Meteorology Quizzes and Exams review

What gas composes the largest amount of the atmosphere?

Nitrogen

(True/False) - The average surface temperature of the earth would be greater if there were no atmosphere

False

What is the name of the lowest layer in the Earth’s Atmosphere?

Troposphere

(True/False) - Ozone is the most beneficial when it is near the surface of the Earth.

False

Which of the following is considered to be a greenhous gas?

Carbon Dioxide

What is one way that the Earth’s atmosphere is different than Venus’ Atmosphere?

Venus has a more dense atmosphere than Earth

Comparing air at a 10km with air at 20km, which of the following statements is true?

Pressure and Density are both less at 20km

Why does the temperature of the stratosphere increase as you go further from the earth’s surface?

Ozone absorbs UV

What is a sink for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Photosynthesis

The Surface atmospheric pressure is 975 mb. What is the pressure in inches of mercury? (1013.25 mb = 29.92 in. Hg). (29.92 in. Hg/1013.25 mb x 975 mb)

28.8 in. Hg

What does the 1st Law of Thermodynamics say about energy?

Heat cannot just disappear

(True/False) - An example of latent heating is the melting of ice by adding heat.

True

Which of the following would require the least amount of heat to raise its temperature 1”C if you had 1 kg of the material?

Granite

The phase change of an object going from vapor to solid is called?

Deposition

Describe how conduction transfers heat from one object to another.

Molecules bump into other molecules

Energy due to a change in altitude or height is called?

Potential

You place your hand in the sunlight and your hand feels warm. Your hand is gaining heat primarily through the mechanism of?

Radiation

Convert 98”F into Celcius (T^F = 9/5 T^C + 32)

36.6”C

Climate Zone ‘B’ is located where

West Coast of the US and Northern Africa

Climate Zone ‘E’ is located where?

Antarctica

(True/False) - Condensation nuclei which are hydrophobic allow water to condense in them at a relative humidity below 100%

False

Fog forming over a cold surface after a clear calm night is called?

Radiation Fog

When looking at dry haze against a light background it will appear to be?

Yellow

Air Mass #1 has a temperature of 15 °C and a mixing ratio of 9.0g/kg. Air mass #2 has a temperature of -15 °C and a mixing ratio of 1.0g/kg. Answer each of the following questions using the Saturation mixing ratio table

• Is air mass #1 foggy or Clear before mixing with air mass #2

Clear

Air Mass #1 has a temperature of 15”C and a mixing ratio of 9.0g/kg. Air mass #2 has a temperature of -15”C and a mixing ratio of 1.0g/kg. Answer each of the following questions using the Saturation mixing ratio table

• If air mass #1 and air mass #2 have equal masses, what is the mixing ratio after they mix together?

9+1/2 = 5

Write out the name of the cloud type which goes by the abbreviation St.

Stratus

Which of the following clouds extend vertically through the atmosphere?

Cumulonimbus

Which Latin word means “heap”?

Cumulus

If the curve of the dune was going to the South, which direction would you say the wind is blowing?

The wind is blowing from the South to the North

(True/False) - The predominant winds in Ohio are northeasterly winds.

False

The frictional force becomes insignificant beyond _ km above the Earth’s surface

1 km

What physical scale corresponds to a low pressure system?

Synoptic Scale

In a warm column of air which of the following is the most accurate to represent the pressure this air exerts at the surface and aloft (at the top of the troposphere)

Low pressure at the surface and high pressure aloft

(True/False) - Valley breezes form during the day as the mountain side warms up

True

Daytime heating of a body of water and its adjacent land results in which of the following?

Formation of a surface low over the land giving a sea breeze

(True/False) - Clouds form over the sinking column of air in the thermal circulation

False

What time of day are the gusty winds more likely to occur>

4PM

The doldrums correspond to which feature?

Rising portion of the Hadley Cell

(True/False) - The Siberian High is strongest during the Northern Hemisphere summer

False

In general which is descriptive of the horse latitudes?

Surface high pressure with clear skies

Where is most likely location you will find the polar front?

60 degrees latitude

What is the description of an air mass with a designation of cP?

Cold and Dry

(True/False) - Clouds form over the sinking column of air in a thermal circulation

False

With which circulation cell are the trade winds associated?

Hadley Cell

Where do Doldrums form?

Over the Equator

Where would the High pressure system persist year round?

Between 30 degrees North and 60 degrees North over the atlantic ocean.

The time that goes by between seeing a lightning strike and hearing the thunder is 15 seconds. How far away did the lightning strike?

5 Km

(True/False) - If there is no visible funnel between the cloud and the ground, the tornado is not doing damage on the ground.

False

Which stage of the thunderstorm is characterized by a combination of an updraft and a downdraft?

The Mature Stage

What is the highest possible rating for a tornado on the fajita scale?

F5 or EF5

What causes the cooling that generates the downdraft?

Entrainment

(True/False) - In lightning the return stroke has a higher current than the stepped ladder.

True

When a horizontal vortex tube is pushed upward by an updraft, it introduces rotation into the storm. What is the name of this rotating structure within the storm? (From this structure, tornadoes can form.)

Mesocyclone

(True/False) - Tornado warnings are issued more often then tornado watches

False

What must happen in order for hail to form in a thunderstorm?

Water is frozen, and then thawed and refrozen over and over again with the mixing temperatures from the storm.

How is a tornado detected with a radar system? What feature/s are you looking for?

A cell is located.

A sudden wind direction change forming what could be a cell is found.

You’re looking for wind that pushes and pulls forming a vortex ,

(True/False) - The ozone hole over Antarctica persists year round.

False

(True/False) - As ice melts, it give off heat to its surroundings.

False

(True/False) - Air is a good conductor of heat.

False

(True/False) - Air pressure decreases as you increase your distance from the earth’s surface.

True

(True/False) - Most of the earth’s albedo is due to presence of clouds.

True

(True/False) - Red light has a shorter wavelength than the purple light

False

(True/False) - Saturation vapor pressure decreases as the air temperature increases

False

(True/False) - Nitrogen is a highly reactive gas

False

(True/False) - The second law of thermodynamics states that heat does not spontaneously flow from colder to hotter objects

True

(True/False) - The atmosphere helps to moderate extreme temperatures at the earth’s surface.

True

(True/False) - Humid air is more dense than dry air at the same temperature.

False

At what time of the day would you expect to see the coolest surface temperatures?

Sunrise

What is the name given to the process of a solid becoming a vapor?

Sublimation

Name the mechanisms of the heat transfer.

Conduction, Convection, Radiation

Raising the temperature increases the number of clouds which in turn decreases the temperature. What kind of feedback is this describing?

Negative