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Synoptic MET II Final > Finallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll > Flashcards

Finallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Flashcards

1
Q

Which of the following statements about perturbations of NWP model initial conditions used in EPSs are correct?

A) They are placed randomly in the model domain.
B) They are determined based on forecast sensitivity to initial condition differences.
C) They are largest where initial conditions are especially uncertain.
D) Their value is generally of similar size to observing instrument errors.

A

B, C, & D

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2
Q

True or False.
A plume diagram for temperature can show multiple solutions for the timing of a cold frontal passage through a model grid box.

A

True

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3
Q

Choose the correct answer in parentheses.

Using the ensemble mean to present the EPS forecast data smooths out (small scale/large scale) features and retains the (small scale/large scale) features. This is the main reason that the ensemble mean forecast generally performs (better than/worse than) the operational forecast in the medium range.

A

small-scale
large-scale
better than

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4
Q

Choose all that apply.

Which of the following statements about EPS spaghetti diagrams are true?

A) Small distances between contours usually indicate small uncertainty.
B) They allow the forecaster to see if there is more than one likely solution.
C) They allow the forecaster to get a sense of the distribution of ensemble forecasts for one or a few contour values.
D) They allow the forecaster to see all contour value(s) of all ensemble member(s).

A

A, B, & C

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5
Q

Choose all that apply.
Which of the following perturbations can be used to make an EPS?

A) Initial conditions
B) Boundary conditions
C) Dynamical formulation
D) Model physics

A

All dat shit

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6
Q

True or False.

A forecaster can use a mean and spread diagram to determine which contour value to choose for a spaghetti diagram.

A

True

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7
Q

True or False.

If none of the precipitation types is forecast by a majority of the ensemble members, the dominant precipitation type is not defined.

A

False

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8
Q

True or False.

One of the biggest challenges in using EPS forecasts is interpreting the post-processed EPS output.

A

True

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9
Q

Choose the best answer.
Buoyancy is a force acting on a parcel of air in response to a difference in _____ causing an air parcel to accelerate _____.

A) density | vertically
B) density | horizontally
C) moisture | vertically
D) moisture | horizontally
E) temperature | horizontally
F) temperature | vertically
A

A

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10
Q

Choose all that apply.
What are the factors that tend to increase buoyancy?

A) Higher vertical wind shear
B) Precipitation
C) Higher water vapor
D) Higher potential temperature
E) Higher cloud water content
A

C & D

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11
Q

Choose the best answer.
The Lifted Index characterizes the amount of instability by lifting a parcel from the surface to _____ mb. A negative LI indicates _____ buoyancy while a positive LI indicates _____ buoyancy.

A) 500 | negative | positive
B) 700 | negative | positive
C) 700 | positive | negative
D) 500 | positive | negative

A

D

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12
Q

True or False.
CAPE is a measure of the potential energy available in the atmosphere and generally can be used as measure of the potential strength of convective updrafts.

A

True

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13
Q

Choose the best answer.

The amount of CAPE in the atmosphere is most influenced by the vertical distribution of _____ and _____.

A) temperature | buoyancy
B) moisture | wind shear
C) wind shear | buoyancy
D) temperature | moisture
E) buoyancy | moisture
A

E

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14
Q

Choose the best answer.

Convective Inhibition (CIN) is a measure of a \_\_\_\_\_, which can prevent an air parcel from reaching its \_\_\_\_\_, thereby preventing convection from occurring.
A) capping inversion | LFC
B) cool layer | LFC
C) capping inversion | EL
D) cool layer | EL
A

A

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15
Q

Choose all that apply.

CIN can be reduced or eliminated by which of the following mechanisms in the lower atmosphere? (6 points)
A) Synoptic scale ascent
B) Heating
C) Synoptic scale descent
D) Moistening
E) Drying
F) Cooling
A

A, B, & D

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16
Q

Choose all that apply.

Which of the following are the primary contributors to downdraft strength?
A) Precipitation loading
B) Updraft strength
C) Amount of moisture in lower atmosphere
D) Evaporation
E) Precipitation type

A

A & D

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17
Q

Choose all that apply.

Which of the following are the primary contributors to the strength of the cold pool and associated wind gusts?
A) Cool pool temperature relative to environment
B) Precipitation type
C) Updraft strength
D) Depth of the cold pool
E) Precipitation rate

A

A & D

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18
Q

True or False.

When vertical wind shear is strong, buoyancy processes are the dominant control on convective updrafts and downdrafts.

A

False

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19
Q

Choose the best answer.

\_\_\_\_\_ dominate(s) early in an ordinary cell’s life cycle and \_\_\_\_\_ dominate(s) in the later stages.
A) Updrafts | downdrafts
B) Downdrafts | updrafts
C) Updrafts | cold pools
D) Updrafts | evaporation
E) CIN | downdrafts
A

A

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20
Q

Choose the best answer.

