Question 1

Suppose the sky is covered with stratus clouds.How might you determine whether middle or high clouds are also present?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose the sky is covered with stratus...

Question 2

A vertically-viewing detector is located 8,000 feet from a rotating beam ceilometer.Determine the height of the cloud base assuming a signal is detected when the ceilometer beam elevation angle is 30^o.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A vertically-viewing detector is located 8,000 feet...

Question 3

Suppose two ocean currents with different temperatures are flowing next to one another.If the wind blows perpendicular to the currents,we would expect to find

Accepted Answer

Advection fog forms when warm, moist air moves over a cooler surface, such as when wind blows moist air over cooler ocean currents.

Question 4

Fog is often described as a cloud that forms at ground level.In what ways are the formation of fog and clouds similar and different?

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The answer of Fog is often described as a cloud...

Question 5

Upslope fog forms because air ____ as it flows up a hill or mountain range.

Accepted Answer

Upslope fog forms because air cools adiabatically as it flows up a hill or mountain range. As the air rises, it expands and its pressure decreases, causing the air to cool. When the air reaches its dew point temperature, water vapor in the air condenses into fog or clouds.

Question 6

Satellite images taken of clouds at night use

Accepted Answer

Clouds emit infrared radiation, which can be detected by satellites equipped with infrared sensors. This allows for accurate mapping and monitoring of clouds even at night.

Question 7

Which two clouds can produce precipitation?

Accepted Answer

Cumulonimbus and Nimbostratus clouds can produce precipitation. Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with thunderstorms and can produce heavy rain, hail, and even tornadoes. Nimbostratus clouds are associated with steady rain or snow and can produce lighter precipitation over a longer period of time. Stratocumulus and cirrus clouds do not typically produce precipitation, while altostratus clouds may produce light precipitation but not to the extent of nimbostratus or cumulonimbus clouds.

Question 8

Radiation fog typically forms on

Accepted Answer

Radiation fog typically forms at night when the earth's surface cools rapidly, causing the air near the surface to cool and the relative humidity to increase. This often occurs on clear, calm nights when there is little wind to mix the air and prevent the formation of fog.

Question 9

It is a cold winter night and a fog cloud forms.If it continues to cool during the night would you expect to find that the dew point has changed overnight? If so,would you expect to find that dew point has increased or decreased?

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The answer of It is a cold winter night and...

Question 10

List the main types of fog,then briefly explain how each one forms.Where might you expect each of these different types of fog to form?

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The answer of List the main types of fog,then briefly...

Question 11

Advection fog is often observed along the Pacific coast during summer,as westerly winds carry moist air toward the shore.The fog forms because the surface water near the coast is ____ the surface water farther offshore.

Accepted Answer

Advection fog forms when warm, moist air moves over a cooler surface. In this case, the surface water near the coast is much colder than the surface water farther offshore, which causes the moist air to cool and form fog as it moves inland.

Question 12

List one or more key identifying features for each of the ten basic cloud types.Which cloud types might have fairly similar appearances and thus be difficult to identify?

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The answer of List one or more key identifying features...

Question 13

When temperatures are below freezing,the temperature to which air must be cooled in order for a phase change to occur is called the

Accepted Answer

The frost point is the temperature below freezing at which air must be cooled for frost to form, similar to the dew point but for sub-freezing temperatures.

Question 14

With which cloud type would each of the following phenomena be associated?
lightning hail tornadoes
brief heavy rain steady rain milky sun
halo mackerel sky

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The answer of With which cloud type would each of...

Question 15

In hilly areas,cold air typically collects

Accepted Answer

In hilly areas, cold air is denser than warm air, so it flows downhill and collects in valleys, creating temperature inversions. This is why valleys in mountainous areas are often much colder than nearby hilltops.

Question 16

Would it be possible for rising air to remain cloud-free? If not,why not? If so,how?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Would it be possible for rising air...

Question 17

List the major height categories of clouds.What differences might you expect to find in the clouds that form at these different levels?

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The answer of List the major height categories of clouds.What...

Question 18

Suppose two unsaturated air masses mix horizontally.The resulting mixture cannot possibly be saturated.

Accepted Answer

If two unsaturated air masses mix, the resulting mixture may become saturated if the temperature drops and the relative humidity increases. Therefore, the resulting mixture can possibly be saturated.

Question 19

Satellites can

Accepted Answer

All of the above choices are correct statements about what satellites can do. Satellites are powerful tools for monitoring and studying various aspects of Earth's systems, including snow cover, energy balance, water temperatures, and movement of icebergs.

Question 20

Explain why clouds form in rising air.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why clouds form in rising air....

Quiz 5: Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds