Deck 6: Weather Systems

Question 1

Continental tropical air masses are:

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)warm and wet
D)warm and dry

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Air masses move specifically in response to:

A)pressure gradients and insolation
B)insolation and surface winds
C)upper-level winds and pressure gradients
D)surface winds and insolation

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which front is associated with widespread stratus cloud development?

A)warm
B)stationary
C)cold
D)moving

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which type of front tends to cause the most rapid lifting?

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

Question 5

Maritime tropical air masses are:

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)warm and wet
D)warm and dry

Question 6

Which front tends to move most quickly?

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

Question 7

Which type of front is most likely to generate cumulonimbus clouds and severe thunderstorms?

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

Question 8

Which front involves a warm air mass lifted completely off the ground?

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

Question 9

Continental polar air masses are:

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)warm and wet
D)warm and dry

Question 10

Which of the following is not a type of cyclone?

A)hurricane
B)typhoon
C)tornado
D)monsoon

Question 11

Continental arctic air masses are:

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)warm and wet
D)warm and dry

Question 12

Maritime polar air masses are:

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)warm and wet
D)warm and dry

Question 13

Maritime equatorial air masses are:

A)cold and wet
B)cold and dry
C)warm and wet
D)warm and dry

Question 14

An extensive body of air in which temperature and moisture characteristics are fairly uniform is a(n):

A)easterly wave
B)polar outbreak
C)jet stream
D)air mass

Question 15

Which front has the steepest slope?

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

Question 16

The major criteria used to identify air masses are:

A)temperature and pressure
B)pressure and moisture
C)moisture and speed of movement
D)temperature and moisture

Question 17

Key factors that are used to classify air masses are _______ and _______ of their source regions.

A)latitude and surface type
B)surface type and pressure
C)pressure and latitude
D)insolation and latitude

Question 18

Which of the following air masses would be likely to contain the most water vapor?

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

Question 19

Which of the following air masses would be likely to be the most dry?

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

Question 20

Cyclonic storms tend to include

A)strong winds
B)precipitation
C)cloudiness
D)all of the above

Question 21

Tropical weather systems differ from those of the mid-latitudes because:

A)upper-air winds are weaker
B)air mass movement is slow
C)air mass characteristics do not differ as strongly
D)all of the above

Question 22

Which of the following cyclones tend to be the smallest in size?

A)hurricane
B)wave cyclone
C)typhoon
D)tornado

Question 23

Easterly waves occur:

A)only at the equator
B)between about 5ᵒ and 30ᵒ latitude
C)between about 20ᵒ and 40ᵒ latitude
D)none of the above

Question 24

Tornadoes tend to occur in advance of a:

A)cold front
B)warm front
C)stationary front
D)occluded front

Question 25

Most anticyclones move from:

A)west to east
B)east to west
C)north to south
D)south to north

Question 26

The early stage of a wave cyclone involves interaction between:

A)cold and warm fronts
B)cold and occluded fronts
C)warm and occluded fronts
D)occluded and stationary fronts

Question 27

The final stage of a wave cyclone is the:

A)open stage
B)occluded stage
C)dissolving stage
D)none of the above

Question 28

Which of the following is not considered to be a type of traveling cyclone?

A)wave cyclone
B)tropical cyclone
C)tornado
D)thunderstorm

Question 29

Most wave cyclones move from:

A)west to east
B)east to west
C)north to south
D)south to north

Question 30

Weather conditions associated with an anticyclone include

A)clear skies
B)thunder and lightening
C)hail
D)none of the above

Question 31

The lowest central pressures are found in a(n):

A)wave cyclone
B)hurricane
C)anticyclone
D)tornado

Question 32

Wave cyclones typically persist:

A)1-3 days
B)3-6 days
C)6-10 days
D)10-14 days

Question 33

The fastest wind speeds are found in

A)wave cyclones
B)tornadoes
C)hurricanes
D)monsoons

Question 34

In a cyclone:

A)descending air is warmed adiabatically
B)rising air is warmed adiabatically
C)descending air is cooled adiabatically
D)rising air is cooled adiabatically

Question 35

In the open stage of a wave cyclone there is:

A)no precipitation
B)weak precipitation along both fronts
C)strong precipitation along the cold front
D)strong precipitation along both fronts

Question 36

In an anticyclone:

A)descending air is warmed adiabatically
B)rising air is warmed adiabatically
C)descending air is cooled adiabatically
D)rising air is cooled adiabatically

Question 37

A slow moving trough of low pressure within the belt of tropical easterlies is a (an):

A)polar outbreak
B)easterly wave
C)weak equatorial low
D)none of the above

Question 38

Wave cyclones form:

A)along the polar front
B)from an easterly wave
C)along an occluded front
D)near the subtropical high pressure belts

Question 39

Which of the following is sometimes called a "fairweather system"?

A)anticyclone
B)wave cyclone
C)occluded front
D)stationary front

Question 40

In the United States, tornadoes occur most frequently in the ________ states.

A)northeast
B)northwest
C)central
D)southwest

Question 41

We are currently experiencing _______ of hurricane activity.

