Deck 5: Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds

Question 1

Which of the following statements describes how clouds appear on an infrared satellite image?

A)Low, warm clouds appear grey, and high, cold clouds appear grey.
B)Low, warm clouds appear white, and high, cold clouds appear white.
C)Low, warm clouds appear grey, and high, cold clouds appear white.
D)Low, warm clouds appear white, and high, cold clouds appear grey.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Clouds
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Which of the following terms refers to clouds that have a characteristic lens-shaped appearance?

A)lenticular
B)contrail
C)banner clouds
D)mammatus

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following provides another name for a "mother of pearl" cloud?

A)pileus cloud
B)banner cloud
C)noctilucent cloud
D)nacreous cloud

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Clouds are classified according to which of the following characteristics?

A)appearance
B)latitude
C)altitude
D)method of formation

Question 5

Which of the following processes is the main cause of winter fog?

A)advection of cold air
B)uplift
C)adiabatic cooling
D)radiational cooling

Question 6

Which of the following processes is the main reason that the cooling of the ground produces dew?

A)radiative cooling
B)conduction
C)advection
D)cooling due to the release of latent heat

Question 7

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which clouds cover between four-tenths and five-tenths of the sky?

A)broken
B)obscured
C)scattered
D)overcast

Question 8

Suppose you hold your hand at arm's length and cloud elements appear to be about the size of your fist. Which of the following is the likely cloud type?

A)stratocumulus
B)cirrocumulus
C)cumulus humilis
D)altocumulus

Question 9

To be effective, fog lamps on cars should be directed in which of the following directions?

A)slightly oblique
B)straight ahead
C)slightly downward
D)slightly upward

Question 10

In which of the following conditions does radiation fog typically form?

A)clear, windy days
B)clear, calm nights
C)clear, windy nights
D)clear, calm days

Question 11

Which of the following cloud types is found at the highest elevation above the Earth's surface?

A)cumulus congestus
B)noctilucent
C)cumulonimbus
D)cirrocumulus

Question 12

Consider the scenario in which the minimum temperature drops to 1ºC on a clear night, and fog forms early in the evening the next night. Which of the following describes why it is likely that the minimum temperature will not be as low on the second night?

A)calm winds that accompany fog
B)enhancement of the greenhouse effect by the fog cloud
C)trapping of smoke and dust by the water vapour
D)increased reflection of solar radiation by fog

Question 13

Which of the following describes what infrared and visible satellite images can provide?

A)a way to distinguish between "new" and "old" clouds
B)a way to determine cloud thickness and altitude
C)a way to identify clouds suitable for cloud seeding
D)a way to distinguish between wet and dry clouds

Question 14

Which of the following terms refers a towering cloud that has yet to develop into a thunderstorm?

A)cumulus congestus
B)cumulonimbus
C)altocumulus
D)cumulus humilis

Question 15

Clouds
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Which of the following is the cloud feature labelled A?

A)lenticular
B)mammatus
C)halo
D)anvil

Question 16

In which of the following locations do lenticular clouds typically form?

A)downwind of a mountain range
B)upwind of a mountain range
C)far away from a mountain range
D)about 10 km above a mountain range

Question 17

Which of the following is the name for a liquid drop of dew that freezes when the air temperature drops below freezing?

A)frost
B)frozen dew
C)black frost
D)hoarfrost

Question 18

Which of the following provides another name for "luminous night clouds"?

A)noctilucent clouds
B)nacreous clouds
C)pileus clouds
D)lenticular clouds

Question 19

Which of the following cloud types is LEAST likely to produce precipitation that reaches the ground?

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

Question 20

Which of the following statements describes why condensation nuclei are important in the atmosphere?

A)They filter out sunlight.
B)They make it easier for condensation to occur in the atmosphere.
C)They provide most of the minerals found in water.
D)They are the sole producers of smog.

Question 21

On humid days, the salt in saltshakers can become moist and no longer pour out easily. Which of the following terms describes the condition of the salt?

A)hygroscopic
B)hydroponic
C)hydrophobic
D)hydrophilic

Question 22

Which of the following describes a reasonably successful method of dispersing cold fog?

