Deck 6: Atmospheric Moisture

Question 1

Hail becomes larger because it collides with

A) ice crystals.
B) raindrops.
C) sleet.
D) supercooled water.
E) water vapor.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Any buoyant parcel of air is said to exhibit ________.

A) advection
B) stability
C) instability
D) the moist adiabatic lapse rate
E) the dry adiabatic lapse rate

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Downwind of large mountain ranges there is less precipitation; this drier zone is called the ________.

A) windward side
B) rain shadow
C) advection side
D) adiabatic area
E) lifting condensation level

Answer 3

B

Question 4

High emissions of energy in the 6.7 - 7.3 micrometer range allows satellites to detect ________.

A) water vapor
B) clouds
C) lakes
D) rain
E) lightning

Question 5

The amount of water vapor expressed as the mass of water vapor in a given mass of air is ________.

A) relative humidity
B) specific humidity
C) dew point
D) absolute humidity
E) pressure gradient

Question 6

Air containing all of the water vapor it can hold is ________.

A) adiabatic
B) saturated
C) dew point
D) unstable
E) convective

Question 7

The hydrologic cycle refers to the ________.

A) totality of forms of precipitation
B) unending circulation of Earth's water supply
C) flow of rivers
D) groundwater flow to the surface
E) latent heat of vaporization

Question 8

Air that resists vertical movement is said to be ________.

A) unstable
B) stable
C) cyclonic
D) anticyclonic
E) adiabatic

Question 9

In the United States, winter precipitation exceeds summer precipitation in ________.

A) the South
B) the Midwest
C) the Rocky Mountains
D) New England
E) California

Question 10

The term used in the United States for small raindrops that freeze while falling toward the surface is ________.

A) snow
B) hail
C) sleet
D) fog
E) frost

Question 11

Water vapor can be described by all but one of the following.

A) odorless
B) tasteless
C) energy-rich
D) light blue color
E) a small fraction of the atmosphere's volume

Question 12

The textbook map shows the ________ region of the United States to have the greatest July precipitation totals.

A) Great Plains
B) Gulf Coast
C) Rocky Mountains
D) New England
E) West Coast

Question 13

Which is NOT among the main types of atmospheric lifting and precipitation?

A) convective
B) orographic
C) frontal
D) advective
E) convergent

Question 14

Which measure of humidity is a ratio of the percentage of water vapor to the mass of the air?

A) absolute humidity
B) specific humidity
C) dew point
D) relative humidity
E) none of the above

Question 15

Rising air, warmed by the release of latent heat, cools at a rate called ________.

A) stability
B) the average lapse rate
C) the dry adiabatic lapse rate
D) the saturated adiabatic lapse rate
E) the variable lapse rate

Question 16

The transfer of moisture from land to air is termed ________.

A) evapotranspiration
B) condensation
C) evaporative cooling
D) dew point
E) specific humidity

Question 17

The American states with the highest average annual incidence of fog are located on ________.

A) interior deserts
B) the Pacific Coast
C) the central Rockies
D) the Gulf Coast
E) the Great Lakes

Question 18

Among cloud types, those that occur at the highest altitudes are the ________.

A) cumulus
B) altocumulus
C) stratus
D) cirrus
E) stratocumulus

Question 19

The rising and subsequent cooling of air at the rate of 10°C per 1,000 meters is called ________.

A) supercooling
B) the dry adiabatic lapse rate
C) the wet adiabatic lapse rate
D) the dew point
E) the latent heat of condensation

Question 20

Water that stays in liquid form at temperatures below freezing is termed ________.

A) at the dew point
B) exhibiting vapor pressure
C) white frost
D) releasing the latent heat of vaporization
E) supercooled

Question 21

The relative humidity would be ________ percent if the actual water vapor in the air was 10 grams per cubic meter, the air's capacity to hold water vapor was 20 grams per cubic meter, and the dew point temperature was 20 degrees Celsius.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 50
D) 2
E) 200

Question 22

The rainiest portion of South America is the ________.

A) north coast
B) central west coast
C) central interior
D) southeast coast
E) southern tip

Question 23

The release of latent heat along from water molecules on a wet surface is called ________.

A) vapor pressure
B) evaporative cooling
C) specific humidity
D) condensation
E) none of the above

Question 24

Which of the following promotes evaporation?

A) warm water
B) warm air
C) moving air
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 25

Clouds of vertical development include ________.

A) cirrus
B) cumulonimbus
C) stratocumulus
D) altocumulus
E) fog

Question 26

Most of the wettest areas around the world are located in the ________.

A) tropics
B) continental interiors
C) midlatitude west coasts
D) Southern Hemisphere
E) none of the above

Question 27

How warm or cold it feels to us is the ________ temperature.

