Deck 10: Hurricanes

Question 1

The main source of energy that fuels a hurricane is derived from __________.

A) weather fronts
B) latent heat released by condensation
C) high altitude winds
D) the Coriolis force

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The strongest winds in a hurricane are ______________________.

A) in the eye
B) in the eyewall
C) typically about 160 kilometres away from the eye
D) on the left-hand side of the storm (looking in the direction the hurricane is moving)

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What do you call tropical cyclones affecting the Western Pacific Ocean?

A) Cape Verde-type hurricanes
B) Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)hurricanes
C) Oceanic tornadoes
D) Typhoons
E) Tsunami

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following hurricane names has been retired from the World Meteorological Organization list at the request of Canada?

A) Fabian
B) Mable
C) Juan
D) Katrina
E) Ogden

Question 5

Most of the fatalities and damage caused by Hurricane Hazel in Southern Ontario in 1954 were due to ________________.

A) flooding
B) freezing rain
C) hail
D) high winds
E) lightning

Question 6

Which of the following is a rotating,low-pressure weather system with a warm core that generally forms over warm seawater between 5° and 20° latitude and then travels off to deliver its heat to higher latitudes?

A) Hurricanes
B) Typhoons
C) Cyclones
D) All of these are correct.
E) None of these are correct

Question 7

The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season set multiple records,including all but which of the following?

A) Greatest number of named storms in one season
B) Greatest number of hurricanes in one season
C) Greatest number of hurricanes reaching category 5
D) Greatest number of deaths in one season

Question 8

Requirements for a hurricane to develop include all but which of the following?

A) Seawater with a temperature of at least 27°C in the upper 60 m of the ocean
B) Air must be unstable,warm,and humid
C) Weak upper-level winds,preferably blowing in the same direction the developing storm is moving
D) Tornado serving as triggering mechanism,spreading out and slowing as storm grows
E) All of the choices are required for a hurricane to form

Question 9

In New Orleans,the deaths and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina (2005)were mostly the result of ____________.

A) tornados
B) flooding
C) lightning
D) hail

Question 10

Of the disaster scales discussed in the book,Modified Mercalli,Enhanced Fujita,and Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale:

A) all use larger numbers to describe larger disasters.
B) all use smaller numbers to describe larger disasters.
C) some use smaller numbers and some use larger numbers to describe larger disasters.
D) some use alphabetic abbreviations and some use numbers to denote the size of disasters.

Question 11

Inside the eye of a well-developed hurricane __________________.

A) cool air rises
B) cool air sinks
C) there is a near-perfect vacuum
D) there is heavy rain
E) there are strong winds

Question 12

Hurricane names are retired from the World Meteorological Organization list ________________________.

A) in the case of extreme events causing a large number of fatalities and extensive damage
B) when a named storm failed to reach hurricane status
C) when they have been used more than 3 times
D) when two events with the same name occurred in different parts of the world

Question 13

A hurricane is defined as a large area of sustained winds greater than 119 km/h.This is the wind speed at which ________________________.

A) canvas sails on sail boats start to rip
B) storm surge starts to be a problem
C) Saffir and Simpson agreed to compromise (Saffir wanted 116 km/h,and Simpson wanted 120 km/h)
D) the center of the storm develops a calm area known as the eye
E) none of these are correct

Question 14

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is numbered 1-5 with _________________________.

A) smaller numbers indicating bigger hurricanes
B) larger numbers indicating bigger hurricanes
C) numbers indicating the wind speed of the hurricane's eye in km/h
D) numbers indicating the designation of the tropical cyclone

Question 15

When hurricanes come ashore and travel inland they begin to decline because ___________.

A) there is more friction on land and that causes them to lose strength
B) the Coriolis effect is not sufficient to sustain them over land
C) the low pressure system associated with inland masses absorbs the hurricane's energy
D) they are cut off from warm water,their main source of energy

Question 16

Rank the following in order of increasing strength:

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

Question 17

The figure above (Hurricane Katrina)shows that hurricanes rotate in a ________________ around a central core in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) clockwise direction
B) counter-clockwise direction
C) back and forth motion
D) zigzag pattern
E) random pattern

Question 18

The air in the eye of a hurricane ________________________.

A) sinks,and absorbs moisture,leaving the core clear and cloud-free
B) rises,and absorbs moisture,leaving the core clear and cloud-free
C) rises,and expels moisture,leaving the core clear and cloud-free
D) is stable,neither moving up nor down

Question 19

New Orleans is vulnerable to hurricanes because ___________.