A)use the turboclair technique
B)warm the air so that the fog evaporates
C)seed the fog with dry ice
D)mix the surface air with warmer air above

Question 23

Which of the following terms refers to detached clouds of delicate and fibrous appearance, usually white and without shading, and sometimes with a silky appearance?

A)cirrus
B)stratus
C)cirrocumulus
D)altostratus

Question 24

Which of the following processes causes salty potato chips left outside in an uncovered bowl to turn soggy on a humid day?

A)the attraction of water by hygroscopic condensation nuclei
B)the repelling of water by hydrophobic condensation nuclei
C)the attraction of water by hydrophobic condensation nuclei
D)the repelling of water by hygroscopic condensation nuclei

Question 25

Which of the following pairs of cloud types could be very similar in appearance?

A)cirrocumulus and cumulonimbus
B)cirrostratus and stratus
C)cumulus and cirrus
D)altocumulus and cirrocumulus

Question 26

Which of the following clouds is characterized as a middle cloud?

A)cirrocumulus
B)cumulonimbus
C)stratocumulus
D)altostratus

Question 27

Which of the following conditions is BEST for the formation of radiation fog?

A)clear summer night with a strong breeze
B)clear winter night with a slight breeze
C)cloudy summer night with a slight breeze
D)cloudy winter night with a strong breeze

Question 28

Which of the following occurs when frost forms?

A)Frost forms through sublimation.
B)The dew point is above 0ºC.
C)Objects on the ground cool above the dew-point temperature.
D)Water vapour changes into ice without first becoming a liquid.

Question 29

Which of the following methods provides the most accurate measurements of cloud base altitude?

A)weather radar
B)geosynchronous satellite
C)visual observation
D)ceilometer

Question 30

Which of the following clouds form in descending air?

A)mammatus
B)cumulus fractus
C)cumulonimbus
D)pileus

Question 31

Which of the following statements applies to satellite images taken of clouds at night?

A)They use reflected visible light.
B)They use reflected infrared light.
C)They use emitted infrared light.
D)They use microwave radiation.

Question 32

Which of the following conditions is required for frozen dew to form?

A)Dew freezes before forming.
B)The minimum temperature must fall to freezing or below.
C)The dew point must be below freezing.
D)Dew forms during daytime.

Question 33

Which of the following is the amount of relative humidity when wet haze forms?

A)equal to the dew-point temperature
B)above 100%
C)less than 100%
D)equal to 100%

Question 34

Which of the following terms refers to clouds that appear as bag-like sacks hanging from beneath other clouds?

A)pileus
B)mammatus
C)castellanus
D)lenticular

Question 35

Which of the following cloud types is composed of ice crystals and can cause a halo to form around the sun or moon?

A)altostratus
B)cirrostratus
C)nimbostratus
D)stratus

Question 36

In which of the following conditions does exhaled breath condense?

A)It is very warm and dry.
B)The addition of water vapour from your breath causes the air's relative humidity to decrease
C)It is very cold.
D)The addition of water vapour from your breath causes the air's specific humidity to exceed 5g/kg.

Question 37

Which of the following occurs when a layer of wet haze is formed?

A)Hydrophobic nuclei are present.
B)Condensation is occurring on some nuclei.
C)The relative humidity of the air layer is less than 75 percent.
D)Particles in the air decrease in size.

Question 38

Which of the following explains how fog is a problem to aviation?

A)visibility drops
B)visibility increases
C)temperature increases
D)temperature decreases

Question 39

Which of the following describes the relative humidity when wet haze can form?

A)as low as 50%
B)as low as 75%
C)as low as 10%
D)as low as 25%

Question 40

Which of the following explains why advection fog is more likely to form at headlands than at beaches along an irregular coastline?

A)the occurrence of converging surface winds and rising air
B)the occurrence of diverging surface winds and sinking air
C)the occurrence of converging surface winds and sinking air
D)the occurrence of diverging surface winds and rising air

Question 41

Which of the following terms refers to fog that most often forms as warm rain falls into a cold layer of surface air?

A)radiation fog
B)evaporation fog
C)upslope fog
D)advection fog

Question 42

Which of the following types of fog is most likely formed when the wind is blowing from the east at Calgary, Alberta?

A)frontal fog
B)advection fog
C)radiation fog
D)upslope fog

Question 43

Clouds
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Which of the following is the cloud feature labelled B?

