Extreme Weather Climate 1st Edition Ahrens Samson -Test Bank A+

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Multiple Choice Exam Questions

1. Which of the following is not an important factor in the production of rain by the collision-coalescence process?
2. the updrafts in the cloud
3. relative size of the droplets
4. the number of ice crystals in the cloud
5. cloud thickness
6. the electric charge of the droplets

ANSWER: c

1. Which cloud type below will only produce precipitation by the collision-coalescence process?
2. a thick, cold nimbostratus cloud
3. a thick, warm cumulus cloud
4. a thick, cold cumulus cloud
5. a thick, supercooled cumulonimbus cloud with abundant nuclei
6. a supercooled cumulus congestus cloud

ANSWER: b

1. Large raindrops fall __________ than smaller raindrops, and have a __________ terminal velocity than small raindrops.
2. faster, lesser
3. faster, greater
4. slower, lesser
5. slower, greater

ANSWER: b

1. If you observe large raindrops hitting the ground, you could probably say that the cloud overhead was __________ and had __________ updrafts.
2. thick, weak
3. thick, strong
4. thin, weak
5. thin, strong

ANSWER: b

1. If rain falls on one side of a street and not on the other side, the rain most likely fell from a(n):
2. nimbostratus cloud.
3. stratus cloud.
4. cumulonimbus cloud.
5. altostratus cloud.
6. altocumulus cloud.

ANSWER: c

1. During the ice crystal process of rain formation:
2. only ice crystals need be present in a cloud.
3. ice crystals grow larger at the expense of the surrounding liquid cloud droplets.
4. the temperature in the cloud must be -40^o C (-40^o F) or below.
5. the cloud must be a cumuliform cloud.

ANSWER: b

1. Supercooled cloud droplets are:
2. ice crystals surrounded by air warmer than 0 ^oC (32 ^oF).
3. liquid droplets that are cooler than the air around them.
4. liquid droplets observed at temperatures below 0 ^oC (32 ^oF).
5. water droplets that have had all their latent heat removed.

ANSWER: c

1. At the same sub-freezing temperature, the saturation vapor pressure just above a liquid water surface is __________ the saturation vapor pressure above an ice surface.
2. greater than
3. the same as
4. less than

ANSWER: a

1. After a rainstorm, visibility typically:
2. deteriorates.
3. is unaffected.
4. improves.

ANSWER: c

1. Which below best describes why a fluffy covering of snow is able to protect sensitive plants and their root systems from damaging low temperatures.
2. Snow is a good insulator.
3. Melting snow releases latent heat.
4. Snow is a good emitter of infrared energy.
5. Snow is a good reflector of sunlight.

ANSWER: a

1. Large, heavy snowflakes are associated with:
2. dry air and temperatures well below freezing.
3. moist air and temperatures well below freezing.
4. dry air and temperatures near freezing.
5. moist air and temperatures near freezing.

ANSWER: d

1. Which of the following is one reason that snow is more common in winter than in summer?
2. Precipitation falling from a cloud as snow has a better chance of surviving when temperatures are cold.
3. Very tall clouds are more common in winter than in summer.
4. Cumulonimbus clouds rarely occur in winter.
5. The atmosphere is usually more unstable in summer.

ANSWER: a

1. In the winter you read in the newspaper that a large section of the Midwest is without power due to downed power lines. Which form of precipitation would most likely produce this situation?
2. snow
3. hail
4. freezing rain
5. sleet
6. rain

ANSWER: c

1. A raindrop or partially melted snowflake that freezes into a pellet of ice in a deep subfreezing layer of air near the surface is called:
2. snow.
3. freezing rain.
4. sleet.
5. hail.
6. a snow pellet.

ANSWER: c

1. Which type of precipitation would most likely form when the surface air temperature is slightly below freezing and the air temperature increases as you move upward away from the ground?
2. freezing rain
3. hail
4. rain
5. snow
6. drizzle

ANSWER: a

1. Radar gathers information about precipitation in clouds by measuring the:
2. energy emitted by the precipitation particles.
3. absorption characteristics of falling precipitation.
4. amount of energy reflected back to a transmitter.
5. amount of sunlight scattered off the precipitation.
6. amount of solar energy passing through the cloud.

ANSWER: c

1. In a typical advancing winter storm, which of the following sequences of precipitation types is most likely to occur?
2. rain, freezing rain, snow, sleet
3. rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow
4. freezing rain, rain, sleet, snow
5. rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow

ANSWER: d

1. The main difference between a cloud drop and a raindrop is its:
2. color.
3. size.
4. shape.
5. none of the above

ANSWER: b

1. The difference in saturation vapor pressure between supercooled water and ice reaches a maximum at about –12^oC. This means that the ice crystal process will be most effective in producing precipitation when cloud temperatures are:
2. much colder than –12^oC.
3. around –12^oC.
4. much warmer than –12^oC.

ANSWER: b

1. Figure 6.3 depicts precipitation forming by the:
2. ice crystal process.
3. collision-coalescence process.
4. cloud seeding.

ANSWER: b

True/False Exam Questions

1. Cumulus congestus clouds often produce drizzle.

ANSWER: false

1. The collision-coalescence process is most effective when clouds are made entirely of ice crystals.

ANSWER: false

1. Ice crystals, clay minerals, and bacteria from decaying plant material can all serve as ice nuclei.

ANSWER: true

1. The growth of a precipitation particle by the collision of an ice crystal (or snowflake) with a supercooled liquid droplet is called deposition.

ANSWER: false

1. Cloud seeding using silver iodide works well in warm clouds composed entirely of water droplets.

ANSWER: false

1. Rain which falls from a cloud, but evaporates before reaching the ground is called virga.

ANSWER: true

1. A typical raindrop is slightly larger than a typical cloud droplet.

ANSWER: false

1. In warm clouds, the cloud droplets are usually all the same size.

ANSWER: false

1. In the midlatitudes, most rain results from melted snow that formed from the ice crystal process.

ANSWER: true

1. It is never too cold to snow.

ANSWER: true

Essay/Critical Thinking Exam Questions

1. Explain why it is possible for an ice crystal to grow in a cold cloud even though the supercooled water droplets surrounding the ice crystal do not.

1. Would you expect the largest forms of precipitation particles to occur during the warmest or the coldest time of year? Explain.

1. What is the main difference between a raindrop and a cloud droplet?

1. The first raindrops to reach the ground at the beginning of a rain shower are often very large. Explain why this is so.

1. Thunderstorm cloud bases are generally higher above the ground in Arizona than in Florida. Why?

1. Briefly describe the differences in the atmospheric temperature profiles necessary to produce snow, freezing rain, sleet, and hail.

1. Would you expect the heaviest snowfall to occur on an unusually cold night or a night when the temperature was just a little below freezing?

1. Explain why it is much more difficult to measure snowfall amount than rainfall amount.

1. Design an automated device for measuring snowfall. How might it work?

1. Given that precipitation can be accurately measured at surface weather stations, explain why it is desirable to measure rainfall from space.

1. What locations receive the most precipitation on the earth? What weather conditions cause this excessive precipitation?

Chapter 7

Atmospheric Motions

Multiple Choice Exam Questions

1. Net convergence of air would cause surface pressure to __________ and net divergence would cause surface pressure to __________.
2. increase, decrease
3. increase, increase
4. decrease, decrease
5. decrease, increase

ANSWER: a

1. If the earth’s gravitational force were to increase, atmospheric pressure at the ground would:
2. increase.
3. decrease.
4. remain the same.
5. cause the atmosphere to expand vertically.

ANSWER: a

1. The surface pressures at the bases of warm and cold columns of air are equal. Air pressure in the warm column of air will __________ with increasing height __________ than in the cold column.
2. decrease, more rapidly
3. decrease, more slowly
4. increase, more rapidly
5. increase, more slowly

ANSWER: b

1. If a liquid with a lower density than mercury were used in a barometer the height of the column in the barometer would:
2. increase.
3. decrease.
4. remain the same.
5. not provide an accurate measure of atmospheric pressure.

ANSWER: a

1. A station at an altitude of 900 m (about 3,000 feet) above sea level measures an air pressure of 930 mb. Under normal conditions, which of the values below do you think would be the most realistic sea level pressure for this station?

1. 840 mb
2. 930 mb
3. 1,020 mb
4. 1,830 mb

ANSWER: c

1. Lines connecting points of equal pressure are called:
2. isobars.
3. millibars.
4. contours.
5. isotherms.
6. a coordinate grid.

ANSWER: a

1. Pressure changes:
2. more rapidly in the horizontal direction than in the vertical.
3. more rapidly in the vertical direction than in the horizontal.
4. at the same rate in the horizontal and vertical directions.
5. more rapidly in the vertical over land than over the ocean.

ANSWER: b

1. On an isobaric surface,
2. altitude is constant.
3. temperature is constant.
4. pressure is constant.
5. both a and c

ANSWER: c

1. Low __________ on a constant height chart corresponds to low __________ on a constant pressure chart.
2. pressures, pressures
3. pressures, heights
4. heights, pressures
5. heights, heights

ANSWER: b

1. The contour lines drawn on a 500 mb chart are lines of constant:
2. pressure.
3. altitude.
4. density.
5. wind direction.

ANSWER: b

1. Warm air aloft is associated with constant pressure surfaces that are found

at __________ altitude than normal and __________ than normal atmospheric pressure aloft.

