Deck 6: Moisture, Condensation, and Precipitation

Question 1

The relative humidity of a parcel of air can change even if the amount of moisture within it stays constant.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The normal (environmental)lapse rate is always precisely 6.5 ° C per 1000 meters.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Cirrocumulus are low level clouds.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The drier the air and the lower the relative humidity, the greater the evaporation rate will be.

Question 5

The wet adiabatic lapse rate cools faster with rising altitude than the dry adiabatic lapse rate.

Question 6

Frost is dew that forms, but then freezes.

Question 7

Adiabatic heating and cooling of air does not involve the input or output of external heat to, or from, an air parcel.

Question 8

The total amount of atmospheric water remains nearly constant.

Question 9

The only substance on Earth that occurs naturally as a liquid, a solid, and a gas is ____. ​

A)argon
B)oxygen
C)carbon dioxide
D)water
E)iron

Question 10

Rainwater is slightly acidic because it absorbs ____ in the atmosphere. ​

A)oxygen ​
B)nitrogen
C)methane
D)argon
E)carbon dioxide

Question 11

If an unsaturated parcel of air is cooled, it will eventually reach a temperature where the air will become saturated. This temperature is known as the ____. ​

A)environmental temperature
B)dew point
C)lifting condensation level
D)adiabatic
E)stratus

Question 12

The hydrologic cycle for the Earth system as a whole can be considered a closed system because there is no gain or loss of water.

Question 13

The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is the world's driest region.

Question 14

Condensation in the atmosphere always results in precipitation.

Question 15

The closer the dew point temperature is to the actual air temperature, the lower the relative humidity.

Question 16

A radiation fog is likely to form during the occurrence of a ground inversion.

Question 17

As the temperature of a parcel of air increases, its capacity for water vapor ____. ​

A)increases
B)decreases
C)remains constant
D)increases, then decreases
E)decreases, then increases

Question 18

If a parcel of air at 30° C is saturated, and its temperature is raised to 40° C, water vapor will be forced to condense.

Question 19

The circulation of water from one part of the general Earth system to another is known as the ____. ​

A)condensation cycle ​
B)hydrologic cycle
C)environmental cycle
D)evaporation cycle
E)carbon cycle

Question 20

Increased wind decreases evaporation rates.

Question 21

Which precipitation mechanism takes place when a warmer air mass rises after encountering a colder, denser air mass? ​

A)convectional precipitation
B)frontal precipitation
C)cyclonic (or convergence)precipitation
D)orographic precipitation
E)radiation precipitation

Question 22

The phrase "rain shadow" is associated with which type of precipitation? ​

A)convectional
B)orographic
C)cyclonic
D)frontal
E)Bergeron

Question 23

Which type of fog occurs due to cold ground surfaces that have cooled from the loss of thermal energy to space? ​

A)upslope fog ​
B)advection fog
C)radiation fog
D)convection fog
E)conduction fog

Question 24

Which cloud type is associated with severe storms? ​

A)nimbostratus ​
B)cumulonimbus
C)cirrostratus
D)altocumulus
E)cirrus

Question 25

The amount of water vapor in the air compared to the greatest amount of water the air could hold at a given temperature is known as the ____. ​

A)saturated humidity
B)specific humidity
C)absolute humidity
D)relative humidity
E)potential humidity

Question 26

Under conditions of ____, the normal lapse rate is less than the adiabatic rate in operation. ​

A)instability
B)neutrality
C)precipitation
D)stability
E)rime

Question 27

Which type of fog occurs when a warm moist marine air mass moves over a cold land mass? ​

A)advection fog
B)radiation fog
C)upslope fog
D)frost fog
E)ground fog

Question 28

Clouds are generally named based on which two characteristics? ​

A)temperature and shape
B)height and shape
C)latitude and height
D)height and width
E)temperature and width

Question 29

Potential evapotranspiration is the maximum evapotranspiration that would take place with ____. ​

A)a cloudless sky
B)an unlimited supply of water
C)water at 99° C
D)air temperatures 10° C below current conditions
E)air at 0% relative humidity

