Which of the following primary pressure areas are produced by thermal factors, rather than dynamic factors?
equatorial low and polar high
During the winter, the Bermuda high migrates to the ________ and becomes the ________.
east; Azores high
The Aleutian low and Icelandic low are
dominant in the winter and weaken or disappear in the summer.
The intertropical convergence zone is characterized by
convergence and uplift of warm surface air.
Which of the following is not true of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)?
The ITCZ is stationary throughout the year.
The winds converging at the equatorial low are known as
trade winds.
Calm winds associated weak pressure gradient and the vertical ascent of air in the ITCZ are known as
the doldrums.
The tropical atmospheric circulation associated with rising winds along the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and descending air in the subtropics are called
Hadley cells
On Earth between 30� north latitude and the equator, winds flow from the ________ as they flow out of the ________ pressure zone toward the ITCZ.
NE; subtropical high
Between 20� to 35� north and 20� to 35� south are
the world's arid and semi-arid desert regions.
Which of the following is associated with the Sahara and the Arabian Deserts?
subtropical high pressure
The dominant surface winds from the subtropics to high latitudes are the
westerlies.
On Earth between 30� and 60� north, winds flow from the ________ as they flow out of the ________ pressure zone toward the ________ pressure zone.
west-southwest; subtropical high; subpolar low
The area of conflict between colder and warmer air masses in the subpolar region
is termed the polar front
The polar high pressure system is best characterized as
cold and dry with weak anticyclonic high pressure.
The polar high pressure cells
produce the weak, variable polar easterlies
Which is true of upper atmospheric circulation?
Middle and upper tropospheric circulation is an important component of the atmosphere's general circulation.
________ are waving undulations within the upper-air westerly wind flow.
Rossby waves
The most prominent movement in the upper-level westerly geostrophic wind flows are the
jet streams.
Which of the following is false regarding the jet streams?
They have no known effect on surface weather systems.
Sea-breezes
involve onshore (toward the land) air flows that develop in the afternoon.
Mountain and valley breezes
involve warm air rising upslope during the day, creating an area of low pressure; at night it is reversed with a low pressure area forming on the valley floor.
During the day along the coast, the wind tends to blow toward the ________ because ________.
land; land heats more rapidly than water
Santa Ana winds
create wildfire conditions by bringing heat and dryness as they flow southwest.
Seasonally shifting wind systems associated with the annual cycle of returning precipitation are known as
monsoons.
Monsoonal winds are
regional wind systems that seasonally vary.
Which of the following is not associated with the Asian monsoon pattern?
summer low pressure zones over the ocean and high pressure zone over land
A monsoon climate is characterized by ________ summers and ________ winters.
wet; dry
Which of the following is true of India's weather patterns?
The shifting of the intertropical convergence zone and upper air circulation brings heavy precipitation in summer from June to September.
What conditions are found under the intertropical convergence zone?
Warm surface air is converging and rising.
What are the persistent surface winds that flow in the lower latitudes?
trade winds
Which of the following is not important in shaping ocean currents?
land-sea breezes
The western intensification causes water to pile up ________, forcing water to flow ________ in strong currents.
against eastern shore of continents; northward and southward
Where surface water is swept away from a coast, ________ occurs, bringing cold, nutrient rich waters to the surface.
upwelling
Which of the following is true of thermohaline circulation?
Thermohaline currents are deep currents caused by differences in temperature and salinity.
What are the variations in temperature and salinity that affect deep ocean currents?
thermohaline circulation
The El Ni�o-Southern Oscillation
is a periodic shift of high and low pressure zones over the western and eastern Pacific, respectively, usually occurring every 2 to 12 years.
The El Ni�o-Southern Oscillation is associated with the following except
cooler than normal ocean along the west coast of South America
Which natural oscillation in global circulation is associated with shifts in patterns of sea surface temperatures, air pressure, and winds between the northern and tropical western Pacific?
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
Which statement accurately describes surface ocean currents?