A) parts of the city are 6 metres below sea level
B) the city is sinking
C) globally sea level is rising
D) all of these are correct
E) none of these are correct

Question 20

The deadliest hurricane in Canada's history was the ________________ hurricane in 1900 which killed 80-100 people.

A) Galveston
B) Katrina
C) Freda
D) Sandy
E) Juan

Question 21

The main influences on most of the Atlantic hurricane paths include all but which of the following?

A) Trade winds blow the tropical cyclone toward the west.
B) Hurricane paths vary depending on the size of the Bermuda High.
C) Hurricane paths vary depending on the position of the Bermuda High.
D) Hurricane paths vary depending on the size and position of the Bermuda Triangle.

Question 22

In the North Atlantic Ocean,hurricanes undergoing post-tropical transition experience all but which of the following phenomena?

A) They accelerate
B) They move into cooler air
C) Their cyclonic structure becomes more symmetric
D) Rain bands develop on their west side
E) Strong winds develop on their east side

Question 23

Most deaths in tropical cyclones (hurricanes,typhoons,etc. )are the result of ______________________.

A) windblown debris
B) direct hit by tornadoes
C) inland flooding
D) coastal storm surge
E) shipwrecks

Question 24

Most deaths related to tropical cyclone are due to ________.

A) torrential rains
B) strong winds
C) storm surges
D) low pressure

Question 25

Among the tasks of the Canadian Hurricane Centre Program is(are):

A) to investigate the uncertainty of weather predictions.
B) to improve the accessibility of information to the public.
C) to build surge protection walls.
D) to track building code implementation.
E) both to investigate the uncertainty of weather predictions and to improve the accessibility of information to the public.

Question 26

In the North Atlantic Ocean,the month that has most hurricanes make landfall in Canada is _________________.

A) June
B) July
C) August
D) September
E) October

Question 27

When hurricanes hit the coastline,storm surges form mainly due to:

A) low pressure near the eye pulling water higher.
B) winds piling up water and pushing it toward shore.
C) heavy rain raising the water level.
D) tsunami waves.
E) both low pressure near the eye pulling water higher and winds piling up water and pushing it toward shore.

Question 28

How many of the hurricanes that made landfall in Canada between 1886 -2010 have been classified as category 4 or higher?

A) 0
B) 2
C) 3
D) 5

Question 29

Predicted maximum levels of extreme storm surges in Atlantic Canada (based on Dalhousie University research)are in the range of:

A) 0.3-1.3 m.
B) 5-7 m.
C) 10-20 m.
D) 0.2-0.4 m.
E) none of these choices are correct.

Question 30

The unique characteristic(s)of typhoon Haiyan (November,2013)is(are):

A) it featured the strongest one-minute sustained winds ever recorded (315km/h).
B) it lost hardly any energy over the Philippine archipelago.
C) it had a high wind shear.
D) it cooled the ocean temperature.
E) both that it f featured the strongest one-minute sustained winds ever recorded (315km/h),and that it lost hardly any energy over the Philippine archipelago.

Question 31

Why do so few of the Pacific Ocean hurricanes strike the west coast of North America?

A) The trade winds blow most hurricanes westward away from land.
B) The California current carries cold water from Alaska down the along the west coast.
C) The Coriolis force is greater in the Pacific,which tends to break apart tropical cyclones.
D) All of these are correct.
E) Both the trade winds blow most hurricanes westward away from land and the California current carries cold water from Alaska down the along the west coast.

Question 32

In this figure (from Figure 10.9),"A" represents a _____________ and "B" represents a _____________.

A) hurricane;tropical disturbance
B) tropical depression;hurricane
C) hurricane;tropical depression
D) tropical disturbance;hurricane
E) none of these are correct

Question 33

After Hurricane Katrina the municipal engineers in New Orleans have ______,and after Hurricane Sandy,the urban planners of New York City are developing ________________.

A) reinforced and raised existing levees;a resettlement plan for the potentially flood areas
B) developed a plan to remove buildings and people from 'bowl" area;a BigU project: a protective berm that would encircle the southern tip of Manhattan
C) reinforced and raised existing levees;a BigU project,a protective berm that would encircle the southern tip of Manhattan
D) resettled people from flooded areas;new systems of pumping stations
E) added new pumping stations around the city;higher concrete walls

Question 34

In developed countries,in recent years,statistics show that ______________________.

