Deck 19: Moisture, Clouds, and Weather

Question 1

__________ clouds are broad sheet-like clouds.

A) Cirrus
B) Stratus
C) Cumulus
D) Cumulonimbus

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A/an __________ __________forms when a warm air mass is trapped between two colder air masses.

Answer 2

occluded front

Question 3

Water becomes __________ when it has cooled below its freezing point but remains liquid.

Answer 3

supercooled

Question 4

__________ and __________ are visible concentrations of water droplets or ice crystals in air.

Question 5

A low-pressure region with its accompanying surface wind is called a/an __________.

Question 6

Points of equal air pressure connected by weather map lines are called __________.

Question 7

__________ is the horizontal movement of air in response to differences in air pressure.

Question 8

The rate at which air that is neither rising nor falling cools with elevation is called the __________ lapse rate.

A) dry adiabatic
B) wet adiabatic
C) normal
D) frontal

Question 9

When a moving mass of cool, dense air slides under a warm air mass forcing the warm air upward, this process is called __________ __________.

Question 10

__________ is the mass of water vapor in a given amount of air expressed in grams per cubic meter (g/m³).

A) Relative humidity
B) Absolute humidity
C) Dew point
D) Partial humidity

Question 11

A/an __________ is a seasonal wind caused by uneven heating and cooling of land and sea.

Question 12

The __________ is the temperature at which the relative humidity of air reaches 100 percent.

A) relative humidity
B) absolute humidity
C) dew point
D) partial humidity

Question 13

When relative humidity exceeds 100 percent, the air becomes __________.

Question 14

__________ fog occurs when warm, moist air from the sea blows onto cooler land.

Question 15

__________ __________ is the amount of water vapor in air relative to the maximum it can hold at a given temperature.

Question 16

__________ clouds are fluffy clouds with flat bottoms and billowy tops.

Question 17

__________ is a condition in which water droplets in air do not freeze even when the air cools below the freezing point.

A) Saturation
B) Supersaturation
C) Supercooling
D) Dew

Question 18

A/an __________ is a small, short-lived, funnel-shaped storm that protrudes from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud.

Question 19

When air blows against a mountainside, it is forced to rise by a process called __________ __________.

Question 20

A high-pressure region with outward spiraling surface wind is called a/an __________.

Question 21

Supersaturated droplets do not freeze because:

A) there are too many particles to condense onto.
B) they are not cold enough.
C) there are no solid particles to condense onto.
D) none of these

Question 22

If air stops rising before it cools to its dew point:

A) no clouds form.
B) clouds form.
C) it rains.
D) it snows.

Question 23

Once clouds start to form, rising air:

A) cools more quickly than it did lower in the atmosphere.
B) heats up.
C) turns into rain.
D) no longer cools as rapidly as it did lower in the atmosphere.

Question 24

Sinking air exerts a downward force to form a/an __________ region.

A) high-pressure
B) low-pressure
C) rainstorm
D) orographic

Question 25

Death Valley is an example of a __________.

A) windward desert
B) rain-shadow desert
C) storm track
D) hurricane alley

Question 26

Which of the following statements about atmospheric humidity is correct?

A) Dew forms when warm, moist air comes in contact with cool surfaces.
B) Rain or fog is likely to occur when cool, moist air is heated.
C) Cold air can hold more moisture than warm air.
D) Fog occurs when warm, moist air from the ocean blows over warmer land surfaces.

Question 27

A/an __________ is a broad, circular storm with intense low pressure that forms over warm oceans.

A) tornado
B) tropical cyclone
C) surge
D) El Niño
Multiple Choice

Question 28

When condensation occurs above the elevation at which air stops rising, __________ clouds form.

A) cumulus
B) stratus
C) cirrus
D) no

Question 29

__________ forms when rain falls on subfreezing surfaces.

A) Sleet
B) Glaze
C) Hail
D) Snow

Question 30

Monsoons blow from __________ in summer, bringing __________.

