FRONTS
1. A front is defined as:
A) A boundary between two pressure systems
B) A boundary between two air masses of different properties
C) A line of thunderstorms
D) An area of high precipitation
2. Cold fronts generally move:
A) From south to north
B) Slowly from west to east
C) Rapidly from northwest to southeast
D) Randomly depending on pressure gradients
3. Which of the following is typically associated with a warm front?
A) Cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms
B) Clear skies and cold temperatures
C) Stratiform clouds and steady precipitation
D) Dry conditions and low humidity
4. A stationary front occurs when:
A) Cold air advances over warm air
B) Warm air overtakes cold air
C) Neither air mass is strong enough to replace the other
D) Cold air retreats rapidly
5. The symbol for a cold front on a weather map is:
A) Line with triangles pointing toward colder air
B) Line with half-circles pointing toward warmer air
C) Alternating triangles and half-circles
D) Dashed line
6. Which clouds are most commonly associated with cold fronts?
A) Cirrus
B) Nimbostratus
C) Cumulonimbus
D) Stratocumulus
7. Which front is typically associated with flooding due to prolonged precipitation?
A) Cold front
B) Warm front
C) Occluded front
D) Stationary front
8. An occluded front develops when:
A) Warm air moves over cold air
B) Cold air moves faster and overtakes a warm front
C) Cold and warm fronts collide and stop moving
D) Warm air displaces cold air completely
9. In a cold-type occlusion:
A) The air behind the front is warmer than the air ahead
B) The air ahead of the front is colder
C) The colder air overtakes the warm front
D) Warm air replaces cold air
10. Warm-type occlusions typically occur in:
A) Arctic regions
B) Tropical zones
C) Pacific Northwest
D) Equatorial areas
CYCLOGENESIS
11. Cyclogenesis is the process of:
A) Fronts becoming stationary
B) High pressure developing
C) Mid-latitude cyclone formation
D) Air mass transformation
12. Which region is known for frequent cyclogenesis?
A) The Rocky Mountains
B) The Gulf of Mexico
C) The East Coast of the U.S.
D) All of the above
13. The polar front theory explains:
A) Jet stream behavior
B) Mountain wind flow
C) Development of mid-latitude cyclones
D) Thunderstorm activity
14. Which is the correct order of stages in cyclogenesis?
A) Maturity → Occlusion → Frontogenesis
B) Incipient → Open wave → Occlusion → Dissipation
C) Stationary front → Occluded front → Dissipation
D) Warm front → Cold front → Stationary
15. What indicates a mature mid-latitude cyclone?
A) Strong high-pressure core
B) A single front
C) Well-developed warm and cold fronts
D) Disorganized cloud systems
16. Cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere rotate:
A) Clockwise
B) Counterclockwise
C) Vertically
D) Irregularly
17. Divergence aloft is essential for:
A) Dissipating low-pressure systems
B) Intensifying surface cyclones
C) Developing high pressure
D) Increasing cloud thickness
18. A jet streak is:
A) A region of strong divergence near the surface
B) A narrow zone of fast winds in the jet stream
C) A type of cloud near jet streams
D) Another term for occlusion
19. The entrance region of a jet streak is associated with:
A) Surface divergence
B) Upper-level divergence
C) Surface convergence
D) Dry adiabatic cooling
20. Where would you most likely find an upper-level trough?
A) Downstream of a cyclone
B) Directly over a warm front
C) In regions of cold air aloft
D) Beneath an anticyclone
ADDITIONAL CONCEPTS
21. The term “baroclinic instability” refers to:
A) Uniform temperature in the atmosphere
B) Horizontal temperature gradients leading to cyclone development
C) Vertical motion due to lapse rates
D) Lack of moisture in the upper atmosphere
22. Which feature marks the end stage of cyclogenesis?
A) Mature cyclone
B) Occluded front
C) Jet streak formation
D) Warm front
23. Which frontal zone is often a trigger for cyclogenesis?
A) Stationary front
B) Occluded front
C) Arctic front
D) Warm-type occlusion
24. What usually happens to a cyclone after the occlusion stage?
A) It intensifies
B) It becomes stationary
C) It begins to weaken
D) It splits into multiple systems
25. In the occlusion stage, the warm sector is:
A) Widened
B) Narrowed and lifted
C) Strengthened
D) Unchanged
26. What air masses commonly clash to create mid-latitude cyclones in the U.S.?
A) cT and mT
B) mP and cP
C) cP and mT
D) cA and cT
27. The open-wave stage in cyclogenesis features:
A) A closed circulation
B) A fully developed occlusion
C) Distinct warm and cold fronts with a wave-like bend
D) Stationary weather patterns
28. A deepening low-pressure system means:
A) Pressure is rising
B) The cyclone is weakening
C) The system is intensifying
D) The fronts are dissipating
29. What role does the jet stream play in cyclogenesis?
A) It suppresses frontal development
B) It provides lift and divergence aloft
C) It causes high-pressure ridges
D) It only impacts tropical cyclones
30. A surface low forms beneath which part of a jet streak?
A) Right entrance
B) Left exit
C) Center
D) Any region