A) dew point
B) sensible
C) latent
D) common
E) adiabatic

Question 28

________ is the critical temperature at which saturation is reached.

A) Absolute humidity
B) The dew point
C) The flash point
D) Specific humidity
E) Relative humidity

Question 29

Which part of the United States has the least annual variability of precipitation?

A) the eastern United States
B) the Great Plains
C) the Rocky Mountains
D) the western United States
E) All areas have close to equal precipitation variability.

Question 30

If air's capacity for holding water vapor is diminished then the relative humidity will ________.

A) rise
B) fall
C) be unchanged
D) double
E) none of the above

Question 31

When air is heated enough so that it is warmer than the surrounding air, it is ________.

A) unstable
B) stable
C) convective
D) saturated
E) none of the above

Question 32

A precipitation type extremely characteristic of the lower latitudes is ________.

A) a rain shadow
B) sleet
C) ice crystals
D) convergent lifting
E) frontal lifting

Question 33

In the United States, fog occurs LEAST often in the ________ states.

A) Pacific Coast
B) Gulf Coast
C) Southwestern
D) New England
E) Great Plains

Question 34

Maximum absolute humidity is governed by ________.

A) vapor content
B) temperature
C) the adiabatic rate
D) the hydrologic cycle
E) proximity to water surface

Question 35

Liquid water that has cooled below the dew point becomes ________.

A) stable
B) supercooled
C) unstable
D) foggy
E) violent

Question 36

White frost is simply a cold weather form of ________.

A) a cloud
B) radiation fog
C) hail
D) dew
E) advection fog

Question 37

A lack of atmospheric buoyancy is called ________.

A) stability
B) instability
C) pseudoadiabat
D) coalescence
E) dew point

Question 38

The rainiest region of the continental United States is the ________.

A) northeast
B) northwest
C) southeast
D) southwest
E) Great Plains

Question 39

Buoyant air will rise until it ________.

A) reaches the stratopause
B) becomes unstable
C) makes clouds
D) becomes warmer
E) reaches the temperature of the surrounding air

Question 40

The altitude at which rising air reaches the dew point temperature is the ________.

A) lifting condensation level
B) upslope fog
C) precipitation level
D) isohyet
E) adiabat

Question 41

The leeward slope of a hill or mountain blocking precipitation is called the ________.

A) coalescence zone
B) rain shadow
C) convergence zone
D) lifting condensation level
E) none of the above

Question 42

The total amount of water vapor leaving the Earth's surface is called

A) evaporation.
B) latent heat.
C) evapotranspiration.
D) transpiration.
E) runoff.

Question 43

Air forced to move over a mountain is most closely associated with which type of lifting?

A) convection
B) hydrologic
C) convergence
D) orographic
E) stable

Question 44

The sky is covered with stratiform clouds. Without measuring, one could reliably guess the atmosphere is

A) stable.
B) unstable.
C) about to produce much rain.
D) metastable.
E) conditionally unstable.

Question 45

Potential evapotranspiration is

A) usually not as great as actual evapotranspiration.
B) very small when the atmosphere is warm.
C) usually about the same as actual evapotranspiration.
D) an amount much less than transpiration.
E) not described by any of the above.

Question 46

Which of the following cloud types has the greatest height (from top to bottom of the cloud)?

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

Question 47

Water is unique because no other substance occurs in

A) solid form.
B) liquid form.
C) gaseous form.
D) more than one form.
E) all three forms in the atmosphere.

Question 48

A piece of unsaturated air is forced to rise. The lapse rate in the surrounding air is much less than the rate in change of temperature in the rising air. The rising air is said to be

A) stable.
B) unstable.
C) about to produce much rain.
D) metastable.
E) conditionally unstable.

Question 49

Which of the following lapse rates represents the greatest temperature change over altitude?

A) wet adiabatic
B) dry adiabatic
C) average
D) They are all very close to being the same rate.
E) more information needed

Question 50

One cause of global dimming is ________.

A) a lessening of solar output
B) human release of aerosols
C) ozone
D) carbon dioxide
E) poor scores on physical geography exams

Question 51

In the atmosphere, liquid water collects around minute particles called

A) condensation nuclei.
B) raindrops.
C) fog.
D) cloud droplets.
E) ice crystals.

Question 52

Cold air moving over a warmer lake surface will result in a(n) ________ type of fog.

A) advection
B) radiation
C) evaporation
D) convection
E) none of the above

Question 53

Most regions of the globe receive a ________ maximum of rainfall.

A) summer
B) winter
C) equinoctial
D) January
E) none of the above

Question 54

The western coasts of continents in the subtropical zones are in ________ precipitation zones.

A) monsoon
B) high
C) moderate
D) arid
E) snowy

Question 55

Concerning acid rain, which fact is false?

