Deck 5: Atmospheric Water and Weather

Question 1

Earth is properly characterized as

A) the land planet.
B) a small star.
C) the water planet.
D) lacking a hydrosphere.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Water molecules bind tightly to one another. This is a result of

A) hydrogen bonding.
B) covalent bonding.
C) atomic friction.
D) molecular hold.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Water has a density of

A) 0.5 g/cm.
B) 1 g/cm.
C) 2.5 g/cm.
D) 15 g/cm.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Other than ice sheets and glaciers, the largest repository of fresh water is located in

A) lakes and saline seas.
B) groundwater.
C) soil moisture storage.
D) rivers and streams.

Question 5

Which of the following is true of the distribution of land and water on Earth?

A) The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by water.
B) The Northern Hemisphere is dominated by water.
C) They are evenly distributed in both hemispheres.
D) Most of the water on Earth is fresh water.

Question 6

The present quantity of water on Earth was achieved approximately ________.

A) one million years ago
B) 500 million years ago
C) two billion years ago
D) 10,000 years ago (end of ice age)

Question 7

Earth's oceans possess

A) most of the fresh water on Earth.
B) about the same amount of water as is in the atmosphere.
C) fifty percent of Earth's waters.
D) ninety-seven percent of Earth's waters.

Question 8

Water covers some ________ of Earth's surface.

A) 50 percent
B) 90 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 71 percent

Question 9

When water freezes, its density

A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains the same as in the liquid state.

Question 10

Eustasy refers to

A) worldwide changes in land masses.
B) a steady-state equilibrium in the water system.
C) changes in water distribution related to the increase or decrease in quantities of ice.
D) worldwide changes in sea level.

Question 11

Which of the following is correct?

A) A person can survive for 8 to 12 days without food.
B) The human body is about 50 percent water by weight.
C) Humans can survive only 2 or 3 days without water.
D) Earth is covered some 50 percent by water.

Question 12

During the height of the last ice age, approximately 18,000 years ago, sea level

A) rose by a few hundred feet.
B) dropped by a few hundred feet.
C) remained constant.

Question 13

Surface tension and capillarity are the result of

A) hydrogen bonding between water molecules.
B) covalent bonding.
C) atomic friction.
D) molecular hold.

Question 14

Which is true regarding water in rivers, streams, and the atmosphere?

A) They contain 0.033 percent of the world's fresh water supply.
B) The total amount of water in these locations is equal to 14,250 km³ (3400 mi³).
C) On average, a water molecule travels through the hydrologic cycle in less than two weeks.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 15

Earth's water supply originated from

A) asteroids.
B) outgassing from within Earth.
C) gases expelled from the Sun, i.e., solar wind.
D) photosynthesis.

Question 16

Water is a good solvent because

A) it expands when it freezes.
B) it has an asymmetrical charge distribution (one end is positive and the other negative).
C) it undergoes phase changes over a relatively narrow range of temperatures.
D) it is transparent.

Question 17

If water behaved like other compounds,

A) icebergs would sink to the bottom of the oceans.
B) the whole iceberg would float just below the surface.
C) it would shrink as it cooled and froze.
D) all of the above
E) A and C only

Question 18

Water movement through the soil and water held in a straw above the surface of the liquid you are drinking result from a common phenomenon. What is this phenomenon?

A) barometric pressure
B) surface tension
C) capillarity
D) vacuum suction

Question 19

The largest portion of $\underline { \text { fresh } }$ water today is located in

A) clouds.
B) groundwater resources.
C) ice caps and glaciers.
D) the major rivers and lakes of the world.

Question 20

The term deposition refers to

A) water freezing to ice.
B) ice melting to water.
C) vapor condensing into liquid.
D) water vapor freezing to ice.

Question 21

Which of the following is used to measure relative humidity?

A) wet and dry barometers
B) a damp piece of paper
C) instruments using human hair, or wet and dry bulb thermometers

Question 22

What is the heat energy involved in the change of state, or phase, in water?