Surface ocean currents are driven by frictional drag from winds.
Which natural climate oscillation produces warm and cold phases near the west coast of South America?
ENSO
World temperature patterns are primarily controlled by the following control except
urban heat islands.
An estimated ________ lightning strikes occur each day on Earth.
8,000,000
Which is the correct order of tropical cyclone classification, from weakest to strongest?
tropical disturbance-tropical depression-tropical storm-hurricane
Derechos
are straight-line winds associated with thunderstorms.
Ice storms occur when which of the following conditions prevail?
A layer of warm air is between two layers of cold air.
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
________ is a mesothermal climate with a long, hot, dry summer.
Mediterranean
What is the study of the collective patterns of atmospheric conditions over many years, including averages, extremes, and variability?
climatology
Major ecosystems determined largely by climatic regions and classified largely based on predominant vegetation are called
biomes
Insolation, the energy input for the climate system, is largely determined by
latitude
________ are the strongest thunderstorms.
supercells
Climate is
the long-term atmospheric condition-including extremes that may occur.
The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when
the ITCZ has moved away from the region.
Which of the following statements about thunderstorms is correct?
They are powered by the latent heat of condensation.
Tornadoes are ranked in terms of wind speed and related property damage using the ________ scale.
Enhanced Fujita
Marine west coast climates are dominated by what air masses?
maritime polar (mP)
Which of the following is true of microthermal climates?
In the Southern Hemisphere, these climates develop only in highland regions.
Mesothermal climates
have a high degree of air mass interaction
________ clouds are associated with tornado development.
Cumulonimbus
The majority of hurricane damage and drowning is caused by the ________.
storm surge
Which type of vegetation is common in the Mediterranean climate
chaparral
Which of the following was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane of the last 100 years?
Hurricane Mitch
Prior to making landfall, Hurricane Sandy's characteristics changed and it was classified as a(n)
post-tropical cyclone.
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.
A tornado classified as an EF-5 would have
wind speeds greater than 322 kmph (200 mph) with incredible damage.
Which of the following is true?
Lightning results from the buildup of electrical-energy polarity within clouds.
Tropical cyclones
originate entirely within tropical air masses.
Severe thunderstorms can produce strong downdrafts that cause exceptionally strong winds near the ground. This turbulence is known as
downbursts
Hurricane ________ was the most expensive hurricane in the United States history.
Katrina
What are fast-moving winds that blow in a straight line?
derechos
Which of the following "ingredients" is not associated with thunderstorm formation?
a strong high pressure cell
Which of the following characterizes a tropical savanna climate?
The sun's direct rays are overhead (subsolar point) are overhead twice each year.
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
Hurricanes derive their energy from the latent heat of
condensation
Which of the following is incorrect?
The most severe weather in a hurricane occurs in the spiral bands.
The boundaries of the K�ppen system (as well as other climate classification systems) are
transitions zones of gradual change.
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 is true of humid subtropical winter-dry climates?
The winter dry season is related to the seasonal pulse of the monsoons.
Tornadoes
are associated with mesocyclones.
The first stage of a single-cell thunderstorm is the ________ stage in which ________.
cumulus; unstable conditions prevail leading to cumulus cloud formation
What are general climate types defined by temperature and precipitation?
climate regimes
An area defined by characteristic, long-term weather patterns is called
a climatic region.
At low latitudes, the only interruption to tropical rainforest climates results from
high elevations with highland climates.
Vegetation in the tropical savanna is
dominated by grassland with scattered trees.
Which air masses influence the humid continental hot-summer climates in North America?
continental polar (cP) and maritime tropical (mT), especially in winter
The two principal climate components are
temperature and precipitation.
Which of the following is not a regional name for the most powerful tropical cyclones?
easterly wave
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 part of a hurricane consists of dry, subsiding air?
eye
Uplift and storm development occur on the ________ side of an easterly wave.
eastern
More than half of the world's population resides within the
Mesothermal climates.
