CHAPTER 7
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION AND REGIONAL CLIMATES
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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Synoptic climatology examines how __________ influence regional and local climate.
a. air masses
b. fronts
c. cyclones
d. anticyclones
*e. All of the above are correct.
2. Over which region would an air mass be most likely to develop?
a. Rocky Mountains
b. northeast United States
*c. central Canada
d. Appalachian Mountains
e. Great Lakes
3. Air mass source regions are typically __________ along principal storm tracks.
a. found
*b. not found
4. What is the designation for a warm and humid air mass?
a. A
b. mP
*c. mT
d. cP
e. cT
5. Ocean waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans are source regions for which
type of air mass?
a. A
*b. mP
c. mT
d. cP
e. cT
6. At the same pressure, which one of the following air masses is least dense?
*a. maritime tropical
b. arctic
c. maritime polar
d. continental tropical
e. continental polar
7. A ____________ air mass experiences the greatest temperature change between winter and
summer.
a. maritime tropical
b. maritime polar
c. continental tropical
*d. continental polar
8. Usually air mass modification is most rapid when
a. continental polar air moves over a frozen lake.
b. continental polar air travels over snow-covered ground.
*c. continental polar air moves over bare ground.
d. maritime tropical air moves over bare ground.
9. If an mT air mass replaces a cP air mass at your location, the atmosphere will likely become
a. more stable.
*b. less stable.
10. Pacific air flowing eastward over the Rocky Mountains typically emerges ____________ on
the Great Plains.
a. colder and less humid
b. colder and more humid
*c. warmer and less humid
d. warmer and more humid
11. Which property defines a front?
a. differences in temperature and/or humidity
b. wind shift
c. convergence
d. trough in the pressure pattern
*e. All of the above are correct.
12. During frontogenesis, the difference in density between adjacent air masses
a. decreases.
b. stays the same.
*c. increases.
13. Overrunning occurs when warm, humid air flows up and over a(n) ____________ air mass.
*a. colder
b. even warmer
14. In which type of front does warm air advance and cold air retreat?
*a. warm front
b. cold front
c. stationary front
15. The zone of uplift and resultant clouds and precipitation associated with a cold front is
typically ____________ that associated with a warm front.
a. wider than
*b. narrower than
c. the same width as
16. A squall line contains which type of clouds?
a. cirrus
b. stratus
*c. cumulonimbus
d. cirrostratus
e. None of these is correct.
17. Warm fronts typically travel ____________ cold fronts.
a. faster than
*b. slower than
c. at the same speed as
18. The type of front formed when the leading edge of cold air merges with a warm front is
known as a(n)
a. cold front.
b. warm front.
c. stationary front.
*d. occluded front.
e. None of these is correct.
19. Surface winds in an extratropical cyclone blow
a. clockwise and inward.
b. clockwise and outward.
*c. counterclockwise and inward.
d. counterclockwise and outward.
20. An extratropical cyclone generally forms to the ____________ side of an upper-level short or
long wave trough axis.
*a. east
b. west
21. An occluded front forms during the ____________ stages in the life cycle of a wave cyclone.
a. early
*b. late
22. Air pressure drops more rapidly in a column of
*a. cold air.
b. warm air.
23. A jet streak provides support for an extratropical cyclone by contributing
a. horizontal convergence aloft.
*b. horizontal divergence aloft.
c. horizontal divergence near the Earth’s surface.
d. None of the above is correct.
e. Only a and c are correct.
24. If the polar front jet stream is south of your location, the weather is relatively
*a. cold.
b. warm.
25. In a mature extratropical cyclone, where is development of a secondary cyclone favored?
a. dry slot
b. comma cloud
*c. triple point
d. overrunning zone
e. None of the above is correct.
26. What sector of a mature winter cyclone typically features the heaviest snow?
a. northeast
*b. northwest
c. southeast
d. southwest
27. What sector of an extratropical cyclone is typically the warmest?
a. northeast
b. northwest
*c. southeast
d. southwest
28. In which region of the United States is cyclogenesis very likely?
a. Great Lakes
b. Upper Midwest
*c. eastern Colorado
d. northern California
e. All of the above are correct.
29. A nor’easter would be expected to ____________ as it moved over the Gulf Stream.
*a. strengthen
b. weaken
30. The specific track taken by an extratropical cyclone depends on
*a. the pattern of upper-level westerlies in which the storm is embedded.
b. the direction of the surface winds.
31. Extratropical cyclones that occur with the greatest frequency over North America:
a. North Pacific
b. South Pacific
*c. Alberta
d. East Gulf
e. North Rocky Mountain
32. A surface wind that veers with time indicates that you are situated on the ____________ side
of the track of an extratropical cyclone.
a. cold
*b. warm
33. If an extratropical cyclone tracks to the east of Chicago, the city experiences
*a. relatively cold temperatures.
b. relatively warm temperatures.
34. An intense extratropical cyclone tracks up the Mississippi River Valley and passes well to the
west of Chicago. As the cold front sweeps through Chicago, the wind shifts from the south to the
a. southeast.
*b. southwest.
35. In a warm-core cyclone (thermal low), the circulation
a. strengthens with altitude.
*b. weakens with altitude.
36. In a strengthening cold-core cyclone, the upper level low is located
a. to the east of the surface low.
b. directly over the surface low.
*c. to the west of the surface low.
37. An anticyclone features
a. formation of a uniform air mass.
b. cold and warm fronts.
c. generally fair skies.
d. All of the above are correct.
*e. Only a and c are correct.
38. A cold-core anticyclone is typically composed of
a. continental polar air.
b. arctic air.
*c. Both of the above are possible.
d. None of the above is correct.
39. Circulation in the semi-permanent subtropical anticyclones ____________ with increasing
altitude.
a. weakens
b. remains the same
*c. strengthens
40. If an anticyclone is centered to your west, your location is likely experiencing
*a. cold air advection.
b. warm air advection.
41. A monsoon climate typically features
*a. wet summers and dry winters.
b. wet summer and winters.
c. dry summers and wet winters.
d. dry summer and winters.
42. The Southwest Monsoon is a prominent feature of the climate of
a. Washington and Oregon.
b. Texas and Louisiana.
c. North and South Carolina.
*d. Arizona and New Mexico.
43. Scientists predict that the American Southwest will experience ____________ in
precipitation over the present century.
*a. a decrease
b. an increase
44. A sea breeze is strongest
a. around sunrise.
*b. in the middle afternoon.
c. around sunset.
45. A land breeze is caused by the
*a. land cooling more than the water at night.
b. water cooling more than the land at night.
46. Mountain and valley breezes are most common when mountainous regions are under the
influence of an
a. extratropical cyclone.
*b. anticyclone.
47. Chinook winds
a. warm at the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
b. can cause rapid sublimation of a snow cover.
c. occur on the leeward slopes of a mountain range.
*d. All of the above are correct.
e. Only b and c are correct.
48. The Santa Ana wind is an example of a
*a. chinook-type wind.
b. katabatic wind.
c. mountain breeze.
d. valley breeze.
e. sea breeze.
49. Which atmospheric phenomenon occurs in a desert?
a. zonda
b. mountain breeze
c. mistral
d. foehn
*e. haboob
50. Lake-effect snow is most common in
a. late spring and early summer
b. late summer
*c. autumn and early winter
d. late winter and early spring