Deck 5: Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds

Question 1

The fog that forms along the Pacific coastline of North America is mainly which type?

A) radiation fog
B) upslope fog
C) frontal fog
D) advection fog
E) steam fog

Answer 1

D

Question 2

On a clear night,the minimum temperature drops to 34 F.The following night,fog forms early in the evening.It is a good bet the minimum temperature will not be as low because of the

A) enhancement of the greenhouse effect by the fog cloud.
B) trapping of smoke and dust by the water vapor.
C) calm winds that accompany fog.
D) all of the above

Answer 2

enhancement of the greenhouse effect by the fog cloud.

Question 3

Radiation fog forms best on a

A) clear winter night with a slight breeze.
B) cloudy winter night with a strong breeze.
C) clear summer night with a strong breeze.
D) cloudy summer night with a slight breeze.
E) cloudy winter night with a slight breeze.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which association below is NOT correct?

A) cirrocumulus - high cloud
B) cumulus - cloud of vertical extent
C) altostratus - high cloud
D) stratus - low cloud

Question 5

Even at high elevations where cirrus clouds are found,liquid water still exists in the clouds.

Question 6

Particles that serve as surfaces on which water vapor may condense are called

A) hydrophobic nuclei.
B) nacreous nuclei.
C) condensation nuclei.
D) scud.

Question 7

Fog is a major hazard to aviation.

Question 8

Which association below is not correct?

A) cumulus congestus - anvil top
B) cumulus - fair weather cumulus
C) altocumulus castellanus - resemble "little castles"
D) stratus fractus - scud
E) cumulonimbus - thunderstorm clouds

Question 9

When radiation fog "burns off",the fog tends to dissipate

A) from the bottom up.
B) from the top down.
C) starting at the middle and working both upward and downward.

Question 10

The cooling of the ground to produce dew is mainly the result of

A) conduction.
B) radiational cooling.
C) cooling due to the release of latent heat.
D) advection.

Question 11

Condensation nuclei are important in the atmosphere because

A) they provide most of the minerals found in water.
B) they make it easier for condensation to occur in the atmosphere.
C) they are the sole producers of smog.
D) they filter out sunlight.
E) they provide the only means we have of tracking wind motions.

Question 12

On a cold,winter morning,the most likely place for radiation fog to form is

A) at the top of a hill or mountain.
B) in a valley.
C) along the side of a hill.
D) over a body of water.

Question 13

Exhaled breath from your mouth can condense when

A) it is very cold.
B) it is very warm and humid.
C) the addition of water vapor from your breath causes the air's relative humidity to exceed 100 percent.
D) all of the above

Question 14

Dew is most likely to form on

A) clear,calm nights.
B) cloudy,calm nights.
C) clear,windy nights.
D) cloudy,windy nights.
E) rainy nights.

Question 15

Condensation nuclei may be

A) particles of dust.
B) nitric acid particles.
C) smoke from forest fires.
D) salt from the ocean.
E) all of the above

Question 16

Fog that most often forms as warm rain falls into a cold layer of surface air is called

A) radiation fog.
B) evaporation (mixing)fog.
C) advection fog.
D) upslope fog.

Question 17

Clouds are classified by their

A) appearance.
B) altitude.
C) method of formation.
D) all of the above
E) altitude and method of formation.

Question 18

Frost typically forms on the inside of a windowpane (rather than the outside)because

A) the inside of the pane is colder than the outside.
B) there is more water vapor touching the inside of the pane.
C) there is less water vapor touching the inside of the pane.

Question 19

If fog is forming at Denver,Colorado,and the wind is blowing from the east,then the fog is most likely

A) advection fog.
B) frontal fog.
C) upslope fog.
D) radiation fog.

Question 20

Frost forms when

A) objects on the ground cool below the dew point temperature.
B) the dew point is 32 F or below.
C) water vapor changes into ice without first becoming a liquid.
D) all of the above

Question 21

Hail is usually associated with what cloud?

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

Question 22

Which cloud type is composed of ice crystals and can cause a halo to form around the sun or moon?

A) altostratus
B) stratus
C) nimbostratus
D) cirrostratus
E) angelitus

Question 23

The cloud with the greatest vertical growth is

A) cumulus congestus.
B) cumulus humilis.
C) cumulonimbus.
D) cirrocumulus.

Question 24

When clouds are viewed near the horizon,the individual cloud elements usually

A) appear closer together than is actually the case.
B) appear farther apart than is actually the case.
C) appear lighter in color than is actually the case.
D) appear to have more vertical development than is actually the case.

Question 25

Suppose the sky is completely covered with a thin,white layered-type cloud.You look at the ground and see that objects cast a distinct shadow.From this you conclude that the cloud type must be

A) stratus.
B) nimbostratus.
C) cirrostratus.
D) stratocumulus.

Question 26

Which of the following associations is not correct?

A) altostratus - middle cloud
B) cirrus - high cloud
C) stratocumulus - cloud of vertical development
D) cirrocumulus - high cloud
E) cumulonimbus - cloud of vertical development

Question 27

Which of the following pairs of cloud types could be very similar in appearance?

A) cumulus and cirrus
B) cirrostratus and stratus
C) altocumulus and cirrocumulus
D) cirrocumulus and cumulonimbus

Question 28

Infrared satellite images are computer enhanced to

A) increase the contrast between specific features in the picture.
B) show where thick clouds with cold tops are located.
C) show where clouds with tops near the freezing level are located.
D) all of the above

Question 29

Light or moderate-but-steady precipitation is most often associated with ____ clouds.

