Question 1

What effects might a subsidence inversion have on weather conditions at the ground?

Accepted Answer

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Question 2

Air which resists vertical displacements is considered to be
A) stable.
B) unstable.
C) neutral.

Accepted Answer

Air that resists vertical displacements is considered stable, meaning that it resists upward or downward movement and tends to remain in its current state. This stability is often created by cool air near the surface, which is denser and inhibits vertical movement. Stable air often leads to calm weather conditions and clear skies.

Question 3

Which process below will change a moist layer of stable air into a deck of low stratocumulus clouds?
A) mixing
B) lifting
C) cooling the surface
D) heat the top of the layer
E) subsidence

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which process below will change a moist...

Question 4

Conditional instability depends on the condition of
A) fog.
B) low pressure.
C) wind.
D) saturation.

Accepted Answer

Conditional instability depends on the condition of saturation, which means that the air is moist and close to reaching its dew point. This can lead to the formation of clouds and potentially unstable weather conditions. Fog, low pressure, and wind can all be factors in weather conditions and atmospheric stability, but they are not specifically related to conditional instability.

Question 5

If a parcel of unsaturated air with a temperature of 30 C rises from the surface to an altitude of 1,000 m,the unsaturated parcel temperature at this altitude would be about
A) 10 C warmer than at the surface.
B) 10 C colder than at the surface.
C) 6 C colder than at the surface.
D) impossible to tell from the data given

Accepted Answer

As a parcel of air rises and expands, it undergoes adiabatic cooling, which causes its temperature to decrease. The rate of adiabatic cooling depends on the moisture content of the air. Unsaturated air cools at a rate of approximately 1°C per 100 m of altitude. Therefore, at an altitude of 1000 m, the temperature of the parcel would be approximately 10°C cooler than at the surface.

Question 6

An air parcel that is warmer than its surroundings will rise.What force accounts for this upward motion?

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Question 7

If the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic rate,the atmosphere is
A) conditionally unstable.
B) absoutely stable.
C) absolutely unstable.
D) neutrally stable.

Accepted Answer

When the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic rate, the atmosphere is absolutely stable, meaning that a parcel of air will return to its original position if displaced.

Question 8

Sinking air sometimes cools adiabatically.

Accepted Answer

Sinking air heats up due to compression, and does not cool adiabatically.

Question 9

Subsidence ____ stability.
A) increases
B) decreases
C) has little effect on

Accepted Answer

Subsidence is the sinking of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by a variety of factors, including the withdrawal of groundwater, the extraction of oil and gas, and the collapse of underground mines. Subsidence can lead to a number of problems, including damage to buildings and infrastructure, flooding, and the loss of land.

Question 10

Explain why the surface air on the downwind side of a mountain can be drier than the surface air on the upwind side.What is this effect called? Can you think of a location in the United States where this might actually occur?

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Question 11

Would you expect to find a subsidence inversion to be associated with high or low pressure?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Does radiational cooling at the ground at night act to increase or decrease atmospheric stability?

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Question 13

Based on atmospheric stability considerations,do you think it would be best to burn agricultural debris in the early morning or the afternoon?

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Question 14

Explain how the stability of the atmosphere can affect the types of clouds that form.

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

How does daytime heating at the ground during the day affect atmospheric stability?

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

If the environmental lapse rate is 5 C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25 C,then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is
A) 25 C.
B) 30 C.
C) 20 C.
D) 15 C.

Accepted Answer

The environmental lapse rate is 5°C per 1,000 m. At 2,000 m, the temperature decreases by 10°C (5°C per 1,000 m x 2). Starting from 25°C at the surface, the temperature at 2,000 m is 15°C.

Question 17

In a sky filled with scattered cumulus humilis clouds,rising motions are found ____ the clouds and sinking motions are found ____ the clouds.
A) between,under
B) under,between
C) under,under
D) between,between

Accepted Answer

Rising motions are found under cumulus humilis clouds as warm air rises, and sinking motions are found between the clouds where cooler air descends.

Question 18

List and explain the four processes that cause rising air motions in the atmosphere.

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Question 19

Explain how lifting an air layer can steepen the environmental lapse rate and make the layer more unstable.

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

The environmental lapse rate is almost always the same as the adiabatic lapse rate.

Accepted Answer

The environmental lapse rate and the adiabatic lapse rate are not always the same. The environmental lapse rate refers to the actual decrease in temperature with increasing altitude in the Earth's atmosphere. The adiabatic lapse rate, on the other hand, refers to the rate at which the temperature of a parcel of air changes as it rises or sinks through the atmosphere due to adiabatic cooling or heating. The adiabatic lapse rate can vary depending on factors such as the moisture content of the air and the altitude at which the parcel of air begins its ascent or descent.

Quiz 6: Stability and Cloud Development

What effects might a subsidence inversion have on weather conditions at the ground?

Air which resists vertical displacements is considered to be

Which process below will change a moist layer of stable air into a deck of low stratocumulus clouds?

Conditional instability depends on the condition of

If a parcel of unsaturated air with a temperature of 30 C rises from the surface to an altitude of 1,000 m,the unsaturated parcel temperature at this altitude would be about