Deck 12: Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

Question 1

The trade wind inversion

A)results in a 180-degree shift in the direction of the trade winds.
B)lies below the marine layer.
C)is caused by the subsidence of air from high-pressure cells.
D)inhibits hurricane formation.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Hurricanes are typically ________ miles in width.

A)250
B)350
C)400
D)500

Answer 2

B

Question 3

This is hurricane season in Australia.

A)January to March
B)April to June
C)June to November
D)August to October

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Hurricanes

A)typically have a sea level pressure change of around 150 mb.
B)have an average diameter of around 200 kilometers.
C)have sustained wind speeds above 120 kilometers per hour.
D)often last for two or more weeks.

Question 5

Hurricanes

A)are larger than Mid-latitude cyclones.
B)are smaller than Mid-latitude cyclones.
C)never spawn tornadoes.
D)generally have very little thunder and lightning.

Question 6

In the far western Pacific,extremely strong tropical storms are called ________.

Question 7

Identify the different names for extremely strong tropical storms and indicate in which regions these names are used.

Question 8

This region receives more hurricanes than any other: ________.

Question 9

Describe the formation of the trade wind inversion and the marine layer,and explain why and how these two change in height and characteristics from east to west.

Question 10

Over the Indian Ocean the strongest tropical storms are called

A)hurricanes.
B)typhoons.
C)inta'akas.
D)cyclones.

Question 11

Sea-level pressure near the center of a typical hurricane is

A)850 mb.
B)900 mb.
C)950 mb.
D)1000 mb.

Question 12

The trade wind inversion

A)is highest along the eastern margins of oceans.
B)is unrelated to the height of the marine layer.
C)promotes greater vertical cloud growth farther to the west.
D)allows more convection as it decreases in height.

Question 13

Tropical storms in the East Pacific

A)eventually pass over Hawaii.
B)generally move westward.
C)miss Mexico.
D)are the typhoons that hit Asia.

Question 14

Small groups of disorganized thunderstorms in eastern regions of tropical oceans are called ________.

Question 15

The trade wind inversion lies above the ________.

Question 16

This region has the highest average number of hurricanes per year.

A)Atlantic
B)Eastern Pacific
C)Western Pacific
D)Northwest Indian Ocean

Question 17

This region has spawned only one documented hurricane.

A)Southern Hemisphere Atlantic Ocean
B)Southwestern Indian Ocean
C)Southeastern Indian Ocean
D)Eastern Pacific Ocean

Question 18

The Western Atlantic hurricane season runs from ________.

Question 19

The marine layer

A)is warm.
B)is dry.
C)lies above the tradewind inversion.
D)increases in height in a westerly direction.

Question 20

Of the following regions,this one receives the smallest average annual number of hurricanes.

A)Northern Indian Ocean
B)Eastern Pacific
C)Western Pacific
D)Atlantic

Question 21

A hurricane typically

A)forms over relatively cool ocean waters.
B)is a cold-core cyclone.
C)contains bands of precipitating clouds that spiral clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
D)has temperatures near its center that are much higher than surrounding temperatures.

Question 22

Sea-level pressure near the center of a typical hurricane is about ________ than the average sea-level pressure.

A)150 mb less
B)50 mb less
C)50 mb more
D)150 mb more

Question 23

As one approaches the eye of a hurricane,the sea level pressure ________ and the surface wind ________.

A)rises slowly; rises slowly
B)falls rapidly; rises rapidly
C)does not change; falls rapidly
D)falls slowly; falls rapidly

Question 24

A hurricane is almost symmetric (round)in shape because

A)there is no Coriolis force in the tropics.
B)there is no frictional force in the tropics.
C)a hurricane has only warm air.
D)the hurricane moves along the ITCZ.

Question 25

Eyewall replacement occurs

A)within very weak hurricanes.
B)within very strong hurricanes.
C)at the beginning of a typical hurricane's life cycle.
D)at the end of a typical hurricane's life cycle.

Question 26

Which of the following exhibits "banding" in a hurricane?

A)rainfall intensity
B)distributions of pressure
C)distributions of wind speed
D)none of these

Question 27

The strongest horizontal temperature gradients within a hurricane occur

A)in the eye.
B)in the eyewall.
C)in the spiral rain bands.
D)at the outer edges of the storm.

Question 28

The strongest rainfall within a hurricane occurs

A)in the eye.
B)in the eyewall.
C)in the spiral rain bands.
D)at the outer edges of the storm.

Question 29

Hurricanes eyes typically have a diameter of

A)5 miles.
B)10 miles.
C)20 miles.
D)50 miles.

