Atms101 Final Exam (Hw Q's)

Front 1

northeasterly wind is one that

Back 1

northeasterly wind is one that

Front 2

A northerly (north) wind blows

Back 2

from north to south

Front 3

Pressue (instrument)

Back 3

barometer

Front 4

wind speed (instrument)

Back 4

anemometer

Front 5

precipitation (instrument)

Back 5

rain gauge

Front 6

relative humidity (instrument)

Back 6

hygrometer

Front 7

temperature (instrument)

Back 7

thermometer

Front 8

If "fair weather" is approaching, the pressure tendency would most likely be __________.

Back 8

rising

Front 9

You are part of a research team which is developing an automatic de-icing system for a bridge. The system will need to measure temperature quickly and accurately. Which of the following instruments might be the best choice to measure temperature?

a. bimetallic strip
b. sling psychrometer
c. minimum thermometer
d. maximum thermometer
e. thermistor

Back 9

e. thermistor

Front 10

Knots are units of

Back 10

wind speed

Front 11

What is the equivalent of 1013 hPa pressure in mb?

Back 11

1013 mb

Front 12

Which of the following is usually a liquid-in-glass thermometer?

a. electrical resistance thermometer
b. radiometer
c. minimum thermometer
d. thermistor
e. thermograph

Back 12

c. minimum thermometer

Front 13

Room temperature is about 300 degrees on the _____ temperature scale.

Back 13

Kelvin

Front 14

Pressure ____________ is twice that of sea level pressure.

a. at the top of Mt. Everest
b. on the beach at the ocean
c. 10 meters below the ocean surface.
d. at the top of Mt. Rainier

Back 14

c. 10 meters below the ocean surface

Front 15

Large precipitation drops falling as liquid water are termed _______ drops.

Back 15

rain

Front 16

How do the pressure and height change as you travel along the 500mb surface from the Equator to a Pole (i.e., from warmer air to colder air)?

Back 16

Pressure stays constant as height decreases

Front 17

Geostationary satellites _____.

a. orbit over Earth's poles
b. remain fixed over a point on Earth
c. only record stationary weather systems
d. are positioned at altitudes of about 100 miles

Back 17

b. remain fixed over a point on Earth

Front 18

A single polar orbiting satellite would be better suited than a single geostationary satellite for which of the following?

a. Monitoring a slow-moving hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean
b. Detecting clouds near the equator around the entire Earth
c. Observing sea ice loss at the North Pole
d. Tracking a thunderstorm over Oklahoma
e. Both 'B' and 'C'
f. All of the above

Back 18

e. Both 'B' and 'C'

Front 19

Data from __________ rain gauge can be used to calculate the intensity of rainfall.

a. a tipping-bucket
b. a weighing
c. a standard
d. both a standard and a tipping-bucket
e. both a tipping-bucket and weighing

Back 19

e. both a tipping-bucket and weighing

Front 20

The brightest regions on ____________ satellite pictures correspond to the regions of _____________.

a. infrared, warmest cloud top temperatures
b. infrared, coldest cloud top temperatures
c. visible, highest albedo (reflectivity)
d. both (a) and (c)
e. both (b) and (c)

Back 20

e. both (b) and (c)

Front 21

For an upper level model on an wind barb, what units are associated with the value 5520?

Back 21

meters (m)

Front 22

Question 8
Marks: 2
On a 500 mb weather map, a station model has "541" written in the upper right portion of the model. What is the pressure?
Incorrect

What is the height of the 500mb surface?
Correct

On an upper-level weather station model, "5" is written in the upper left portion and "0" is written in the bottom left portion. What is the dewpoint temperature?

Back 22

5 degrees C

Front 23

If the pressures on a surface chart were not reduced to mean sea level, such maps would always have __________.

a. low pressure over both mountains and oceans.
b. high pressure over both the mountains and the oceans.
c. low pressure over mountains.
d. high pressure over the mountains and low pressure over the oceans.

Back 23

c. low pressure over mountains

Front 24

A radiosonde..

a. is carried aloft by balloon and measures weather conditions above the ground
b. is used to monitor surface weather conditions in remote areas
c. measures water flow in stream beds during flash floods
d. uses radio waves to determine the height of the ionosphere

Back 24

a. is carried aloft by balloon and measures weather conditions above the ground

Front 25

In infrared satellite imagery, clouds that are high are shown as _______ because they are _______

a. dark, warm
b. dark, cool
c. white, cool
d. white, warm

Back 25

c. white, cool

Front 26

Temperatures generally decrease with height in the _______________, whereas temperatures increase with height in the _______________.

