GY 101 Test 2 (Dr. Islam)

Why is air pressure high and low? Why is it a distinctive pattern?

Coriolis effect

What causes wind coverage near the equator/ to be deflected to the west?

Trade winds

What is atmospheric pressure?

when pressure increases, volume decreases

Under conditions of constant pressure, what is the relationship between temperature and gas volume?

when temperature increases, gas volume increases

Under conditions of constant gas volume, what is the relationship between temperature and pressure?

when temperature increases, pressure increases

Adiabatic process causes cooling through:

expansion

Adiabatic process causes heating through:

compression

What factors cause air pressure to change?

altitude, elevation, temperature, Earth's rotational force, regional air circulation

How is pressure measured?

barometer, millibar, inches of mercury, pascals

Same pressure line:

isobar

Same temperature line:

isotherm

When the lines are closer together this means:

strong wind, strong pressure gradient

When the lines are far apart this means:

no change in wind, temp, pressure

Influences on wind direction:

1. pressure gradient

2. friction

3. Coriolis force

Pressure gradient

driven by unequal heating of the Earth's surface

High pressure gradient

- cold air is heavy and sinks

- high pressure prevails

- low moisture contents

- dry air expected

- no precipitation

- calm weather

Low pressure gradient

- warm air is lighter

- rises

- low pressure prevails

- high moisture contents

- moist air expected

- precipitation possible

- windy, violent weather

Friction

decreases as altitude increases and wind becomes faster

Friction low =

Coriolis effect high

Coriolis effect low =

friction high

Coriolis Force

a rightward deflection of wind in the Northern Hemisphere

Which way does wind deflect in the Northern Hemisphere?

right

Which way does wind deflect in the Southern Hemisphere?

left

Below 5000 feet:

- high to low pressure

- Coriolis force always goes against Earth's rotation

- friction always works against the pressure gradient

Cyclone: high or low pressure?

low pressure

Cyclone: wind direction

anti clockwise, air is rising

Counterclockwise (cyclone) =

convergent in the Northern Hemisphere

Clockwise (cyclone) =

convergent in the Southern Hemisphere

Low pressure causes:

air moving inward

Which of the following circulation patterns is a characteristic of a cyclone, or low pressure in the Southern Hemisphere?

A) air flowing inward, counterclockwise

B) air flowing outward, counterclockwise

C) air flowing inward, clockwise...

D) air flowing outward, clockwise

C. air flowing inward, clockwise

Which of the following circulation patterns is a characteristic of a cyclone or low pressure in the Northern Hemisphere?

A) air flowing inward, counterclockwise...

B) air flowing outward, counterclockwise

C) air flowing inward, clockwise

D) air flowing outward, clockwise

A. air flowing inward, counterclockwise

Anticyclone: high or low pressure?

high pressure

Anticyclone: wind direction

clockwise, air descends towards the surface

Creates a ________________ wind circulation

divergent

Counterclockwise (anticyclone) =

divergent in the Southern Hemisphere

Clockwise (anticyclone) =

divergent in the Northern Hemisphere

Which of the following circulation patterns is a characteristic of an anticyclone or high pressure in the Southern Hemisphere?

A) air flowing inward, counterclockwise

B) air flowing outward, counterclockwise

C) air flowing inward, clockwise

D) air flowing outward, clockwise.

B. air flowing outward, counterclockwise

Which of the following circulation patterns is characteristic of an anticyclone or high pressure in the Northern Hemisphere?

A) air flowing inward, counterclockwise

B) air flowing outward, counterclockwise.

C) air flowing inward, clockwise

D) air flowing outward, clockwise

D. air flowing outward, clockwise

Which of the following statements is true regarding either a high or low pressure parcel of air at the surface?

A) Higher temperature, higher density air rises, creating lower pressure at the surface.

B) Higher temperature, lower density air rises, creating higher pressure at the surface.

C) Lower temperature, higher density air rises, creating higher pressure at the surface.

D) Lower temperature, higher density air sinks, creating higher pressure at the surface...

D. lower temperature, higher density air sinks, creating higher pressure at the surface

When viewed from below the North Pole, the polar easterlies:

A) flow in toward the pole.

B) flow away from the pole.

C) flow clockwise around the pole...

D) flow counterclockwise around the pole.

C. flow clockwise around the pole

When viewed from below the South Pole, the polar easterlies:

A) flow in toward the pole.

B) flow away from the pole.

C) flow clockwise around the pole.

D) flow counterclockwise around the pole...

D. flow counterclockwise around the pole

Above 5000 feet:

pressure gradient, Coriolis effect, no friction = geotrophic wind

Why does geotropic wind move along the isobar line?

no friction + high Coriolis effect

More and more wind deflection occurs with height because:

A) friction increases with height and deflection by the Coriolis effect decreases with wind speed.