Question 30

Hurricanes have

A)no fronts.
B)the same number of fronts as a midlatitude cyclone.
C)more fronts than a midlatitude cyclone.
D)between one and three fronts.

Question 31

The strongest winds within a hurricane occur

A)in the eye.
B)in the eyewall.
C)in the spiral rain bands.
D)at the outer edges of the storm.

Question 32

Hurricanes are

A)the third-most powerful type of storm after tornadoes and midlatitude cyclones.
B)the second-most powerful type of storm after tornadoes.
C)tied with tornadoes as the most powerful of all storms.
D)the most powerful of all storms.

Question 33

The eye wall of a hurricane has all of the following characteristics,except

A)thick cloud cover.
B)moderate winds.
C)intense precipitation.
D)saturated air.

Question 34

Hurricanes are

A)cold-core systems with high pressure aloft.
B)cold-core systems with low pressure is a.
C)warm-core systems with high pressure aloft.
D)warm-core systems with low pressure aloft.

Question 35

Horizontal air flow in a hurricane is

A)clockwise at surface, counter-clockwise aloft.
B)clockwise throughout the entire vertical depth of the storm.
C)counter-clockwise throughout the entire vertical depth of the storm.
D)counter-clockwise at the surface, clockwise aloft.

Question 36

The eye of a hurricane has all of the following characteristics,except

A)an average passage time of 5-10 minutes.
B)light winds.
C)descending air.
D)relatively clear skies.

Question 37

The diameter of a typical hurricanes is about ________ that of a tornado.

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

Question 38

Hurricanes

A)have both warm and cold fronts.
B)contain numerous thunderstorms arranged in a pinwheel formation.
C)have maximum windspeeds near their outer edges.
D)have minimum precipitation just outside the eyewall.

Question 39

What are the values for the size,pressure changes,and lifespan of the typical hurricane?

Question 40

This type of cloud is typically on the top part of a hurricane

A)cirrostratus.
B)cumulonimbus.
C)altocumulus.
D)nimbostratus.

Question 41

What is a Cape Verde hurricane?

Question 42

Tropical disturbances

A)usually turn into hurricanes.
B)have substantial rotation.
C)have weak pressure gradients.
D)form near the western portions of ocean basins.

Question 43

The wind speed of a hurricane (in the northern hemisphere)is greatest

A)on the left-hand side of the storm.
B)behind the storm.
C)in front of the storm.
D)on the right-hand side of the storm.

Question 44

Hurricanes gain most of their energy from

A)sensible heat from the ocean.
B)insolation on their extensive, high-level cloud covers.
C)the strong winds that develop within them.
D)latent heat released by condensation.

Question 45

An easterly wave is

A)a favorable area for hurricane development.
B)moving toward the east.
C)common throughout much of the northern hemisphere.
D)found frequently in the subtropical jet stream.

Question 46

Choose the answer that places the hurricane at its proper position with respect to overall storm size.

A)tornado, mid-latitude cyclone, hurricane, thunderstorm
B)thunderstorm, mid-latitude cyclone, hurricane, tornado
C)hurricane, mid-latitude cyclone, tornado, thunderstorm
D)mid-latitude cyclone, hurricane, thunderstorm, tornado

Question 47

A shrinking hurricane eye generally means

A)a storm that is evolving into a tropical storm.
B)an intensifying hurricane.
C)high winds in the eye.
D)decreasing levels of heavy rain.

Question 48

Hurricanes lose strength when they

A)move over cooler water.
B)move over warmer water.
C)move over land.
D)move over cooler water or move over land.

Question 49

Usually a shrinking hurricane eye means that ________.

Question 50

Hurricanes generally need water temperatures of what value to form?

A)75 degrees F
B)81 degrees F
C)86 degrees F
D)90 degrees F

Question 51

The tropical disturbances that affect the Atlantic Ocean,Caribbean Sea,and the Americas,mostly form over

A)the Gulf of Mexico.
B)western Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.
C)the Caribbean Sea.
D)the western Atlantic Ocean.

Question 52

The tropical disturbances that affect the Caribbean

A)form north of the Sahara Desert.
B)dissipate if they cross cold water.
C)contain statically stable air during their entire lifetimes.
D)take a week to ten days to move across the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 53

Describe the temperature,pressure,wind,and precipitation characteristics of the eye and eye wall of a hurricane.

Question 54

Once formed,a hurricane

A)has upper-level convergence.
B)has lower level divergence.
C)is self-propagating.
D)is no longer fueled by the release of latent heat through condensation.

Question 55

There is little temperature difference across the base of a hurricane because

A)hurricanes are cold-core cyclones.
B)air expands adiabatically as it flows inward.
C)the warm ocean below releases large amounts of sensible heat.
D)the rapid mixing of air from the storm's high winds create a uniform temperature throughout the hurricane.

