Name: __________________
Date: ___________
Final Exam
Intro to Weather and Climate – August 2006
Multiple Choice (60 pts; 1 pt each, please write the correct answer to the left of the
question.)
1. Which of the following correctly lists the layers of the atmosphere from lowest altitude
to highest altitude?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
troposphere, thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere
troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere
2. The “lag” in daily temperature refers to the time lag between
(a) the time of maximum solar radiation and maximum temperature
(b) the time between minimum and maximum temperatures for a day
(c) sunrise and sunset
(d) the time of minimum temperature and maximum solar radiation
3. Atmospheric pressure
(a) decreases exponentially with height
(b) increases exponentially with height
(c) remains constant with height
4. Which of the following best defines latent heat?
(a) Energy associated with phase change of water
(b) Energy associated with radiation
(c) Heat energy that is no longer available for use by the atmosphere
(d) Solar energy stored in the ground
5. At night, the temperature typically falls due to radiational cooling, but the moisture
content typically remains constant. What then happens to the relative humidity?
(a) Decreases
(b) Increases
(c) Stays the same
(d) Oscillates randomly through the night
6. Which of the following is not an important component of the hydrologic water cycle?
(a) precipitation
(b) runoff
(c) evaporation
(d) transpiration
(e) hydration
7. Austin, Texas has a surface temperature of 80°F and a dewpoint temperature of 65°F.
Norman, Okla., located north of a wicked cold front, has a temperature of 25°F and a
dewpoint temperature of 22°F. Which statement is incorrect regarding these two cities?
(a) Austin has the higher vapor pressure
(b) Austin has the higher relative humidity
(c) Norman has less water vapor in the atmosphere
(d) Austin has the higher saturation vapor pressure
8. As the air temperature increases, the air's capacity for water vapor
(a) increases.
(b) decreases.
(c) remains constant.
(d) is unrelated to air temperature and can either increase or decrease.
9. Which of the following is the best indicator of the actual amount of water vapor in the
air?
(a) saturation vapor pressure
(b) relative humidity
(c) dew point temperature
(d) air temperature
10. Because of the _______ shift, weather radar can measure not only particle size but
also motion toward and away from the radar.
(a) Newtonian
(b) Doppler
(c) Bjerknes
(d) Bernard
(e) Rossby
11. Which of these cities, given the following surface conditions, would report the
highest relative humidity?
(a) Laguna Beach:
(b) Cartagena:
(c) Moore:
(d) Enid:
Temperature 20F, Dewpoint 20F
Temperature 30F, Dewpoint 20F
Temperature 40F, Dewpoint 20F
Temperature 50F, Dewpoint 20F
12. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is
(a) 10° C / km
(b) 0.1° C / km
(c) 1° C / km
(d) 100° C / km
13. A sinking air parcel ________, its internal energy and temperature _________, and
work is done to it.
(a) expands, increase
(b) expands, decrease
(c) compresses, increase
(d) compresses, decrease
14. As an air parcel rises, what happens to its size and temperature?
(a) It expands and cools
(b) It expands and warms
(c) It contracts and cools
(d) It contracts and warms
(e) It oscillates in size but does not change temperature
15. Most thunderstorms do not extend very far into the stratosphere. Why not?
(a) The stratosphere is stable since the stratosphere is an inversion layer
(b) The stratosphere is unstable since the air aloft is so cold
(c) The stratosphere is stable since the temperature decreases with height
(d) The stratosphere is neutral since the temperature decreases with height
16. Which of the following is not a primary force in the atmosphere?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Torque
Friction
Gravity
Pressure gradient
Coriolis
17. Because of the 90° deflection to the right caused by the Coriolis force, surface low
pressure in the northern hemisphere rotates _________, or _________.
(a) clockwise; cyclonically.
(b) counterclockwise; cyclonically.
(c) clockwise; anticyclonically.
(d) counterclockwise; anticyclonically
18. The hydrostatic balance occurs between the vertical pressure gradient and what other
atmospheric force?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Coriolis force
centrifugal force
horizontal pressure gradient force
gravity
None of the above
19. A wind blowing at a constant speed parallel to straight line isobars with the pressure
gradient force (PGF) equally and oppositely balancing the Coriolis force is in ________
balance.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
cyclostrophic
zonal
gradient
geostrophic
20. A tropical weather system is given a name when it reaches which status?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
tropical disturbance
tropical depression
tropical storm
hurricane
21. The particles that compose clouds range widely in size. Choose the correct order of
cloud material, from smallest to largest.
(a) Raindrop, cloud droplet, cloud condensation nuclei
(b) Cloud droplet, cloud condensation nuclei, raindrop
(c) Cloud droplet, raindrop, cloud condensation nuclei
(d) Cloud condensation nuclei, cloud droplet, raindrop
22. Which of the following is a type of high cloud?
(a) Cirrus
(b) Stratus
(c) Altocumulus
(d) Pileus
23. What is the term used to describe the net inflow of air molecules into a region of the
atmosphere?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
divergence
jetstreak
convergence
diabatic process
24. The large, upward convective cell that is driven by convective "hot" towers along the
equator is the:
(a) Ferrel cell.