1. higher, higher
2. higher, lower
3. lower, higher
4. lower, lower

ANSWER: a

1. On an upper-level chart, normally we find warm air associated with __________ pressure, and cold air associated with __________ pressure.
2. high, high
3. high, low
4. low, low
5. low, high

ANSWER: b

1. A surface low pressure center is generally associated with __________ on an upper level isobaric chart.
2. a trough
3. a ridge
4. zonal flow
5. convergence

ANSWER: a

1. On an upper-level chart the wind tends to blow:
2. at right angles to the isobars or contour lines
3. parallel to the isobars or contours
4. at an angle between 10 and 30 to the contours and towards lower pressure
5. at constant speed

ANSWER: b

1. On an isobaric weather chart, the spacing of the height contours indicates the magnitude of the __________ force.
2. pressure gradient
3. Coriolis
4. thermal

ANSWER: a

1. The _________ force is the force that causes the wind to blow.
2. Coriolis
3. pressure-gradient
4. friction

ANSWER: b

1. Which of the following can influence wind direction?
2. Coriolis force
3. pressure gradient force
4. centripetal force
5. all of the above

ANSWER: d

1. Which of the following forces can not act to change the speed of the wind?
2. pressure gradient force
3. frictional force
4. Coriolis force
5. none of the above

ANSWER: c

1. The pressure gradient force is directed from higher pressure toward lower pressure:
2. only at the equator.
3. at all places on earth except for the equator.
4. only in the Northern Hemisphere.
5. only in the Southern Hemisphere.
6. at all places on earth.

ANSWER: e

1. The force that would cause a stationary parcel of air to begin to move horizontally is called the:
2. Coriolis force.
3. pressure gradient force.
4. centripetal force.
5. frictional force.

ANSWER: b

1. The wind around a surface high pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere blows:
2. counterclockwise and outward from the center.
3. counterclockwise and inward toward the center.
4. clockwise and outward from the center.
5. clockwise and inward toward the center.

ANSWER: c

1. We can generally expect the air to be __________ above areas of surface low pressure and __________ above areas of surface high pressure.
2. rising, rising
3. rising, sinking
4. sinking, sinking
5. sinking, rising

ANSWER: b

1. The surface air around a strengthening low pressure area normally __________, while aloft, above the system, the air normally __________.
2. diverges, diverges
3. diverges, converges
4. converges, converges
5. converges, diverges

ANSWER: d

1. The atmosphere around the earth would rush off into space if the vertical pressure gradient force were not balanced by:
2. the Coriolis force.
3. the horizontal pressure gradient force.
4. gravity.
5. the centripetal force.
6. friction.

ANSWER: c

True/False Exam Questions

1. Fast winds at high latitudes produce the strongest Coriolis force.

ANSWER: true

1. The rate of the earth’s rotation determines the strength of the pressure gradient force.

ANSWER: false

1. The Coriolis force is strongest at the equator.

ANSWER: false

1. If the earth stopped rotating there would no longer be a Coriolis force.

ANSWER: true

1. Suppose that the winds aloft are geostrophic and blowing from the north. Low pressure is located to the east.

ANSWER: true

1. Suppose that the winds aloft are geostrophic and blowing from the north. With the same orientation of isobars at the surface, the winds would blow from the southeast.

ANSWER: false

1. The vertical pressure gradient force is directed downward.

ANSWER: false

1. Surface winds blow across the isobars at an angle due to the frictional force.

ANSWER: true

1. If, at your home in the Northern Hemisphere, the surface wind is blowing from the northwest, then the region of lowest pressure will be to the east of your home.

ANSWER: true

1. Winds blow slightly inward around surface low pressure centers in the Southern Hemisphere.

ANSWER: true

Essay/Critical Thinking Exam Questions

1. Suppose you stand outside and feel a fresh breeze blowing against your face. Could this be a geostrophic wind? Explain.

1. Under what conditions (if any) might you record a station pressure of 750 mb?

1. What differences might you expect to see between the weather conditions depicted on the surface in your city and at the 500 mb level above your city?

1. Suppose you deflate a fully-inflated bicycle tire by depressing the air valve. Why does air rush out of the tire? Why does the rushing air feel cold? After the air stops rushing out of the tire, is the tire empty? Explain your answer.

1. Briefly explain the principle of the mercury barometer. Mercury is relatively expensive and toxic. Why do you think mercury is used in barometers instead of another fluid such as water?

1. Sketch the wind flow patterns around surface high and low pressure centers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

1. Explain briefly why upper-level winds at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere generally blow from west to east. In what direction do upper level winds at middle latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere blow?

1. If the earth did not rotate, how would you expect winds to blow with respect to high and low pressure centers?

1. Explain why closely-spaced contour lines on an upper-level isobaric chart are associated with fast winds.

1. Explain why strong upper-level divergence will cause the pressure in the center of a surface low to decrease.

1. Explain why it is often windy at the beach. What forces are responsible, and how do beachfront conditions differ from conditions farther inland?