Question 30

Many of the great deserts of the world coincide with the ____. ​

A)equatorial low ​
B)subtropical highs
C)subpolar lows
D)polar highs
E)polar front

Question 31

Most of the fresh water on Earth is found in ____. ​

A)groundwater
B)lakes
C)the atmosphere
D)rivers
E)glacial ice

Question 32

An unusual and important property of water is that its volume expands when it ____. ​

A)melts from ice
B)experiences higher atmospheric pressure
C)freezes into a solid
D)encounters plant roots
E)flows at greater velocities

Question 33

Most of the water on Earth can be found in ____. ​

A)the atmosphere
B)the ocean
C)groundwater
D)glaciers
E)rivers and lakes

Question 34

Low, layered clouds associated with gray, overcast skies are called ____. ​

A)cirrus
B)stratus
C)lenticular
D)cumulonimbus
E)cumulus

Question 35

Clouds typically develop because ____. ​

A)the temperature of a parcel of air increases
B)a parcel of air rises and cools
C)water vapor is added to a parcel of air
D)a parcel of air descends
E)condensation nuclei are added to a parcel of air

Question 36

The ____ of a parcel of air can change as the parcel of air rises, simply because the volume of the parcel of air increases. ​

A)specific humidity ​
B)relative humidity
C)potential humidity
D)absolute humidity ​
E)partial humidity

Question 37

The weight of water vapor (grams)in a particular volume of air (cubic meter)is referred to as ____. ​

A)specific humidity
B)relative humidity
C)potential humidity
D)absolute humidity
E)partial humidity

Question 38

Clouds with "nimbo" or "nimbus" in their name are associated with ____. ​

A)precipitation
B)ice crystals
C)high altitudes
D)lightning and thunder
E)a sheet-like shape

Question 39

A cloud formed by rapidly rising columns of air that can ascend to great heights is called a ____ cloud. ​

A)cirrus
B)lenticular
C)stratus
D)cumulonimbus
E)cirrostratus

Question 40

The amount of water vapor in the air at a time and place is called ____. ​

A)capacity
B)the saturation deficit
C)humidity
D)the precipitation potential
E)transpiration

Question 41

The ice that forms when supercooled water droplets come in contact with a cold surface is called _______________.

Question 42

Explain the processes and conditions that contribute to the formation of clouds with a flat bottom.

Question 43

The process by which water pulls itself upward through small openings is called _______________. (two words)

Question 44

The most common form of precipitation, by far, is _______________.

Question 45

Rising parcels of air expand as they counter decrease atmospheric pressure with altitude, causing the parcel's air temperature to decrease in a process called _______________. (two words)

Question 46

Freezing nuclei are a part of the _______________ process of forming precipitation.

Question 47

Why is the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile (if not the driest)one of the driest places on Earth?

Question 48

The altitude at which clouds form from lifting is called the _______________. (three words)

Question 49

There are three basic shapes of clouds: cirrus, stratus, and _______________.

Question 50

Explain why higher relative humidity can make weather feel warmer to us than a day with the same temperature but lower relative humidity.

Question 51

Rain that freezes as it falls through a thick layer of sub-freezing air near the surface is called _______________.

Question 52

Why are the dry adiabatic lapse rate and the wet adiabatic lapse rate different?

Question 53

The process by which plants give up moisture to the air is called _______________.

Question 54

Minute particles in the atmosphere that provide a surface on which condensation can take place are called _______________. (two words)

Question 55

When air of a given temperature holds all the water vapor that it possibly can, it is said to be in a state of _______________.

Question 56

The energy that drives the hydrologic cycle comes from the _______________.

Question 57

Clouds take on three distinctive shapes. What are they, and what do they look like?

Question 58

Liquid water cooler than 0° C is called _______________ water.

Question 59

The _______________ humidity of a parcel of air is expressed as a percentage of saturation.

Question 60

The combined effects of evaporation and transpiration are referred to as _______________.