Before a hurricane forms, upper-level divergence above an easterly wave
pulls moisture into the system
The Saffir-Simpson scale estimates potential property damage from
hurricanes
Mediterranean dry-summer climates
experience dry conditions in summer due to the subtropical high overhead.
Which is not true of Derechos?
The winds travel in a curved path
In which of the following areas will thunderstorms not develop?
under areas of strong high pressure
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.
Variation of wind speed and direction with altitude is known as
wind shear.
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 of the following is true of tornadoes in the United States?
The peak month is May.
Which of the following is false regarding the Mediterranean classification?
The bulk of precipitation occurs in the summer months.
Which of the following would not result in the modification of the air mass?
A cP air mass remaining stationary over central Canada
Weather is
the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
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
Which air mass is associated with high humidity in the eastern United States?
maritime tropical
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
________ is an example of a ground-based tool used in weather forecasting and analysis.
Doppler radar
________ is an example of an environmental satellite used in weather forecasting and analysis.
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)
Why does occlusion occur in a midlatitude cyclone?
because cold fronts travel faster than warm fronts
Air rising as a result of being stimulated by local surface heating is an example of ________ lifting.
convectional
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.
Which of the following statements about movement in midlatitude cyclones are accurate?
The entire cyclone moves from west to east.
The cold front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the warm front advances more slowly than the center.
Surface winds move counterclockwise.
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 characteristics is not associated with a well-developed newly formed cP air mass?
formation in the Southern Hemisphere
Occlusion in a midlatitude wave cyclone can occur because
cold fronts travel more quickly than warm fronts.
When a cold front approaches, air pressure will initially ________ due to the displacement and uplift of ________ air.
decrease; warm
Which of the following pressure systems reside within the source region for mP air masses?
Aleutian low and Icelandic low
Air masses which develop over Canada are examples of ________ air masses.
cP
Which of the following is false regarding air masses?
Air masses maintain their original characteristics as they migrate from their source regions.
The wetter, intercepting slope of a mountain is termed the ________ slope, whereas the drier, downwind slope is termed the ________ slope.
windward; leeward
The dry leeward side of a mountain is often termed a(n)
rain shadow.
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
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 rising forcibly lifted upslope when it meets a topographic barrier such as a mountain is an example of ________ lifting.
orographic
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.
Which of the following statements about lifting mechanisms is correct?
Air parcels cool adiabatically when lifted.
The maritime tropical Pacific (mT) and maritime tropical Gulf and Atlantic (mT) air masses are
different from one another because the Pacific air mass usually has lower specific humidity than the Gulf/Atlantic air mass.
Air flowing from different directions to an area of low pressure, coming together, and being displaced upward is an example of ________ lifting.
convergent
Surface weather information in the United States come mainly from which of the following?
Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
The term "orographic" refers to
forced uplift due to the presence of a physical barrier.
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
Which of the following statements about orographic lifting is correct?
The rain shadow is on the leeward slope.
Cyclonic storm tracks across the United States and Canada generally
shift to the south in winter, and toward the north in summer.
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.
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.
Which of the following is the most characteristic of a cold front?
development of squall lines
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
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.
All of the following except ________ are typically used in weather forecasting and weather map preparation.
natural vegetation
Capital letters in air mass names reflect the ________ characteristics of the air mass
temperature
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
cold front - clear cold air and high clouds as the front approaches
Climate is
the long-term average atmospheric condition, including extremes that may occur.
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
What weather instrument provides direct measurements about wind speed, direction, pressure, temperature, and humidity aloft?
radiosondes
Which of the following terms is paired with its correct definition?
orographic lifting = air lifted over a topographic barrier
Which statement describes midlatitude cyclones?
Midlatitude cyclones are also called wave cyclones.
A(n)________ is a homogenous volume of air defined based on its temperature, and moisture characteristics.
air mass
During the occluded stage of a midlatitude cyclone,
the cold front overruns the slower moving warm front.
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