A) mechanical heat
B) sensible heat
C) fusion heat
D) latent heat

Question 23

In order to melt $\underline { \text { two } }$ grams of ice, how many calories of heat energy must be added to the ice during its phase change? (specific heat of water = 1 cal/gm; heat of fusion = 85 cal/gm)
(heat of vaporization = 585 cal/gm; heat of sublimation = 670 cal/gm)

A) 2
B) 170
C) 172
D) 1170
E) 1340

Question 24

When water condenses, it ________ heat energy and ________ the surrounding air.

A) absorbs; cools
B) absorbs; heats
C) releases; cools
D) releases; heats

Question 25

A mass of air always becomes saturated when it reaches the

A) highest temperature of the day.
B) lowest temperature of the day.
C) specific humidity point.
D) dew-point temperature.

Question 26

Water vapor in the atmosphere is called

A) water.
B) deposition.
C) sublimation.
D) humidity.

Question 27

When water evaporates, it ________ heat energy and ________ the surrounding air.

A) absorbs; cools
B) absorbs heats
C) releases; cools
D) releases; heats

Question 28

Relative humidity is

A) the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the normal amount.
B) the amount of moisture in the air relative to your own sensible feelings.
C) the amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature expressed as a percentage of the moisture capacity of the air.
D) a basically unused concept when it comes to weather topics.

Question 29

The greater the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer, the ________ the air is and the ________ the relative humidity.

A) drier; higher
B) drier; lower
C) wetter; higher
D) wetter; lower

Question 30

Which of the following is true regarding the evaporation of water?

A) The phase change involves the latent heat of sublimation.
B) The phase change involves the latent heat of evaporation.
C) The phase change involves the latent heat of deposition.
D) The phase change involves the sensible heat of vaporization

Question 31

The elevation at which the bottoms of clouds begin to form represents the elevation at which

A) dew point occurs.
B) relative humidity reaches 100 percent.
C) absolute humidity reaches 100 percent.
D) both A and B
E) both A and C

Question 32

The capacity of the air to hold water vapor is basically a function of

A) the temperature of both the water vapor and the air.
B) the water vapor content.
C) freezing temperature.
D) latent heat.

Question 33

In winter, freezing water can break pipes and even crack engine blocks. Why does this happen?

A) Water expands in volume as it freezes in response to hydrogen bonding.
B) Ice is denser than water.
C) Water contracts as it cools and freezes.
D) It occurs because of the latent heat of fusion.

Question 34

When frost forms, it

A) warms the air by releasing 680 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
B) warms the air by releasing 80 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
C) cools the air by releasing 680 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
D) cools the air by releasing 80 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.

Question 35

Both the latent heat of melting (heat of fusion) and the latent heat of freezing involve the absorption or release of ________ calories per gram of water changing state.

A) 80
B) 100
C) 540
D) 585

Question 36

The process of sublimation in the atmosphere produces

A) fog.
B) freezing rain.
C) snowflakes.
D) sleet.

Question 37

Most of the precipitation and evaporation on Earth takes place over the

A) land masses.
B) oceans.
C) poles of the planet.
D) ice caps and glaciers combined.

Question 38

A humidity measure that remains constant as temperature and pressure change, and which is expressed as a mass of water vapor per mass (g/kg) of air, is

A) specific humidity.
B) vapor pressure.
C) relative humidity.
D) the dew-point.

Question 39

Which of the following phase changes involves the greatest number of calories?

A) melting
B) evaporation
C) sublimation
D) condensation

Question 40

As temperature increases during the day, relative humidity usually

A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains the same.

Question 41

All adiabatic temperature changes occur as a result of

A) the addition or removal of heat energy from the air.
B) changes in the absolute humidity of the air.
C) expansion or compression of the air.

Question 42

Air that is not saturated will cool or heat at a rate of ________ as it rises or descends, respectively.

A) 10C degrees per 1000 m (5.5F degrees per 1000 ft)
B) 6C degrees per 1000 m (3.3F degrees per 1000 ft)
C) 6.4C degrees per 1000 m (3.5F degrees per 1000 ft)

Question 43

The condensation process requires

A) dew-point temperatures alone.
B) condensation nuclei and saturated air.
C) moisture droplets.
D) condensation nuclei alone.