Question 56

Most hurricanes in the North Atlantic Ocean begin as

A)thunderstorms.
B)squall lines.
C)the result of traditional cyclogenesis.
D)an easterly wave.

Question 57

What % of tropical disturbances die out before ever evolving into more powerful systems?

A)20%
B)33%
C)57%
D)more then 90%

Question 58

Which three languages are used for Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms?

Question 59

Tropical oceans have the highest evaporation rates in ________.

Question 60

Air ________ inside the eye of a hurricane.

A)rises and cools adiabatically
B)rises and warms adiabatically
C)sinks and cools adiabatically
D)sinks and warms adiabatically

Question 61

Atlantic hurricanes

A)typically strengthen as they travel over land.
B)can backtrack along a previously traveled path.
C)usually end their lives while traveling southerly.
D)follow a well-defined and narrow track through the Caribbean and east coast of North America.

Question 62

Major Atlantic hurricanes typically

A)are unaffected by midlatitude westerly winds.
B)are affected by midlatitude westerly winds early in their lifetime.
C)are affected by midlatitude westerly winds late in their lifetime.
D)are affected by midlatitude westerly winds both early and late in their lifetime.

Question 63

Atlantic hurricanes often take on a northerly path due to

A)the presence of a large anticyclone in the Atlantic Ocean.
B)the presence of a large cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean.
C)the presence of a large anticyclone in the Pacific Ocean.
D)the presence of a large cyclone in the Pacific Ocean.

Question 64

The most important condition for the formation of a hurricane is

A)the strength of the Coriolis force.
B)distance from the equator.
C)a deep surface layer of warm ocean water.
D)stable conditions in the upper portion of the troposphere.

Question 65

Describe and explain as best as possible the movement patterns of Atlantic hurricanes.

Question 66

At which point does a tropical system earn a name?

A)when it crosses the equator
B)when it becomes a hurricane
C)when it becomes a tropical storm
D)when it becomes a tropical depression

Question 67

Trade winds have the least influence on the movement of

A)tropical disturbances.
B)tropical depressions.
C)hurricanes.
D)tropical storms.

Question 68

Explain why hurricanes weaken before they reach the coast of California.

Question 69

Tropical disturbances are most likely to form

A)through the actions of easterly waves.
B)through convection processes associated with ITCZ.
C)when mid-latitude troughs migrate south.
D)above 20 degrees latitude and below -20 degrees latitude.

Question 70

The absence of a Coriolis force

A)prohibits hurricane formation in most of the tropics.
B)prohibits hurricane formation between 10° and 20° latitude.
C)prohibits hurricane formation between 30° and 40° latitude.
D)prohibits hurricane formation at the equator.

Question 71

Eastern Pacific hurricanes

A)have brought winds in excess of 130 miles an hour to San Diego.
B)do not land in Mexico.
C)hit Southern California every two to three years.
D)are weakened by the cold waters of the California current.

Question 72

Hurricane paths (tracks)

A)are highly smooth and stable.
B)are easily predictable.
C)always move to the northwest.
D)can be highly erratic.

Question 73

The second step in the development of a hurricane is the

A)easterly wave.
B)tropical depression.
C)tropical storm.
D)tropical disturbance.

Question 74

Between August 18 and 19,1969,Hurricane Camille began to dissipate due to

A)decreasing wind shear aloft.
B)decreasing storm surges.
C)an increased supply of latent heat after making landfall.
D)an decreased supply of latent heat after making landfall.

Question 75

The driving force of all hurricanes is

A)the release of latent heat.
B)the subtropical jet stream.
C)the Coriolis force.
D)the polar jet stream.

Question 76

The reason almost all hurricanes form in the equatorial regions of the earth is because

A)it has the largest source of warm water.
B)the Coriolis force is the strongest.
C)vertical wind shear is the greatest.
D)there is stronger vorticity near the equator.

Question 77

Tornadoes most often form in the ________ of a hurricane (in the northern hemisphere).

A)Southwest quadrant
B)Northeast quadrant
C)Southeast quadrant
D)Northwest quadrant

Question 78

Hurricane Camille

A)occurred in 1992.
B)caused widespread damage, but did not kill anyone.
C)merged with a mid-latitude cyclone.
D)dissipated over the southern states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.

Question 79

The primary requirement for hurricane development is

A)warm land.
B)water that is at least 27°C (81°F).
C)the presence of the ITCZ.
D)the presence of an easterly wave.

Question 80

Upon reaching the east coast of North America,tropical storms and hurricanes are most likely to move in this general direction.

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