Homework 5- Answer Key
Question 1:
Give the approximate latitudes of the following regions.




Tropics
Mid-latitudes
Subtropics
Polar latitudes
0-30°
Tropics
around 30°
30-60°
60-90°
X
mid-latitudes
subtropics
X
X
polar latitudes
X
Question 2:
***Comment: “This question isn’t the best in my opinion. It needs work to be more accurate, while also
allowing for more complex latitude dependencies.***
Classify the general surface wind direction in the following regions as northeasterly, southeasterly,
northwesterly, or southwesterly.



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Northern hemisphere mid-latitudes
Northern hemisphere tropics
Southern hemisphere tropics
Southern hemisphere mid-latitudes
Question 3:
True or False:
a) Air released from a tire is cooler than its surroundings
 TRUE




An air parcel that rises  expands due to lower surrounding pressure
EXPANSION requires WORK by the parcel
Air parcel doing WORK, loses Energy, Temperature of parcel goes down.
Sinking motions are opposite (compression warms)
b) In cold climates the air indoors tends to be extremely dry (low RH)
 TRUE
c) Moist parcels cool more rapidly than dry parcels when they are lifted
 FALSE

Two lapse rates: dry adiabatic: -9.8 K/km
wet adiabatic: -6.5 k/km
wet
altitude
dry
T
 The phase change during
lifting releases heat when lifting moist
parcels, buffering the temperature
decrease
d) Areas of precipitation tend to be associated with divergence in the lower troposphere and
convergence in the upper troposphere
 FALSE
e) Less solar energy is absorbed per square meter at high latitudes (i.e. polar latitudes) than at low
(i.e. subtropical) latitudes
 TRUE
f)
Antarctica experiences higher maximum daily total solar radiation flux than Hawaii
 TRUE
g) The Hadley cell extends from equator to pole
 FALSE
h) The Coriolis effect is responsible for the circulation of water going down the drain of a sink.
 TRUE
Question 4:
Identify and describe the effect of four forces (real or perceived) involved in atmospheric circulation.
Pressure gradient force
Coriolis force (centrifugal force is lumped together)
Friction force
Buoyance force (gravity force)
Question 5:
Describe three processes that produce uplift in the atmosphere.
a. Heated at bottom
b. Orographic forcing (upslope movement)
c. Convergence near the surface
Question 6:
What is the fundamental cause of atmospheric circulation on the Earth? What is the result of this
circulation for Earth’s energy balance?


Non-uniform energy distribution
Atmospheric circulation carries the net radiation surplus from tropical regions to energy deficit
region in higher latitudes; we have different weather phenomena during this process