Exam 1 Review Sheet and quizzes Flashcards
The gas that shows the most variation in concentration from place to place and from time to time in the lower atmosphere
Water vapor
The most abundant gas that is emitted from volcanoes
Water vapor
Which of the following weather elements always decreases as we climb upward in the atmosphere:
Wind, temperature, pressure, moisture, or all of the above?
Pressure
In the stratosphere, the air temperature normally
Increases with increasing height
The flat top of a thunderstorm about 30,000 or 10 km height would mark the top of the:
Troposphere
The earth’s atmosphere is divided into layers based on changes in the vertical profile of
Air temperature
Ideal conditions for a strong radiation inversion are a
Clear, calm, dry winter night
Assuming that the night will remain clear, calm, and unsaturated, the predicted minimum temperature is 32 degrees F. Suddenly the wind speed increases and remains gusty throughout the night. The minimum temperature will most likely be:
Higher than predicted due to mixing
The primary cause of a radiation inversion is
Infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface
An important reason for the large daily temperature range over deserts is
There is little water vapor in the air to absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation.
Thermal belts are
Warmer hillsides that are less likely to experience freezing conditions
Two objects A and B have the same mass but the specific heat of A is larger than B. If both objects absorb equal amounts of energy
B will become warmer than A
Which of the following statements is true:
a. If you travel from Dallas, Texas to St. Paul, Minnesota in January, you are more likely to experience greater temperature variations than if you make the same trip in July.
b. Annual temperature ranges tend to be much greater near the ocean than in the middle of the continent.
c. If two cities have the same mean annual temperature, then their temperatures throughout the year are quite similar.
d. All of the above
a. If you travel from Dallas, Texas to St. Paul, Minnesota in January, you are more likely to experience greater temperature variations than if you make the same trip in July.
The most abundant gas in the stratosphere is:
Nitrogen
Which of the following is considered a variable gas in the earth’s atmosphere:
Nitrogen, water vapor, oxygen, argon, or all of the above?
Water vapor
Which of the following would remain constant if you traveled up through the troposphere:
Air density, percentage oxygen concentration, air temperature, or air pressure?
Percentage oxygen concentrate
The instrument that measures pressure, temperature, and humidity in the vertical
Radiosonde
This process causes rising air to cool
Expansion
Causes the cold feeling you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot, dry summer day
Heat transport by latent heat
The temperature of a rising air parcel
Always cools due to expansion
The earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at
Infrared wavelengths
The major process that warms the lower atmosphere
Convection
The main reason for warm summers in middle latitudes is that
The sun is higher and the days are longer
Which of the following is one of the main causes of the seasons:
a. The changing distance between the earth and the sun
b. The length of the daylight hours
c. A periodic reversal in global scale air circulation patterns
d. Land/ocean temperature contrasts
b. The length of the daylight hours
During the afternoon, the greatest temperature difference between the surface air and the air several meters above occurs on a
Clear, calm afternoon
The greatest temperature variation in daily temperature usually occurs
At the ground
In summer, humid regions typically have ________ daily temperature ranges and ________ maximum temperatures than drier regions.
Smaller; lower
The lowest temperature is usually observed
Around sunrise
In clear weather, the air next to the ground is usually ________ than the air above during the night, and ________ than the air above during the day.
Colder; warmer
One would expect the lowest temperatures to be found next to the ground on a
Clear, dry, calm night
Which of the following is not a reason why water warms and cools much more slowly than land?
a. It takes more heat to raise the temperature of a given amount of soil 1 degree C than it does to raise the temperature of water 1 degree C.
b. Solar energy penetrates more deeply into water.
c. Water has a higher heat capacity.
d. A portion of the solar energy that strikes water is used to evaporate it.
a. It takes more heat to raise the temperature of a given amount of soil 1 degree C than it does to raise the temperature of water 1 degree C.
Two objects have the same temperature. Object A feels colder to the touch than Object B. This is probably because the two objects have different
Thermal conductivities
This is used as an index for fuel consumption.