Back 26

troposphere, stratosphere

Front 27

Closely spaced, straight, height contour lines on a 500mb chart imply _______(winds)_.

Back 27

strong winds

Front 28

Globally, the most variable tropospheric gas is __________.

Back 28

water vapor

Front 29

Lines connecting points of equal pressure are called __________.

Back 29

isobars

Front 30

Which three gases constitute most of the gas (over 98%) in the atmosphere near Earth's surface?

Back 30

N, Ar, O

Front 31

The earth heats the lowest few centimeters of the atmosphere by _______________, and heat is transferred to air further aloft by ________________.

Back 31

conduction, convection

Front 32

In which atmospheric layer is air density the greatest?

Back 32

troposphere

Front 33

Which part of the atmosphere shields Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation?

Back 33

stratosphere

Front 34

Which part of the atmosphere shields Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation?

a. decreases as height increases because it is closer to the sun.
b. increases as height increases because pressure increases with height.
c. increases as height increases due to the ozone absorption of UV radiation
d. stays constant as height increases because it is filled with turbulent stratus clouds.
e. decreases as height increases because pressure decreases with height

Back 34

c. increases as height increases due to the ozone absorption of UV radiation

Front 35

Marks: 1
During the day, atmospheric temperatures decrease with height in the lowest few hundred meters of the atmosphere because:

Back 35

d. the atmosphere is heated from the surface by conduction and convection.

Front 36

What are the three most abundant gasses in the atmosphere ordered from LEAST TO MOST ABUNDANT?

Back 36

Ar < O < N

Front 37

What distinguishes trace gases from aerosols?

Back 37

Aerosols are liquid and solid, not gaseous.

Front 38

Solar radiation is received at the surface of the Earth during daylight hours, whereas terrestrial radiation is emitted:

Back 38

during the entire 24-hour period

Front 39

Radiation emanating from Earth's surface is concentrated in the __________ portion of the electromagnetic spectrum whereas radiation emanating from the Sun is concentrated in the __________ portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Back 39

infrared, visible

Front 40

Name the four atmospheric layers (from lowest to highest) that are distinguished by their temperature profiles.

Back 40

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

Front 41

The fraction of radiation that is reflected by a surface is called its __________.

Back 41

Albedo

Front 42

Water vapor can represent up to about __________ percent of the volume of air near the surface.

Back 42

4

Front 43

If the polar ice caps enlarged so that they extended further towards the equator, the Earth's planetary albedo would ______________, resulting in a/an ______________ in the Earth's radiative equilibrium temperature.

*___increase/decrease__

Back 43

increase, decrease

Front 44

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is relatively low compared to some of the other constituents. CO2 is important none the less because

a. it dissolves in water to form acid rain
b. it is the main ingredient in photochemical smog
c. it is a greenhouse gas
d. it is toxic

Back 44

c. it is a greenhouse gas

Front 45

The moon has no atmosphere. What would be the only method of heat transfer from the moon?

a. Convection
b. Radiation
c. Conduction
d. Advection

Back 45

b. radiation

Front 46

Greenhouse gases are those which absorb infrared radiation emitted by the surface. Which atmospheric gases are absorbers of infrared radiation?

a. water vapor
b. carbon dioxide
c. nitrogen
d. all of the above
e. a & b only

Back 46

e. a & b only

Front 47

The difference in wavelength of the emitted radiation of the earth and the sun is due to:

a. the difference in temperature of the two spheres
b. absorption of solar radiation by greenhouse gases
c. the sun's rays travelling through space
d. reflection of sun's rays off cloud tops
e. the reflection of the suns rays by CFC's

Back 47

a. the difference in temperature of the two spheres

Front 48

Almost 99% of the atmosphere lies within ______ of the earth's surface.

Back 48

30 km

Front 49

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometers is called

Back 49

visible light

Front 50

Which of the following is NOT true about the atmosphere?

a. It keeps the temperature of the earth cooler than if there were no atmosphere.
b. It absorbs and emits infrared radiation.
c. It keeps the mean temperature of the earth warmer than if there were no atmosphere.
d. It is very thin with respect to the radius of the earth.

Back 50

a. It keeps the temperature of the earth cooler than if there were no atmosphere.

