Deck 5: Atmospheric Pressure and Wind

Question 1

The region in which the intertropical convergence can be found is ________.

A) near the North Pole
B) the Equator
C) the Southeastern United States
D) northern Australia
E) central Siberia

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The jet stream of the midlatitudes can usually be found at elevations ranging from ________ kilometers.

A) 1 to 2
B) 9 to 12
C) 20 to 31
D) 50 to 87
E) 103 to 107

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The "mistral", "taku", "bore" are regional names for a gravity flow wind which is properly termed a ________.

A) sea breeze
B) Hadley cell
C) monsoon
D) katabatic wind
E) foehn

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Flowing air responding to the difference between higher and lower pressure is responding to the ________.

A) pressure gradient
B) Coriolis effect
C) anticyclone
D) intertropical convergence
E) trade winds

Question 5

The "horse latitudes" are zones of minimal winds which are associated with the ________ system.

A) subtropical high pressure
B) trade wind
C) westerly wind
D) polar easterly wind
E) intertropical convergence

Question 6

Which factor is corrected for on most maps of atmospheric pressure?

A) wind
B) latitude
C) longitude
D) altitude
E) Coriolis effect

Question 7

A large scale vertical downward motion in the atmosphere is a ________.

A) wind
B) tornado
C) front
D) subsidence
E) Coriolis effect

Question 8

Sea breezes rarely penetrate more than ________ kilometers inland.

A) 0.3
B) 3
C) 30
D) 300
E) 3,000

Question 9

A wet monsoon is associated with high rainfall totals and is caused by ________.

A) gravitational forces
B) volcanic gases
C) a seasonal reversal of winds
D) the jet stream
E) Coriolis effect

Question 10

Sinking air that diverges when it reaches Earth's surface is closely associated with ________.

A) anticyclones
B) tornadoes
C) the absence of Coriolis effect
D) the absence of friction
E) cyclones

Question 11

Cold winds pouring downhill because of gravity are called ________.

A) monsoons
B) katabatic winds
C) valley breezes
D) trade winds
E) cyclones

Question 12

Trade winds are found ________.

A) between 25° north and south of the Equator
B) between 25° north and south of the Arctic Circle
C) centered on the longitudinal zone of the Prime Meridian
D) north of the monsoon regions
E) over all of the world's deserts

Question 13

Surface westerly winds on a global scale exist because of air flow out of the ________ of the general circulation.

A) subtropical high pressure
B) intertropical convergence
C) polar easterlies
D) sub polar low pressure
E) equatorial low

Question 14

The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is ________.

A) pounds per square inch
B) knots
C) miles per hour
D) millibars
E) micrometers

Question 15

The polar front and subtropical jet streams are both high-altitude flows which circulate ________.

A) in the tropics
B) at the poles
C) along the Prime Meridian
D) from east to west
E) from west to east

Question 16

The phenomenon most directly responsible for the seasonally moist climate of northern Australia is

A) tornadoes.
B) jet stream.
C) monsoon.
D) Hadley cells.
E) convection.

Question 17

Wind speed may be roughly indicated by ________.

A) spacing of isobars on a weather map
B) reading a barometer
C) the cardinal direction on a weather map
D) checking the thermometer
E) reading the hygrometer

Question 18

A counterclockwise atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is known as a/an ________.

A) anticyclone
B) cyclone
C) Coriolis effect
D) pressure gradient
E) troposphere

Question 19

The contact zone of warm tropical and cold polar air is known as the

A) subtropical high.
B) polar easterlies.
C) polar front.
D) monsoon.
E) intertropical convergence.

Question 20

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its temperature and ________.

A) turbidity
B) volume of water vapor
C) density
D) atomic number
E) atomic weight

Question 21

The "snow-eater" wind of the Rocky Mountains is called the ________.

A) chinook
B) monsoon
C) Santa Ana
D) Rossby
E) Hadley

Question 22

Geostrophic wind always flows ________.

A) parallel to the isobars
B) to the left
C) counterclockwise
D) slowly
E) at the surface of the Earth

Question 23

Katabatic winds are those which ________.

A) flow parallel to isobars
B) flow up narrow valleys
C) flow down narrow valleys
D) spiral counterclockwise
E) are associated with flat regions

Question 24

Surface winds tend to be ________ those at a higher level.

A) faster than
B) slower than
C) clockwise to
D) counterclockwise to
E) the same as

Question 25

Which portion of the United States tends to have the greatest average wind speeds in all seasons?

A) New England
B) the Great Lakes
C) the Great Plains
D) the Rocky Mountains
E) the Pacific Coast

Question 26

________ is (are) found in the equatorial zone.

A) The intertropical convergence zone
B) Horse latitudes
C) Trade winds
D) Westerlies
E) Polar easterlies

Question 27

Air in an anticyclone always flows ________ in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) counterclockwise
B) clockwise
C) slowly
D) from the northeast
E) from the southwest

Question 28

Wind speed is determined by ________.

