Question 1

________is the time of day when tornadoes are most likely to occur.

Accepted Answer

Tornadoes are most likely to occur in the mid-afternoon because this is when the atmosphere is typically the most unstable, with the ground being heated by the sun, leading to the development of severe thunderstorms.

Question 2

Which of the following air masses can be identified as being "very stable".

Accepted Answer

Arctic air masses are very stable due to their cold temperatures and high pressure, which inhibit vertical movement.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Midlatitude cyclones are more common in the winter than in the summer due to the greater temperature contrasts between air masses during the colder months.

Question 4

________have the most dynamic and changeable day- to- day weather on Earth.

Accepted Answer

Latitudes affected by fronts experience the most dynamic and changeable weather due to the interaction of different air masses, leading to frequent weather changes.

Question 5

A(n)________ is an upward- looking Doppler radar which is used to sense wind speed and direction at various levels in the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A wind profiler is a type of Doppler radar used to measure wind speed and direction at various levels in the atmosphere.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

A new air mass can cause changes in humidity, stability, wind speed, and temperature, indicating its passage over a location.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

In a stationary front, neither air mass is strong enough to replace the other, so there is no "aggressor" air mass.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Tornadoes typically have pressure gradients on the order of 100 millibars from the outside to the inside of the storm, which is significant enough to cause the intense winds associated with tornadoes.

Question 9

Fronts are located

Accepted Answer

Fronts are boundaries between different air masses, so they are located at the edges where two air masses meet.

Question 10

The global westerly wind zone most heavily impacts the _________latitudes.

Accepted Answer

The global westerly wind zone primarily affects the middle latitudes, where these winds are prevalent and influence weather patterns.

Question 11

Most midlatitude cyclones have __________.

Accepted Answer

Midlatitude cyclones typically have paths determined by the upper-level flow in the atmosphere, which is influenced by the jet stream and other large-scale atmospheric patterns.

Question 12

On a NEXRAD computer screen, indications of strong winds flowing towards the radar adjacent to strong winds flowing away from the radar is evidence of a(n) _______within a thunderstorm and would cause the radar operator to issue a tornado warning.

Accepted Answer

This pattern of strong winds moving in opposite directions is indicative of a mesocyclone, which is a rotating updraft within a thunderstorm and can lead to the formation of a tornado.

Question 13

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.

Accepted Answer

A dryline is a mesoscale boundary that can be better detected with a densely-spaced observation network like the Mesonetwork, as it requires detailed surface data to identify the sharp moisture gradient.

Question 14

An easterly wave is on the order of _______kilometers long.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An easterly wave is on the order...

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

The Central States, often referred to as "Tornado Alley," have the highest incidence of tornadoes due to the ideal conditions for their formation, including flat terrain and the meeting of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico with cold, dry air from Canada.

Question 16

A(n)_________ is the boundary between mT and cT air and is frequently the focus of tornado development.

Accepted Answer

A dryline is the boundary between moist tropical air (mT) and dry tropical air (cT) and is often associated with severe weather, including tornadoes, especially in the central United States.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, which is a storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, thunderstorms, and strong winds.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

A warm front, a cold front, a stationary front, and an extratropical cyclone are all associated with an increase in pressure after their passage.

Question 19

Which type of front causes many hours of steady rain BEFORE that front passes a location?

Accepted Answer

A warm front typically causes many hours of steady rain before it passes a location, as the warm air gradually rises over the cooler air, leading to prolonged precipitation.

Question 20

Which type of cloud is associated with a thunderstorm?

Accepted Answer

Cumulonimbus clouds are large, towering clouds associated with thunderstorms and severe weather conditions.

Quiz 7: Transient Atmospheric Flows and Disturbances