A)low levels
B)normal levels
C)higher than normal levels
D)record high levels

Question 42

Which stage of a thunderstorm has both updrafts and downdrafts occurring at the same time?

A)Cumulus Stage
B)Mature Stage
C)Dissipating Stage
D)All of the above

Question 43

In the eye of a tropical cyclone, conditions are:

A)clear and calm
B)clear and very windy
C)cloudy and calm
D)cloudy and windy

Question 44

Tropical cyclones generally form:

A)from the equator to 8ᵒ N or S
B)from 8-15ᵒ N or S
C)from 15-20ᵒ N or S
D)only in the northern hemisphere

Question 45

Of the following, only ________ is not threatened by tropical cyclones.

A)South America
B)India
C)China
D)Bangladesh

Question 46

Tropical cyclones only form over:

A)oceans warmer than 32ᵒ C
B)oceans warmer than 26.5 ᵒ
C)oceans warmer than 22ᵒ
D)land

Question 47

The air mass found in the area labeled 4 would be designated:

A)mP
B)mA
C)cP
D)cA

Question 48

The air mass found in the area labeled 1 would be designated:

A)mP
B)mA
C)cP
D)cA

Question 49

Tropical cyclones typically originate as a(n):

A)polar outbreak
B)easterly wave
C)strong equatorial low
D)none of the above

Question 50

The air mass found in the area labeled 3 would be designated:

A)mP
B)mA
C)cP
D)cA

Question 51

Hurricane formation in the south Atlantic and southeast Pacific is:

A)helped by warm ocean currents
B)helped by high sea surface temperatures
C)very common
D)very rare

Question 52

The air mass found in the area labeled 2 would be designated:

A)mP
B)mA
C)cP
D)cA

Question 53

The air mass found in the area labeled 5 would be designated:

A)mT
B)mE
C)cT
D)cE

Question 54

The energy that powers a tropical cyclone comes from:

A)latent heat released by condensation
B)sensible heat from the water surface
C)adiabatic warming
D)none of the above

Question 55

A tool that is commonly used to track tropical cyclones is:

A)aerial photography
B)satellite imagery
C)radar
D)sonar

Question 56

Themost powerful and destructive type of cyclonic storm that produces heavy rainfall is the:

A)wave cyclone
B)tornado
C)tropical cyclone
D)none of the above

Question 57

Which of the following can be produced from thunderstorms?

A)lightning
B)hail
C)updrafts
D)all of the above

Question 58

In the North Atlantic, the peak of hurricane season occurs during:

A)late spring to early summer
B)midsummer
C)late summer to early autumn
D)late autumn

Question 59

The center of a tropical cyclone is known as the:

A)funnel
B)eye
C)vortex
D)core

Question 60

The city of New Orleans was badly damaged in 2005 as a result of hurricane:

A)Hugo
B)Andrew
C)Katrina
D)Rita

Question 61

An air mass that formed over the Gulf of Mexico would be classified as a maritime tropical air mass.

Question 62

The air mass found in the area labeled 8 would be designated:

A)mT
B)mE
C)cT
D)cE

Question 63

This figure shows the distribution of _______ occurrence in the United States.

A)thunderstorm
B)tornado
C)wave cyclone
D)hurricane

Question 64

The figure labeled C shows the _______ of wave cyclone development.

A)initial conditions
B)early stage
C)occluded stage
D)open stage

Question 65

An air mass formed over north-central Canada would be classified as a continental polar air mass.

Question 66

An air mass is an extensive body of air in which temperature and moisture characteristics are fairly uniform over a large area.

Question 67

This figure shows a cross section of a(n):

A)open stage wave cyclone
B)early stage wave cyclone
C)occluded stage wave cyclone
D)dissolving stage wave cyclone

Question 68

The air mass found in the area labeled 7 would be designated:

A)mT
B)mE
C)cT
D)cE

Question 69

This figure shows a(n):

A)occluded front
B)stationary front
C)warm front
D)cold front

Question 70

Air masses that form over oceans are classified as "humid" air masses.

Question 71

The warm front in this figure is labeled:

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4

Question 72

The figure labeled A shows the _______ of wave cyclone development.

A)initial conditions
B)early stage
C)occluded stage
D)open stage

Question 73

The air mass found in the area labeled 6 would be designated:

A)mT
B)mE
C)cT
D)cE

Question 74

This figure shows a(n):

A)occluded front
B)stationary front
C)warm front
D)cold front

Question 75

The figure labeled D shows the _______ of wave cyclone development.

A)dissolving stage
B)early stage
C)occluded stage
D)open stage

Question 76

An air mass that formed over the Gulf of Mexico would be classified as a maritime equatorial air mass.

Question 77

This figure shows a cross section of a(n):

A)wave cyclone
B)hurricane
C)tropical cyclone
D)monsoon

Question 78

The cold front in this figure is labeled:

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4

Question 79

The figure labeled B shows the _______ of wave cyclone development.

A)initial conditions
B)early stage
C)occluded stage
D)open stage

Question 80

An air mass is a spiraling flow of air that blows inward towards a central area of low pressure.