METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE
NAME:________________________
UNIT #7 EXAM
BLOCK____ DATE_____________
1. Energy is transferred from the Sun to Earth mainly by
A) molecular collisions
7. What best explains why, in early spring, ice remains longer on
Lake Erie than on the surrounding land areas when the air
temperature is above freezing?
B) density currents
C) electromagnetic waves D) red shifts
A) Water has a higher specific heat than land.
2. The map below shows four locations in a temperature field. The
temperature of each location is given in degrees Celsius.
B) Energy is needed for water to evaporate.
C) Cool winds from the surrounding land cool the ice on the
lake.
D) Air temperature does not affect water temperature.
8. When 1 gram of liquid water at 0° Celsius freezes to form ice,
how many total Joules of heat are lost by the water?
A) 4.18
Heat energy will normally flow from
A) A to B B) A to C
C) B to D
D) D to C
3. As a lake's water temperature decreases on a cloudy night, what
occurs at the interface between the lake's surface and the air
above the lake?
A) Energy given up by the lake is lost directly to outer space.
B) More energy is gained by the lake than is gained by the air.
C) The temperature of the air remains constant.
D) Energy is gained by the air from the lake.
4. Which type of surface absorbs the greatest amount of
electromagnetic energy from the Sun?
A) smooth, shiny, and light colored
B) smooth, shiny, and dark colored
C) rough, dull, and light colored
D) rough, dull, and dark colored
5. Heat energy from the lower latitudes is transferred to colder Earth
regions by planetary wind circulation mainly through the process
of
A) conduction
B) radiation
C) convection
D) reflection
6. By which process does starlight travel through space?
A) absorption
B) conduction
C) convection
D) radiation
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B) 2.11
C) 334
D) 2260
Base your answers to questions 9 and 10 on the graph below which shows the temperatures recorded when a sample of
water was heated from –100°C to 200°C. The water received the same amount of heat every minute.
9. What is the rate of temperature change between points C and D?
A) 10°C/min
B) 25°C/min
C) 50°C/min
D) 150°C/min
10. How many joules were required to change 10 grams of liquid water at point D to water vapor at point E?
A) 300 joules
B) 3,000 joules
C) 22,600 joules
11. Ozone is important to life on Earth because ozone
D) 678,000 joules
14. Which list correctly matches each instrument with the weather
variable it measures?
A) cools refrigerators and air-conditioners
A) wind vane—wind speed
thermometer—temperature
precipitation gauge—relative humidity
B) absorbs energy that is reradiated by Earth
C) absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation
D) destroys excess atmospheric carbon dioxide
B) wind vane—wind direction
thermometer—dewpoint
psychrometer—air pressure
12. An increase in the transparency of Earth’s atmosphere is often
caused by
C) barometer—relative humidity
anemometer—cloud cover
precipitation gauge—probability of precipitation
A) a decrease in cloud cover
B) a decrease in solar radiation
D) barometer—air pressure
anemometer—wind speed
psychrometer—relative humidity
C) an increase in airborne dust particles
D) an increase in the duration of insolation
13. How do clouds affect the temperature at the Earth's surface?
A) Clouds block sunlight during the day and prevent heat
from escaping at night.
15. Which weather change is most likely indicated by rapidly falling
air pressure?
A) Humidity is decreasing.
B) Clouds block sunlight during the day and allow heat to
escape at night.
B) Temperature is decreasing.
C) Clouds allow sunlight to reach the Earth during the day
and prevent heat from escaping at night.
D) A storm is approaching.
D) Clouds allow sunlight to reach the Earth during the day
and allow heat to escape at night.
C) Skies are clearing.
16. Weather-station measurements indicate that the dewpoint
temperature and air temperature are getting farther apart and
that air pressure is rising. Which type of weather is most likely
arriving at the station?
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A) a snowstorm
B) a warm front
C) cool, dry air
D) maritime tropical air
17. The map below shows high-pressure and low-pressure weather
systems in the United States.
19. A map of the United States is shown below.
Weather conditions in which location would be of most interest
to a person predicting the next day's weather for New York
State?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
20. An air temperature of 30°C is equal to
A) –22°F
Which two lettered positions on the map are most likely
receiving precipitation?
A) A and B
B) B and D
C) C and E
D) A and D
18. Which weather station model for a New York State location
indicates that snow may be about to fall?
A)
B) –2°F
C) 74°F
D) 86°F
21. Which weather variable generally decreases when wind speed is
increasing, clouds are thickening, and visibility drops?
A) relative humidity
B) dewpoint
C) precipitation
D) air pressure
22. Air pressure is usually highest when the air is
B)
A) cool and humid
B) cool and dry
C) warm and humid
D) warm and dry
23. Which graph best represents the change in air pressure as air
temperature increases at Earth's surface?
C)
A)
B)
C)
D)
D)
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24. Adjacent water and landmasses are heated by the morning Sun
on a clear, calm day. After a few hours, a surface wind
develops. Which map best represents this wind's direction?
A)
B)
C)
D)
28. Various weather conditions at LAX Airport in Los Angeles are
shown on the station model below.