Front 51

What is the dew point?

a. A ratio of the amount of moisture in the air to the amount of moisture possible in the air.
b. The distance above the surface (altitude) at which dew forms.
c. The part of the total atmospheric pressure that is due to water vapor.
d. The temperature at which a parcel of air becomes saturated.
e. The mass of water vapor divided by the mass of air.

Back 51

d. The temperature at which a parcel of air becomes saturated.

Front 52

As the air temperature increases, with no addition of water vapour to the air, the dew point temperature will:

Back 52

remain the same

Front 53

Suppose that at constant pressure an air mass warms up as it moves over a land surface, but no water vapour is added or lost. The relative humidity will _____(fall/rise/not change)_____ ,while the specific humidity will ____(fall/rise/not change)______.

Back 53

fall, not change

Front 54

What causes the seasons?

Back 54

the tilt of the Earth as it orbits around the Sun

Front 55

Compared to a land surface subject to the same heating, an ocean surface should have

a. a seasonal temperature cycle lagging behind the land's seasonal temperature cycle.
b. a lower winter temperature on average.
c. a larger seasonal temperature range.
d. a seasonal temperature cycle ahead of the land's seasonal temperature cycle.
e. a higher summer temperature on average.

Back 55

a. a seasonal temperature cycle lagging behind the land's seasonal temperature cycle

Front 56

Tropical cyclones typically develop over warm oceans from which they extract energy. Through what process of latent heat release into the atmosphere do they receive most of their energy?

Back 56

condensation

Front 57

Which phase change requires the most energy to occur?

a. evaporation
b. melting
c. sublimation
d. condensation

Back 57

c. sublimation

Front 58

Why is solar heating less in the morning and evening than midday?

a. The sun is further away.
b. There are usually more clouds around.
c. The solar radiation is spread out over a greater area.
d. The solar radiation is directed at a smaller area.

Back 58

c. The solar radiation is spread out over a greater area.

Front 59

______(evaporation/condensation)__ is associated with cooling of the atmosphere by _____taking/releasing___ latent heat to/from the atmosphere. ___evaporation/condensation____ warms the atmosphere by ____taking/releasing_____ latent heat to/from the atmosphere.

Back 59

Evaporation, taking, condensation, releasing

Front 60

At the equator, the most intense solar radiation is received on the __________, while the least is received on the __________.

a. autumnal equinox, summer solstice
b. summer solstice, winter solstice
c. winter solstice, summer solstice
d. summer solstice, autumnal equinox

Back 60

a. autumnal equinox, summer solstice

Front 61

Why are the poles cooler than the equator during the summer, even though there are 24 hours of daylight per day?

a. The additional heat is absorbed by greater amounts of ozone present over the poles.
b. The amount of solar radiation received at the poles is spread out over a larger area than at the equator
c. The net outgoing radiation is greater over the poles than at the equator.
d. The Earth is further away from the sun during the summer.

Back 61

b. The amount of solar radiation received at the poles is spread out over a larger area than the equator

Front 62

On a clear calm night, the lowest air temperature near the surface is typically observed: (at what time of the day)

Back 62

Just after sunrise.

Front 63

At what time during a 24-hour day would a radiation temperature inversion best be developed?

Back 63

near sunrise

Front 64

Recall a question on a quiz earlier in the term asking why thermometers are placed 2m off the ground. We do so because temperature gradients very close to the ground can be strong. See Figures 3.1 and 3.3 in the Ahrens text. What may cause such strong temperature gradients during the day?

a. Air in contact with the ground warms by conduction.
b. Air is a poor conductor.
c. On calm days, thermals are too weak to effectively mix air from the surface with cooler air above.
d. All of the above
e. A and B only

Back 64

d. All of the above

Front 65

A doubling of an object's absolute temperature (Kelvin scale) leads to how much of an increase in the amount of energy it radiates (ie. its intensity, I)?

Back 65

16 times

Front 66

If an environment lapse rate is about 8K/km, which of the following describes the stability of the environment?

a. Absolutely unstable
b. Conditionally unstable
c. Neutral
d. Absolutely stable

Back 66

b. Conditionally unstable

Front 67

Why are 500mb heights generally higher in the tropics than in the poles?

a. The temperature is warmer in the tropics.
b. The atmospheric column is more dense at the poles.
c. Clouds at the tropics absorb more radiation
d. A and B only
e. A, B, and C

Back 67

d. A and B only

Front 68

An air parcel is most likely to rise when the environmental lapse rate is

a. absolutely stable.
b. absolutely unstable.
c. conditionally unstable.
d. at the level of free convection.
e. above the lifting condensation level.