Question 44

Which of the following is true regarding cirrostratus clouds?

A) They look like patches of cotton balls, or cotton balls arranged in lines.
B) The sun's outline is just visible through these clouds.
C) They form a veil of ice crystals that creates a halo around the Moon.
D) They are sharply outlined, and billowy.

Question 45

An air parcel is considered $\underline {\text { unstable }}$ when it

A) either remains as it is, or changes its initial position.
B) continues to rise until it reaches an altitude at which the surrounding air has a similar density.
C) resists displacement upward.
D) ceases to ascend.

Question 46

Which of the following are correctly matched?

A) flat or layered clouds - cumulus
B) puffy or globular clouds - cirroform
C) puffy or globular clouds - cumuliform
D) wispy clouds - water droplets

Question 47

A dry air parcel that is rising because of heat energy derived from the surface is

A) stable.
B) unstable.
C) conditionally unstable.

Question 48

Which type of cloud would dominate the weather in a region of tropical rain forests?

A) cirrus
B) altostratus
C) cumulonimbus
D) cirrocumulus

Question 49

Which of the following is a middle-level cloud type?

A) cirrostratus
B) stratocumulus
C) cumulonimbus
D) altostratus

Question 50

As air $\underline { sinks }$ down the leeward side of a mountain, it will move into a region of ________ air pressure and will therefore be ________ by compression.

A) higher; heated
B) higher; cooled
C) lower; heated
D) lower; cooled

Question 51

Florida has the highest thunderstorm frequency in the U.S. because

A) the Florida peninsula heats to high temperatures during the day.
B) mT air masses surround the peninsula.
C) frequent, strong cold fronts occur in the Florida area.
D) all of the above
E) A and B only

Question 52

Areas between 25 degrees to 35 degrees latitude usually become ________ because this area is dominated by air that is sinking and being ________.

A) deserts; cooled by expansion
B) deserts; heated by compression
C) rain forests; cooled by expansion
D) rain forests; heated by compression

Question 53

The general term that refers to the tendency of a parcel of air to either remain in place or change its initial position is ________.

A) adiabatic
B) stability
C) conditional instability
D) stasis

Question 54

When the environmental lapse rate is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates conditions are described as

A) adiabatic.
B) stable.
C) conditionally unstable.
D) unstable.

Question 55

The wet adiabatic rate is ________ than the dry adiabatic rate because ________.

A) greater; condensation heats the air
B) greater; condensation cools the air
C) less; condensation heats the air
D) less; condensation cools the air

Question 56

Clouds that have vertical development and produce precipitation are called

A) stratocumulus.
B) cumulonimbus.
C) nimbostratus.
D) cumulus.

Question 57

Which of the following normally would be true of the humidity above the tropical rain forests of the world?

A) The specific humidity would be high.
B) The relative humidity would be high.
C) The saturation vapor pressure would be high.
D) All of these are true.
E) None of these are true.

Question 58

Assume a warm air parcel at Earth's surface has a temperature of 21 degrees C (70 degrees F) and begins to rise upward. Assume it becomes saturated at 1000 m (3300 ft) altitude, and continues to rise to 2000 m (6600 ft) altitude. What would the approximate temperature of the parcel be at an elevation of 2000 m (6600 ft)?

A) 7 degrees C (44.6 degrees F)
B) 8 degrees C (46.4 degrees F)
C) 9 degrees C (48.2 degrees F)
D) 5 degrees C (41.0 degrees F)

Question 59

Which cloud type is specifically a good indicator of an arriving storm, say within the next 24 hours?

A) fog
B) cumulus
C) stratocumulus
D) cirrus

Question 60

An individual raindrop consists of approximately ________ moisture droplets.

A) 2
B) 100
C) 1 million
D) 1 trillion

Question 61

With respect to the three main lifting (cooling) mechanisms (local heating, orographic, and frontal), which of the following is correct?

