Geography 1000 – Physical Geography
AJ Allred, Adjunct
Fall, 2015
Quiz 13 - Notes
Question 1
A cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud in Nebraska can potentially reach an altitude of _______________
feet.
almost 10,000
a little less than 30,000
more than 40,000
more than 90,000
Earth’s troposphere ends at about 10 miles altitude, giving way to stable, stale and toxic conditions in the
stratosphere, where we find the ozone layer. At 5,280 feet per mile, 10 miles is about 55,000 feet. Some
severe storms can reach that high, as cumulonimbus clouds form as lifting air releases heat from vapor
back to liquid. Release of latent heat back to heat we can feel leads to more lifting. Clouds of vertical
development (cumulonimbus) can occasionally overshoot from the troposphere into the stratosphere.
Hurricanes, in particular, absorb so much energy from warm ocean water that “heat towers” can reach
well above 40,000 feet, perhaps as high as 60,000 feet.
Question 2
Doppler radar can detect __________________.
clear air moving at high speed
air that is hotter than 80 degrees F
air that is colder than -20 degrees F
dust, ice and parts of buildings thrown into the air
All of the above
Ordinary atmosphere is invisible to radar, even when high or low pressure exists. Radar picks up solid
objects, including liquids. So, dust, debris and liquid water can be detected.
Doppler radar has added sophistication in being able to track wind movement and report patterns, such
as cyclones, by bouncing radio waves off solid objects and water in the air. Doppler cannot directly
observe wind, but can deduce wind patterns by the movement of objects.
Question 3
A "micro burst" ______________.
represents the fastest-rising air inside a tornado
air that rises with the help of gravity
is too small to affect people and buildings on the ground
is relatively cooler, drier air than in other parts of a storm
All of the above help describe a "micro burst"
In a convective storm, or a cyclonic “frontal storm” humid air rises over cooler, drier air. Within the storm
and nearby, air falls back to the surface. Sinking air tends to be heavier and drier than warm, humid air
that forms the basis of the storm. Sinking air can reach speeds above 50 mph because gravity helps
cooler, drier air sink even faster. So, micro bursts can be quite damaging with surface winds reported at
over 100 mph in rare instances. Falling rain and falling hailstones can also help pull air downward in
some parts of the storm.
Question 4
Launching missiles into orbit from Florida is a good idea because ________________________.
the Earth spins faster in Florida than at the Equator
weather in Florida is always mild and calm
lightning, hail, high winds and storm surge are not problems
hot, humid air in severe storms help rockets lift faster into space
None of the above explain why the USA launches "space shots" from Florida
Florida is sunny, warm and dry most of the time. Severe storms, including high waves, flooding from rain
and storm surge, and lightning occur occasionally. Space flights from Florida are made because of its
location relatively closer to the Equator. At the Equator, Earth spins at more than 1,000 mph. In Florida,
at about 30 degrees latitude further north, is still rotating at about 950 mph, so missile launches still have
a real speed advantage over higher latitude locations.
Question 5
Based on class discussion, recent hurricane Patricia moving onto dry land in Mexico is conceptually
consistent with the possibility that trade winds were not flowing westward in the usual way.
True
False
Trade winds typically flow from east to west. So, storms along the west coast of Mexico typically move
further west, away from land. Patricia followed that same pattern westward, and then suddenly turned
back to the east and crossed over land before quickly dying out.
Question 6
A "dust devil" is weaker than a genuine tornado because ________________.
Utah never has enough humidity to produce a genuine tornado
Utah is too hot for tornado formation
air aloft lacks latent heat
air aloft contains too much latent heat
dust devils always rotate clockwise due to rapidly sinking air
Utah is dry, but sometimes has enough heat and moisture to produce a genuine tornado. Tornadoes and
dust devils both benefit from hot air that tends to rise. Dust devils don’t rise very far because they lack
latent heat in water vapor. Dust devils are rising air that rotates counter-clockwise most of the time, which
is consistent with mid-latitude cyclones which also involve rising air that turns counterclockwise.
Question 7
A storm passing through the Salt Lake area will often exhibit _____________.
winds from the southwest that later come from the northeast
winds from east that later come from the west
winds from the east that create "lake effect" precipitation in Davis County and Park City
All of the above.
None of the above.
Mid-latitude cyclones are mostly from the west. However, because winds rotate counter-clockwise,
cyclones may present winds from the southwest as the storm arrives. As the storm leaves the area,
winds appear to come from the northeast, which is the back side of the storm.
Question 8
A "dry line" storm _______________.
lacks moisture for rain, snow or hail
exhibits a sharp boundary between air masses that differ greatly in moisture content
may occur in Utah and Nevada, but not in Nebraska, Kansas or Oklahoma
can produce dust devils, but not tornadoes
All of the above.
Dry-line storms are not dry, but show a distinct boundary between colliding air masses that differ greatly
in humidity. In the United States, dry air from the west moves south and east where it collides with moist
air that typically arrives from the south and east.
Dry-line storms are most common in the central United States where air masses differ the most in
humidity (and usually in temperature as well). Further west, air masses are mostly cooler and/or drier,
with not enough moisture available for severe conflict.
Question 9
The U.S. space shuttle Challenger was destroyed because ________________.
of a severe storm in Florida
Coriolis force was suddenly absent during the launch process
humidity was not high enough
of unusually cold air
All of the above are direct causes of the disaster.
Florida is known for warm, sunny weather. However, Florida is attached to a large continent that is
known for severe conditions, including very cold air that can suddenly rush southward from Canada to
Florida. The result can be occasional freezing weather in a region that is partially designated “A” tropical.
The solid fuel rocket engines used by the space shuttle were assembled incorrectly before launch. Air
was too cold for putty to stick properly, leaving gaps for combustion gases to escape out the side of
booster, leading to catastrophic explosion during launch.
Assembly personnel were vaguely aware of the potential for cold weather to prevent rocket parts from
sticking together, but went ahead with the launch anyway. This disaster is consistent with other disasters
that result when people are lulled into a false sense of security. Florida can be nice – except when it isn’t.
Question 10
Convective air movement can occur _______________.
in your kitchen
at the scale of your neighborhood
at the scale of Utah
on the scale of a Hadley cell that spans thousands of miles
All of the above.
Hot, humid air rises from a cooking stove and then sinks after it moves over to a cold window. The same
convective pattern can happen at any scale, including Hadley cells that are thousands of miles across.
In Salt Lake valley, a brief thunderstorm can bring rising air and sudden gusty downdrafts, within the
space of a few minutes.