At midlatitudes, how much low-level shear is necessary to significantly enhance cold pool lifting and cell regeneration?
A) 5 m/s over the lowest 2.5 km AGL
B) 5 m/s over the lowest 5 km AGL
C) 15 m/s over the lowest 2.5 km AGL
D) 15 m/s over the lowest 5 km AGL
A

C

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21
Q

Choose the best answer.

On which side of a cold pool is deep lifting enhanced?
A) Upshear side
B) Downshear side

A

B

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22
Q

Choose the best answer.
How much wind shear is typically necessary for supercell formation?
A) There is no minimum
B) Less than 15 m/s over the lowest 4-6 km AGL
C) Greater than 25 m/s over the lowest 4-6 km AGL
D) Greater than 60 m/s over the lowest 4-6 km AGL

A

C

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23
Q

Choose the best answer.

Wind shear profiles with clockwise curvature, common in the Great Plains, are responsible for producing which kind of supercell?
A) Splitting supercells
B) Dominant left-moving supercells
C) Dominant right-moving supercells

A

C

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24
Q

Choose the best answer.

As a rule of thumb, the optimal state for cold pool lifting occurs when the propagation speed of the cold pool roughly equals the difference between the surface wind and the wind at what level?
A) 0.5 km AGL
B) 2.5 km AGL
C) 4-6 km AGL
D) 10-15 km AGL
A

B

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25
Q

Choose all that apply.

A sheared vertical wind profile leads to which of the following?
A) Horizontal vorticity in the atmosphere
B) A strong cold pool at the surface
C) Updraft tilt

A

A & C

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26
Q

Choose the best answer.

Along the edge of a cold pool, a strong jet of vertical motion results when what conditions are satisfied?
A) Regions of positive and negative horizontal vorticity of equal magnitude and size exist in close proximity to each other
B) Regions of positive horizontal vorticity of different magnitude and size exist in close proximity to each other
C) Regions of positive and negative horizontal vorticity of different magnitude and size exist in close proximity to each other
D) Regions of positive horizontal vorticity of equal magnitude and size exist in close proximity to each other

A

A

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27
Q

Choose the best answer.

How much wind shear is necessary to initiate squall lines?
A) There is no minimum
B) Less than 15 m/s over the lowest 4-6 km AGL
C) 15-25 m/s over the lowest 4-6 km AGL
D) Greater than 25 m/s over the lowest 4-6 km AGL

A

A

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28
Q

Choose the best answer.

When estimating the shear environment of a squall line, that component of the low-level environmental shear oriented ____________ to the line exerts the most control on the line’s structure and evolution.
A) perpendicular
B) parallel

A

A

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29
Q

Choose the best answer.

While bow echo and supercell environments have much overlap, supercells tend to have _________ .
A) stronger low-level shear (lowest 2-3 km AGL)
B) a deeper shear profile (at least 4-6 km AGL)

A

B

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30
Q

Choose the best answer.

How does vertical wind shear influence storm organization?
A) By enhancing the ability of a thunderstorm cold pool to trigger new storms
B) By decreasing dew point depression at middle levels
C) By increasing horizontal vorticity in the updraft

A

A

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31
Q

Choose the best answer.

The strength and organization of boundary-layer-based MCSs ____________ with higher vertical wind shear magnitudes.
A) decreases
B) increases

A

B

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32
Q

Choose the best answer.

When the updraft column blocks the environmental flow, it creates a dynamic affect of relative ____________of the updraft.
A) high pressure upshear and low pressure downshear
B) low pressure upshear and high pressure downshear

A

A

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33
Q

True or False.

For a given amount of shear, a stronger, more buoyant updraft will not tilt as much as a weaker updraft.

A

True

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34
Q

Choose the best answer in parentheses.

For flow to be geostrophic (rotationally balanced), the Ordinary Rossby Number (advective) needs to be (small/large):

A

small

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35
Q

What is the equation for the Ordinary Rossby Number?

A

Ro = U/fL

U = velocity of the fluid
f = Coriolis parameter
L = horizontal length scale
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36
Q

Of what is the Ordinary Rossby Number the ratio?

A

The local acceleration (U/L) and the Coriolis parameter (f).

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37
Q

What 3 influences would make the Ordinary Rossby Number (Ro) larger?

A

1) decreasing the size of the system (i.e. decreasing the size of L)
2) decreasing the latitude (i.e. decreasing the value of f)
3) increasing the wind speed (i.e. increasing U)

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38
Q

What is the equation for the Wave Rossby Number (Rw)?

A

Rw = c/Lf

c = gravity wave speed
L = horizontal length scale
f = Coriolis parameter
39
Q

What is the name of the variable that the Wave Rossby Number is used to derive?

