Intro to Meteorology Final Exam

This type of front is a complex frontal system that forms when a cold front overtakes a warm front

Occluded front

We can make a statement now that there is a 40% chance that Lincoln, NE will experience a white Christmas this year (1' of snow or more on the ground.) What type of forecast is this

Probability forecase

This type of front has essentially no air movement and is drawn by an alternating blue and red line with red semi circles and blue triangles

stationary front

what type of forecast finds the average of multiple forecast models to determine the most likely weather event

Ensemble forecast

Which range of forecast is likely to be the most accurate

Short-range forecast

Precipitation is most likely to occur along both sides of this front boundary

Cold Front

According to a trend forecast, using the map below of today's weather, the temperature in Crete NE will likely be _______ tomorrow.

Colder

True or False: A watch indicates that severe weather is happening now, while a warning indicates that conditions are right for the potential of severe weather

False

The inside of a warm front typically has ________

no precipitation

What type of forecast uses the logic that if a rain event is occurring now, then in the next hour or so it is still likely to be raining or overcast

Persistence Forecast

True or False: Air density is associated with temperature

True

During a ________ front, warm air is pushed upward as cold air moves through

cold

this station below indicates that cloud cover is (half shaded circle)

Partly cloudy (1/2 cloud cover)

As a low pressure system moves through an area, air pressure will likely _______

decrease than increase

Which type of front is represented with the color pink, half semi circles and triangles alternating

Occluded front

A local news channel shows a seven-day weather outlook. What range of forecasts is the news channel showing?

Short and medium-range forecast

Winds around high pressure systems blow ______________

clockwise

Storms are mostly associated with ______________ pressure systems

low

True or False: 21st century weather forecasting relies primarily on computer systems that can manage and predict weather events from a huge amount of data sets

True

True of False: high and low weather systems usually travel from west to east across the United States

True

The cloud identified below occurs at the forefront of some multicellular thunderstorms, and is located close to the ground in a circular shape. What cloud?

Roll Cloud

This scale measures tornado intensity based on 28 wind damage indicators.

Enhanced Fuijita Scale

Tornado Alley is located in the ___

Central Plains

True of False: the average frequency of identified and documented tornadoes have increase from the 1950s to today

true

True or False: According to an article discussed in class, The National Weather Service Forecasters are providing more advanced notice for tornadoes compared to five years ago

false

This phenomenon of extreme downdrafts can be extremely dangerous to air plane travel around thunderstorms. However, advanced detection systems of this phenomenon have reduced air plane crashes since the 1990s

microbursts

This shape of storm occurs in a squall line thunderstorm, when strong winds push forward a center position of the storm, to form a slight bend in the squall line

bow echo

True of False: Geographic information Systems (GIS/ESRI) has created a database for all tornado outbreaks in the United States between 1980 and 2012.

True

a conditionally unstable atmospheric environment is best represented by

cold, dry, air, aloft, over warm, moist air

this type of thunderstorm formation is most likely associated with tornado formation

supercell thunderstorm

In a supercell thunderstorm, this is described as the single violently rotating updraft

mesocyclone

The most intense tornado, described according to storm damage and wind intensity, is described as a _______ on the EF scale

5

Relatively weak thunderstorms that pose no threat to potential damage, but include slight amounts of lightning and thunder, are called

thundershowers

this type of thunderstorm formation usually occurs along the lines of a cold front, or in some instances, directly ahead of the front

squall-line thunderstorm

during this stage of an ordinary cell thunderstorm, updrafts of warm, moist air are no longer occurring

dissipating state

which three months have the highest average number of tornadoes in the united states

April, may, june

this type of thunderstorm completes its life cycle in three states

1) cumulus stages

2) mature state

3) dissipating stage

ordinary cell thunderstorms

from 2005 to 2015 tornado false alarm rates have

decreased slightly

true or false: heavy precipitation typically occurs at the base of a tornado

false

what is considered the "fuel" behind the thunderstorms

rising, warm, moist air

this type of thunderstorm is a long-lived thunderstorm and contains a circular cluster of thunderstorms identified by satellites

Mesoscale Convection Complex (MCC)

this cloud shape forms at the very top forefront of a multicellular thunderstorm formation.

anvil

the classification of an intra-storm system that results in straight-line wind gusts sustaining 58 mph and occurring along a path greater than 250 miles is referred to as a

derecho

What country has the most tornadoes

United States

in this state of an ordinary cell thunderstorm, a parcel of warm, humid air rises, cools and condenses into a cloud

cumulus stage

Which of the statements below best explain why most tropical storms develop between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees south

this region contains the warmest water

In the northern hemisphere, as hurricanes approach higher latitudes they tend to move _______ and travel _____________

faster, north/north east

What direction do hurricanes in the North Pacific and Atlantic generally move, especially when in lower latitudes near the equator

west

True or False: A hurricane and typhoon are both names for a tropical cyclone

true

during hurricane formation, warm, moist air rises in an area of low pressure and forms rain clouds, What happens next

as the warm air rises, new air rushes in at the surface level, is warmed by the warm temperature, and also ruse bringing more moisture into the system

which of the hurricanes below caused the most destruction and loss of life in the United States since 1980