A) latitude
B) parallax
C) pressure gradient force
D) Coriolis effect
E) random motions of gas molecules

Question 29

The so-called "winds of commerce" are the ________ winds.

A) horse latitude
B) Rossby wave
C) trade
D) monsoon
E) westerly

Question 30

Circulation in the troposphere is mainly a(n) ________ system.

A) equilibrium
B) cascading
C) open
D) closed
E) non-existent

Question 31

________ and ________ both occur at night.

A) Sea breezes, land breezes
B) Land breezes, valley breezes
C) Valley breezes, mountain breezes
D) Mountain breezes, land breezes
E) Sea breezes, mountain breezes

Question 32

Rossby waves are

A) tropical jet streams.
B) large undulations in the upper air westerlies.
C) reversed Hadley cells.
D) continental scale sea breezes.
E) ocean currents.

Question 33

________ are map lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.

A) Isobars
B) Millibars
C) Contours
D) Isohyets
E) Isotherms

Question 34

Which of the below is located at the top of the troposphere above the polar front?

A) the subtropical jet stream
B) the antitrade winds
C) the doldrums
D) the polar easterlies
E) the Rossby waves

Question 35

The polar front jet stream is

A) found above the polar front.
B) found above the boundary of warm and cold air.
C) usually to the north of the core of the upper westerlies.
D) not continuous around the Earth.
E) described by all of the above.

Question 36

The doldrums are most closely associated with ________.

A) polar fronts
B) STHs
C) ITCZ
D) Rossby waves
E) VTR

Question 37

An example of a geostrophic wind is ________.

A) chinook
B) Hadley cell
C) monsoon
D) jet stream
E) one caused by gravity

Question 38

As a general rule, friction is greatest ________.

A) near Earth's surface
B) at jet stream altitudes
C) near the poles
D) near the Equator
E) in the middle latitudes

Question 39

Africa's most prominent monsoon circulation can be found in the ________ part of the continent.

A) northern
B) eastern
C) central
D) western
E) southern

Question 40

"Zonal" air flow means a/an ________ flow of air.

A) west-east
B) east-west
C) north-south
D) south-north
E) fast

Question 41

Coriolis effect exists because

A) the Earth rotates.
B) gravity exists.
C) friction and pressure gradient are balanced.
D) geostrophic force and gravity are balanced.
E) the Earth is an oblate spheroid.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT descriptive of the intertropical convergence zone?

A) convergence of the trade winds
B) light and variable winds
C) centered on the Equator
D) associated with rising air
E) a cloud-free set of places

Question 43

Which of the following is the force that initially causes the wind to blow?

A) Coriolis
B) geostrophic
C) gravity
D) pressure gradient
E) friction

Question 44

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its density and ________.

A) altitude
B) adiabatic rate
C) temperature
D) chemical composition
E) friction

Question 45

Divergence is most closely associated with ________.

A) surface air in cyclones
B) surface air in anticyclones
C) cold air circulations
D) jet stream circulations
E) the intertropical convergence zone

Question 46

The city of Chicago has a latitude (42°N) within which part of the global circulation?

A) trade winds
B) subtropical high
C) polar easterlies
D) antitrade winds
E) westerlies

Question 47

You are standing on a shoreline with the ocean to your west. The wind is traveling from west to east. The wind would be called

A) windward.
B) onshore.
C) easterly.
D) leeward.
E) offshore.

Question 48

A regular mile an hour is 5,280 feet per hour. A knot is

A) slightly faster than a regular mile per hour.
B) slightly slower than a regular mile per hour.
C) much faster than a regular mile an hour.
D) much slower than a regular mile an hour.
E) a metric unit of measurement.

Question 49

At any given time, there are usually ________ Rossby waves in the westerly winds of each hemisphere.

A) 1-2
B) 3-6
C) 10-20
D) 50-100
E) thousands upon thousands

Question 50

City A has an air pressure of 1,000 millibars. City B has an air pressure of 1004 millibars. The distance between the two cities is 100 kilometers. The difference of 4 millibars over 100 kilometers is known as

A) wind.
B) force.
C) the pressure gradient.
D) velocity.
E) Coriolis effect.

Question 51

Modern wind farms started appearing on the American landscape in the ________.

A) 1950s
B) 1960s
C) 1970s
D) 1980s
E) 1990s

Question 52

Which of the following is TRUE concerning the surface westerlies?

A) are the most reliable air flow on Earth
B) are found from 10-20 degrees away from the Equator
C) are composed of winds from all directions
D) are unrelated to the jet streams
E) cause weather to move from east to west

Question 53

Most of the broad-scale air-movements that comprise the general circulation are ________.

A) vertical
B) horizontal
C) adiabatic
D) jet streams
E) none of the above

Question 54

Above the influence of friction, most winds follow a ________ course.

A) geostrophic
B) anticyclonic
C) prevailing
D) clockwise
E) chaotic and turbulent

Question 55

________ knots is the minimum speed for a wind aloft to be termed a "jet stream".

A) 6
B) 60
C) 600
D) 6,000
E) 60,000

Question 56

In which situation would Coriolis effect be GREATEST?