B) friction decreases with height and deflection by the Coriolis effect decreases with wind speed.

High

C) friction increases with height and deflection by the Coriolis effect increases with wind speed.

D) friction decreases with height and deflection by the Coriolis effect increases with wind speed....

D. friction decreases with height and deflection by the Coriolis effect increases with wind speed

Winds are named by...

the direction they come from

Which latitudes are represented by zones of low pressure?

equatorial low and subpolar low

Which latitudes are represented by zones of high pressure?

subtropical high and polar high

Polar easterly blows from:

Polar high to subpolar low

Westerly wind blows from:

subtropical high to subpolar low

Northeast trade wind blows from:

subtropical high to equatorial low

Southeast trade wind blows from:

subtropical high to equatorial low

Why does the ITCZ shift more dramatically over land than over the oceans in the summer months?

A) The heating of the land is more intense...

B) The heating of the oceans is more intense.

C) The winds blow more strongly over the land.

D) The winds blow more strongly over the oceans.

A. the heating of the land is more intense

What direction is the polar easter in the northern hemisphere?

clockwise

What direction is the polar easter in the southern hemisphere

counterclockwise

What pressure build is associated with a hadley cell?

equatorial low, subtropical high

What pressure build is associated with a ferrel cell?

subtropical high, subpolar low

What pressure build is associated with a polar cell?

subpolar low, polar high

The Hadley Cell is characterized by:

A) low pressure with sinking air over the equator, and high pressure with rising air at 30° N and 30° S.

B) high pressure with sinking air over the equator, and low pressure with rising air at 30° N and 30° S.

C) low pressure with rising air over the equator, and high pressure with sinking air at 30° N and 30° S...

D) high pressure with rising air over the equator, and low pressure with sinking air at 30° N and 30° S.

C. low pressure with rising air over the equator, and high pressure with sinking air at 30° N and 30° S.

The Ferrel Cell is characterized by:

A) low pressure with sinking air over the subpolar low, and high pressure with rising air at 30° N and 30° S.

B) high pressure with sinking air over the subpolar low, and low pressure with rising air at 30° N and 30° S.

C) low pressure with rising air over the subpolar low, and high pressure with sinking air at 30° N and 30° S.

D) high pressure with rising air over the subpolar low, and low pressure with sinking air at 30° N and 30° S.

C. low pressure with rising air over the subpolar low, and high pressure with sinking air at 30° N and 30° S.

The Polar Cell is characterized by:

A) low pressure with sinking air over the subpolar low, and high pressure with rising air at 90° N and 90° S.

B) high pressure with sinking air over the subpolar low, and low pressure with rising air at 90° N and 90° S.

C) low pressure with rising air over the subpolar low, and high pressure with sinking air at 90° N and 90° S.

D) high pressure with rising air over the subpolar low, and low pressure with sinking air at 90° N and 90° S.

C. low pressure with rising air over the subpolar low, and high pressure with sinking air at 90° N and 90° S.

Where does the horse latitude come from?

sinking air

In the Northern Hemisphere, the westerlies are created by the Coriolis effect acting on air

A) from the subpolar low flowing south to the subtropical high.

B) from the subtropical high flowing north to the subpolar low.

C) from the subtropical high flowing south to the subpolar low.

D) from the subpolar low flowing north to the subtropical high.

B. from the subtropical high flowing north to the subpolar low

In the Southern Hemisphere, the westerlies are created by the Coriolis effect acting on air

A) from the subpolar low flowing south to the subtropical high.

B) from the subtropical high flowing north to the subpolar low.

C) from the subtropical high flowing south to the subpolar low.

D) from the subpolar low flowing north to the subtropical high.

C. from the subtropical high flowing south to the subpolar low

Jet streams

narrow bands of strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that generally blow from west to east all across the globe

To create a land breeze:

A) the cool air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Warm air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

B) the warm air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Cool air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

C) the warm air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

D) the cool air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

D. the cool air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

To create a sea breeze:

A) the cool air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Warm air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

B) the warm air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Cool air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an onshore breeze.

C) the warm air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

D) the cool air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

B. the warm air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Cool air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an onshore breeze.

A valley or anabatic breeze is created when:

A) lower elevations is heated more efficiently

and rises, creating an upslope breeze..

B) lower elevations is heated less efficiently

and rises, creating an upslope breeze.

C) higher elevations is heated more efficiently

and sinks, creating a mountain breeze.

A. lower elevations is heated more efficiently and rises, creating an upslope breeze

The strongest katabatic winds form:

A) mountain breezes in Antarctica and

Greenland.

B) when valley breezes warm adiabatically at

the saturated and dry rates and release heat.

C) when valley breezes warm adiabatically

and release heat.

D) valley breezes in Antarctica and

Greenland.

A. mountain breezes in Antarctica and Greenland