What is a front?
the boundary between two air masses of different temperatures
Where does rain occur in a warm front?
Rain occurs along and in front of a warm front.
Where does rain occur in a cold front?
Rain occurs along and behind a cold front.
How are rain patterns different near warm and cold fronts?
Rain near a warm front occurs over a wider spatial area and is less intense than near a cold front.
How are cold and warm fronts different?
The type of front is determined by which air mass is moving.
Why does rain occur near a cold front?
Rising warm air cools, resulting in cloud formation and rain.
Why does rain occur near a warm front?
Rising warm air cools, resulting in cloud formation and rain.
Which of the following is the most characteristic of a cold front?
development of squall lines
What is a cyclone?
a center of low atmospheric pressure
Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
in a counterclockwise direction
Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
in a clockwise direction
How does air move near the top of a cyclone?
in the same direction as air in the upper atmosphere
Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain?
Air in cyclones undergoes cooling as it rises.
What is an anticylone?
a center of high atmospheric pressure
Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
down, and in a clockwise direction
Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
down, and in a counterclockwise direction
Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain?
Air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends.
Which air mass is associated with high humidity in the eastern United States?
maritime tropical
Which of the following characteristics is not associated with a well-developed newly formed cP air mass?
formation in the Southern Hemisphere
After a warm front passes, the temperature ________ and the pressure ________ (relative to the conditions that existed prior to the passage of the front).
increases; decreases
Air masses which develop over Canada are examples of ________ air masses.
cP
Weather is
the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
When a cold cP air mass passes over the warmer Great Lakes, it absorbs heat energy and moisture and becomes humidified. This is known as the
lake effect.
Which of the following statements about orographic lifting is correct?
The rain shadow is on the leeward slope.
Which of the following would not result in the modification of the air mass?
A cP air mass remaining stationary over central Canada
Air flowing from different directions to an area of low pressure, coming together, and being displaced upward is an example of ________ lifting.
convergent
A(n)________ is a homogenous volume of air defined based on its temperature, and moisture characteristics.
air mass
When a cold front approaches, air pressure will initially ________ due to the displacement and uplift of ________ air.
decrease; warm
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
cold front - clear cold air and high clouds as the front approaches
During the open stage of a midlatitude cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere,
warm air moves northward along an advancing front, while cold air advances southward.
The term "orographic" refers to
forced uplift due to the presence of a physical barrier
Air rising as a result of being stimulated by local surface heating is an example of ________ lifting.
convectional
In the state of Washington, the western portion of the state receives far more rainfall than the eastern portion of the state. What accounts for this stark contrast?
The western portion of the state experiences orographic precipitation, while the eastern portion is in the rain shadow.
How are air masses classified?
moisture and temperature
After a cold front passes, the temperature ________ and the pressure ________ (relative to the conditions that existed prior to the passage of the front).
decreases; increases
The maritime tropical Pacific (mT) and maritime tropical Gulf and Atlantic (mT) air masses are
The maritime tropical Pacific (mT) and maritime tropical Gulf and Atlantic (mT) air masses are
Occlusion in a midlatitude wave cyclone can occur because
cold fronts travel more quickly than warm fronts.
Which of the following terms is paired with its correct definition?
orographic lifting = air lifted over a topographic barrier
Air displacement at a zone of discontinuity between two air masses of different temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and cloud development is an example of ________ lifting.
frontal
________ is an example of an environmental satellite used in weather forecasting and analysis
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)
What weather instrument provides direct measurements about wind speed, direction, pressure, temperature, and humidity aloft?
radiosondes
The wetter, intercepting slope of a mountain is termed the ________ slope, whereas the drier, downwind slope is termed the ________ slope.
windward; leeward
A mT air mass is likely to be ________ than a cT air mass because the mT air mass ________
wetter; forms over the ocean
Which is incorrectly matched?
mP-warm, moist, stable conditions
Cyclonic storm tracks across the United States and Canada generally
shift to the south in winter, and toward the north in summer.
Capital letters in air mass names reflect the ________ characteristics of the air mass
temperature
What are midlatitude cyclones?
Migrating low-pressure cells that move in the band of the westerlies
What happens when air masses of different temperatures meet?
Well-defined boundaries form between the air masses.
What is occlusion in a midlatitude cyclone?
Occlusion is the process by which a cold front overtakes a warm front.
When do midlatitude cyclones stop producing storms?
When the cold front has completely taken over the warm front
Which of the following statements about movement in midlatitude cyclones are accurate?
Surface winds move counterclockwise.
The cold front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the warm front advances more slowly than the center.
The entire cyclone moves from west to east.