A) land to sea, drought
B) sea to land, drought
C) land to sea, rain
D) sea to land, rain

Question 31

When air cools as it rises along a land surface, __________ fog forms.

A) advection
B) radiation
C) evaporation
D) upslope

Question 32

During an adiabatic temperature change:

A) the temperature rises or falls as air pressure changes.
B) air is cooled by the polar ice caps.
C) air cools by evaporation.
D) air is heated by the sun.

Question 33

Which of the following processes would lower the relative humidity of a parcel of air?

A) The air moves over a lake where water is evaporating.
B) The air is heated, and no water enters or leaves the system.
C) The air cools, and no water enters or leaves.
D) Dust blows into the air, but no other changes occur.

Question 34

High-altitude clouds composed of ice crystals are called __________ clouds.

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

Question 35

Moisture condenses from air when the air:

A) gains heat by radiation and warms.
B) loses heat by radiation and cools.
C) warms adiabatically as it sinks to a lower elevation.
D) cools adiabatically as it sinks to a lower elevation.

Question 36

Which of the following conditions is likely to lead to rain?

A) Warm air makes contact with cool surfaces.
B) Cool, moist air falls.
C) Warm, moist air rises.
D) Moist air sinks as it passes over the leeward side of a mountain.

Question 37

When relative humidity reaches 100 percent, the air is:

A) saturated.
B) unsaturated.
C) extremely dry.
D) supersaturated.

Question 38

The amount of water vapor in a given volume of air divided by the maximum amount of water vapor that this air can hold is called:

A) relative humidity.
B) absolute humidity.
C) dew point.
D) partial humidity.

Question 39

Since warm air can hold more moisture than cold air, clouds generally do not form over __________ regions.

A) low-pressure
B) mountainous
C) high-pressure
D) coastal

Question 40

When a warm air mass overtakes a cool one, the __________ air rises, leading to __________.

A) cool, precipitation
B) cool, fair weather
C) warm, precipitation
D) warm, fair weather

Question 41

Windward valleys receive much less moisture than leeward valleys.

Question 42

When a mass of cool air comes in contact with warm air, the warm air rises above the warm air.

Question 43

Sea and land breezes are caused by uneven heating and cooling of land and water.

Question 44

If a large pressure difference occurs over a short distance:

A) there is little wind.
B) it snows.
C) there is a lot of wind.
D) wind blows slowly.

Question 45

About one million cloud droplets must combine to form an average-size raindrop.

Question 46

Rain doesn't fall from all clouds because some contain:

A) water droplets that are too large to fall.
B) no water droplets.
C) water droplets so small that they evaporate before they reach Earth's surface.
D) none of these

Question 47

El Niño is a weather pattern caused by:

A) increased upwelling at the west coast of South America.
B) the slackening of the trade winds in the Pacific Ocean.
C) orographic lifting.
D) frontal wedging.
True/False

Question 48

When a warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass, precipitation is widespread.

Question 49

If the dew point is below freezing, frost occurs.

Question 50

Wind near the Earth's surface always flows from a region of high pressure toward a low-pressure region.

Question 51

Hail falls only from cirrus clouds.

Question 52

Cumulus clouds are wispy clouds that look like hair blowing in the wind.

Question 53

Evaporation fogs are common in late fall and early winter because the air is still warm but the water has become cool.

Question 54

El Niño occurs every year.

Question 55

A single bolt of lightning produces as much power as a nuclear power plant for a few seconds.

Question 56

If one portion of the atmosphere becomes warmer than surrounding air:

A) the warm air contracts and falls.
B) a high pressure forms.
C) clouds disappear.
D) the warm air expands and rises.

Question 57

Rising air cools adiabatically.

Question 58

Cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air.

Question 59

Pressure gradients can change hourly.

Question 60

A high-altitude wind system traveling south from the Equator toward the South Pole would:

A) not be affected by the Earth's spin because only surface winds are deflected.
B) be deflected to the west by the Earth's spin.
C) be deflected to the east by the Earth's spin.
D) be accelerated southward by the Earth's spin.