What were the barometric pressure and weather conditions at
the airport at the time of the observation?
A) 914.6 mb of pressure and smog
B) 914.6 mb of pressure and a clear sky
C) 1014.6 mb of pressure and smog
D) 1014.6 mb of pressure and a clear sky
25. An instrument used to measure a weather variable is shown
below.
29. Surface winds on Earth are primarily caused by differences in
A) air density due to unequal heating of Earth’s surface
B) ocean wave heights during the tidal cycle
C) rotational speeds of Earth’s surface at various latitudes
D) distances from the Sun during the year
30. Base your answer to the following question on The air-pressure
field map below represents a high-pressure system over the
central United States. Isobars show the air pressure, in millibars.
Letters A through E represent locations on Earth’s surface.
Which weather variable is measured by this instrument?
A) wind direction
B) air pressure
C) wind speed
D) amount of rainfall
26. A barometric pressure of 1021.0 millibars is equal to how many
inches of mercury?
A) 29.88
B) 30.15
C) 30.25
D) 30.50
27. In the United States, most tornadoes are classified as intense
Between which two locations is the wind speed greatest?
A) low-pressure funnel clouds that spin clockwise
B) low-pressure funnel clouds that spin counterclockwise
A) A and B
B) B and C
C) high-pressure funnel clouds that spin clockwise
C) C and D
D) D and E
D) high-pressure funnel clouds that spin counterclockwise
31. As warm, moist air moves into a region, barometric pressure
readings in the region will generally
A) decrease
B) increase
C) remain the same
32. What is the relative humidity when the dry-bulb temperature is
16°C and the wet-bulb temperature is 14°C?
A) 90%
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B) 80%
C) 14%
D) 13%
33. Which weather variable can be determined by using a
psychrometer?
A) barometric pressure
B) cloud cover
C) relative humidity
D) wind speed
34. Base your answer to the following question on Which map view
best shows the movement of surface air around a low-pressure
system in the Northern Hemisphere?
A)
B)
C)
D)
35. Which geographic region is the most common source region for
the mT air masses that move into New York State?
A) northern Canada
B) Gulf of Mexico
C) Arctic Ocean
D) southwestern United States
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36. Base your answer to the following question on the weather map below, which shows a high-pressure center (H) and a
low-pressure center (L), with two fronts extending from the low-pressure center. Points X and Y are locations on the map
connected by a reference line.
Which map best shows the most probable areas of precipitation associated with these weather systems?
A)
B)
C)
D)
37. The weather characteristics of air mass result primarily from its
A) geographic origin
B) size and shape
C) rate of movement
D) direction of movement
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38. A weather station model for a location in New York State is
shown below.
The air mass over this location is best described as
A) cold with low humidity and high air pressure
B) cold with high humidity and low air pressure
C) warm with high humidity and low air pressure
D) warm with low humidity and high air pressure
39. Which map shows the two correctly labeled air masses that frequently converge in the central plains to cause tornadoes?
A)
B)
C)
D)
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40. An airmass originates with its center located at 25° N and 90°
W.
Based on the map, this air mass would be classified as
A) cP
B) mP
C) cT
D) mT
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41. Weather station models for three New York State cities on the same day at the same time are shown below.
Which map shows the front that was most likely passing through Rochester at that time?
A)
B)
C)
D)
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42. Base your answer to the following question on the weather map below, which shows a low-pressure system over the
eastern United States. Letters A through D represent weather stations.
Which station model correctly represents the barometric pressure at station A?
A)
B)
C)
D)
43. Base your answer to the following question on A weather station
model is shown below.
What is the barometric pressure indicated by this station model?
A) 0.029 mb
B) 902.9 mb
C) 1002.9 mb
D) 1029.0 mb
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44. Which station model shows the correct form for indicating a northwest wind at 25 knots and an air pressure of 1023.7 mb?
A)
B)
C)
D)
45. Which weather station model indicates the greatest probability
of precipitation?
A)
B)
C)
D)
48. The diagram below shows the flow of planetary winds over a
mountain ridge.
46. Under which atmospheric conditions will water most likely
evaporate at the fastest rate?
A) hot, humid, and calm
As air rises on the windward side of the mountain ridge, the air's
temperature decreases. Which process usually causes this
temperature decrease?
B) hot, dry, and windy
C) cold, humid, and windy D) cold, dry, and calm
A) expansion of rising air
B) compression of rising air
47. What is the dewpoint when the air temperature is 26°C and the
relative humidity is 77%?
A) 3°C
B) 20°C
C) 22°C
C) precipitation from clouds
D) evaporation from clouds
D) 23°C
49. Which statement best explains how atmospheric dust particles
influence the water cycle?
A) Dust particles are the main source of dissolved salts in the
sea.
B) Dust particles increase the capacity of the atmosphere to
hold water vapor.
C) Dust particles increase the amount of evaporation that
takes place.
D) Dust particles provide surfaces on which water vapor
can condense.
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50. Base your answer to the following question on the climate graphs below, which show average monthly precipitation and
temperatures at four cities, A, B, C, and D.