(b) Hadley cell.
(c) Ekman spiral.
(d) El Niño cell.
25. On a weather map, what marks the transition zone between two airmasses with
sharply contrasting temperature and/or moisture properties?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
a front
the letter “H”
the letter “L”
a trough
26. If you examine a surface map and discover that there is a region where cold air is
retreating and warm air is advancing toward it, you would classify this as what
meteorological feature?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
an airmass
a cold front
a warm front
a stationary front
27. Airmasses are characterized by:
(a) temperature
(b) moisture
(c) wind speed
(d) A and B
28. The boundary between mT and cP airmasses is called a:
(a) dryline
(b) cold front
(c) warm front
(d) stationary front
29. Which of the following ingredients are necessary for thunderstorm formation?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
a source of moisture
a mechanism to trigger an updraft
a conditionally unstable atmosphere
all of the above are correct.
30. A thunderstorm is considered severe if which of the following are true?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
only wind gusts greater than or equal to 58 mph
hail ¾” or greater, wind gusts greater than or equal to 58 mph or a tornado
only a tornado
thunderstorms are never severe
31. Which of the following is not a primary type of thunderstorm?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
airmass
horizontally sheared
supercell
multi-cell
squall line
32. Which of the following is not a stage of development in an airmass thunderstorm?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
dissipation stage
mature stage
lightning stage
cumulus stage
33. The lack of __________ causes airmass thunderstorms to be short-lived.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
vertical wind shear
small cloud droplets
a symmetric anvil
graupel particles
34. Where is the most common location for a squall line to form?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
ahead of a cold front
ahead of a warm front
behind an occluded front
behind a stationary front
35. In multi-cell thunderstorms:
(a) vertical wind shear keeps precipitation from falling back into the updraft.
(b) rain-cooled air advances out in advance of the first thunderstorm forming a “gust”
front
(c) the cool air of the “gust” front acts as a trigger mechanism for new thunderstorm
development
(d) old storms strengthen as they are cut off from the warm, moist inflow of air
(e) (a), (b), and (c) are true
36. The most intense forms of severe weather almost always come from which type of
thunderstorm?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
airmass
squall line
multicell
supercell
37. Which type of thunderstorm always rotates?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
airmass
squall line
multicell
supercell
38. Which of the following types of vertical wind shear is described by this statement?
“Assume you have a flagpole that can extend 20,000 feet in the air. The flag at the
surface points northwest. The flag 5,000 feet up points north. The flag 10,000 feet up
points northeast. The flag 15,000 feet up points east-northeast. The flag 20,000 feet up
points east. All of the flags are extended the same length, indicating equal wind speeds at
each level.”
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
speed shear
directional shear
horizontal shear
jet stream shear
39. Why is vertical wind shear a key environmental condition for severe thunderstorm
formation?
(a) Wind shear is the primary “energy source” for thunderstorms.
(b) Wind shear is necessary for the adiabatic expansion of rising air.
(c) Wind shear causes the updraft to separate from the downdraft, allowing the inflow of
warm, moist air to continue to feed the storm.
(d) Wind shear is the outflow from mature thunderstorms.
40. What does the term “mesocyclone” refer to?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
a very large tornado
a high altitude tornado
a false alarm tornado warning
the rotating updraft of a supercell thunderstorm
None of the above are correct.
41. A tornado typically forms in the “hook echo” region of a thunderstorm because:
(a) the hook echo is where the two downdraft (FFD, RFD) regions collide to enhance the
updraft
(b) graupel collisions in the hook echo enhance the updraft
(c) horizontal wind shear is greatest in the hook echo
(d) the tornado gets cut off from the warm, moist air when it forms in the hook echo
42. Tornadoes are rated according to the Fujita Scale of tornado intensity based on:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
pressure measurements from within the tornado
the size and duration of the tornado
the damage the tornado causes
the number of people killed by the tornado
43. Tornadoes rated F-5 on the Fujita Scale of tornado intensity have occurred in all the
following time periods except:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
None of the above. F-5 tornadoes have occurred in each of these time periods.
44. The central Oklahoma tornado outbreak on May 3, 1999 was:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
well-forecast days in advance by government scientists
predicted to occur based on advanced computer model output from May 1, 1999
not expected to occur, even through the morning hours of May 3
only (a) and (b) are correct
45. The likely “trigger mechanism” that led to the formation of the supercell
thunderstorms that produced the May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak was:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
a horizontal convective roll evident on radar reflectivity
incredible environmental instability
strong low-level convergence on the dryline
a cold front advancing south from southern Kansas
46. In their early and mid-morning forecasts on May 3, 1999, government scientists
thought that __________ thunderstorms would be the dominant type because of
strong linear forcing from the upper-level trough.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
squall line
multi-cell
supercell
airmass
47. What is the process that causes multiple suction vortices in tornadoes?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
vortex breakdown
multiple tornadogenesis
cyclic mesocyclones
coriolis torque
48. Which of the following is a typical sea level pressure value?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
100 millibars
500 millibars
700 millibars
850 millibars
1013.25 millibars
49. In the figure below, circle the point that has the strongest pressure gradient, and
therefore would also have the strongest surface winds. Pressures are contoured every 4
mb.
