Deck 11: Hurricanes

Question 1

What is the approximate diameter of a mature hurricane?

A) more than 1000 km
B) about 600 km
C) 50 - 100 km
D) 50 km or less
E) about 1000 km

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The___________ has the greatest number of storms, averaging 20 per year.

A) North Pacific
B) South Pacific
C) South Atlantic
D) North Atlantic

Answer 2

North Pacific

Question 3

The outflow at the top of a hurricane prolongs the storm's lifespan because:

A) it prevents surface convergence from "filling in" the low- pressure center of the storm.
B) it helps to bring in cold air to strengthen the hurricane's eye.
C) it causes winds to converge at the top of the storm.
D) it provides an outlet for excess moisture that might otherwise "rain out" the storm.

Answer 3

it prevents surface convergence from "filling in" the low- pressure center of the storm.

Question 4

The initial detection and monitoring of tropical storms that may become hurricanes is accomplished by:

A) coastal observers.
B) ocean buoys.
C) ocean ships.
D) aircraft.
E) satellites.

Question 5

During which of the time spans listed below should hurricane formation in the North Atlantic be at a peak?

A) August- September
B) April- May
C) November- December
D) January- February

Question 6

What cold area do tropical disturbances have to survive through to then be rejuvenated by heat and moisture of the warmer water of the mid- Atlantic?

A) the Canary current
B) Humboldt current
C) the upper Atlantic current
D) the African current

Question 7

A hurricane must have sustained wind speeds of at least:

A) 64 miles per hour.
B) 94 miles per hour.
C) 74 miles per hour.
D) 84 miles per hour.

Question 8

What are hurricanes known as in the Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea?

A) typhoons
B) tropical breezes
C) tsunamis
D) cyclones

Question 9

The very center of a hurricane is called the:

A) eye.
B) core.
C) eye ring.
D) eye wall.

Question 10

Although damages caused by a hurricane depend on several factors, which is the most significant?

A) size and population density of the affected area
B) strength of the storm
C) number of tornadoes
D) near- shore bottom configuration

Question 11

The greatest number of hurricane- related deaths may be attributed to:

A) inland freshwater flooding.
B) strong winds.
C) lightning.
D) storm surge.
E) tornadoes.

Question 12

Cyclone Nargis made landfall in:

A) Myanmar.
B) Bangladesh.
C) Japan.
D) Australia.

Question 13

Which "famous" hurricane was the costliest in United States history?

A) Hurricane Hugo
B) Hurricane Katrina
C) Hurricane Floyd
D) Hurricane Diane

Question 14

The law of conservation of angular momentum states that:

A) a rotating object must vary its velocity in order to remain at a fixed distance from the axis of rotation.
B) objects moving around a center of rotation must spin faster if they get further from the center.
C) the rotating winds of a hurricane cannot be impacted by friction.
D) if an object is rotating around an object, the product of its velocity and its distance from the axis must remain constant.

Question 15

A major limitation of Doppler radar for hurricane monitoring is its ability to "see":

A) tornadic rotation.
B) direction of wind motion.
C) areas of particularly intense rainfall.
D) over distances beyond 200 miles.

Question 16

An easterly wave contributes to hurricane development by:

A) creating surface convergence.
B) feeding warm waves of water into the vicinity of the hurricane.
C) causing disturbances from the Bahamas to move to the east, over warmer waters.
D) steering disturbances over the Canaries current.

Question 17

The United States deadliest hurricane happened in 1900 in Galveston, Texas. Approximately how many deaths did the hurricane cause?

A) 8000
B) 2000
C) 1000
D) 4000

Question 18

Hurricanes develop most often in the late summer when ocean waters have reached what temperature?

A) 70°F
B) 60°F
C) 80°F
D) 50 °F
E) 100°F

Question 19

When a hurricane moves onto land, it declines in intensity. Which of the factors listed below contribute to this loss of punch?

A) heating from below by the land surface
B) friction
C) lack of warm, moist air
D) both friction and the lack of warm, moist air

Question 20

The doughnut- shaped wall of intense convective activity surrounding the center of the storm is called the:

A) eye ring.
B) eye wall.
C) eye.
D) core.

Question 21

Why don't hurricanes develop on or near the Equator?

A) The Coriolis effect is too weak to create rotation.
B) The water is too warm to allow for the storm's development.
C) The ITCZ inhibits the growth of the hurricane's thunderstorms.
D) The question is false; hurricanes develop on the Equator all the time!

Question 22

The eye wall of a hurricane:

A) has the greatest wind speeds.
B) has the lightest precipitation.
C) has the highest barometric pressure.
D) lies at the hurricane's outer edge.

Question 23

Why is the eye region of a hurricane largely free of precipitation and heavy clouds?

A) rising air motion
B) sinking air motion
C) cooler temperatures
D) pressure gradient is weaker

Question 24

What type of clouds are most common in a hurricane?

A) stratus
B) cirrus
C) nimbostratus
D) cumulonimbus

Question 25

What have scientists discovered will happen to a hurricane about six hours after it produces hot towers?

