ESC Quiz 14 - Chapter 17 Quiz

If the temperature rises and the amount of moisture in the air remains unchanged, the relative humidity will increase.

false

Why does a rain gauge have a wide opening that funnels into a narrow tube?

The narrow tube minimizes evaporation and magnifies the amount of rain captured by the wide opening.

A dark gray cloud that blankets the sky and often generates precipitation is called ________.

nimbostratus

This fog results from adiabatic cooling.

upslope

Advective fogs form when warm, moist air moves over a cool surface so this type of fog is likely to be common in ________.

the western coast of the U.S. where the ocean water is usually cooler than the air

When unstable air is forced to rise, towering clouds and stormy conditions are expected.

true

What is the dew point for the conditions listed above?

20°C

Which of the following is not a type of fog caused by cooling of near surface air to below its dew point?

frontal fog

Clouds are classified on the basis of their ________.

form and height

Which of the following would not be associated with stable atmospheric conditions?

afternoon thunder showers

If the temperature drops and the amount of moisture in the air remains unchanged, the relative humidity will increase.

true

Relative humidity is usually expressed as a percent.

true

Relative humidity is a measure of ________.

the ratio of the water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor that it would take to saturate the air

When the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic rate, ________.

surface air will rise and continue to rise

The latent heat of vaporization has the effect of cooling a liquid because ________.

the gas molecules that form and leave the liquid are the higher temperature molecules in the liquid, so the temperature of the liquid is reduced

Glaze is not a common weather term in the U.S., but it is probably associated with weather forecasts of ________.

ice storms

The Bergeron Process suggests that the coexistence of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets in a cloud is ideal for producing rain because ________.

NOT:

the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for liquid water than does water vapor

This cloud sometimes produces "mare's tails."

cirrus

What would happen if the temperature were cooled to 15°C?

increase in relative humidity and condensation of 4 grams of water

A super cooled liquid needs to ________ to turn into a solid.

collide with an object

If 2 grams of water absorbs 20 calories of heat, the resulting water temperature change is ________.

+10°C

Given an environmental lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and a dry adiabatic of 10°C, what would what would happen if unsaturated air that had a temperature of 25°C at the surface were forced to rise 2000 m in the air ?

NOT

It would be colder than the air around it so it would sink.

The dew point is the temperature at which ________.

water vapor condenses to a liquid

This cloud type is confined to the middle height range.

altostratus

This fog forms in valleys at night.

radiation fog

Generally the water vapor content of the air over a tropical desert exceeds that of the air over the polar ice caps.

true

The cloud form that is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky is termed ________.

stratus

The classification of air as stable or unstable is based on ________.

motion

The process by which water vapor changes directly to a solid is called ________.

deposition

Which of the following cloud types is most commonly associated with precipitation?

NOT

cirrocumulus

When stable air is forced to rise, any clouds that are produced are generally thin and flatlying.

true

Clouds form because rising air cools as it comes in contact with colder air aloft.

false

The most common reason that dew forms is ________.

radiant cooling of the ground and adjacent air in the evening

Stability prevails when the environmental lapse rate is ________.

less than the wet adiabatic rate

Thunder and lightning are associated with these clouds.

cumulonimbus

When water vapor condenses to form clouds, ________.

the air gets warmer

If the temperature rises and the amount of moisture in the air remains unchanged, therelative humidity will increase.

false

How does snow vary with temperature?

Cold snow is powdery and light, while warm snow is moist.

Why are raindrops larger than 5 millimeters rare?

The frictional drag from falling is greater than the surface tension that holds the drops together when they get larger than 5 millimeters.

When air is unstable, the environmental lapse rate is ________.

greater than the dry adiabatic rate

What happens to the change in temperature for unsaturated air that is rising when it reaches its saturation point?

Latent heat of condensation will be released and will DECREASE the rate of change of temperature for the rising air.

The mixing ratio = mass of water vapor (grams)/ mass of dry air (kilograms). So if you have 10 grams of water vapor in 100 kilograms of dry air, what is the mixing ratio?

0.1 g/kg

When air is cooled to its dew point, the relative humidity is 100%.

true