Katrina

The area of a hurricane where the lowest surface pressure is found is the

eye

Although tidal rise can vary by storm system, generally, there is a ______ between hurricane category and tidal rise

positive correlation

In the northern hemisphere (Atlantic), what three months do most hurricanes occur

August, September, October

A line of low pressure that causes air convergence is called a _________

tropical or easterly wave

what effect causes hurricanes in the northern hemisphere to rotate counterclockwise and hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere to rotate clockwise

Coriolis Force

A storm of tropical origin with sustained winds at least 74 mph is called ____________

hurricane

According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, what is the highest category of hurricane reaching wind speeds above 157 mph and causing catastrophic damage

5

True or False: Predicting hurricane movement and intensity has become more advanced in recent times due to better computer models and tools to collect weather data

true

the area within the predicted path of hurricane, based upon numerous models is called then ____________

cone of uncertainty

when conducting research, these types of sources are first-hand account of a weather event, either directly from a reporting agency (NOAA) or from reporters on the ground during a storm

primary

When conducting research, these types of sources are second-hand accounts of weather events. For example, textbooks or websites discussing historical events, but were not present during the event itself

secondary

although hurricane speeds can vary, typical hurricanes move speeds between _____ to ____ mph

10-35

True or False: special airplanes can fly into hurricanes to collect atmospheric data

true

what was the name of the tropical storm system that occurred in 2001, never reaching hurricane status but caused around 8.5 billion dollars in flood damage

allison

typically when a hurricane moves across areas of land it will

weaken in intensity

similar to storm systems in the Midwest, squall lines in the tropics originates_____________

along cold front boundaries

In the northern hemisphere, where do tropical storms develop

to the east of tropical waves

this component of a hurricane is the ring of intense thunderstorms that whirl around the storm's center. This component includes the storm's heaviest precipitin and strongest winds

eyewall

A storm system in the tropics that has sustained winds of 73 ,ph or less is called a

tropical storm

True or False: the levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are higher today compared to the last 800,000 years

true

using an ice bore to analyze air bubbles from the past to determine historic atmosphere composition would be described as using a

proxy indicator

Which of the following would NOT be a biological indicator for climate change

precipitin levels decreasing in subtropical latitudes

which greenhouse gas is made up of three oxygen atoms

ozone

in the united states, which region is likely to sudden the most from acid deposition (acid rain)

eastern united states

which of the following is not considered a greenhouse gas

carbon monoxide (CO)

around 78% of earth's atmosphere is __________

nitrogen

which of the following gases has the longest residence time in the troposphere

carbon dioxide (CO2)

which of the following was the earliest documented policy to reduce air pollution?

in 1273 King Edward of England outlawed the burning of sea coal

which of the following is LEAST likely to be explained by global climate change

the gulf of Mexico's dead zone becoming larger

earth's historical climate included ___________ which were warmer periods between glacial advances

Interglacial periods

This event occurred over Europe during the 15th and 19th century where the climate cooled by an average of approximately .75 degree Celsius

Little Ice age

Which term most appropriately describes the array of changes in aspects of earth's climate, such as temperatures, precipitin and storm frequency and intensity

Global climate change

which greenhouse gas is associated with cattle

methane

harmful atmosphere pollutants that are produced when pollutants interact with each and/or sunlight in the atmosphere are called __________

secondary pollutatns

which greenhouse gas the most abundant

carbon dioxide

which greenhouse has has the highest relative heat-trapping ability per unit

hydrochlorofluorocarbons

True or False: Air quality in the United States has improved after passage of the Clean Air acts (1963, 1970, 1990)

true

Climate change will impact agricultural production. which of the following global regions will have the most negative impact when it comes to agricultural yields?

African countries

How does climate change affect hurricane?

Increased warming of the oceans are predicted to increase the number and intensity of hurricanes

in the United States, this act strengthened air quality emission standards and reduced auto emission by banning leaded gasoline

clear air act of 1990

This air pollutant is monitored by the EPA and includes organic and inorganic particles such as dust and smoke, that are emitted from places such as constriction sites, unpaved roads, fields, and fires

Particulate matter (PM)

A large city located in which topographical features will most likely suffer from smog

in a valley

True or False: poorer nations and marginalized communities are likely to suffer more from climate change as opposed to developed countries and more affluent communities

true

true or false: people located in the midwest will be impacted the most by rising sea levels

false