Heating degree days
How many heating degree days would there be for a day with a maximum temperature of 30 degrees F and a minimum temperature of 20 degrees F? (Assume a base temperature of 65 degrees F)
40 days
The wind-chill index
Relates body heat loss with wind to an equivalent temperature with no wind
When the air is saturated, which of the following statements is not correct?
a. The air temperature equals the wet-bulb temperature
b. An increase in temperature will cause condensation to occur
c. The relative humidity is 100%
d. The air temperature equals the dew point temperature
e. The wet bulb temperature equals the dew point temperature
b. An increase in temperature will cause condensation to occur
As the air temperature increases, with no addition of water vapor to the air, the dew point will
Remain the same
When naming clouds, the term “strato” means
Layer clouds
On a cold, calm autumn morning, the formation of fog above a relatively warm lake would most likely be
Steam fog
A large difference between the dry- and wet-bulb readings on a sling psychrometer indicates
Dry conditions
If the air temperature remains constant, evaporating water into the air will ________ the dew point and _________ the relative humidity.
Increase; increase
Which of the following would cause relative humidity to decrease?
Warming the air
Which city has the highest relative humidity?
City C (30 air temp and 30 dew point)
The atmospheric layer in which we live is called the
Troposphere
Almost 99% of the atmosphere lies within ____ km of the earth’s surface.
30
About 97% of the ________ in the atmosphere is found in the stratosphere where it absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Ozone
Which of the following ingredients are needed for ozone formation in the stratosphere?
Oxygen molecules (O2) and oxygen atoms (O)
The flat top of a thunderstorm about 30,000 or 10 km high would mark the top of the
Troposphere
Much of Tibet lies at altitudes over 18,000 feet where the pressure is about 500 mb. At such altitudes, the Tibetans live above roughly what percent of the air molecules in the atmosphere?
50%
Warming in the stratosphere is mainly caused by
Absorption of UV radiation by ozone
In a volume of air near the earth’s surface, ________ occupies 78% and ________ nearly 21%.
Nitrogen; oxygen
Typically, water vapor occupies about what percentage of the air’s volume near the earth’s surface?
Less than 4%
The so-called “ozone hole” is observed above
Antarctica
In a temperature inversion, air temperature ________ with ________ height.
Increases; increasing
Inches of mercury (Hg) are commonly used units of
Atmospheric pressure
The instrument that measures temperature, pressure, and humidity in the vertical is the
Radiosonde
The gas that shows the most variation in concentration from place to place and from time to time in the lower atmosphere.
Water vapor (H2O)
Which of the following would remain constant if you traveled up through the troposphere?
Percentage oxygen concentration
A south wind blows from the
South
The amount of force exerted over an area of surface is called
Pressure
Which of the following is considered a variable gas in the earth’s atmosphere:
Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, all of the above?
Water vapor
The most abundant gas emitted from volcanoes is
Water vapor
In the stratosphere, the air temperature normally
Increases with increasing height
The most abundant gas in the stratosphere is
Nitrogen
True or false: Water vapor is invisible.
True
Which of the following weather elements always decreases as we climb upward in the atmosphere?
Pressure
The number of air molecules in a given space or volume
Density
The earth’s atmosphere is divided into layers based on changes in the vertical profile of
Air temperature
The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is relatively low compared to some of the other constituents. CO2 is important none the less because
It is a greenhouse gas
Which of the following best determines the weather:
Air temperature, wind, air pressure, humidity, or all of the above?
All of the above
The rate at which temperature decreases with increasing altitude
Lapse rate
The greenhouse gas that has been increasing in concentration, at least partly due to deforestation.
Carbon dioxide
Which below is not considered a greenhouse gas:
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, oxygen, or nitrous oxide?
Oxygen
The earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at
Infrared wavelengths
The proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is
Ultraviolet, invisible, infrared
Which of the following provides a measure of the average speed of air molecules:
Pressure, density, temperature, or heat?
Temperature
The main reason for warm summers in middle latitudes is that
The sun is higher in the sky and we receive more direct solar radiation
Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat:
Snow, water, ice, still air, or soil?
Still air
Which of the following is not a heat-transport process in the atmosphere:
Conduction, radiation, convergence, or convection?
Convergence
Energy transferred by electromagnetic waves
Radiation
The earth’s radiation is often referred to as ________ radiation, while the sun’s radiation is often referred to as ________ radiation.