A) nimbostratus
B) cirrostratus
C) cirrocumulus
D) cumulonimbus

Question 30

Which cloud forms in descending air?

A) cumulus fractus
B) cumulonimbus
C) mammatus
D) pileus

Question 31

Detached clouds of delicate and fibrous appearance,without shading,usually white in color and sometimes of a silky appearance are

A) stratus.
B) cirrocumulus.
C) altostratus.
D) cirrus.

Question 32

If a pilot balloon rises at a rate of 100 m per minute,and if it disappears into a deck of stratus clouds 1,500 m (5,000 ft)thick in 5 minutes,what is the ceiling of the cloud layer?

A) 100 m (300 ft)
B) 300 m (1,000 ft)
C) 500 m (1,600 ft)
D) 1,500 m (5,000 ft)
E) 2,000 m (6,400 ft)

Question 33

A low,lumpy cloud layer that appears in rows,patches,or rounded masses would be classified

A) nimbostratus.
B) stratus.
C) altocumulus.
D) stratocumulus.

Question 34

Cirrus clouds are composed primarily of

A) water droplets.
B) water vapor.
C) ice particles.
D) salt aerosols.

Question 35

A dim,"watery" sun visible through a gray sheet-like cloud layer is often a good indication of ____ clouds.

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

Question 36

As Apollo 12 ascended into the atmosphere,the height of the surrounding clouds was noted to be 42,000 feet.A lightning stroke was seen within these clouds,indicating that they must have been

A) cumulus congestus.
B) cumulonimbus.
C) cirrus.
D) cirrocumulus.
E) lenticular.

Question 37

Which cloud is least likely to produce precipitation that reaches the ground?

A) stratus
B) nimbostratus
C) cumulonimbus
D) cirrocumulus

Question 38

Which below is NOT a way in which a contrail may form?

A) from water vapor in the engine exhaust mixing with air
B) by air cooling as it passes over the aircraft's wings
C) due to heating of the air by the engine exhaust
D) all of the above

Question 39

An anvil-shaped top is most often associated with

A) cumulonimbus.
B) cumulus congestus.
C) altocumulus.
D) cumulus humilis.

Question 40

When viewed from the surface,the smallest individual cloud elements (puffs)are observed with which cloud?

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

Question 41

Suppose the sky is covered with stratus clouds.How might you determine whether middle or high clouds are also present?

Question 42

A vertically-viewing detector is located 8,000 feet from a rotating beam ceilometer.Determine the height of the cloud base assuming a signal is detected when the ceilometer beam elevation angle is 30^o.

Question 43

Suppose two ocean currents with different temperatures are flowing next to one another.If the wind blows perpendicular to the currents,we would expect to find

A) radiation fog.
B) steam fog.
C) lenticular clouds.
D) advection fog.

Question 44

Fog is often described as a cloud that forms at ground level.In what ways are the formation of fog and clouds similar and different?

Question 45

Upslope fog forms because air ____ as it flows up a hill or mountain range.

A) warms adiabatically
B) warms radiatively
C) cools adiabatically
D) cools radiatively

Question 46

Satellite images taken of clouds at night use

A) reflected visible light.
B) reflected infrared light.
C) emitted infrared light.
D) microwave radiation.

Question 47

Which two clouds can produce precipitation?

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

Question 48

Radiation fog typically forms on

A) clear,calm days.
B) clear,windy days.
C) clear,calm nights.
D) clear,windy nights.

Question 49

It is a cold winter night and a fog cloud forms.If it continues to cool during the night would you expect to find that the dew point has changed overnight? If so,would you expect to find that dew point has increased or decreased?

Question 50

List the main types of fog,then briefly explain how each one forms.Where might you expect each of these different types of fog to form?

Question 51

Advection fog is often observed along the Pacific coast during summer,as westerly winds carry moist air toward the shore.The fog forms because the surface water near the coast is ____ the surface water farther offshore.

A) much colder than
B) much warmer than
C) the same temperature as

Question 52

List one or more key identifying features for each of the ten basic cloud types.Which cloud types might have fairly similar appearances and thus be difficult to identify?

Question 53

When temperatures are below freezing,the temperature to which air must be cooled in order for a phase change to occur is called the

A) wet bulb.
B) dew point.
C) frost point.
D) heat index.

Question 54

With which cloud type would each of the following phenomena be associated?
lightning hail tornadoes
brief heavy rain steady rain milky sun
halo mackerel sky

Question 55

In hilly areas,cold air typically collects

A) on hilltops.
B) in valleys.

Question 56

Would it be possible for rising air to remain cloud-free? If not,why not? If so,how?

Question 57

List the major height categories of clouds.What differences might you expect to find in the clouds that form at these different levels?

Question 58

Suppose two unsaturated air masses mix horizontally.The resulting mixture cannot possibly be saturated.

Question 59

Satellites can

A) monitor the amount of snow cover.
B) provide information about the earth-atmosphere energy balance.
C) provide information about surface water temperatures.
D) monitor the movement of icebergs.
E) all of the above

Question 60

Explain why clouds form in rising air.

Question 61

How can you visually distinguish between cumulus,altocumulus and cirrocumulus clouds?

Question 62

Describe,with the aid of a figure,the orbital paths followed by geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites.

Question 63

Under what conditions can a cloud form when air is sinking?

Question 64

What kinds of information about clouds could you hope to determine using infrared and visible satellite photographs?

Question 65

List and discuss some of the effects that you think weather satellites may have had on the field of weather prediction.