A) It will produce an outbreak of tornadoes.
B) It will intensify.
C) The storm will make landfall.
D) The wind speeds will drop.

Question 26

-Carefully consider the hurricane shown above. Where would you expect to find the warmest surface temperatures?

A) Letter A
B) Letter B
C) Letter C
D) Letter D

Question 27

Doppler radar is of limited use in creating hurricane storm warnings because:

A) Doppler radar cannot penetrate into the center of a mature hurricane.
B) Doppler radar is not very accurate at measuring rainfall intensity associated with the hurricane.
C) Doppler radars are not commonly used in coastal areas.
D) hurricanes must be within 320 km of the coast for Doppler radar to "see" them.

Question 28

To officially be a hurricane, the disturbance must have rotary circulation and have wind speeds of at least kilometers per hour.

A) 70
B) 195
C) 92
D) 119
E) 161

Question 29

What is the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane?

A) They represent different phases in the development of a tropical storm.
B) A hurricane is stronger than a typhoon.
C) They occur in different ocean basins.
D) A hurricane is a true tropical cyclone, but a typhoon is not.

Question 30

Since detection and tracking of hurricanes is now quite accurate, why does damage from these storms continue to increase?

A) changes in tidal patterns
B) hurricane intensity is greater
C) poor forecasts of landfall area
D) continued development of coastal areas

Question 31

Hurricanes form:

A) between 20 degrees and 35 degrees latitude.
B) at various latitudes depending upon local conditions.
C) at the equator.
D) between 5 degrees and 30 degrees latitude.
E) between 35 degrees and 50 degrees latitude.

Question 32

If you are in a tall building near the coast during a hurricane, where is the best place to be?

A) in the stairwell
B) below the tenth floor but above the first few floors
C) in the basement
D) on the highest floor possible

Question 33

What determines when a tropical storm is given hurricane status?

A) diameter
B) wind speed
C) central pressure
D) water temperature

Question 34

The_____________ scale is used to establish categories of hurricane intensity.

A) Saffir- Simpson
B) Johnson- Hildebrandt
C) Stormfury
D) Fujita

Question 35

-Carefully consider the photography of a hurricane in the South Atlantic shown above. Where would you expect to find the fastest winds?

A) Letter A
B) Letter B
C) Letter C
D) Letter D (central eye)

Question 36

When a cyclone's strongest winds do not exceed 37 miles per hour it is called a:

A) tropical depression.
B) tropical storm.
C) hurricane.
D) tornado.

Question 37

Until Hurricane Katrina occurred, the costliest hurricane in U.S. history was Hurricane:

A) Fran.
B) Iniki.
C) Opal.
D) Hugo.
E) Andrew.

Question 38

One problem with issuing a hurricane warning is:

A) no standardized system for issuing warnings exists on a federal level in the United States.
B) hurricane forecasts require large areas that will be unaffected to be included in the warning.
C) it is difficult to issue warnings with enough lead time for people to evacuate.
D) few people pay attention to warnings.

Question 39

Scatterometers:

A) are a type of radar that is mounted to ships that sail the perimeter of hurricanes.
B) estimate wind speeds based on how radiation is scattered from the surface of the ocean.
C) are scattered through a hurricane by an aircraft flying overhead.
D) send out signals that bounce off of the debris being lifted by the winds in a hurricane.

Question 40

What causes the winds of a hurricane to be so fast?

A) tidal effects
B) coupling with the jet stream
C) weaker Coriolis force
D) stronger Coriolis force
E) very strong pressure gradient force

Question 41

Which of the following has historically proven most susceptible to large losses of life (>100,000) from storm surge in the twentieth century?

A) Bangladesh
B) Texas
C) Australia
D) A large loss of life has not occurred in the 20th century.

Question 42

Which scale number(s) of hurricanes do only minimal or moderate damage?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 2 and 3
D) 1 and 2

Question 43

Why do hurricanes initially form only in the tropics?

A) Subsiding air currents are found there.
B) Warm water temperatures are found there.
C) Stronger pressure gradients are found there.
D) Coriolis is weaker there.

Question 44

Why do surface wind speeds increase toward the center of a hurricane?

A) warmer water
B) reduced friction
C) stronger Coriolis effect
D) conservation of angular momentum

Question 45

Compared to the North Atlantic, hurricanes form in the South Atlantic:

A) more frequently.
B) with about the same frequency, but with much less intensity.
C) with about the same frequency and intensity.
D) much less frequently.

Question 46

A GPS dropwindsonde is used for:

A) locating and measuring the diameter of the hurricane's eye at the surface.
B) measuring wind speeds throughout every level of a hurricane.
C) measuring wind directions in the outflow of a hurricane.
D) forecasting precipitation associated with the hurricane's eye wall.

Question 47

More than half of all hurricanes:

A) have storm surges that are at least 25 feet deep.
B) make landfall in the United States.
C) reach Category 5 strength.
D) produce at least one tornado.

Question 48

When occurring in the Atlantic Ocean they are known as hurricanes. What are they known as when occurring in the western Pacific?