Back 68

b. absolutely unstable.

Front 69

An air parcel will rise when it is _________ than the surrounding environment and it will sink when it is _________ than the surrounding environment.

a. warmer; colder
b. colder; the same temperature as
c. colder; warmer
d. the same temperature as; warmer

Back 69

a. warmer; colder

Front 70

Which of the situations below is unstable (and so you might expect cumulus clouds to form if the air is humid enough)?

a. the temperature of the environment increases with height
b. the temperature of the environment stays the same height
c. the temperature of the environment decreases with height at 2°C/km
d. the temperature of the environment decreases with height at 12°C/km

Back 70

d. the temperature of the environment decreases with height at 12°C/km

Front 71

The temperature at a surface station is 25C. 1000m off the ground, the temperature is 23C. Assume that the temperature decreases linearly throughout the lowest 1000m of the troposphere. Is the environment unstable?

a. No. A temperature inversion must be present.
b. Yes. The lapse rate of an air parcel must exceed that of the environment.
c. No. The environment is conditionally unstable.
d. No. The environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic lapse rate, so even a saturated air parcel cannot rise.
e. Yes. The environmental lapse rate is so small that even cool, dense parcels become buoyant.

Back 71

d. No. The environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic lapse rate, so even a saturated air parcel cannot rise.

Front 72

As a saturated air parcel steadily rises

a. it cools at a slower rate than an unsaturated parcel would
b. its temperature increases due to latent heat release
c. it cools at a quicker rate than an unsaturated parcel would. Incorrect
d. it cools at the same rate as an unsaturated parcel would
e. the temperature stays the same due to no net gain or loss of energy

Back 72

a. it cools at a slower rate than an unsaturated parcel would

Front 73

Consider gas inside of a radiosonde balloon. As the balloon rises through the atmosphere, the volume of the balloon __________.

Back 73

increases

Front 74

If a parcel is lowered adiabatically from 800 mb to 1000 mb, work is done ____________ the parcel and the parcel's temperature ______________.

Back 74

On, increases

Front 75

If you take a can of compressed air and spray it on the leaves of a plant, the leaves will wither and die. What happens?

a. Compressed air released from the can creates a temporary vacuum as the number of molecules decreases.
b. The compressed air in the can is much hotter than room temperature because it is contained at high pressure.
c. The air escapes so fast that it blows the leaves off.
d. Compressed air is contained at high pressure and cools when it expands, freezing the leaves.

Back 75

d. Compressed air is contained at high pressure and cools when it expands, freezing the leaves.

Front 76

As a parcel of air is forced up along the side of a mountain it:

a. cools due to adiabatic compression
b. warms due to adiabatic expansion
c. cools due to adiabatic expansion
d. warms due to adiabatic compression

Back 76

c. cools due to adiabatic expansion

Front 77

ideal gas law?

Back 77

PV=nRT
pressure*volume= #molecules*constant*Temperature

Front 78

A/An _______________ occurs when temperature increases with height.

a. Chinook
b. mirage
c. inversion
d. occlusion

Back 78

c. inversion

Front 79

A parcel rising at the moist adiabatic lapse rate is cooling with height at a rate that is:

a. greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because the latent heat that is absorbed as a result of evaporation adds to the cooling due to expansion.
b. greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because the latent heat that is absorbed from condensation adds to the cooling due to expansion.
c. less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because the latent heat release from condensation offsets some of the cooling due to expansion.
d. less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because the latent heat that is released as a result of evaporation offsets some of the cooling due to expansion.

Back 79

c. less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because the latent heat release from condensation offsets some of the cooling due to expansion.

Front 80

A bright, narrow ring centered on the Sun, called a halo, is caused by __________ of sunlight through _________.

Back 80

refraction, ice particles

Front 81

The process of light rays being “bent” as they pass through media of differing densities is called:

Back 81

refraction

Front 82

In what direction does the Coriolis force deflect a moving air parcel in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 82

To the right of the direction of motion

Front 83

The magnitude of the Coriolis force is least at __________.

Back 83

the equator

Front 84

If there is low pressure over Washington state and high pressure over California, the pressure gradient force points towards the _________ over Oregon (between WA and CA)?

Back 84

North

Front 85

Coriolis force is ___ compared to other forces acting on water (such as water swirling down a drain).