City A has very little variation in temperature during the year because city A is located
A) on the dry side of a mountain
B) on the wet side of a mountain
C) near the center of a large landmass
D) near the equator
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51. Base your answer to the following question on the map below,
which shows an imaginary continent on Earth. Arrows represent
prevailing wind directions. Letters A through D represent
locations on the continent. Locations A and B are at the same
latitude and at the same elevation at the base of the mountains.
The climate at location C is much drier than at location D. This
difference is best explained by the fact that location C is located
A) farther from any mountain range
B) closer to a large body of water
C) at a latitude that experiences longer average annual
daylight
D) at a latitude where air is sinking and surface winds
diverge
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52. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and map below. The map shows sections of the Atlantic Ocean,
the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Shipwreck
In 1641, the crew of the ship Concepcion used the Sun and stars for navigation. The crew thought that the ship was
just north of Puerto Rico, but ocean currents had carried them off course. The ship hit a coral reef and sank off the
coast of the Dominican Republic. The Xon the map marks the location of the sunken ship.
The Concepcion was carried off course to the northwest by an ocean current flowing from the
A) Florida Current
B) Gulf Stream Current
C) North Atlantic Current
D) North Equatorial Current
53. What controls the direction of movement of most surface ocean
currents?
A) density differences at various ocean depths
B) varying salt content in the ocean
C) prevailing winds
D) seismic activity
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54. The diagram below represents an imaginary continent and a
nearby island.
Which climatic variable causes location A to have cooler winters
and warmer summers than location B?
A) latitude
B) distance from a large body of water
C) direction of the planetary winds
D) location of mountain barriers
55. Base your answer to the following question on the map below,
which shows Earth's planetary wind belts.
Which climatic conditions exist where the trade winds
converge?
A) cool and wet
B) cool and dry
C) warm and wet
D) warm and dry
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56. Base your answer to the following question on
the diagram below, which shows the windward and leeward sides of a mountain range. Arrows show the movement of air
over a mountain. Points A and B represent locations at sea level on Earth's surface.
Compared to the temperature and relative humidity of the air at point A, describe how the temperature and relative
humidity of the air are different as the air arrives at point B.
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57. Base your answer to the following question on
the map below, which represents the geographic source regions of two air masses, X and Y. The arrows represent the
convergence of these air masses, which may result in tornadoes.
A tornado watch or warning is issued for a location in the area labeled Tornado Alley. State one safety precaution that
should be taken to avoid possible injury from this tornado.
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58. Base your answer to the following question on the data table below and on the partial weather station model for Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma.
On the partial weather station model for Oklahoma City above, add the correct weather map symbols to indicate the
weather conditions shown in the data table.
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Base your answers to questions 59 and 60 on the two maps below. Map 1 shows air temperatures in the United States and
Mexico, recorded in °F, at the points shown on the map. Map 2 shows the location of a low-pressure system at the time
these air temperatures were measured. An occluded front extends from the center of the low-pressure system (L) to point A
. Lines AB and AC are two other frontal boundaries. Two air masses are shown. The storm system later moved toward New
York State and produced an ice storm.
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59. On map 2, draw weather front symbols on the correct sides of both line AB and line AC to show the most probable type and
direction of movement of each front.
60. On map 1, draw the 32°F isotherm.
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Answer Key
METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE
1.
C
40.
D
59.
2.
A
41.
B
3.
D
42.
B
4.
D
43.
C
5.
C
44.
B
6.
D
45.
C
7.
A
46.
B
8.
C
47.
C
9.
C
48.
A
10.
C
49.
D
11.
C
50.
D
12.
A
51.
D
13.
A
52.
D
14.
D
53.
C
15.
D
54.
B
16.
C
55.
C
17.
B
56.
18.
A
19.
B
20.
D
21.
D
Air temperature at B:
–warmer –higher
–increased
Relative humidity at
B: – lower –drier
–decreased
22.
B
57.
23.
B
24.
A
25.
C
26.
B
27.
B
28.
C
– go to the basement
– stay away from
windows – listen to
emergency warnings
broadcast on radio or
TV – go to a
community
emergency shelter
29.
A
30.
D
31.
A
32.
B
33.
C
34.
A
35.
B
36.
C
37.
A
38.
C
39.
B
60.
58.
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Question ID's in Numerical
Order
54. 800
40. 1352
49. 1355
20. 1964
45. 2548
19. 2808
31. 3064
38. 3114
37. 3538
48. 3542
18. 3648
17. 4303
51. 4800
34. 4852
30. 4918
16. 4996
29. 5072
15. 5152
14. 5484
39. 5582
33. 5722
46. 5803
44. 5825
55. 5843
27. 5889
32. 5967
43. 5969
50. 6086
36. 6143
26. 6224
25. 6229
24. 6333
42. 6334
6. 533
3. 1411
13. 2348
10. 2594
9. 2595
11. 3463
2. 3531
1. 4551
8. 5327
28. 5482
4. 5974
22. 6665
5. 6667
23. 6567
35. 6569
47. 6849
60. 6903
59. 6904
7. 7012
53. 7013
58. 7156
57. 7164
21. 7182
41. 7205
52. 7211
12. 7268
56. 7335
Page 22