Science: Earth and Space Test 9

mesopause

What is the coldest point in the atmosphere?

continental tropical

Which type of air mass brings hot, dry weather?

shallow fog

What is radiation fog that extends no more than 2 m (6 ft) above the ground called?

formation of an occluded front

What indicates that a frontal cyclone has reached its full strenght?

return stroke

What portion of a lightning bolt produces thunder?

return stroke

What forms the brilliant flash of lightning bolt?

dart leader

What is the downward stream of electrons that causes a single lightning bolt to make a second strike?

monsoon

What is a wind that reverses its direction from season to season?

hydrological drought

Which type of drought is defined by its effects on an area's groundwater, streams, lakes, and reservoirs?

Earth is closer to the sun

Why does the Southern Hemisphere receive more insolation during the southern summer than the Northern Hemisphere receives during the northern summer?

nitrogen

What is the most abundant gas in the homosphere?

aneroid barometer

What instrument uses a flexible, airtight metal box to measure changes in atmospheric pressure?

tropical disturbance

What is a tropical low-pressure system that does not have rotating winds?

weather balloonn

Which of the following instruments is used to measure high-altitude weather conditions?

collision-coalescence process

In what process does rain from through large cloud droplets hitting each other and merging to form larger drops?

Saffir-Simpson scale

What scale is used to rank hurricane strength?

Enhance Fujita scale

What scale is used to classify tornadoes?

saturated

When the relative humidity is 100%, the air is said to be .

storm surge

The elevated water level caused by a hurricane's winds is the .

forecast

A prediction of the weather in the near future is a weather .

microburst

The most intense type of downburst is a(n) .

tropical storm

A tropical cyclone with wind speeds between 39 mi/h and 74 mi/h is a(n) .

visibility

In meteorology, the farthest distance at which objects can be distinguished is called the .

when it reaches the ground

When does a rotating column of air become a tornado?

stable

What term describes atmospheric conditions that limit the height to which rising air can travel?

magnetopause

What is the point where the solar wind pushes on Earth's magnetic field?

dew

What forms when water vapor in the air touches cool ground and turns into a liquid?

frost

What is the feathery deposit of ice crystals that forms when water vapor crystallizes on the ground?

mature stage

What thunderstorm stage is marked by the arrival of precipitation?

weather vane

What instrument indicates the direction of wind?

anemometer

What is an instrument that measures wind speed?

radiation

What is heat transfer by electromagnetic waves?

lenticular

Which type of cloud is characteristically almond shaped?

wind

What is the most destructive force of a hurricane?

hydrologic cycle

What is the movement of water from the earth's surface, into the air, and back to the surface?

trade winds

What are the surface winds that blow toward the equator in the tropics?

water vapor

Which of the following is one of the three major factors that causes weather?

foehns

What are warm, dry winds that travel down mountain slopes?

Coriolis effect

What is the change in the direction of winds caused by Earth's rotation?

auroras

What colorful displays occur when solar wind particles react with molecules in the atmosphere?

convection current

Heat from a fireplace causes air to circulate throughout a room as hot air rises and cold air sinks. What is this type of air circulation called?

dust devil

What is a rotating column of air that starts on the ground and is not associated with a cloud?

supercomputers

What extremely powerful computers do meteorologists use to generate weather forecasts?

cell

What is a single updraft system in a thunderstorm?

rain gauge

What device is used to measure the amount of rainfall that a location receives?

station model

What term refers to numbers and symbols on a weather map that indicate observations at a particular weather station?

ceilometer

What instrument do meteorologists use to measure the distance from the ground to the base of clouds?

ability to measure wind speed

Which of the following is an advantage of Doppler weather radar over older radar systems?

cosmic rays

What extremely powerful radiation heats the molecules of the ionosphere?

heat lightning

What is the reflected light from high-altitude lightning strikes in distant thunderstorms called?

positive cloud-to-ground lightning

Which type of lightning comes from the top of a large thunderstorm?

Air pressure decreases with altitude.

Why does a weather balloon expand as it rises?

drizzle

What is liquid precipitation that is between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm in diameter?

sleet

What type of precipitation is made of raindrops that freeze into tiny balls of ice before they hit the ground?

Hadley cell

What is the convection cell that exists between the equator and latitude 30 degrees?

cumulonimbus

Which type of cloud usually produces heavy rains, strong winds, and sometimes hail or tornadoes?

greenhouse effect

What process traps heat in Earth's atmosphere?

surface weather chart

What is a map that summarizes the weather conditions throughout the entire country at a single point in time?

adiabatic cooling

What process occurs when air expands with no heat gained or lost?

cold front

What is the boundary formed when a cold air mass moves into the territory of a warm air mass?

cirrus

What type of high-level clouds form wispy streamers that look like feathers or hair?

mesocyclone

What is a large, rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm?

exosphere

true/false. The outermost temperature layer of the atmosphere is thermosphere.

true

true/false. The ratio of the solar radiation reflected by an object to the solar radiation that strikes it is albedo.

true

true/false. A tornado that forms over water is called a waterspout.

evaporation

true/false. The process of liquid water turning into water vapor is called condensation.

hail

true/false. The type of precipitation that forms when falling balls of ice are swept into the upper layers of a thunderstorm is called freezing rain.

eye

true/false. The center of a hurricane is the eyewall.

true

true/false. A weather instrument that simultaneously measures and transmits meteorological data from weather balloons to weather stations is a radiosonde.

isotherms

true/false. "Lines of equal heat" on a weather map are called isobars.

radiation, because the heat travels through stationary air

The heating elements of a toaster are wires made of a material that gets hot when an electric current is passed through them. The bread is held in place so that it is near, but not touching, the wires. What type of heat transfer does the toaster use to toast the bread? How do you know?

stationary front

For the past several days, Kaitlyn's hometown has had high temperatures around 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). A town about 50 km away has had high temperatures around 25 degrees C (77 degrees F). The weather during this time has been calm and clear. What type of front is likely causing this situation?

The reading is incorrect.

Edward was using a psychrometer to determine the relative humidity. He obtained a wet-bulb temperature of 26 degrees C and a dry-bulb temperature of 25 degrees C. What conclusion can Edward draw?

squall line

A weather station recorded several hours of thunderstorms, followed by a drop in temperature. At the same time, a radar station reported a 100 km long north-to-south line of precipitation moving west to east across the station. What type of feature was this?

The hurricane no longer has access to warm ocean water.

Why does a hurricane usually begin to weaken when it moves onto a continent?