A) The greatest average annual rainfall on Earth is due to local heating and frontal activity.
B) A single convectional storm triggered by local heating affects large geographical regions.
C) We do not get all three mechanisms within the United States.
D) Given the necessary physical requirements, orographic precipitation is usually the most consistent type of the three.

Question 62

Which of the following is true regarding air masses?

A) An air mass always retains the characteristics of its source region.
B) They are homogenous in terms of temperature and humidity.
C) They extend to the bottom of the stratosphere.
D) They are classified based on their latitude.

Question 63

The transition from the Ice Age to the present warm conditions can best be considered an example of

A) a change in weather.
B) a change in climate.
C) changes in the midlatitude wave-cyclone cycle.
D) transition from a cold front to a warm front.

Question 64

Cooling of a surface overnight that chills the air layer directly above that surface may form

A) an advection fog.
B) an upslope fog.
C) an evaporation fog.
D) a radiation fog.

Question 65

Which type of cloud would you most likely see on a regular basis in a subtropical desert during the summer?

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

Question 66

Which of the following would result in the modification of the air mass?

A) A mT air mass moving across Texas.
B) A cP air mass moving across the Great Lakes.
C) A cT air mass moving across the Gulf of Mexico.
D) An cA air mass moving across the Gulf of Alaska.
E) all of the above

Question 67

Lake effect snow involves

A) heavy snowfall on the leeward shores of Great Lakes.
B) heavy snowfall on the windward shores of the Great Lakes.
C) cP and cA air masses being humidified and warmed by the Great Lakes.
D) A and C only
E) all of the above

Question 68

Weather is

A) the climate of a region.
B) the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
C) the long-term atmospheric condition, including extremes that may occur.
D) a reference to temperature patterns only.

Question 69

Which is false regarding weather-related damage?

A) The cost has increased 500% during the last 20 years.
B) The cost has reached $10 billion annually.
C) The damage has never exceeded $90 billion worldwide.
D) Damage from just Hurricane Katrina will exceed $130 Billion.

Question 70

A radiation fog is most likely to develop when

A) the nighttime air is very warm.
B) the sky is full of stratus clouds.
C) the sky is clear.
D) both A and B
E) both B and C

Question 71

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

A) fog - a stratus cloud that is high in elevation off the ground
B) cP - coldest weather conditions in the Midwest
C) precipitation - rain, sleet, snow, hail
D) cloud droplets - condensation nuclei and water

Question 72

Air masses that develop over Canada are examples of ________ air masses.

A) mT
B) mP
C) cT
D) cP

Question 73

A fog that develops when warm, moist air blows over a cold current (such as the California Current) is an example of ________ fog.

A) radiation
B) convection
C) advection
D) evaporation

Question 74

Which of the following pressure systems reside within the source region for mP air masses?

A) Bermuda high and Pacific high
B) Aleutian low and Icelandic low
C) Bermuda high and Icelandic low
D) Aleutian low and Pacific high

Question 75

On cool spring mornings, veils of fog can often be seen rising above warm lakes and ponds. This type fog is an example of ________ fog.

A) radiation
B) convection
C) advection
D) evaporation

Question 76

Over the last two decades, costs for weather-related destruction has, on an annual basis,

A) decreased.
B) increased two-fold.
C) increased five-fold.
D) stayed about the same.

Question 77

The scientific study of the atmosphere is

A) weather.
B) climate.
C) meteorology.
D) geography.

Question 78

A mT air mass is likely to be ________ than a cT air mass because the mT air mass ________.

A) wetter; is warmer than the cT air mass
B) wetter; forms over the ocean
C) drier; is a cold air mass
D) drier; forms under the equatorial low
E) hotter; forms over the ocean

Question 79

A well-developed, newly formed cP air mass would have which of the following characteristics?

A) cold temperatures
B) clear skies
C) high pressure
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 80

Fog often lingers in river valleys because

A) the water in the river cools off faster at night than the land does.
B) cold air sinks into low areas such as river valleys.
C) some evaporation may occur from the river, thereby supplying moisture to the cooler atmosphere.
D) both A and B
E) both B and C