A) low wind speeds, low latitude
B) low wind speeds, high latitude
C) high wind speeds, high latitude
D) high wind speeds, low latitude
E) Coriolis effect is a constant.

Question 57

Rising and falling of air over large areas is most properly known as ________ and ________.

A) rising, falling
B) ascent, subsidence
C) updrafts, downdrafts
D) swell, swal
E) give, take

Question 58

The intertropical convergence zone may be found as far as ________ north of the Equator in July.

A) 5°
B) 25°
C) 65°
D) 90°
E) 135°

Question 59

In a surface cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral

A) clockwise and inward.
B) clockwise and outward.
C) counterclockwise and inward.
D) counterclockwise and outward.
E) to the west.

Question 60

Which of the following does NOT act upon winds that blow far above the surface of the Earth?

A) Coriolis
B) geostrophic
C) gravity
D) pressure gradient
E) friction

Question 61

The major global wind and pressure systems

A) stay in just about the same place the entire year.
B) are controlled by Earth/Sun distance.
C) shift with the seasons.
D) are found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.
E) seem to be independent of the jet stream.

Question 62

Cyclones, in the Northern Hemisphere, are ________ air flows.

A) clockwise
B) counterclockwise
C) northflowing
D) southflowing
E) mythical

Question 63

The place with the fastest average winds on Earth is

A) in Antarctica.
B) in Siberia.
C) in Oklahoma.
D) in the Himalaya Mountains.
E) in Death Valley, California.

Question 64

In the Northern Hemisphere, air converging in a counterclockwise direction, is termed a(n) ________.

A) dyne
B) cyclone
C) anticyclone
D) westerly
E) Coriolis effect

Question 65

La Niña

A) occurs in the Northern Hemisphere.
B) is a phenomenon that was recognized centuries ago.
C) stops the upwelling of cold ocean water.
D) is a middle latitude phenomenon.
E) is the opposite of El Niño.

Question 66

El Niño is most closely associated with

A) Africa.
B) strengthening of a subtropical high.
C) weakening of a cold current.
D) normal weather around the world.
E) the polar front jet stream.

Question 67

The seasonal shift of the intertropical convergence is greatest ________.

A) at high latitudes
B) over the oceans
C) at high altitudes
D) over the continents
E) at a bar called Joe's in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Question 68

This part of the global circulation is characterized by rising air, widespread cloudiness, precipitation, and migratory storms.

A) polar high
B) subtropical high
C) subpolar low
D) intertropical convergence
E) trade winds

Question 69

A(n) ________ is a linear zone of lower pressure between two areas of high pressure.

A) storm
B) anticyclone
C) trough
D) cyclone
E) ridge

Question 70

A north wind

A) is blowing to the north.
B) is blowing to the south.
C) is always a cold wind on Earth.
D) can mean any of the above because of the lack of precise wind terms.
E) is blowing from the east to the north.

Question 71

Where would be the most likely place to find a subtropical high?

A) near the Equator
B) above the polar front jet stream
C) over the tropical continents
D) over subtropical oceans
E) at any of the above locations

Question 72

Gas molecules in the lower atmosphere

A) are strongly bound to each other.
B) infrequently collide with each other.
C) tend to explode when they collide with each other.
D) tend to stay at rest.
E) are not described by any of the above

Question 73

The reason winds exist is ________.

A) the unequal heating of the Earth system
B) Coriolis effect
C) because air is a mixture of gases
D) friction
E) altitude differences

Question 74

Which of the following refers only to the horizontal motion of air?

A) the general circulation
B) subsidence
C) updraft
D) a balance of atmospheric forces
E) wind

Question 75

Which of the following occurs closest to the Equator?

A) polar front
B) subpolar low
C) westerlies
D) doldrums
E) subtropical high

Question 76

When surface cold air pushes far equatorward and warm air pushes far poleward ________.

A) there are few Rossby waves
B) the Rossby waves have great amplitude
C) the westerlies reverse flow and become easterlies
D) the polar front is weakest
E) the subtropical high arrives overhead

Question 77

In a surface anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral

A) clockwise and inward.
B) clockwise and outward.
C) counterclockwise and inward.
D) counterclockwise and outward.
E) to the west

Question 78

The antitrade winds can be found

A) in the polar regions.
B) in the intertropical convergence zone.
C) near the polar front jet stream.
D) in the tropics blowing from north to south.
E) at great heights over the trade winds.

Question 79

Which of the following is one of the causes of monsoons?

A) Jet streams strengthen in the summer.
B) Polar easterlies bring contrasting air to the tropics.
C) Oceans have large, seasonal temperature changes.
D) Continents heat and cool differently than oceans.
E) Land cools off quickly in the summer.

Question 80

The polar front jet stream can be found

A) over the North and South poles.
B) poleward of the Rossby waves.
C) near the Earth's surface.
D) embedded in easterly flow far aloft.
E) at the boundary between warm and cold air.