Question 1

Which of the following is not true concerning an easterly wave?

Accepted Answer

Easterly waves have converging winds on their eastern side, not their western side.

Question 2

Which would you not expect to observe as the eye of a hurricane passes directly over your area?

Accepted Answer

The eye of a hurricane is typically calm with low winds, so you would not expect to observe high winds as it passes over.

Question 3

Most hurricanes have fronts.

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes do not have fronts, instead they are a type of tropical cyclone that forms over warm ocean waters. They are characterized by a low-pressure center called the eye, surrounded by winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 miles per hour or more.

Question 4

Pressure at the center of a hurricane is ____ than the surroundings at the surface and ____ than the surroundings aloft.

Accepted Answer

The pressure at the center of a hurricane is lower than the surroundings at the surface, which creates the characteristic upward motion and low-pressure system. However, the pressure is higher than the surroundings aloft, where there is a divergence of wind. This creates an overall stable system, which is why hurricanes typically weaken as they move inland and away from warm ocean waters.

Question 5

In a hurricane,the eye wall represents

Accepted Answer

The eye wall of a hurricane is a zone of intense thunderstorms around the center of the storm.

Question 6

The vertical structure of the hurricane shows an upper-level ____ of air,and a surface ____ of air.

Accepted Answer

The upper-level air in a hurricane is characterized by outflow, which helps to ventilate the storm and maintain its strength. Meanwhile, at the surface, air is drawn inward toward the low-pressure center of the hurricane, creating inflow. Therefore, the best choice is A, which includes both of these descriptive terms.

Question 7

The strongest winds in a hurricane are found

Accepted Answer

The strongest winds in a hurricane are found in the eye wall, which is the area surrounding the eye of the storm. This area typically experiences the most intense rainfall, thunderstorms, and wind speeds. The winds in the eye wall can reach speeds of up to 160 mph, making it the most dangerous part of the hurricane.

Question 8

Which below only forms over water?

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters and derive their energy from the heat and moisture in the air above the water. Thunderstorms, funnel clouds, tornadoes, and mesocyclones can form over land as well as water.

Question 9

The main reason hurricanes don't develop over the South Atlantic Ocean adjacent to South America is because

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes require warm water temperatures (typically 26°C or higher) to develop and strengthen. The South Atlantic Ocean adjacent to South America, particularly around the coast of Brazil, tends to have cooler water temperatures that do not support hurricane formation. Additionally, the other factors listed (Coriolis force, pressure gradient force, and surface air divergence) are important for hurricane formation, but they are not the main reason why hurricanes don't develop in this region.

Question 10

The main source of energy for a hurricane is the

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes are powered by warm ocean water and the release of latent heat of condensation. As water vapor condenses, heat is released, which powers the storm. The warm ocean water provides the initial energy needed for the storm to form and intensify.

Question 11

Hurricanes dissipate when

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes dissipate for multiple reasons such as moving over colder water, moving over land, and surface inflow of air exceeding upper-level outflow of air. Therefore, choice D "all of these" is the best answer.

Question 12

Hurricanes do not form

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes cannot form along the equator as there is weak Coriolis force, which is necessary for the formation of tropical cyclones.

Question 13

Streamlines on a weather map depict

Accepted Answer

Streamlines on a weather map depict the flow and direction of the wind.

Question 14

At the periphery of a hurricane,the air is ____,and several kilometers above the surface,in the eye,the air is ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of At the periphery of a hurricane,the air...

Question 15

As a northward-moving hurricane passes to the east of an area,surface winds should change from

Accepted Answer

As a hurricane moves to the east of an area, the surface winds should change from the northeastern quadrant to the north-northeast quadrant and then to the north-northwest quadrant. Option C is the only choice that includes these directions.

Question 16

Suppose the eye of a hurricane passed directly over you,and you survived the experience.If winds were from the northeast as the eyewall first approached you,from what direction did the winds blow when the eyewall reached you the second time?

Accepted Answer

When the eye of a hurricane passes over, the winds shift direction. Initially, the winds were from the northeast. As the eye passes and the eyewall reaches you again, the winds will come from the opposite direction, which is southwest.

Question 17

As surface air rushes in toward the eye of a hurricane,the air expands and should cool.The main reason the surface air is not cooler around the eye is because

Accepted Answer

The warm water of the ocean provides heat and moisture to the air, which offsets the cooling effect of expansion as the air rushes toward the hurricane's eye.

Question 18

In order for a hurricane to form,the layer of warm water must extend from the ocean surface to a depth of at least 400 meters.

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes typically require a layer of warm water that extends to a depth of at least 26.5 degrees Celsius down to about 50 meters, not 400 meters.

Question 19

In the Northern Hemisphere,hurricanes and middle latitude cyclones are similar in that both

Accepted Answer

Both hurricanes and middle latitude cyclones have winds that blow counterclockwise around their centers in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 20

Hurricane winds rotate in a clockwise direction

Accepted Answer

In the Southern Hemisphere, hurricanes (cyclones) rotate clockwise due to the Coriolis effect, while in the Northern Hemisphere, they rotate counterclockwise.

Quiz 15: Hurricanes