Which statement describes midlatitude cyclones?
Midlatitude cyclones are also called wave cyclones.
Which of the following is false regarding wave-cyclone development, intensification, and strengthening?
A midlatitude cyclone, from birth to maturity to dissolution, takes an average of a month
The dry leeward side of a mountain is often termed a(n)
rain shadow.
Which of the following statements about lifting mechanisms is correct?
Air parcels cool adiabatically when lifted.
Surface weather information in the United States come mainly from which of the following?
Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
During the occluded stage of a midlatitude cyclone,
the cold front overruns the slower moving warm front.
Which of the following pressure systems reside within the source region for mP air masses?
Aleutian low and Icelandic low
Why does occlusion occur in a midlatitude cyclone?
because cold fronts travel faster than warm fronts
Which of the air mass polygons in the Source Regions folder would most likely be characterized as a continental tropical (cT) air mass?
D
If air mass E moves from its current location to the central United States, what likely modifications in moisture content and temperature will take place?
The air mass will become warmer and drier.
Which of the following statements best describes the possible modification occurring to an air mass as it moves through the region in the Air Mass Modification layer?
Moisture is being added to a continental polar air mass.
Considering visual and situational evidence, which of the following air masses is most likely present in the scene shown in the Jacksonville layer?
mTw
Which of the following is a typical feature of midlatitude cyclones in the eastern United States?
an mT air mass colliding with a cP air mass
Air rising forcibly lifted upslope when it meets a topographic barrier such as a mountain is an example of ________ lifting.
orographic
Which of the following is false regarding air masses?
Air masses maintain their original characteristics as they migrate from their source regions.
________ is an example of a ground-based tool used in weather forecasting and analysis
Doppler radar
The severity of storm activity along a warm front is ________ that along most cold fronts because the rate of uplift is ________ along a warm front.
less than; slower
Which of the following processes causes lake effect snow?
cP air masses absorb heat and moisture from the Great Lakes and release precipitation as they cool and move over the land.
All of the following except ________ are typically used in weather forecasting and weather map preparation.
natural vegetation
Global circulation patterns of winds and ocean currents, which drive weather systems and, ultimately, climate patterns are created by
latitudinal energy imbalance between tropical and polar regions.
Which type of vegetation is common in the Mediterranean climate?
chaparral
Which is the correct order of tropical cyclone classification, from weakest to strongest?
tropical disturbance-tropical depression-tropical storm-hurricane
Which of the following is true of microthermal climates?
In the Southern Hemisphere, these climates develop only in highland regions.
The first stage of a single-cell thunderstorm is the ________ stage in which ________.
cumulus; unstable conditions prevail leading to cumulus cloud formation
The two principal climate components are
temperature and precipitation.
In which of the following areas will thunderstorms not develop?
under areas of strong high pressure
The majority of hurricane damage and drowning is caused by the ________.
storm surge
Which of the following is not a characteristic of tropical climates?
short, relatively mild, winters
Tropical climates are typically located
straddling the equator between 20� N/S.
Hurricanes derive their energy from the latent heat of
condensation.
Insolation, the energy input for the climate system, is largely determined by
latitude.
Mediterranean dry-summer climates
experience dry conditions in summer due to the subtropical high overhead.
Which of the following best describes the difference between weather and climate?
Climate is the collective pattern of atmospheric conditions in a given region over long periods of time, whereas weather is the atmospheric conditions at a given time and place.
Which of the following is true regarding humid continental hot-summer and humid continental mild-summer climates?
Snowfall is notably heavier in humid continental mild-summer climates than in humid continental hot-summer climates and plays an important role in soil moisture recharge.
Which is not true of Derechos?
The winds travel in a curved path.
Which of the following is not a regional name for the most powerful tropical cyclones?
easterly wave
Which part of a hurricane consists of dry, subsiding air?
eye
Which of the following is true?
Lightning results from the buildup of electrical-energy polarity within clouds.
What other natural hazards are associated with tornado formation?
thunderstorms
Why does air spiral parallel to Earth's surface during initial stages of tornado formation?
Because of friction, surface winds move more slowly than winds higher in the air column.
What can cause the horizontally rotating air spiral to become the vertical spiral of a tornado?
Updrafts associated with thunderstorm clouds can tilt the horizontal column of spinning air.
How are mesocyclones and tornadoes related?
Mesocyclones can turn into funnel clouds. A funnel cloud that touches the ground is called a tornado.
________ is a mesothermal climate with a long, hot, dry summer.
Mediterranean
________ clouds are associated with tornado development.
Cumulonimbus
The Saffir-Simpson scale estimates potential property damage from
hurricanes.