A

Rossby Radius of Deformation (Lr)

40
Q

What is the equation for the Rossby Radius of Deformation?

A

Lr = c/f

c = gravity wave speed as a function of static stability of the fluid
f = Coriolis parameter
41
Q

What physical property does the Rossby Radius of Deformaiton formula ignore?

A

the potential temperature contrast between warm and cold air

42
Q

What is the definition of the Rossby Radius of Deformation?

A

It is the horizontal scale at which rotation effects become as important as buoyancy effects.

43
Q

When the scale of a weather system is (smaller/larger)
than Lr, buoyancy dominates over rotation.
What scale does this define?

A

smaller

the mesoscale

44
Q

When buoyancy dominates over rotation, to what field does the mass (pressure or height) field adjust?

A

the wind field

45
Q

When buoyancy dominates over rotation, what do gravity waves dominate over?

A

they dominate over geostrophic flow

46
Q

When rotation dominates over buoyancy, what does geostoprhic flow dominate over?

A

it dominates over gravity waves

47
Q

When rotation dominates over buoyancy, to what field does the momentum (wind) field respond?

A

it responds to the mass (height or pressure) field

48
Q

True or False.

The maximum size of the mesoscale is essentially whatever the rossby radius of deformation is at that location.

A

True

49
Q

On what topic was Dr. Blackwell’s graduate school dissertation?

A

tropical plumes in the East Pacific

50
Q

Tropical plumes in the East Pacific form when the length scale of the trough is (less than/equal to/greater than) the Rossby Radius of Deformation.
Does this mean that buoyancy or rotation dominate?

A

Less than.

Buoyancy, bitch.

51
Q

If the magnitude of the positive horizontal vorticity associated with the ambient shear is the same as the magnitude of the negative horizontal vorticity produced along the leading edge of cold air, then the air approaching the cold pool will tend to rise as a ________-________ ____.

A

vertically-oriented jet

52
Q

The triggering of convective cells is favored along the (upshear/downshear) portion of a spreading cold pool.

A

downshear

53
Q

True or False.
In general, the strongest, most long-lived convective systems will be produced when there is a weak low-level vertical wind shear to balance the cold-pool generated circulation.

A

False.

Strong low-level vertical wind shear to balance…

54
Q

Hodographs depict the (vertical/horizontal) distribution of the (vertical/horizontal) wind.

A

vertical

horizontal

55
Q

Points on a hodograph are plotted as a function of what two meteorological variables?

A

wind direction

wind speed

56
Q

What is the leading edge of the rain-cooled air in the planetary boundary layer called?

A

the gust front

57
Q

Thunderstorm cold pools are associated with (meso-highs/meso-lows) and may actually be crudely analyzed on a synoptic surface chart.

A

meso-highs

58
Q

The gust front forms along leading edges of mesoscale domes of rain-cooled air (i.e., surface-layer cold pools) that result from the amalgamation of ______-_______ _________ from individual thunderstorm cells.

A

evaporatively-cooled downdrafts

59
Q

The gust front is a (pressure/temperature/density/buoyancy/moisture) discontinuity.

A

density

60
Q

In a gust front, cooler, denser surface air flows outward from the meso-high. As a result, (high/low) θe air is uplifted above the outward-flowing cold pool.

A

high

61
Q

New convection may form in association with uplift along the gust front if the lifted parcels can reach their _______.

A

LFC

62
Q

Name 5 characteristics that indicate a gust front passage.

A

1) Wind shift and abrupt increase in wind speed.
2) Abrupt temperature drop (most of the time).
3) Sharp pressure rise
4) Arc cloud (if boundary layer is moist)
5) Strong vertical wind shear

63
Q

Name the 3 physical mechanisms that control storm structure.

A

buoyancy processes, gust front processes, and dynamic processes

64
Q

What are 2 buoyancy processes that control storm structure?

A

1) lapse rates (CAPE)

2) Moisture stratification

65
Q

True or False.
Environmental vertical wind shear affects 1) the ability of the gust front to trigger new convective elements and 2) the ability of the updraft to interact with this environmental shear to produce enhanced, quasi-steady storm structure.

A

True

66
Q

For a storm, shear is (relative/unrelated) to the motion of the storm.

A

relative

67
Q

In the absence of suitable shear in a storm’s environment, the inflow will be (sufficient/insufficient) to sustain the vigorous updraft that might result from large thermal instability.

A

insufficient

68
Q

Name 2 gust front processes that control storm structure.

A

1) strength of the cold pool

2) strength of low-level vertical wind shear

69
Q

Name 2 dynamics processes that control storm structure.

A

1) strength of 4-6 km AGL vertical wind shear
2) development of rotational (helical) updrafts and associated favorable vertical pressure gradients on the updraft flank

70
Q

For an ordinary cell, (buoyancy/dynamic processes) is(are) more important in maintaining the updraft.