A)lenticular
B)anvil
C)halo
D)mammatus

Question 44

The term "mackerel sky" describes which of the following types of cloud?

A)stratocumulus
B)cirrocumulus
C)cumulonimbus
D)nimbostratus

Question 45

Which of the following processes occurs when fog "burns off"?

A)It evaporates.
B)It thickens from the ground up.
C)It absorbs sunlight and warms up.
D)It settles to the ground in the form of rain.

Question 46

Light or moderate-but-steady precipitation is most often associated with which of the following cloud types?

A)nimbostratus
B)cumulonimbus
C)cirrostratus
D)cirrocumulus

Question 47

Which of the following cloud types are almost always composed of ice crystals?

A)stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus
B)altostratus, altocumulus
C)advection fog, upslope fog, radiation fog
D)cirrus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus

Question 48

Which of the following characteristics of the below-freezing layer of air coincides with the formation of dew, frozen dew, and frost?

A)condensation nuclei
B)nacreous nuclei
C)hydrophobic nuclei
D)scud

Question 49

Which of the following cloud types is most often associated with an anvil-shaped top?

A)cumulonimbus
B)cumulus humilis
C)altocumulus
D)cumulus congestus

Question 50

Hail is usually associated with which of the following cloud types?

A)cumulonimbus
B)stratocumulus
C)stratus
D)altocumulus

Question 51

As Apollo 12 ascended into the atmosphere, the height of the surrounding clouds was 12,800 m. Which of the following types of clouds was indicated by a lightning stroke within the surrounding clouds?

A)cumulonimbus
B)cumulus congestus
C)cirrus
D)cirrocumulus

Question 52

Consider temperatures that are below freezing. Which of the following describes the temperature to which air must be cooled for a phase change to occur?

A)frost point
B)dew point
C)wet bulb
D)heat index

Question 53

Which of the following is the most likely place for radiation fog to form on a cold, winter morning?

A)in a valley
B)over a body of water
C)along the side of a hill
D)at the top of a hill or mountain

Question 54

Which of the following clouds form in the stratosphere?

A)mammatus
B)lenticular
C)cirrostratus
D)nacreous

Question 55

For which of the following reasons does frost typically form on the inside of a windowpane rather than on the outside?

A)The inside of the pane is colder than the outside.
B)There is less water vapour touching the inside of the pane.
C)There is more water vapour touching the inside of the pane.
D)The inside of the pane is just as warm as the outside.

Question 56

Which of the following statements applies to the properties of fog?

A)Valleys are less susceptible to radiation fog than hill tops.
B)Without the summer fog along the coast of California, redwoods would grow well there.
C)Fog cannot be used as a source of drinking water.
D)Fog can be composed of ice crystals.

Question 57

Clouds
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Which of the following gives the name for the small, smooth cloud that may form just above the top of a towering cumulus cloud?

A)banner cloud
B)contrail
C)mammatus cloud
D)pileus cloud

Question 58

Which of the following is the main type of fog that forms off the coast of Newfoundland?

A)steam fog
B)radiation fog
C)advection fog
D)frontal fog

Question 59

In which of the following conditions is the use of helicopters at airports effective to mix the air and disperse radiation fog?

A)The fog layer is deep.
B)The liquid water content of the fog is high.
C)The liquid water content of the fog is low.
D)The fog layer is not deep.

Question 60

Which of the following is a correct statement about cirrocumulus clouds?

A)They are larger than altocumulus clouds.
B)They consist of ice crystals.
C)They are middle clouds.
D)They are so thin that the sun can be seen through them.

Question 61

Which of the following statements applies to a halo around the moon?

A)Cirrostratus clouds are present.
B)Rain is falling from the clouds overhead.
C)Low clouds are overhead.
D)The clouds are composed of water droplets.

Question 62

In middle latitudes, which of the following cloud types has the lowest base?

A)altocumulus
B)stratocumulus
C)cirrostratus
D)cirrus

Question 63

Which of the following statements describes how frontal fog most commonly forms?

A)It forms as warm raindrops fall into a layer of colder air.
B)It forms as cold raindrops fall into a layer of warmer air.
C)It forms as warm raindrops fall into a layer of windy air.
D)It forms as cold raindrops fall into a layer of windy air.