D
B
A
C
50. True or False. Because of the Coriolis force, toilets flush counterclockwise in the
northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
(a) True
(b) False
51. Weather systems that form in the tropics (equator to 30) are classified according to
wind speed and central pressure. Which choice below lists tropical weather systems
from the weakest to the strongest?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Tropical disturbance, tropical wave, tropical storm, tropical depression, hurricane
Tropical wave, tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, hurricane
Tropical depression, tropical disturbance, tropical storm, hurricane, tropical wave
Hurricane, tropical storm, tropical disturbance, tropical wave, tropical depression
52. Which statement is false? For hurricanes to develop:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The surface layer of warm water in the ocean must be sufficiently deep, typically 60
m (200 ft.) or more.
The sea surface temperature must exceed 80F (27C)
The winds in the atmosphere must change substantially with height (strong vertical
wind shear).
The location must be at least a few degrees everywhere north or south of the
equator.
53. A tropical forecaster sees a cluster of thunderstorms over the tropical Atlantic Ocean
and predicts that it will not develop into a hurricane. What factor led the forecaster
to come to this conclusion?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The sea surface temperature was 85F, too cold to support tropical development.
There was very strong wind shear in the vicinity of the thunderstorms.
The cluster of thunderstorms was located at 15N where the Coriolis force is zero.
The forecaster noticed the thunderstorms were located over open ocean, far from
land.
54. Which of the following is not one of the “parts” of a mature hurricane?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Eye
Central dense overcast
Coriolis torque
Eye wall
Spiral rain band
55. What date is considered the “peak” of the Atlantic hurricane season activity?
(a) July 30
(b) September 10
(c) September 30
(d) October 10
56. Which two components of the earth system interact strongly as the El Niño/Southern
Oscillation goes through its complete cycle?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
atmosphere and landmass
atmosphere and ocean
landmass and ocean
ocean and sea ice
57. During normal (non-El Nino) conditions, the air’s vertical motion is _______ over
northern Australia and _______ over the region near South America.
(a) upward, downward
(b) downward, upward
(c) upward, close to zero
(d) close to zero, upward
58. The Southern Oscillation Index is determined by monitoring which variable?
(a) sea level pressure
(b) sea level elevation
(c) wind speeds
59. What is the linkage between El Niño and decreased hurricane activity in the Atlantic
Ocean?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
vertical wind shear
location of the low-level convergence
atmospheric humidity
elevation of sea level
60. Tornado formation is governed by the “law” of conservation of angular momentum.
This principle tells us that as the radius of a thunderstorm updraft ________, its
rotational speed __________. (Hint: consider the figure skater example who pulls
her arms in and spins faster).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
increases;
increases;
decreases;
decreases;
increases
stays same
increases
stays same
61. (5 pts) Label the following five parts of the supercell on the supercell figure below:
(1) updraft, (2) anvil, (3) overshooting top, (4) tropopause, (5) wall cloud.
62. (10 points). The image below was taken after a tornado passed through Arlington,
TX on March 29, 2000.
Use your knowledge of the Fujita scale of tornado intensity and
1- assign a rating for the strength of this tornado (i.e., F0, F1, F2, F3, F4, or F5)
2 - give a short discussion of the difficulty associated with tornado intensity
assessment.
63. (15 points) The following two images show the tracks of Hurricane Rita (LEFT)
and Hurricane Ophelia (RIGHT) from the 2005 hurricane season.
A – What is the primary meteorological factor that governs hurricane motion?
B – Why did Hurricane Rita move regularly (east to west, curving northward then
northeastward) while Ophelia moved irregularly (stalling & looping off the NC coast)?
C – Hurricane Rita strengthened from a Category 1 to Category 5 in less than two days
while in the central Gulf.
-- First, list the meteorological conditions that are favorable for hurricane
intensification.
-- Second, speculate why Rita (& Katrina) intensified so rapidly in the Gulf of
Mexico
D – Hurricane Rita had only seven direct fatalities, despite being the approximately the
same strength at landfall as Hurricane Katrina. Briefly discuss why you think Rita’s
death toll was so much lower.
64. (5 points). The following graphic depicts the pressure reversal associated with the
Asian Monsoon circulation. Given that up to ½ of the population of the world (~ 3
billion people) are affected by this feature, give a short discussion of:
- the meteorological reasons behind the monsoon development
-- why is there an H in winter and L in summer?
-- why does the wind blow off-shore in winter and on-shore in summer?
-- what weather dominates during winter, and what dominates during summer?
- the societal impacts of this important monsoon system
65. (5 points) Tornado safety.
a. List several actions that the general public can take when a tornado
approaches to minimize the threat
b. Now list several things that the general public should not do when a tornado
approaches.