Back 85

weak

Front 86

The Coriolis Force is a fictitious force necessary to explain the movements of objects because of:

Back 86

the rotation of the Earth about its axis

Front 87

The blue colour of the sky is a result of preferential scattering of light in the blue region of the visible spectrum or __________ scattering.

a. Wiens
b. Kelvin-Helmholtz
c. Mie
d. Rayleigh

Back 87

Rayleigh

Front 88

The sky is blue because

Back 88

shorter wavelengths are scattered more effectively than longer wavelengths

Front 89

Supercooled cloud droplets are

Back 89

liquid droplets observed at a temp below 0 degrees C

Front 90

The primary optical phenomena responsible for producing a rainbow are __________.

Back 90

refraction and reflection

Front 91

Which of the following are two processes by which ice crystals grow in clouds?

a. deposition and evaporation
b. collision and coalescence
c. riming and aggregation
d. saturation and precipitaiton

Back 91

c. riming and aggregation

Front 92

For ice crystals to form at temperatures near 0°C, which of the following is necessary?

a. Cloud condensation nuclei
b. Supercooled ice
c. Water droplets with radii greater than 1.0 microns
d. Ice nuclei

Back 92

d. ice nuclei

Front 93

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

Back 93

riming

Front 94

Deep convection and thunderstorms accompanied by a sharp drop in dew point are most likely to occur along which of the following?

Back 94

cold fronts and drylines

Front 95

Under clear conditions, one would expect the wind direction on a mountain to be up the mountain ________ and down the mountain ____________.

Back 95

during the day, during the night

Front 96

How is a maritime polar air mass best characterized?

Back 96

Cold & moist

Front 97

Which physical force is the primary cause of windstorms in the Puget Sound?

Back 97

Pressure gradient force

Front 98

Which of the following types of air masses are responsible for the phenomenon known as the "pineapple express" along the west coast of the US?

Back 98

maritime tropical

Front 99

The air remaining after a cold front passes Seattle could be _________ and could have originated in ________.

a. mP; the northern Pacific Ocean
b. cP; the northern Pacific Ocean
c. pT; Central Canada
d. cT; Central Mexico

Back 99

a. mP; the northern Pacific Ocean

Front 100

Which type of boundary will most likely develop over the southern Great Plains when dry, continental tropical (cT) air originating over the American Southwest meets moist, maritime tropical (mT) air from the Gulf of Mexico?

Back 100

dryline

Front 101

What is the vertical balance between the pressure gradient force and the force of gravity called?

Back 101

hygrostatic balance

Front 102

According to the three-cell general circulation model, one would expect to find the driest regions of the earth to be near:

Back 102

30 degree latitude and the polar regions

Front 103

A vertical cylinder of rotating air, typically about 3 to 10 kilometers across, linked to tornado formation in severe thunderstorms is called a/an __________.

Back 103

mesocyclone

Front 104

A tropical cyclone gets its energy from

Back 104

latent heat released when water vapor CONDENSES in the cyclone

Front 105

A warm front exists when __________.

Back 105

warm air overruns cold air

Front 106

If a person climbs a mountain to a certain height on a hot summer day and returns to the same spot on a cold winter day, which of the following statements is true?

Back 106

a. The drop in air pressure during the climb is greater during winter.

Front 107

Jet streams are found in the mid-latitudes and the subtropics (rather than in the tropics) because __________.

a. the angular velocity of the Earth is faster in the mid-latitudes
b. the pull of the Coriolis force is lesser in the mid-latitudes
c. the Hadley Cell is located in the mid-latitudes
d. the temperature gradients are stronger in the mid-latitudes

Back 107

d. the temperature gradients are stronger in the mid-latitudes

Front 108

In the United States, the governmental agency responsible for gathering and disseminating weather related information is the __________.

Back 108

National Weather Service

Front 109

Why is the eye of a hurricane mostly cloud free?

Back 109

Downward motion in the eye suppresses cloud formation

Front 110

Where would you most likely find a katabatic wind?

Back 110

Along the edge of the Greenland ice cap

Front 111

A chinook (or foehn) wind is a __________.

Back 111

very warm, dry wind coming down a mountain slope

Front 112

The Pacific High and the Bermuda High are examples of ______________ and the Aleutian Low and Icelandic Low are examples of ___________.

These are features of the ___ in the 3 cell general circulation model.

Back 112

sub-tropical highs,
sub-polar lows

Ferrel cell

Front 113

If, when traveling eastward across a frontal boundary, the air temperature goes from cold to warm to cold, you've most likely crossed which type of front?

Back 113

occluded