A) hurricane fatalities and damage are both increasing
B) hurricane fatalities and damage are both decreasing
C) hurricane fatalities and damage remain constant
D) hurricane fatalities are increasing and damage is decreasing
E) hurricane fatalities are decreasing and damage is increasing

Question 35

The number of hurricane deaths in developed countries has ___________ due to _________.

A) dropped;improved building codes
B) risen;an increase the intensity of these storms associated with climatic change
C) dropped;improved advanced warnings
D) dropped;people moving out of low lying coastal areas

Question 36

In general Atlantic Canada more often experiences the ________ associated with post-tropical storms than ______.

A) large waves;storm surges
B) storm surges;strong winds
C) strong winds;heavy rains
D) heavy rains;strong winds

Question 37

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the United States' most deadly hurricane.

Question 38

The worst time for a hurricane storm surge to come onshore is _____________.

A) during an astronomical high tide
B) during the rainy season
C) when rogue waves have been observed near the coast
D) when the dominant winds are blowing toward the coast
E) when the soil is saturated

Question 39

Which of the following variables has been of assistance in forecasting the number of named tropical storms in the North Atlantic region?

A) When the western Sahel region of Africa is wet with an abnormally large number of thunderstorms
B) Abnormally warm sea-surface temperatures west of the Sahel region of Africa
C) The presence of an El Nino which tends to disrupt and break apart tropical cyclone
D) Low atmospheric pressure in the Caribbean region
E) All of these are correct

Question 40

A large mound of seawater (storm surge)builds up beneath the eye of a hurricane mainly because ______________________.

A) the eye is a very low-pressure zone
B) the winds race into the eye,pushing seawater into a tall mound
C) the winds in the eye push the waves higher
D) the rain bands in the eye wall flood the eye,building a localized flooded area

Question 41

The response area and area of forecast responsibility of the Canadian Hurricane Centre include both the Canadian Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Question 42

Hurricanes can push high mounds of seawater onshore as surges that temporarily raise sea level over 6 metres.

Question 43

Current meteorological data show a clear trend between global warming and hurricane frequency and intensity.

Question 44

The World Meteorological Organization uses pre-selected lists of hurricane names that are recycled every six years.

Question 45

Most hurricanes form over the equator because the seawater is warmest and the Coriolis effect decreases with distance from the equator.

Question 46

The most important energy source for a hurricane is heat released by condensation of water vapor inside the storm.

Question 47

Hurricane Juan,which hit the East coast of Canada in 2003,was a Cape Verde-type hurricane.

Question 48

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the United States' most costly natural disaster.

Question 49

When hurricane winds destroy a building,commonly,the roof is first lifted off.

Question 50

The development of a hurricane begins with an Arctic disturbance,which is a low-pressure zone that draws in a poorly organized cluster of thunderstorms with weak surface winds.

Question 51

Long before Katrina came ashore,it was known that a hurricane like Katrina would hit New Orleans and that when it did thousands of people would likely die.

Question 52

Bangladesh is a low-lying country with most of the nation only 30 cm above sea level.

Question 53

In Bangladesh in November 1970,during the high tides of a full moon,a typhoon arrived with a surge of 7 metre height and winds of 255 km/h,killing about 400,000 people.

Question 54

Hurricanes that move onto land with high temperatures strengthen rapidly.

Question 55

The energy released in a hurricane by forming clouds and rain is greater than the energy of its winds.

Question 56

Hurricanes only affect Canada's Atlantic coast.

Question 57

A tropical depression is associated with stronger winds than a tropical disturbance.

Question 58

Tropical cyclones differ from hurricanes and are called typhoons worldwide.

Question 59

Hurricane centers are colder than their surroundings.

Question 60

Worldwide,most hurricane deaths have been associated with sea surges occurring when a hurricane moves on land.

Question 61

In Ontario the common roofing practice is to attach thin asphalt sheets onto plywood with rapid-fire staples.According to building codes this practice can also be applied in Atlantic Canada.
FALSE

Question 62

If La Ni-a conditions are present in the Pacific Ocean,then east-blowing trade winds disrupt formation of tropical cyclones.

Question 63

One of the ways to protect buildings against hurricane winds is to build low-pitch roofs.

Question 64

The flag in this figure represents warning for an incoming tsunami wave.

Question 65

Houses with steep roofs withstand strong winds better than those with low pitch roofs.

Question 66

If El Ni-o conditions exist,then east-blowing high-level winds tend to disrupt and break apart tropical cyclones.

Question 67

During post-tropical transition (along Atlantic Canada),the symmetric cyclonic structure is developed.