A) tsunamis
B) tropical breezes
C) cyclones
D) typhoons

Question 49

Which of the following best describes the hurricane data provided by aircraft reconnaissance?

A) They provide detailed data while a hurricane is still very far away from the coast.
B) They can create a complete three dimensional profile of the storm.
C) They provide sample snapshots of only small parts of the storm.
D) They provide accurate data about the wind speeds at the very bottom of the storm, near the surface.

Question 50

Which one of the following is most intense?

A) tropical disturbance
B) tropical water
C) tropical storm
D) tropical depression

Question 51

An announcement aimed at specific coastal areas that a hurricane poses a possible threat generally within 36 hours is called a:

A) hurricane warning.
B) hurricane watch.
C) tornado watch.
D) tornado warning.

Question 52

The eye of a hurricane:

A) has the most intense rainfall.
B) is warmer than the rest of the storm.
C) is the portion with the highest wind speeds.
D) is a figment of man's imagination.

Question 53

What is the proper order of storm intensity in terms of increasing wind speed?

A) tropical depression, tropical storm, hurricane
B) tropical storm, hurricane, tropical depression
C) hurricane, tropical depression, tropical storm
D) tropical storm, tropical depression, hurricane
E) tropical depression, hurricane, tropical storm

Question 54

Why do hurricanes in the Atlantic move toward the west during their early stages?

A) They are steered by ocean currents.
B) Warmer water temperatures guide them.
C) Prevailing winds are from the east.
D) They move away from areas of high salinity.
E) Coriolis effect guides them.

Question 55

Which of the following can diminish the intensity of a hurricane?

A) frequent lightning
B) moving over land
C) significant increase in large- scale air flow aloft
D) moving over warmer water with more moisture above it

Question 56

What is the single greatest advancement in tools used for observing tropical cyclones?

A) aircraft reconnaissance
B) data buoys
C) meteorological satellites
D) radar

Question 57

What category of the scale of hurricane intensity is the strongest?

A) 1
B) 5
C) 3
D) 10

Question 58

How many rotating lists of names are used to name tropical storms and hurricanes?

A) six
B) ten
C) one
D) They write a new one every year.

Question 59

Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas in September of 2008, and went on to become the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history. At its peak, it had sustained winds of 233 kmh (145 mph). What category was Ike on the Saffir- Simpson scale at its peak?

A) Category 2
B) Category 3
C) Category 5
D) Category 4

Question 60

Inside the eye of a hurricane:

A) the skies are usually perfectly clear, with no clouds to be seen.
B) the air temperature is colder than anywhere else in the storm.
C) air is sinking and warming by compression.
D) the most intense thunderstorms of the hurricane are forming.

Question 61

Name 3 factors that cause the reduction of hurricane intensity after it makes landfall.

Question 62

As a strong hurricane moves ashore, which of the following causes the most devastating damage in the coastal zone?

A) torrential rains
B) lightning
C) storm surge
D) strong winds

Question 63

The rain associated with a hurricane:

A) can often bring benefits that outweigh the losses.
B) is only threatening in the immediate area where the hurricane makes landfall.
C) always leads to torrential flooding, no matter where the hurricane makes landfall.
D) is never associated with deaths in a hurricane.

Question 64

List and describe four tools used to track hurricanes and develop forecasts.

Question 65

A ________ is issued when sustained winds of 119 kilometers per hour or higher are expected within a specified coastal area in 24 hours or less.

Question 66

What circumstance may inhibit further development of a hurricane by diminishing air's ability to rise?

A) trade wind inversion
B) strong upper- level winds
C) unstable air
D) convergence at the surface

Question 67

The __________scale is used to rank the relative intensity of hurricanes.

Question 68

Hurricane force winds affect a much larger area than storm surge.

Question 69

List the three broad classes of hurricane damage.

Question 70

When is a hurricane warning issued?

Question 71

A tropical storm is given a name that it will keep if it becomes a hurricane.

Question 72

Hurricanes in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones.

Question 73

What system is used to name hurricanes if the established list of names is exhausted in a given year?

A) U.S. Presidents
B) Latitude/longitude
C) Roman numerals
D) The Greek alphabet

Question 74

In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons.

Question 75

What general circulation wind belt is the place of origin for hurricanes?

A) westerlies
B) horse latitudes
C) doldrums
D) trade winds

Question 76

What are the peak months for hurricane activity in the North Atlantic?

Question 77

The deadliest natural disaster OF ANY KIND to ever occur in the United States was:

A) Hurricane Katrina.
B) The 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
C) The eruption of Mt. St. Helen's.
D) The Great Storm of 1900.

Question 78

Surface wind speeds inside a hurricane are estimated by:

A) measuring them with instruments on hurricane hunter aircraft.
B) calculating 90% of the wind speeds measured in the upper portions of the storm.
C) doubling the wind speeds measured on the outer perimeter of the storm.
D) analyzing wave patterns visible in satellite imagery.

Question 79

Hurricanes can sustain their maximum wind speed for quite awhile after making landfall.

Question 80

The term hurricane is derived from Huracan, a Carib god of evil.