly cloudy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why afternoons tend to be windier...

Question 11

Explain why the surface air on the leeward side of a mountain can be drier than the surface air on the windward side. What is this effect called? Can you think of a location in the United States where this might actually occur?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why the surface air on the...

Question 12

An inversion represents an extremely stable atmosphere because air that rises into the inversion will eventually become ____ and ____ dense than/as the surrounding air.

Accepted Answer

A) warmer; less 
B) warmer; more 
C) colder; less 
D) colder; more 
E) warmer; similarly

Question 13

If rising air cools to its dew-point temperature, the relative humidity becomes _____.

Accepted Answer

A) 20 percent 
B) 40 percent 
C) 60 percent 
D) 80 percent 
E) 100 percent

Question 14

Convective instability associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can be brought on by lifting a stable air layer whose surface is humid and whose top is dry.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The atmosphere is normally most stable in the ________________ and most unstable in the ________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The atmosphere is normally most stable in...

Question 16

A rising parcel of air expands and cools, whereas a sinking parcel is compressed and warms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

The largest amount of latent heat gets released in a ____ parcel of ____ saturated air.

Accepted Answer

A) rising; warm 
B) rising; cold 
C) sinking; warm 
D) sinking; cold 
E) stagnant; medium-temperature

Question 18

Altocumulus clouds that show vertical development and produce tower-like extensions are called ____.

Accepted Answer

A) cumulus 
B) cumulonimbus 
C) cumulus humilis 
D) altocumulus castellanus 
E) cirrocumulus castellanus

Question 19

If the environmental lapse rate is 5 degrees Celsius per 1000 m and the temperature at Earth's surface is 25 degrees Celsius, then the air temperature at 2000 m above the ground is ____.

Accepted Answer

A) 25 degrees Celsius 
B) 30 degrees Celsius 
C) 20 degrees Celsius 
D) 15 degrees Celsius 
E) 10 degrees Celsius

Question 20

Which condition below is necessary for a layer of altostratus clouds to change into altocumulus?

Accepted Answer

A) The top part of the cloud deck cools while the bottom part warms. 
B) Temperature increases with increasing altitude in the layer. 
C) The cloud layer becomes more stable. 
D) The cloud layer becomes clear. 
E) The nuclei types within the cloud have to change.

Exam 6: Stability and Cloud Development

A layer of altostratus can change into one of altocumulus if the top of the original cloud deck cools while the bottom warms.

The combination of warming the surface and warming the air aloft creates the greatest atmospheric stability.

Lenticular clouds form on the ____________________ side of mountains.

The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the ____ rate.

Cumulus clouds are a common phenomenon over cool water surfaces.

Explain why an inversion represents an atmosphere that is absolutely stable.

Explain why a rising parcel of air expands and cools, whereas a sinking parcel is compressed and warms.

Just above cumulus clouds, you would expect to find ____.

The dry adiabatic rate is the rate at which ____.

Explain why afternoons tend to be windier than mornings, especially on warm days when the weather is clear or partly cloudy.

Explain why the surface air on the leeward side of a mountain can be drier than the surface air on the windward side. What is this effect called? Can you think of a location in the United States where this might actually occur?

An inversion represents an extremely stable atmosphere because air that rises into the inversion will eventually become and dense than/as the surrounding air.

If rising air cools to its dew-point temperature, the relative humidity becomes _____.

Convective instability associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can be brought on by lifting a stable air layer whose surface is humid and whose top is dry.

The atmosphere is normally most stable in the and most unstable in the .

A rising parcel of air expands and cools, whereas a sinking parcel is compressed and warms.

The largest amount of latent heat gets released in a parcel of saturated air.

Altocumulus clouds that show vertical development and produce tower-like extensions are called ____.

If the environmental lapse rate is 5 degrees Celsius per 1000 m and the temperature at Earth's surface is 25 degrees Celsius, then the air temperature at 2000 m above the ground is ____.

Which condition below is necessary for a layer of altostratus clouds to change into altocumulus?