What is the study of the collective patterns of atmospheric conditions over many years, including averages, extremes, and variability?
climatology
Los Angeles, located in a Mediterranean climate zone, is kept ________ during the summer because of the presence of ________.
dry; the cold California current off the coast
The boundaries of the K�ppen system (as well as other climate classification systems) are
transitions zones of gradual change.
The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when
the ITCZ has moves away from the region.
More than half of the world's population resides within the
Mesothermal climates.
What is a tropical cyclone?
a low-pressure disturbance that develops over warm, tropical waters
Where are tropical cyclones found?
at lower and middle latitudes
Which of the following names mean "tropical cyclone"?
Hurricane
Cyclone
Typhoon
Why is heavy rain associated with hurricane formation?
Rising moist air cools. As air cools, water condenses and eventually falls.
Why is warm, moist air considered the "fuel" for a hurricane?
Air cools as it rises. As air cools, water vapor will condense out as liquid water. Condensation releases heat, providing energy to the hurricane.
How big can the diameter of a hurricane become?
500 miles
Which of the following is false regarding the Mediterranean classification?
The bulk of precipitation occurs in the summer months.
Which of the following was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane of the last 100 years?
Hurricane Mitch
Variation of wind speed and direction with altitude is known as
wind shear.
An estimated ________ lightning strikes occur each day on Earth
8,000,000
Cyclones in the southern Indian Ocean usually occur between
November and May.
Hurricane ________ was the most expensive hurricane in the United States history.
Katrina
In terms of total land and ocean area, which of the following climate classifications is the most extensive at 36% of Earth's surface?
tropical climates
Which air masses influence the humid continental hot-summer climates in North America?
continental polar (cP) and maritime tropical (mT), especially in winter
Marine west coast climates are dominated by what air masses?
maritime polar (mP)
Climate is
the long-term atmospheric condition-including extremes that may occur.
Regarding average annual precipitation, which of the following is correct?
The highest average values occur along the equator.
Which of the following is true of tornadoes in the United States?
The peak month is May.
Which of the following statements about thunderstorms is correct?
They are powered by the latent heat of condensation.
Which of the following relationships is correct?
Hurricanes are low-pressure centers that decrease in intensity when moving over land.
At low latitudes, the only interruption to tropical rainforest climates results from
high elevations with highland climates.
A tornado classified as an EF-5 would have
wind speeds greater than 322 kmph (200 mph) with incredible damage.
Which air mass appears to predominately influence the humid subtropical region?
maritime tropical (mT)
Which of the following "ingredients" is not associated with thunderstorm formation?
a strong high pressure cell
Vegetation in the tropical savanna is
dominated by grassland with scattered trees.
Severe thunderstorms can produce strong downdrafts that cause exceptionally strong winds near the ground. This turbulence is known as
downbursts.
Mesothermal climates
have a high degree of air mass interaction.
Which is true of humid subtropical winter-dry climates?
The winter dry season is related to the seasonal pulse of the monsoons.
Tornadoes are ranked in terms of wind speed and related property damage using the ________ scale.
Enhanced Fujita
Which of the following characterizes a tropical savanna climate?
The sun's direct rays are overhead (subsolar point) are overhead twice each year.
Which of the following lists the correct, generalized sequence of climates from the equator to the poles?
Tropical ? Dry ? Mesothermal ? Microthermal ? Polar
Major ecosystems determined largely by climatic regions and classified largely based on predominant vegetation are called
biomes.
Before a hurricane forms, upper-level divergence above an easterly wave
pulls moisture into the system.
Which of the following best describes tornado development?
A horizontally rotating body of air is tipped vertically by an updraft within a cumulonimbus cloud, forming a mesocyclone, which can generate tornado activity.
Tornadoes
are associated with mesocyclones.
What are fast-moving winds that blow in a straight line?
derechos
An area defined by characteristic, long-term weather patterns is called
a climatic region.
Uplift and storm development occur on the ________ side of an easterly wave.
eastern
What are general climate types defined by temperature and precipitation?
climate regimes
Tropical cyclones
originate entirely within tropical air masses.
Which of the following is incorrect?
The most severe weather in a hurricane occurs in the spiral bands.
Ice storms occur when which of the following conditions prevail?
A layer of warm air is between two layers of cold air.
Prior to making landfall, Hurricane Sandy's characteristics changed and it was classified as a(n)
post-tropical cyclone.
Derechos
are straight-line winds associated with thunderstorms.
________ are the strongest thunderstorms.
Supercells
World temperature patterns are primarily controlled by the following control except
urban heat islands.
