Question 1

Examine the figure. Which of the symbols shown is used to illustrate a stationary front?
A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

Which part of a hurricane has the most intense winds?
A)divergence aloft
B)counterclockwise rain bands (clockwise in the southern hemisphere)
C)eye wall
D)eye

Accepted Answer

The eye wall of a hurricane is the area of most intense winds and rainfall. It surrounds the eye of the hurricane and the winds in the eye wall can exceed 160 mph (257 km/h).

Question 3

At any given time, an estimated ________ thunderstorms are in progress on Earth, most of them in the tropics. This results in around ________ thunderstorms on Earth every day.
A)20; 450
B)200; 4,500
C)2,000; 45,000
D)20,000; 450,000

Accepted Answer

According to scientific estimates, there are about 2,000 thunderstorms happening at any given time on Earth, resulting in around 45,000 thunderstorms per day. Option (C) is the only one that provides a close estimate to these numbers. Options (A) and (B) are too low, while option (D) is too high.

Question 4

Once warm, moist air, is lifted, the buoyancy necessary to maintain its upward flight is provided by ________.
A)release of latent heat
B)frontal wedging
C)adiabatic cooling
D)lightning and accompanying thunder

Accepted Answer

As warm, moist air rises, it cools and condenses, releasing latent heat that further warms the air and makes it even more buoyant. This process, known as the latent heat release, provides the necessary energy for the air to continue rising and form clouds and precipitation. Frontal wedging and adiabatic cooling can also contribute to the lifting of air, but they don't provide the sustained buoyancy needed for upward flight. Lightning and thunder are not related to the lifting of air.

Question 5

Several consecutive days of rather constant weather in an area probably indicates ________.
A)warm-front weather
B)cold-front weather
C)air-mass weather
D)occluded front weather

Accepted Answer

Several consecutive days of rather constant weather in an area most likely indicates air-mass weather. This means that the area is experiencing consistent weather conditions due to a large air mass remaining stationary over the region. This is in contrast to weather patterns associated with weather fronts, which tend to bring more variable weather conditions.

Question 6

Should people be more concerned about tornado warnings or tornado watches?
A)tornado warnings
B)tornado watches
C)both mean the same thing

Accepted Answer

Tornado warnings indicate that a tornado has been spotted, or that conditions are favorable for a tornado to occur in the near future. This is a more urgent situation than a tornado watch, which simply means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop, but none have been spotted yet. Therefore, people should be more concerned about tornado warnings and take immediate action to protect themselves.

Question 7

A cyclone is ________.
A)another name for a tornado
B)another name for a hurricane
C)another name for the low-pressure systems that take several days to travel across North America from west to east
D)the term for circulation around any low-pressure center, no matter how large or intense it is

Accepted Answer

A cyclone refers to the circulation around any low-pressure center, regardless of its size or intensity.

Question 8

Examine the figure. Based on our best understand of mid-latitude cyclones, which of the four lettered interpretations best matches the weather patterns observed in the "raw" satellite image at top?
A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
Examine the figure. Based on our best...

Question 9

Cold fronts advance at a rate of about ________.
A)5 to 15 kilometers (3 to 10 miles)per hour
B)25 to 35 kilometers (15 to 20 miles)per hour
C)35 to 50 kilometers (20 to 35 miles)per hour
D)55 to 75 kilometers (34 to 46 miles)per hour

Accepted Answer

Cold fronts advance at a speed of approximately 35 to 50 kilometers (20 to 35 miles) per hour.

Question 10

A cT air mass is ________.
A)cold and dry
B)cold and humid
C)warm and dry
D)warm and humid

Accepted Answer

A cT (continental tropical) air mass is characterized by being warm and dry because it forms over land in tropical regions.

Question 11

Where warm, moist, unstable mT air seldom penetrates, such as along the west coast of the United States, ________.
A)there are many thunderstorms
B)there are very few thunderstorms
C)there is no humidity in the air
D)there is an excess of humidity in the air

Accepted Answer

Warm, moist, unstable mT air is necessary for thunderstorm formation. If this type of air seldom penetrates along the west coast of the United States, then there will be very few thunderstorms.

Question 12

Hurricanes are characterized by ________.
A)intense convective (thunderstorm)activity and strong cyclonic circulation
B)intense convective (thunderstorm)activity and strong anticyclonic circulation
C)mild convective (thunderstorm)activity and strong cyclonic circulation
D)mild convective (thunderstorm)activity and strong anticyclonic circulation

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes are characterized by intense convective (thunderstorm) activity and strong cyclonic circulation, which is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This is due to the Coriolis effect. Anticyclonic circulation is associated with high pressure systems, not hurricanes.

Question 13

Examine the figure. What weather phenomenon is illustrated here?
A)a warm front
B)a cold front
C)an occluded front
D)a stationary front

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
Examine the figure. What weather phenomenon is...