A) It can wear away rock structures like the Parthenon.
B) It seems to be equally serious everywhere in the U.S.
C) It seems possible to decrease its occurrence.
D) The problem is caused by air pollution.
E) It can harm living organisms.

Question 56

Usually, the highest relative humidity is ________.

A) at dawn
B) in the evening
C) at sunset
D) in the late afternoon
E) at midnight

Question 57

The capacity of air to hold water

A) increases as temperature increases.
B) is a constant.
C) decreases as evaporation decreases.
D) increases as temperature decreases.
E) is not related to temperature.

Question 58

The number of condensation nuclei in a raindrop is on the order of ________.

A) 1
B) 100
C) 1,000
D) 100,000
E) 1,000,000

Question 59

Which of the following refers to the evaporation that would occur if the ground at the location was sopping wet all the time?

A) dew point
B) absolute humidity
C) specific humidity
D) potential evapotranspiration
E) relative humidity

Question 60

Over the Earth, regions of heavy precipitation normally experience ________ variability.

A) the least
B) the most
C) equinoctial
D) sunspot
E) no

Question 61

Central Asia and western North America experience dryness because of ________.

A) the polar frontal zone
B) lack of moist air masses
C) cold temperatures
D) rapid uplift of air
E) all of the above

Question 62

Which of the following is SMALLEST?

A) a small raindrop
B) raindrops in a convection storm
C) a small piece of hail
D) an average pellet of sleet
E) a condensation nucleus

Question 63

Relative humidity is ________ related to air temperature.

A) positively
B) not
C) sometimes
D) unevenly
E) inversely

Question 64

Which of the following would one expect to find associated with low annual precipitation totals?

A) fronts
B) convergence
C) STH's
D) convection
E) mountain ranges

Question 65

________ refers to water vapor leaving the Earth's surface through plants.

A) Evaporation
B) Potential evapotranspiration
C) Transpiration
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 66

In order for atmospheric condensation to take place, ________.

A) air has to be near sea level
B) the relative humidity must be low
C) plenty of "surfaces" need to be present in the atmosphere
D) the temperature must be above freezing
E) all of the above must be true

Question 67

In the atmosphere, some liquid water exists until the temperature lowers below ________ degrees Celsius.

A) 40
B) 10
C) -0
D) -10
E) -40

Question 68

The most common and widespread form of precipitation is

A) rain.
B) snow.
C) fog.
D) sleet.
E) hail.

Question 69

The least obvious and most important state of water in the atmosphere is ________.

A) evaporation
B) hail
C) water vapor
D) ice crystals
E) rain

Question 70

Relative humidity is "relative" to ________.

A) moisture
B) temperature
C) vapor pressure
D) saturation
E) evaporation

Question 71

The most conspicuous difference between winter and summer precipitation totals is found in

A) the eastern U.S.
B) the intertropical convergence zone.
C) southern and eastern Asia.
D) Europe.
E) Antarctica.

Question 72

Which of the following would SLOW evaporation from a water surface?

A) high air temperatures
B) air with low relative humidity
C) calm air
D) warm water temperatures
E) turbulence of air molecules

Question 73

Which of the following is most closely associated with unstable air?

A) heating of air
B) cooling of air
C) rising air
D) descending air
E) both A and C

Question 74

In terms of the lower part of the troposphere, more than ________ percent of all water vapor is found within 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) of the Earth's surface.

A) 1
B) 10
C) 50
D) 75
E) 95

Question 75

The saturated adiabatic lapse rate is a lesser lapse rate than the dry adiabatic lapse rate. This is because ________.

A) rain is occurring
B) "wet" air doesn't rise
C) the air must be stable
D) latent heat is being released
E) unsaturated air is descending

Question 76

In degrees Celsius, how much GREATER is the dry adiabatic lapse rate than the saturated adiabatic lapse rate over 1,000 meters?

A) almost 0
B) averages around 4
C) a bit above 15
D) exactly 30
E) almost 45

Question 77

Which of the below is found along the western edges of continents at 25 degrees from the Equator?

A) earth's greatest concentrations of precipitation-producing clouds
B) dryness
C) the rapid rise of air
D) air that is stable because it is so cold
E) the least variable annual precipitation totals on Earth

Question 78

Which of the following has the LOWEST pH?

A) the lowest rainfall pH ever recorded
B) vinegar
C) sea water
D) lye
E) ammonia

Question 79

A precipitation variability map would show which of the following areas of the U.S. to have the most variable precipitation?

A) the northeast
B) the southwest
C) the Great Plains
D) the southeast
E) the northwest

Question 80

In the "Ice Crystal Formation" process, precipitation occurs because ice crystals

A) melt as they fall.
B) form from raindrops.
C) grow at the expense of raindrops.
D) hook together.
E) have a low specific heat.