The Maunder minimum during the Little Ice Age has been linked to
a period of low sunspot activity from 1645 to 1715.
Since 1880, global land-ocean temperatures have shown
a warming trend.
Data from what length of time are represented on a climograph?
30 years
Snowball Earth" refers to
an extreme icehouse climate from 600 to 700 million years ago with ice sheets extending to the tropics.
The Little Ice Age likely resulted from
an extreme icehouse climate from 600 to 700 million years ago with ice sheets extending to the tropics.
Which of the following is not true of the subarctic climate regions of Canada and Asia?
Broadleaf deciduous trees, such as maple and sweetgum, dominate the area.
Arctic sea ice naturally __________ during the dark, cold winters and __________ during the spring and summer.
expands; contracts
The minimum area of Arctic sea ice cover has been __________ as air and water temperatures have been __________ over the past several decades.
decreasing; increasing
As sea ice melts and becomes liquid water, __________ heat is then absorbed from the Sun, creating warmer surface waters.
more
Arctic sea ice reached a historic minimum in 2012 that was approximately __________ the size of the long-term average recorded during 1979-2000.
one-half
Approximately ________ of total atmospheric methane comes from anthropogenic sources.
two-thirds
Which of the following gases accounts for the largest amount of radiative forcing?
carbon dioxide (CO2)
As air temperatures increase, evaporation increases. Warmer temperatures also increase the capacity to absorb water vapor. More water vapor in the atmosphere accelerates the greenhouse effect. This is known as the
water-vapor feedback.
Since 1880, the years with the highest land surface temperature were
2010, 2014, and 2015.
As of 2014, which country led the world in CO2 emissions?
China
The rate of sea-level rise
is higher than predicted by most climate models, and appears to be accelerating.
Which of the following is not considered an important carbon sink?
farmlands
The last interglacial period with temperatures similar to the present interglacial period was the
125,000 years ago (Eemian interglacial).
The residence time of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is
50 to 200 years.
Why is the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic of special concern?
Permafrost thawing releases massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere, which could further amplify warming.
What method can be used only for short-term climate reconstruction?
dendrochronology
What is the direction of the prevailing winds that push storms along the low-pressure cell storm track north of the Tropic of Cancer?
from west to east
What is the direction of the prevailing winds along the equator?
from east to west
What is the direction of the prevailing wind flow in high-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere?
clockwise
Using the information included in the map below to guide you, which three of the following statements are probably true?
The Intertropical Convergence Zone is associated with weather patterns near the equator.
Winds in the high pressure cells generally flow in a circular pattern.
The Westerlies move storm systems across the midlatitudes.
Milankovitch cycles refer to
changes in Earth-Sun relationships, namely the Earth's orbit around the sun, the Earth's axial rotation, and the Earth's axial tilt.
The primary factors contributing to present sea-level rise are
melting of land ice and thermal expansion of seawater.
Obliquity, i.e. variations in the Earth's axial tilt, range from ________ to ________ over a 41,000-year cycle.
21.5� to 24.5�
As permafrost thaws, increased microbial activity in the soils results in the release of more carbon to the atmosphere. More carbon in the atmosphere accelerated the greenhouse effect. This is known as the
permafrost-carbon feedback.
Which of the following is true of 16O and 18O?
Both the 16O and 18O isotopes occur in water molecules.
In the case of radiocarbon dating of organic material, the half-life of 14C is
5,730 years.
Scientists attribute the recent rise in atmospheric concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O) primarily to
agricultural activity.
Mineral deposits within caves and caverns are known as
speleothems.
Which of the following is correct regarding Arctic sea ice?
Since 1979, summer sea ice minimum extent and winter sea ice maximum extent have declined.
Which proxy data source for past climate conditions examines mineral deposits in caves?
speleothems
During the last century, sea level
rose 17 to 21 cm (6.7 to 8.3 in.).
Radiocarbon dating of organic material may provide a climate record for up to ________ years before present.
50,000
Factors that influence dry climates include all the following except
seasonal influence of the ITCZ.
Which climate reconstruction methods provides the longest record of Earth's climate history?
ocean sediment cores
Which of the following accurately describes 18O/16O ratios of ice sheets?
A higher ratio of oceanic 18O to 16O indicates a warmer period during which more 18O evaporates and precipitates onto ice sheets.
How do scientists use lake sediments to study past climates?
Lake sediments contain organic materials that can be identified and radiocarbon dated, giving insight into past plant communities and climatic conditions.
Over the span of 70 million years, the Earth's climate
was much warmer 70 m.y.a. compared to the present.
Which of the following is incorrect?