Question 64

At which of the following altitudes is the base of an altostratus or altocumulus cloud generally found at middle latitudes?

A)between 60 and 2,000 m
B)between 2,000 and 7,000 m
C)between 7,000 and 13,000 m
D)above 13,000 m

Question 65

Which of the following characteristics of the below-freezing layer of air coincides with the formation of dew, frozen dew, and frost?

A)median layer
B)intermediate layer
C)shallow layer
D)deep layer

Question 66

Which of the following cloud types is a grey sheet-like cloud layer through which a dim, "watery" sun is visible?

A)cirrostratus
B)stratocumulus
C)altostratus
D)cumulonimbus

Question 67

Consider a midnight scenario in which a shallow layer of air near the ground has an air temperature of 7ºC and a dew point temperature of 2ºC. Which of the following statements describes the conditions at 6:00
A)The temperature will be 0ºC and only frost will be present.

A)m.if the air continues to cool at a rate of 0.8ºC per hour until the dew point is reached, and at a rate of 0.4ºC per hour thereafter?
B)The temperature will be 1ºC and no condensation will be present.
C)The temperature will be 0ºC with frost and frozen dew present.
D)The temperature will be 1ºC and only dew will be present.

Question 68

Which of the following statements explains why infrared satellite images are computer enhanced?

A)The process shows where clouds with tops near the freezing level are located.
B)The process decreases the contrast between specific features in the picture.
C)The process shows where thick clouds with high tops are located.
D)The process shows the direction of prevailing winds.

Question 69

Which of the following describes a role that satellites cannot do?

A)They provide information about surface water temperatures.
B)They provide information about the Earth-atmosphere energy balance.
C)They monitor the percolation of water in soils.
D)They monitor the amount of snow cover.

Question 70

Which of the following cloud types can be associated with all types of weather systems, including fair weather?

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

Question 71

Which of the following describes why upslope fog forms as it flows up a hill or mountain range?

A)air warms radiatively
B)air warms adiabatically
C)air cools adiabatically
D)air cools radiatively

Question 72

Which of the following statements describes the air temperature on a cold morning when you see your breath?

A)It can be above or below freezing.
B)It must be above freezing.
C)It must be below freezing.
D)It must be equal to the relative humidity.

Question 73

A low, lumpy cloud layer that appears in rows, patches, or rounded masses is classified as which of the following cloud types?

A)stratocumulus
B)stratus
C)altocumulus
D)nimbostratus

Question 74

When radiation fog "burns off," in which direction does the fog tend to dissipate?

A)starting at the middle, and working laterally
B)from the bottom up
C)starting at the middle, and working both upward and downward
D)from the top down

Question 75

Which of the following substances can be condensation nuclei?

A)smoke from forest fires
B)pollen particles
C)phosphoric acid particles
D)salt from mines

Question 76

When viewed from the surface, which of the following cloud types are associated with the smallest individual cloud elements (that is, puffs)?

A)cirrocumulus
B)stratocumulus
C)altocumulus
D)cumulus

Question 77

Suppose it is about 11:00 p.m. on a winter night, and the air cools to the dew point temperature, and a thick radiation fog develops. Which of the following describes what will probably happen to the dew-point temperature in five hours if the air continues to cool during the night?

A)It will increase as the air becomes drier.
B)It will decrease as the air becomes moister.
C)It will increase as the air becomes moister.
D)It will decrease as the air becomes drier.

Question 78

Under which of the following circumstances can the relative humidity exceed 100 percent without producing fog?

A)There are no condensation nuclei present.
B)The dew point is higher than the air temperature.
C)The air is perfectly dry.
D)There are too many electrically charged ions in the air.

Question 79

Suppose a pilot balloon rises at a rate of 100 metres per minute and disappears into a deck of stratus clouds 1500 metres thick in 5 minutes. Which of the following gives the ceiling of the cloud layer?

A)1500 m
B)100 m
C)500 m
D)300 m

Question 80

Which of the following statements describes the path of geostationary satellites?

A)They orbit the Earth twice each day.
B)They remain above a fixed spot above the equator.
C)They are placed in lower orbits than most polar orbiting satellites.
D)They monitor a specific region at varying time intervals.