EXAM 2 Quiz Question and answers

day length, high sun angle, short travel through atmosphere

Consistently high insolation occurs throughout equatorial and tropical latitudes because of __________:

frequently cloudless skies

The highest insolation occurs in low-latitude deserts because of:

are balanced by energy outputs

Overall, for earth and its atmosphere, energy inputs _________

surplus

In equatorial regions, and energy _________ occurs in the radiation balance:

air and ocean currents

Surplus heat energy is transferred to polar regions by:

-Have lower annual temperature ranges than land

-heat and cool more slowly than land areas

-have a moderating effect on coastal climates

-mix and heat energy to greater depths than land

ALL ARE CORRECT

Oceans,

moderate

Oceans _______ temperatures in coastal regions:

San Diego is next to an Ocean; Dallas is Inland

San Diego and Dallas have contrasting annual temperature patterns because:

atmospheric and oceanic circulations

The radiative energy imbalance drives:

Gulf Stream

The ______ transfers heat energy from low latitudes to higher altitudes:

pressure gradient, Coriolis Force and friction

Driving force(s) that determine speed and direction of surface winds are:

Weight of the atmosphere

Air pressure is caused by

barometer

We measure air pressure using:

pressure gradient force

Air moves from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure, creating a wind; this is an example of the effect of:

subsiding and diverging; converging and rising

______ air is associated with high pressure, whereas ______ air is associated with low pressure:

Earth’s rotation

Coriolis force is created by:

right

Coriolis deflection is always to the ______ in the northern hemisphere:

diverge; clockwise out-spiral

Surface winds in a northern hemisphere high pressure system ______ and follow a ______:

converge; counter clockwise in-spiral

Surface winds around a northern hemisphere low pressure system ______ and follow a ______:

descending air and clear skies

Above an anticyclone is ______ and ______:

intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

The region between the Hadley Cells is the:

trade winds

The surface winds converging at the ITCZ are known as the:

descending air and clear skies

Above the subtropical highs is ______ and ________:

westerlies

The dominant surface winds flowing from the subtropics to the higher latitudes are known as the:

polar front

The subpolar low forms along the ______, where warm moist air meets cold dry air:

polar highs

Cold subsiding air over polar regions forms the:

Rossby waves

Wavy undulations within the westerly flow of geostrophic winds are known as:

the subtropics and polar front

Jet streams are found over:

seasonal shifts in the location of the ITCZ

The Asian monsoons are caused by:

frictional drag of winds

The driving force of ocean currents is:

What are the three states of water?

Ice, liquid, and vapor

Condensation requires water to ______ heat energy.

Release

The ______ is the ratio of actual amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor possible at that temperature

Relative humidity

Orographic uplift is caused by ______.

Air rising up a slope

The temperature at which air becomes saturated is called the ______.

Dew point temperature

A cloud is composed of ______.

Liquid water droplets

For water to change state, ______ must be added or released.

Heat energy

Rain shadows occur ______.

Where air descends down a mountain

______ heat is the energy lost or gained when a change of state occurs.

Latent heat

Evaporation requires water to ______ heat energy.

Absorb

If an air parcel is less dense than surrounding air, it ______ and ______.

Ascends and expand

If an air parcel is more dense than surrounding air, it ______ and ______

Descends and compress

If an air parcel resists upward displacement, it is said to be ______.

Stable

Instability often results in tall clouds called ______

Cumulus clouds

The Dry Adiabatic Rate (DAR) applies to air that is ______.

Unsaturated

The Moist Adiabatic Rate (MAR) is less than the DAR because ______.

Latent heat is released as vapor condenses

In unstable conditions, an air parcel will ______ because it is ______ than its surroundings.

Rise; warmer

Clouds are usually classified on the basis of ______ and ______.

Height and shape

Flat, layered clouds belong to the group called ______.

Stratiform clouds

The root "nimb" means ______.

Precipitation is falling

"cA" stands for ______.

Continental arctic

When a cold front overtakes a warm front, it forms ______.

An occluded front

Mid-latitude cyclones are embedded in the ______.

Westerlies

"mT" stands for ______.

Maritime tropical

Mid-latitude cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere have what characteristics?

Low pressure center, converging and ascending air, cold front and warm front, counter-clockwise in-spiraling airflow

A mid-latitude cyclone is crossing Texas; at the cold front you would expect:

Heavy rain and a sudden fall in temperature

______ is the type of lifting that involves air being drawn into a low-pressure center:

Convergent lifting

Thunderstorms are associated with ______.

Towering cumulus clouds (cumulonimbus)

Thunderstorms often form ______.

Along cold fronts

In the Northern hemisphere, anticyclones have:

High pressure center, diverging and descending air, clockwise out-spiraling airflow