Meteorology Quiz
1. What is meteorology?
a.
a division of astronomy, the study of meteors
b.
a deadly liver disease
c.
a vitamin difficiency in the body
d.
the study of the earth's atmosphere
2. The amount of force air molecules exert on a unit surface area is called:
a.
humidity
b.
air pressure
c.
wind
d.
precipitation
3. Wind is caused by:
a.
expanding and cooling of water vapor
b.
variations in temperature
c.
variations in air pressure
d.
heavy precipitation
4. Which statement about clouds is false?
a.
they form at different levels in the atmosphere
b.
they produce precipitation
c.
they develop stable air masses
d.
they are formed by tiny water droplets
5. What is a front?
a.
a transition zone between two air masses of different density
b.
an area of precipitation
c.
a section of unstable air
d.
the center of a storm
6. A cyclone spins which direction?
a.
clockwise
b.
counterclockwise
c.
it doesn't spin
d.
it doesn't matter
7. An anti-cyclone spins which direction?
a.
clockwise
b.
counterclockwise
c.
it doesn't spin
d.
it doesn't matter
8. What is a high pressure system?
a.
a cyclone that produces strong storms with high winds
b.
an anti-cyclone that spins off high air pressure and has a low pressure center
c.
a cyclone with a high air pressure center
d.
an anti-cyclone with a high air pressure center
9. What is a low pressure system?
a.
a cyclone with a low pressure center
b.
an area of precipitation
c.
a cyclone surrounded by unstable air
d.
an anti-cyclone with a low pressure center
10. Rain develops when:
a.
high pressure dominates the region
b.
a downdraft forces moisture out of the sky
c.
cloud droplets become too heavy for the cloud to hold
d.
the temperature drops significantly in a short period of time
11. What is hail?
a.
a collection of frozen raindrops that do not melt in the air below the cloud
b.
pieces of cloud moisture that harden
c.
sleet that occurs during a thunderstorm
d.
a collection of water and dust particles that create stones
12. What is the difference between sleet and freezing rain?
a.
Sleet can happen at any temperature, while freezing rain can only happen at around 32 degrees
b.
Freezing rain can happen at any temperature, while sleet can only happen at around 32 degrees
c.
Sleet occurs when snow melts and then supercools on contact with the ground. Freezing rain occurs when snow melts and then refreezes before contact with the ground.
d.
Sleet occurs when snow melts and then refreezes before contact with the ground. Freezing rain occurs when snow melts and then supercools on contact with the ground.
13. What is El Ni�o?
a.
a series of floods on the Pacific coast
b.
a current of warm water in the Pacific Ocean
c.
a 1998 Pacific Ocean hurricane that caused destruction
d.
a strange pattern of wet weather on the Atlantic Coast
14. Mid-lattitude cyclones are:
a.
the strongest type of cyclone
b.
hurricanes and tropical storms
c.
the cyclones that cause stormy weather in the U.S.
d.
cyclones that roam in the mid lattitudes because they are not steered by the jet stream
15. How do winds transport air masses in a cyclone?
a.
Easterly winds transport colder, drier air northward. Westerly winds transport warm, moist air southward.
b.
Southerly winds transport warm, moist air northward. Northerly winds transport colder, drier air southward.
c.
A leading cold front pulls cold air through the area in the winter.
d.
Moist air flows through before northerly winds cut off moisture flow and bring drier air to the region. Warmer air then moves in from the west.
16. When are the winds of the jet stream the strongest?
a.
in the fall when drastic swings in weather patterns occur
b.
in the summer when jet streaks occur the most
c.
when a mid-lattitude cyclone is steered by it
d.
in the winter when arctic and tropical air masses create a strong temperature contrast
17. Which statement about hurricanes is false?
a.
they are cyclones with winds that exceed 74 mph
b.
strong wind shear pevents solid development
c.
the InterTropical Convergence Zone consistently provides disturbances that can become hurricanes
d.
they form in the tropics and in the mid-lattitudes over warm ocean water
18. At what point does a developing tropical disturbance become a tropical depression?
I. when the a center of circulation around a lowered pressure first appears
II. when winds near the center reach 25 mph sustained
III. when the center passes over ocean waters that exceed 81 degrees Fahrenheit
a.
I. only
b.
I. and II.
c.
II. and III.
d.
I. II. and III.
19. Why is the eye of a hurricane calm?
a.
the coriolis force deflects converging winds away from the center
b.
the moisture and energy from the center flows away to the spiral rain bands
c.
wind shear occurs because the center contains the storm's lowest pressure
d.
converging updrafts and downdrafts prevent t-storm development at the center
20. Why is the eye wall the strongest part of the hurricane?
a.
sinking air at the eye causes the cloudtops to be colder
b.
it carries the moisture and energy from its location as well as the eye
c.
faster air lift maximizes latent heat production
d.
it is the point of convergence for the spiraling winds
21. Which statement about thunderstorms is true?
a.
supercell storms produce the strongest tornadoes
b.
wind shear prevents squall lines from producing hail
c.
lightning strikes occur in all storms
d.
they spawn tornadoes between clustered storm clouds
22. Why does air need to be unstable to produce a severe thunderstorm?
a.
unstable air gives a cloud the neccessary bouyancy to continue to intensify without interference, producing a strong updraft and downdraft
b.
unstable air in the cloud allows the pressure to drop far enough so that the clash between warm and cool is magnified, producing a strong updraft and downdraft
c.
unstable air prevents the t-storm cloud from organizing too much of the moisture, allowing the updraft to intensify the cloud
d.
unstable air speeds up the the gathering of moisture, producing a strong updraft and downdraft
23. By definition, what is a tornado?
a.
an extremely high pressure cyclone with winds exceeding 150 mph
b.
a violently rotating column of air that makes contact with the ground from a stratonimbus cloud
c.
a violently rotating cloumn of air that makes contact with the ground from a cumulonibus cloud
d.
an anvil cloud that makes contact with the ground because of a strong downdraft.
24. How do meteorologists classify tornadoes?
a.
by wind speeds obtained by storm chasers
b.
by the width and life span of the tornado
c.
by damage done to man-made structures
d.
by air pressure readings obtained by storm chasers
25. Why do supercells usually produce tornadoes?
a.
the colder cloud tops create the greatest possible temperature gradient
b.
they contain the strong updraft neccesary to create a mesocyclone north of the t-storm's rear-flank downdraft
c.
the extraordinary speed and low pressure of the center of circulation increase the strength of the downdraft so the winds often reach the ground
d.
the gust front flies stalls to prevent the warm low-level inflow from feeding the updraft too much energy
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