Deck 7: Atmospheric Disturbances

Question 1

Which of the following is the least likely zone of formation for a large air mass?

A) eastern Siberia
B) northern Sahara
C) under an oceanic subtropical high
D) Caribbean Sea
E) the U.S. Midwest

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Of the regions of the United States, which has the highest incidence of tornadoes?

A) New England
B) Hawaii
C) West Coast
D) Florida
E) Central States

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In order to be classified as a hurricane, sustained wind velocity must exceed ________ kilometers per hour (mph).

A) 320 (200)
B) 160 (100)
C) 119 (74)
D) 88 (55)
E) 48 (30)

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The most active phase of a thunderstorm is called the ________ phase.

A) active
B) cumulonimbus
C) severe storm
D) rain
E) mature

Question 5

The average directional movement of hurricanes is ________.

A) east to west
B) west to east
C) north to south
D) south to north
E) southwest to northeast

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT NECESSARILY a property of an air mass?

A) It must be large.
B) It must have relatively uniform properties within itself.
C) It must have a warm front at its leading edge.
D) It must travel as a recognizable entity.
E) It must modify as it leaves its source region.

Question 7

North America's greatest hurricane disaster took place at ________.

A) Los Angeles, CA
B) Miami, FL
C) New Orleans, LA
D) Galveston, TX
E) Savannah, GA

Question 8

Which of the following is a normal slope for a cold front?

A) 1:1
B) 1:10
C) 1:100
D) 1:2,000
E) 1:50,000

Question 9

Thunderstorms accompany ________.

A) hurricanes
B) tornadoes
C) extratropical cyclones
D) cold fronts
E) all of the above

Question 10

Tornadoes, although erratic in their pathways, are always characterized by ________ pressure.

A) high
B) low
C) constantly variable
D) adiabatic
E) devaporized

Question 11

Calm, fair weather is most likely to result from a/an ________.

A) tropical cyclone
B) midlatitude cyclone
C) midlatitude anticyclone
D) tornado
E) chinook

Question 12

Which of the following best represents the length of the life cycle of a typical midlatitude cyclone?

A) 1 hour
B) 1 day
C) 1 week
D) 1 month
E) 1 year

Question 13

The "eye" of the hurricane is a zone characterized by ________.

A) the most severe winds in the storms
B) tremendous amounts of precipitation
C) sinking air
D) a radius of approximately 1,000 kilometers
E) all of the above

Question 14

Of those below, the coldest, driest ones are termed ________.

A) maritime tropical
B) continental tropical
C) continental polar
D) equatorial
E) maritime polar

Question 15

A weak migratory low pressure trough which is common in the low latitudes is often called a/an ________.

A) thunderstorm
B) easterly wave
C) extratropical cyclone
D) occlusion
E) tropical cyclone

Question 16

The average directional movement of tornadoes is ________.

A) east to west
B) west to east
C) north to south
D) south to north
E) southwest to northeast

Question 17

When neither air mass displaces the adjacent one, their boundary is called a(n) ________ front.

A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) dry

Question 18

Of the list below, the coldest air is bound to be associated with a/an ________ air mass.

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

Question 19

The correct designation for a hurricane is as a/an ________.

A) "enlarged tornado"
B) "super thunderstorm complex"
C) "tropical cyclone"
D) "tropical occlusion"
E) "extratropical anticyclone"

Question 20

As a rule, thunderstorms are unknown poleward of ________ latitude.

A) 10°
B) 20°
C) 30°
D) 40°
E) 60°

Question 21

Upper air divergence is most closely associated with surface ________.

A) anticyclones
B) inversions
C) cyclones
D) isobars
E) air mass source regions

Question 22

On a weather map, a symbol consisting of triangles arranged along one side of a line indicates a(n) ________ front.

A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) tropical

Question 23

Hurricane formation is very rare within ________ degrees of the Equator.

A) 10
B) 25
C) 50
D) 75
E) 180

Question 24

The month most likely for a hurricane to occur in the Northern Hemisphere is ________.

A) June
B) January
C) April
D) September
E) December

Question 25

An average air mass is on the order of ________ kilometers in diameter.

A) 1
B) 10
C) 160
D) 1,600
E) 16,000

Question 26

A tornado advances at a rate of speed of ________ kilometers per hour.

A) 1-2
B) 25-50
C) 100-120
D) 300-500
E) 1,000-1,500

Question 27

On the average, ________ fronts move the fastest of all fronts.

A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) All are the same.

Question 28

A midlatitude cyclone is also properly termed ________.

A) a wave cyclone
B) a low
C) a depression
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 29

Extratropical cyclones and anticyclones function as migratory perturbations in the ________.