Scientists can say with 100% certainty that current climate change can be solely attributed to anthropogenic causes.
The graph shows that from 1850 to 2000, five large volcanic eruptions have
resulted in lowered global temperatures for several years.
A lower 18O/16O ratio in ocean sediment cores indicates a(n) ________ climate, whereas a higher 18O/16O ratio indicates a(n) ________ climate.
warmer; cooler
Which of the following is a causal element of polar and highland climates?
extremes of daylength between summer and winter
Which climate is characterized by the largest change in monthly average temperatures; i.e., the greatest change in temperatures from one month to the next?
subarctic cold-winter
The last glacial maximum (LGM) occurred approximately ________ years ago.
20,000
The key elements of climate change science include which of the following?
study of past climates, measurement of current climatic change, and projection of future climate scenarios
Since the Industrial Revolution,
global temperatures have continued to warm at accelerating rates.
Which of the following is incorrect regarding ice-sheet climates?
The only month with an average temperature above freezing corresponds to the summer solstice (June in the Northern Hemisphere, December in the Southern Hemisphere).
The residence time of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere is
12 years.
The Medieval Climate Anomaly was
a mild climate episode that lasted from 800 to 1200 and involved warmer than normal conditions in the North Atlantic region (e.g. Greenland and Iceland).
Annual temperature ranges near South Georgia Island are low despite their high latitude because
they are influenced by maritime environments.
What natural mechanism is accepted as the cause for patterns of long-term climatic fluctuations over tens of thousands of years?
Milankovitch cycles
How have scientists used isotopic analysis to determine the rise of atmospheric CO2 is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?
The low proportions of 13C and 14C within atmospheric CO2 indicates the source is fossil carbon.
The climate regime exemplified by Asia's Taklamakan Desert, Argentina's Patagonia, and areas of central Nevada is
midlatitude cold desert.
Which of the following statements is not correct about the description of changes in greenhouse gas concentrations and temperature?
In the late 20th century, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide had almost the same concentration.
According to readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory, CO2 concentrations currently exceed ________.
400-ppm
________ climates occupy the most extensive area of land on Earth.
Dry
General circulation models (GCMs) of the atmosphere
are based on statistical three-dimensional grids that characterize portions of the atmosphere and ocean in terms of climate-related variables.
Which of the following is not considered a mechanism of natural climate change?
the burning of fossil fuels
Which of the following has a negative radiative forcing (i.e. cools the planet)?
stratospheric ozone (O3)
Dry climates are divided into two types according to moisture. These are
deserts and steppe.
Why might ocean floors be better than continental locations for studying long-term changes in the size of ice sheets?
Continental records are fragmented and discontinuous, missing parts of the climate record.
How does the analysis of forams in ocean sediment cores reveal climate change?
The presence and relative dominance of different species of forams reveal different global climate conditions.
Generally, what has been the pattern of global temperature change during the past 70 million years?
Earth's average temperature is approximately 15� cooler now than than it was 70 million years ago.
What did the discovery of tillite in South Africa reveal about southern Africa's past?
An ice sheet covered southern Africa 300 million years ago
Which of the following accurately describes the use of tree rings for studying past climates (dendroclimatology)?
The width of annual tree rings indicates the climatic conditions; wider rings suggest favorable conditions, whereas narrower rings suggest harsher conditions.
Ice cores provide a climate record for the past ________ years.
800,000
The ________ is a graph which plots monthly averages of CO2 concentrations since 1958.
Keeling Curve
Changes in the orientation of the Earth's axis over a 26,000-year cycle is known as
precession.
In which of the following ways is the study of tree rings, speleothems, and corals for understanding past climatic conditions similar?
Each have growth bands, yielding evidence of the conditions under which they formed and grew.
Which of the following is not a key indicator of present climate change?
decreasing atmospheric water vapor
Scientists use ________ to study past climates, using ________ to reconstruct climates that extend back further than our present instrumentation allows.
proxy methods; climate proxies
Changes in Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun (eccentricity) varies over a ________ year cycle.
100,000
Which of the following statements correctly describe past temperatures based on the graph above?
Temperatures have generally increased over the past 20,000 years.
he most recent ten thousand years and 120,000-130,000 years ago were generally warmer than the time interval between them.
The Younger Dryas refers to
a brief return to near-glacial conditions during the transition period from the last glacial period to the present interglacial period.
Ocean sediment cores provide a climate record for the past ________ years.
70 million
Annual mass balance of glaciers worldwide from 1980 to 2012
shows a negative cumulative annual mass balance.
The 16O evaporates ________ than 18O, and condenses ________.
more easily; less easily