Longwave; shortwave
Which of the following is an incorrect identification:
Black body=selective absorber, albedo=percent of radiation reflected from a surface, kinetic energy=energy of motion, or long-wave radiation=earth radiation?
Black body=selective absorber
Heat is energy in the process of being transferred from
Hot objects to cold objects
Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometers
Visible light
A change of one degree on the Celsius scale is ________ a change of one degree on the Fahrenheit scale.
Larger than
Which of the following is one of the main causes of the seasons?
The length of the daylight hours
Energy of motion
Kinetic energy
If the amount of energy lost by the earth to space each year were not approximately equal to that received,
The atmosphere’s average temperature would change
If the temperature of the air is said to be at absolute zero, one might conclude that
The molecules contain a minimum amount of energy
Released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds
Latent heat
Which of the following has a wavelength shorter than that of violet light?
Ultraviolet radiation
Solar radiation reaches the earth’s surface as
UV, invisible, and infrared radiation
The heat energy released when water vapor changes to a liquid
Latent heat of condensation
Process causes rising air to cool
Expansion
The major process that warms the lower atmosphere
Absorption of infrared radiation
The temperature of a rising air parcel always _________ due to ________.
Cools; expansion
The transfer of heat by molecule-to-molecule contact
Conduction
The north-facing side of a hill in a mountainous region tends to:
Receive less sunlight during a year than the south-facing side, grow a variety of trees that are typically observed at higher elevation, be a better location for a ski run than the south-facing side, have snow on the ground for a longer period of time in winter compared to the south-facing side, or all of the above?
All of the above
The horizontal transport of any atmospheric property by the wind
Advection
The combined albedo of the earth and the atmosphere is approximately
30%
A heat transfer process in the atmosphere that depends upon the movement of air
Convection
The cold feeling that you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot, dry, summer day is
Heat transport by convection
The thermometer that has a small dumbbell-shaped glass index marker in the tube
Minimum thermometer
A radiation inversion is most commonly observed
Just above the ground
In clear weather the air next to the ground is usually ________ than the air above during the night, and ________ than the air above during the day.
Colder; warmer
A thermometer with a small constriction just above the bulb
Maximum thermometer
The greatest variation in daily temperature usually occurs
At the ground
How many heating degree-days would there be for a day with a maximum temperature of 30o F and a minimum temperature of 20o F? (Assume a base temperature of 65o F)
Hint: Average 30 and 20.
40
Two objects A and B have the same mass but the specific heat of A is larger than B. If both objects absorb equal amounts of energy
B will become warmer than A
The lag in daily temperature refers to the time lag between
The time of maximum solar radiation and the time of maximum temperature
Which of the following is not a reason why water warms and cools much more slowly than land?
It takes more heat to raise the temperature of a given amount of soil 1o C than it does to raise the temperature of water 1o C.
In most areas the warmest time of the day about 5 feet above the ground occurs
In the afternoon between 2 and 5pm
This is used as an index for fuel consumption.
Heating degree-days
The primary cause of a radiation inversion is
Infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface.
True or false: If you travel from Dallas, Texas to St. Paul, Minnesota in January, you are more likely to experience greater temperature variations than if you make the same trip in July.
True
An important reason for the large daily temperature range over deserts is
There is little water vapor in the air to absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation.
In a hilly region the best place to plant crops that are sensitive to low temperatures is
Along the hillsides
In summer, humid regions typically have ________ daily temperature ranges and ________ maximum temperatures than drier regions.
Smaller; lower
During the afternoon the greatest temperature difference between the surface air and the air several meters above occurs on a
Clear, calm afternoon
Wind machines can prevent surface air temperatures from reaching extremely low readings by
Mixing surface air with air directly above.
Which of the following is generally true at night?
The earth emits more energy than it absorbs
The wind-chill index
Relates body heat loss with wind to an equivalent temperature with no wind.
