Chapter 6: Humidity and Atmospheric Moisture

Maximum absolute humidity is governed by

temperature

In the US, fog occurs LEAST often in the ___ states.

Southwestern

The rainiest region of the continental US is the ___.

southeast

A piece of unsaturated air is forced to rise. The lapse rate in the surrounding air is much less than the rate in change of temperature in the rising air. The rising air is said to be

stable

The average lapse rate in the troposphere ___.

is actually quite variable by time and weather conditions

Which of the following lapse rates represents the greatest temperature change over altitude?

dry adiabatic

Over the Earth, regions of heavy precipitation normally experience ________ variability.

the least

In order for atmospheric condensation to take place, ________.

plenty of "surfaces" need to be present in the atmosphere

Showery weather and cumuliform clouds point to the presence of ________.

atmospheric instability

Atmospheric water vapor can be described as ________.

having an uneven distribution

Most regions of the globe receive a ________ maximum of rainfall.

summer

Most of the wettest areas around the world are located in the ________.

tropics

The most common and widespread form of precipitation is

rain

A precipitation type extremely characteristic of the lower latitudes is ________.

convergent lifting

Which is NOT among the main types of atmospheric lifting and precipitation?

advective

Which part of the United States has the least annual variability of precipitation?

the eastern US

Which of the below is found along the western edges of continents at 25 degrees from the Equator?

dryness

Which of the following comprise common hygroscopic nuclei?

pollen

sea salt

all of these

bacteria

dust

all of these

Which of the following is most closely associated with unstable air?

both heating of air and rising air

The total amount of water vapor leaving the Earth's surface is called

evapotranspiration

liquid converts to gas when

molecules break loose from the liquid

Water vapor can be described by all but one of the following.

energy-rich

odorless

tasteless

light blue color

a small fraction of the atmosphere's volume

light blue color

Usually, the highest relative humidity is ___.

at dawn

The amount of water vapor expressed as the mass of water vapor in a given mass of air is ________.

specific humidity

Cold air moving over a warmer lake surface will result in a(n) ________ type of fog.

evaporation

Downwind of large mountain ranges there is less precipitation; this drier zone is called the ________.

rain shadow

Water is unique because no other substance occurs in

all three forms in the atmosphere

Which of the following cloud types has the greatest height (from top to bottom of the cloud)?

cumulonimbus

T/F: The intertropical convergence migrates north and south of the Equator on a seasonal basis.

True

T/F: When potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, dry soil and brown vegetation might result.

True

T/F: Hailstones grow in size when falling in a cloud and decrease in size when rising in a cloud.

False

Convective precipitation is common in the Arctic winters.

false

The term sleet means the same thing as hail in the United States.

false

Along the western coasts of continents between 35° and 60° of latitude the heaviest precipitation occurs during the winter.

true

On a cold day, high relative humidity makes the sensible temperatures feel lower than they really are.

True

The stability of rising air is determined by its temperature relationship to the surrounding air.

true

Relative humidity is a measure of how close air is to saturation.

true

A cold winter night is typically a stable air situation.

true

Most clouds do not produce precipitation.

true

Fog represents a major form of precipitation for the Earth.

false

Coastal regions usually receive more precipitation than interior zones.

true

Frontal activity is common in the tropical and high latitudes.

false