A

buoyancy

71
Q

For a supercell, (buoyancy/dynamic processes) is(are) more important in maintaining the updraft.

A

dynamic processes

72
Q

What are the 3 steps that cause a thunderstorm to develop a rotating updraft?

A

1) vertical wind shear produces horizontal vorticity tubes
2) tubes are tilted vertically by the updraft
3) thunderstorm rotates in same sense as vertical vorticity

73
Q

Updraft Intensity is (minimized/maximized) within rotating cores.

A

maximized

74
Q

Precipitation loading in updraft weakness between rotating cores produces a ___________.

A

downdraft

75
Q

True or False.

A rotating updraft can cause the storms motion to significantly deviate from the Mean Vector Wind (MVW).

A

True

76
Q

For a cyclonically-rotating updraft, Bernoulli effects produce low pressure on the (right/left) side of the cyclonic updraft in the mid-troposphere, and high pressure on the (right/left) side of the cyclonic updraft.

A

right

left

77
Q

After splitting, cyclonic storm moves to the (right/left) of the MVW.

A

right

78
Q

SR supercells are favored within (veering/backing) vertical wind
profiles.

A

veering

79
Q

For an anticyclonically-rotating updraft, Bernoulli effects produce low pressure on the (left/right) side of the anticyclonic updraft in the mid-troposphere, and high pressure on the (left/right) side of the anticyclonic updraft.

A

left

right

80
Q

Anticyclonic storms moves to the (right/left) of the MVW.

A

left

81
Q

In a (no-shear/moderate-shear/strong shear) ordinary cell, the gust front rapidly outruns the storm and the storm is left totally entrenched over boundary layer cold pool.

A

no-shear

82
Q 
In a (no-shear/moderate-shear/strong shear) multicell, the storm will move downshear at roughly the same speed as
the MVW between the surface and 6 km altitude AGL and new cell growth is enhanced along the downshear portion 
of the gust front.
A

moderate-shear

83
Q

When new cell growth is enhanced along the downshear portion of the gust front in a multicell system, relative flow into the newly-developing cells (increases/decreases) and the length of time cells stay in the vicinity of strong low-level convergence zone and associated lifting near the gust front (increases/decreases).

A

increases

increases

84
Q

In a (no-shear/moderate-shear/strong-shear) supercell, rotation develops on the flank of the updraft due to vertical tilting of pre-existing horizontal vorticity within the sheared flow.

A

strong-shear

85
Q

In a strong-shear supercell, if the vertical wind shear extends through the middle-levels of the storm (sfc-6 km AGL), the rotation dynamically induces a (negative(low)/positive(high)) pressure anomaly in the middle troposphere.

A

negative (low)

86
Q

The (NPA/PPA) produces a strong non-hydrostatic pressure gradient which accelerates boundary-layer air violently upward.

A

NPA

87
Q

True or False.
Rotating updrafts associated with mid-level NPA’s are short-lived and weaken after the storm moves into a more stable environment.

A

False.

long-lived and remain vigorous after the storm moves…

88
Q

True or False.

Rotation causes storm motion to deviate from the MVW.

A

True

89
Q

(Unidirectional/curved) shear favors storm splitting as NPA forms at mid-levels within rotating updrafts on both right (cyclonic) and left (anticyclonic) side of
original storm.

A

Unidirectional

90
Q

True or False.

In a unidirectional shear profile, split cells are nearly identical, but rotate in opposite directions.

A

True

91
Q

In a (unidirectional/curved) shear environment, veering shear vectors winds are climatologically favored.

A

curved

92
Q

Strongly veering winds favor strongly (right-

moving/left-moving) cells with cyclonic rotation. (Right-moving/Left-moving) anticyclonic cells are not favored.

A

right-moving

left-moving

93
Q

Match the hodograph descriptions with the appropriate type of storm cell/system.

A. Strongly-curved/Weak-shear hodograph
B. Strongly-curved/Strong-shear hodograph
C. Moderate-curved/Strong-shear hodograph
D. Moderate-curved/Deep Strong-shear hodograph
E. Moderate-curved/Shallow weak-shear hodograph
F. Moderate-curved/Shallow strong-shear hodograph
G. Straight/strong shear hodograph

  1. Large intense right-flank supercell with hook echo & weak left-moving cell which dissipates.
  2. Supercell on south end of multicell line
  3. Intense “bow echo” or “derecho” with bookend vortices on left and right flanks.
  4. Short-lived multicell
  5. Weak multicell squall line.
  6. Mirror-image right and left-flank supercells.
  7. Right-flank supercell split from weaker left-flank storm.
A 
A --> 4
B --> 2
C --> 7
D --> 1
E --> 5
F --> 3
G --> 6

Synoptic MET II Final (1 decks)

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