One would expect the lowest temperatures to be found next to the ground on a
Clear, dry, calm night
Ideal conditions for a strong radiation inversion are a
Clear, calm, dry winter night
If you subtract the daily minimum from the daily maximum temperature you have the
Daily range of temperature
Two object have the same temperature. Object A feels colder to the touch than object B. This is probably because the two objects have different
Thermal conductivities
The lowest temperature is usually observed
Around sunrise
Assuming that the night will remain clear, calm, and unsaturated, the predicted minimum temperature is 32o F. Suddenly the wind speed increases and remains gusty throughout the night. The minimum temperature will most likely be
Higher than predicted due to mixing
Which of the following is generally true during the day?
The earth absorbs more energy than it emits
Lines connecting points of equal temperature
Isotherms
On a clear, calm, night, the ground and air above cool mainly by this process.
Radiation
Thermal belts are
Warmer hillsides that are less likely to experience freezing conditions.
True or false: The dew point temperature is a measure of the total amount of water vapor in the air.
True
Which of the following tell you something about the altitude where a cloud has formed:
Cirro, nimbo, strato, or cumulo?
Cirro
The percentage of water vapor present in the air compared to that required for saturation
Relative humidity
A large difference between the dry- and wet-bulb readings on a sling psychrometer indicates ________ conditions.
Dry
Air Temperature (o F) and Dew Point (oF) City A 95 76 City B 10 5 City C 30 30 City D 50 42 Which city has the greatest amount of water vapor in the air?
City A
An anvil-shaped top is most often associated with
Cumulonimbus
When naming clouds, the term “strato-“ or “stratus” means
Layer clouds
If the air temperature remains constant, evaporating water into the air
will ________ the dew point and ________ the relative humidity.
Increase; increase
At 40o F, the atmosphere is saturated with water vapor. If the air temperature increases to 60o F, with no addition or removal of water vapor, one may conclude that the dew point is about
40o F
Which cloud type is composed of ice crystals and can cause a halo to form around the sun or moon?
Cirrostratus
True or false: The total pressure inside a parcel of air is equal to the sum of the pressures of the individual gases.
True
As the air temperature increases, with no addition of water vapor to the air, the dew point will
Remain the same
Relative humidity changes with:
Addition of water vapor to the air, decreases in temperature, increases in temperature, removal of water vapor, or all of the above?
All of the above
For frozen dew to form:
The dew point must be above freezing, the minimum temperature must fall to freezing or below, dew must form and then freeze, or all of the above?
All of the above
Air Temperature (o F) Dew Point (oF) City A 95 76 City B 10 5 City C 30 30 City D 50 42 Which city has the highest relative humidity?
City C
If water vapor comprises 3.5% of an air parcel whose total pressure is 1000 mb, the water vapor pressure would be
35 mb
Particles that serve as surfaces on which water vapor may condense
Condensation nuclei
When the air is saturated, which of the following statements is NOT correct?
An increase in temperature will cause condensation to occur
Which of the following statements is(are) correct?
The largest concentration of condensation nuclei are usually observed near the earth’s surface, wet haze restricts visibility more than dry haze, fog is actually a cloud resting on the ground, with the same water vapor content, fog that forms in dirty air is usually thicker than fog that forms in cleaner air, or all of the above?
All of the above
The term “cirro” tells you something about cloud
Altitude
As the air temperature increases, the air’s capacity for water vapor
Increases
Frost forms when:
Objects on the ground cool below the dew point temperature, the dew point is 32o F or below, water vapor changes into ice without first becoming a liquid, or all of the above?
All of the above
The (cumulo) cloud with the greatest vertical growth is
Cumulonimbus
Light or moderate-but-steady precipitation is most often associated with ________ clouds.
Nimbostratus
The ratio of the mass of water vapor in a given volume (parcel) of air to the mass of the remaining dry air
Mixing ratio
The cloud-like streamer often seen forming behind an aircraft flying at high altitude
A contrail
On a cold, calm autumn morning the formation of fog above a relatively warm lake would most likely be ________ fog.
Steam
What would cause relative humidity to decrease?
Warming the air
Exhaled breath from your mouth in cold weather produces ________ fog.
Evaporation (mixing)
Dew is most likely to form on
Clear, calm nights
How do we change Celsius to Fahrenheit?
C = (F-32) / 1.8
How do we change Fahrenheit to Celsius?
F = (C*1.8) + 32