A) westerlies
B) easterlies
C) ITC
D) troposphere
E) ionosphere

Question 30

Thunderstorms are violent ________ storms accompanied by thunder and lightning.

A) adiabatic
B) convective
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) jet stream

Question 31

In an occluded front, the warm air sector is ________.

A) on the ground
B) above the ground
C) north of the cold sector
D) south of the cold sector
E) none of the above

Question 32

A midlatitude anticyclone ________.

A) is a single air mass
B) exhibits stability
C) has an edge called a front
D) is associated with air stagnation
E) is described by all of the above

Question 33

The desert would be the obvious zone of origin of a ________ air mass.

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

Question 34

Which country is the most likely place on Earth for a tornado to occur?

A) Brazil
B) the United States
C) Russia
D) the People's Republic of China
E) India

Question 35

The average hurricane exists, on the average, for about ________.

A) one week
B) two weeks
C) three weeks
D) four weeks
E) five weeks

Question 36

________ is a distinguishing feature of thunderstorms.

A) Cirrus cloud base
B) Anvil top
C) Scant vertical development
D) Ground fog
E) None of the above

Question 37

Stable anticyclones act as a ________ to moving cyclones.

A) cause
B) friend
C) block
D) rainy counterpart
E) catalyst

Question 38

The slope of a warm front generally averages about ________.

A) 1:20
B) 1:200
C) 1:2,000
D) 1:20,000
E) 1:200,000

Question 39

The global westerly wind zone most heavily impacts the ________ latitudes.

A) equatorial
B) high
C) middle
D) subtropical
E) horse

Question 40

An easterly wave is on the order of ________ kilometers long.

A) 5-10
B) 10-20
C) 20-50
D) a few hundred
E) a few thousand

Question 41

Which of the following rarely affects North America?

A) continental tropical
B) maritime tropical
C) Arctic
D) continental polar
E) equatorial

Question 42

The movement of middle latitude cyclones is determined by the jet stream and ________.

A) katabatic winds
B) mT air
C) Rossby waves
D) inversions
E) none of the above

Question 43

Which is NOT true of BOTH midlatitude cyclones and midlatitude anticyclones?

A) They contain subsiding air.
B) They contain closed isobars.
C) They cover many thousands of square kilometers.
D) They have winds rotating around their centers.
E) They sometimes have a functional relationship with each other.

Question 44

As a middle latitude cyclone goes through its life cycle, the warm sector

A) gets larger.
B) gets smaller.
C) travels from east to west.
D) subsides.
E) becomes warmer.

Question 45

At any given time, how many extratropical cyclones might one expect to be in existence in the Northern Hemisphere?

A) 1 or 2
B) 6 to 15
C) 25 to 50
D) 50 to 100
E) 100 to 1,000

Question 46

Cyclogenesis occurs along ________.

A) the polar front
B) the occluded front
C) the edge of a baugio
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 47

Air near the Pacific Coast of the United States is usually more ________ than air over the Gulf Coast of the United States thus preventing hurricanes.

A) cooler
B) drier
C) more stable
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 48

Which of the following is CLOSEST to the typical surface width of front?

A) 10 meters
B) 100 meters
C) 10 kilometers
D) 100 kilometers
E) 1,000 kilometers

Question 49

How would you know that a new air mass had passed over your location in the last couple of hours?

A) change in temperature
B) change in wind speed
C) change in humidity
D) change in stability
E) all of the above

Question 50

In the Northern Hemisphere, a midlatitude cyclone has winds that circulate

A) counterclockwise while diverging.
B) counterclockwise while converging.
C) clockwise while diverging.
D) clockwise while converging.
E) from east to west.

Question 51

A mature middle latitude cyclone takes on the shape of a

A) wave.
B) circle.
C) wedge.
D) loop.
E) triangle.

Question 52

Most midlatitude cyclones have ________.

A) short (less than 1,000 km) paths
B) paths from north to south
C) paths from east to west
D) completely unpredictable paths
E) paths determined by the upper air flow

Question 53

It can be said that along all the fronts in a middle latitude cyclone

A) cold air sinks.
B) air rises.
C) precipitation is unlikely.
D) the pressure is high.
E) heavy rain occurs.

Question 54

Hurricane destruction to land coastlines is made worse when this feature-not prominent in all hurricanes-is present: ________.

A) the eye wall
B) the storm surge
C) easterly waves
D) winds of hurricane force
E) heavy rain

Question 55

Where is a place where tropical cyclones DO NOT form?