Question 14

Stationary fronts are distinctive because ________.
A)they occur where a warm front merges with a cold front
B)they stay in one spot on Earth's surface
C)there is no difference in the temperature of the air masses on either side of the front
D)there is no difference in the humidity of the air masses on either side of the front

Accepted Answer

Stationary fronts are called stationary because they do not move. They occur when a cold front and a warm front meet, but neither has enough force to push the other out of the way. As a result, the front stays in one location, with warmer air and moisture on one side and cooler air on the other side.

Question 15

Occluded fronts form because ________.
A)of the Coriolis effect
B)cold fronts travel at a faster rate than do warm fronts
C)warm fronts travel at a faster rate than do cold fronts
D)air movement is parallel to the front

Accepted Answer

Occluded fronts form when a faster-moving cold front catches up to and overtakes a slower-moving warm front. This causes warm air to be lifted off the ground and the occluded front to form.

Question 16

A mature mid-latitude cyclone with a center of low pressure is about 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 200 miles)north of your location. If it takes 3 days to pass your location, on which day would temperatures likely be warmest? On which day would they likely be coldest?
A)Day 1 would be warmest; Day 2 would be coldest.
B)Day 2 would be warmest; Day 3 would be coldest.
C)Day 3 would be warmest; Day 2 would be coldest.
D)Day 2 would be warmest; Day 1 would be coldest.

Accepted Answer

As a mature mid-latitude cyclone approaches, the warm sector (ahead of the cold front and behind the warm front) would likely bring the warmest temperatures on Day 2. After the passage of the cold front, colder air from the north would make Day 3 the coldest.

Question 17

An mP air mass is ________.
A)cold and dry
B)cold and humid
C)warm and dry
D)warm and humid

Accepted Answer

The answer of An mP air mass is ________.
A)cold and...

Question 18

On a weather map, ________ are shown by a line with triangular points on one side.
A)warm fronts
B)cold fronts
C)occluded fronts
D)dragon mouths

Accepted Answer

Cold fronts are shown on weather maps with a line that has triangular points on one side. The triangles point in the direction that the front is moving, indicating the direction of the advancing cold air mass.

Question 19

An air mass originating in the Gulf of Mexico should be labeled ________.
A)cP
B)mP
C)cT
D)mT

Accepted Answer

An air mass originating in the Gulf of Mexico would be warm and humid, therefore it would be labeled as mT (maritime tropical).

Question 20

You are driving west in your car on a clear, warm day. Up ahead, you see a dark band of ominous clouds. Soon, you drive beneath the towering bank of clouds, and things get very dark. For twenty minutes, you are pelted with rain and even some hail. You keep driving west, even though it seems a little sketchy at times. On the radio, you hear that the next county to the north is under a tornado warning. Then the sky lightens, and there is only a little rain. You notice that the temperature outside has dropped by 15°F (8°C). What have you just driven across?
A)a warm front
B)a cold front
C)a mid-latitude cyclone
D)the jet stream

Accepted Answer

The dark, ominous clouds and the sudden drop in temperature suggest a cold front, which is a leading edge of a colder air mass that replaces a warmer one. The rain and hail also point to the presence of a cold front. The fact that the neighboring county is under a tornado warning also supports the idea of a cold front, as these severe weather events often accompany the frontal boundary.

Quiz 14: Weather Patterns and Severe Weather

Examine the figure. Which of the symbols shown is used to illustrate a stationary front?

Which part of a hurricane has the most intense winds?

At any given time, an estimated thunderstorms are in progress on Earth, most of them in the tropics. This results in around thunderstorms on Earth every day.

Once warm, moist air, is lifted, the buoyancy necessary to maintain its upward flight is provided by ________.

Several consecutive days of rather constant weather in an area probably indicates ________.

Should people be more concerned about tornado warnings or tornado watches?

A cyclone is ________.

Examine the figure. Based on our best understand of mid-latitude cyclones, which of the four lettered interpretations best matches the weather patterns observed in the "raw" satellite image at top?

Cold fronts advance at a rate of about ________.

A cT air mass is ________.

Where warm, moist, unstable mT air seldom penetrates, such as along the west coast of the United States, ________.

Hurricanes are characterized by ________.

Examine the figure. What weather phenomenon is illustrated here?

Stationary fronts are distinctive because ________.

Occluded fronts form because ________.

A mature mid-latitude cyclone with a center of low pressure is about 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 200 miles) north of your location. If it takes 3 days to pass your location, on which day would temperatures likely be warmest? On which day would they likely be coldest?

An mP air mass is ________.

On a weather map, ________ are shown by a line with triangular points on one side.

An air mass originating in the Gulf of Mexico should be labeled ________.