A) North Atlantic
B) North Pacific
C) Indian Ocean
D) South Atlantic
E) South Pacific

Question 56

Fronts are located

A) near air masses.
B) underneath air masses.
C) in the middle of air masses.
D) at the edges of air masses.
E) with respect to motion, to the rear of air masses.

Question 57

Concerning midlatitude anticyclones, which of the following is FALSE?

A) They are larger than cyclones.
B) They are areas of high pressure.
C) They contain air mass conflict.
D) They have light winds around their centers.
E) They do not contain fronts.

Question 58

The energy source of hurricanes is

A) thunderstorms.
B) cold fronts.
C) the jet stream.
D) warm seawater.
E) warm fronts.

Question 59

In and near eastern Asia, the place of origin for tropical cyclones is ________.

A) Siberia
B) east of the Philippines
C) southern Australia
D) central China
E) all of the above

Question 60

Which front is shown on weather maps as a line with alternating semicircles and triangles on the same side of the line?

A) warm front
B) cold front
C) stationary front
D) occluded front
E) none of the above

Question 61

A densely-spaced, automated weather observation network such as Oklahoma's Mesonetwork can pick out a weather phenomenon such as a(n) ________ much better than observing networks with less densely-spaced surface observations.

A) tornado funnel cloud
B) Rossby wave
C) entire air mass
D) divergence in the upper air
E) dryline

Question 62

Which of the following is associated with an increase in pressure after its passage?

A) a cold front
B) a warm front
C) a stationary front
D) an extratropical cyclone
E) all of the above

Question 63

In the last decade or so there has been

A) an increase in the number of hurricanes.
B) a relative lack of hurricanes.
C) lower sea surface temperatures impacting hurricanes.
D) a lack of intense hurricanes.
E) a lack of an Atlantic Multi-Decadal Signal.

Question 64

Tropical cyclones tend to cause the greatest loss of life on the

A) Gulf Coast of the United States.
B) Bay of Bengal.
C) islands of the Caribbean.
D) islands of the Philippines.
E) coast of Brazil.

Question 65

The warmest air can be found in the ________ air mass.

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

Question 66

Which of the following statements does NOT correctly describe the U.S. distribution of midlatitude cyclones?

A) More occur in the summer than in the winter.
B) They commonly form along the central Atlantic coast.
C) Most of them exit the country through the Northeast.
D) They commonly form downwind of the Rocky Mountains.
E) They form underneath areas of divergence.

Question 67

Which of the following is the most likely time to sight a tornado in the United States?

A) January
B) March
C) June
D) October
E) December

Question 68

Which stage of a thunderstorm is associated with the coexistence of updrafts and downdrafts?

A) cumulus stage
B) mature stage
C) dissipating stage
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 69

Which of the following would be a common diameter for a tornado funnel?

A) 5 meters
B) 50 meters
C) 500 meters
D) 5,000 meters
E) 500,000 meters

Question 70

Which of the following represents a typical count of confirmed tornadoes for a year in the United States?

A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1,000
E) 10,000

Question 71

The part of the hurricane characterized by scattered high clouds and light winds is known as the

A) spiral band.
B) eyewall.
C) eye.
D) warm sector.
E) warm front.

Question 72

In which frontal type is there no "aggressor" air mass?

A) cold
B) warm
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) low

Question 73

The most intense Atlantic hurricane of record was

A) Katrina.
B) Daniel.
C) Amanda.
D) Janet.
E) Wilma.

Question 74

Which of the following can be said to be the "death" of a midlatitude cyclone?

A) the presence of strong temperature gradients across fronts
B) cyclogenesis
C) occlusion
D) expansion of the size of the warm sector
E) occurrence of intense precipitation

Question 75

Which type of front typically produces the fastest rise of air?

A) cold
B) warm
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) They all produce approximately the same rise of air.

Question 76

In a midlatitude anticyclone, where are the strongest winds usually found?

A) near the center
B) near the eastern edge
C) near the western edge
D) associated with the least pressure gradient
E) in none of the above locations

Question 77

An upward-looking Doppler radar unit which sends energy directly aloft to sense wind speed and direction is known as ________.

A) a wind profiler
B) NEXRAD
C) the Mesonetwork
D) an anemometer
E) none of the above

Question 78

Which type of cloud is associated with a thunderstorm?

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

Question 79

Tornadoes contain extreme pressure gradients. They are thought to be on the order of ________ millibars from the outside to the inside of the storm.

A) 10
B) 100
C) 1,000
D) 10,000
E) 100,000

Question 80

Which of the following occurs most frequently?

A) A hurricane
B) A tropical storm
C) A tropical depression
D) An easterly wave
E) They all occur with approximately the same frequency.