Meteorology and Ocenography Flashcards
Winds from the four cardinal points of the compass; that is, North, South, East, West winds are known as:
Cardinal winds
Winds continuously flowing outward from the sun at very high velocity, composed mainly of hydrogen gas which interacts with the magnetic field of the earth that produces various effects in the upper atmosphere like auroras, etc.
Solar wind
When the disk of the sun is hidden at these times by clouds or an obscuring phenomenon at sunrise or sunset.
Cloudy
What kind of weather would you expect soon after seeing a hook or comma-shaped cirrus clouds?
Rain with the approach of warm front
Water droplets displaced by the wind from a body of water and carried up into the air in such quantities that they reduce the horizontal visibility to less than 6 nautical miles.
Blowing spray
Warm air masses will generally have:
Stratiform clouds
TYPE 4. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. This is also intermediate between the first and second climatic types although it resembles the second type more closely because it has a dry season. This includes the following area:
Southern Mindanao, Northern Zamboanga, Bohol, Leyte and Eastern Luzon
TYPE 3 has no very pronounced maximum rain period, with short season lasting only from one to three months. These are partly shielded from the Northeast monsoon and are also benefitted by the rainfall caused by tropical cyclones. They include the following:
Central Mindanao, Central Visayas, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon
TYPE 2 has no dry season with very pronouned maximum rain period in winter, generally occuring in December and January although there is NOT a single dry month. Areas characterized by this climate are open to the North East monsoon. They include the provinces of:
Cagayan valley, Eastern Mindanao and Eastern Visayas
Type 1 has two pronounced seasons, dry from December to May and wet from June to September. Areas characterized by this climates are generally exposed to the Southwest monsoon. They include the provices of:
Western Palawan, Mindoro and Western part of Luzon
Tide near the time of syzygy, when ranges between high water and low water are greatest.
Spring tide
This term pertains to actions or occurences that are completed within 24 hours and that recur every 24 hours.
Diurnal
This term is used to imply the process of cyclogenesis in which there is a decrease in the central barometric pressure of a low pressure area accompanied by the intensification of its cyclonic circulation.
Deepening
This occurs when cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air, and excess water condenses into either liquid or ice.
Clouds
This is the leading of edge of a relatively cold air mass that moves so that the warm air is replaced by colder air.
Cold Front
This is suspended from buoys which are used to determine the set and drift of currents at a desired depth by tracking the motions that they give to the buoys at the surface.
Drogue
This is a snow which is raised from the surface of the Earth by the wind to a height of more than 2 meters above the surface.
Blowing snow
This is a snow which is raised from the surface of the Earth by the wind to a height of less than 2 meters above the surface.
Drifting snow
This is a partly enclosed body of water where the salinity of ocean water is measurably reduced by freshwater input from land.
Estuary
This is a description of the properties of sea surface waves at a given time.
Sea state
The wind circulation around this pressure system is counter-clockwise and outward in the Southern Hemisphere. What type of pressure system is this?
High Pressure
The wind circulation around this pressure system is counter-clockwise and inward in the Northern Hemisphere. What type of pressure system is this?
Low Pressure
The wind circulation around this pressure system is clockwise and outward in the Northern Hemisphere. What type of pressure system is this?
High Pressure
The wind circulation around this pressure system is clockwise and inward in the Southern Hemisphere. What type of pressure system is this?
Low Pressure
The water portion of the Earth as distinguished from its solid part is called the:
Hydrosphere
The total pressure of a mixture of gases is the sum of the pressures each component would have if it alone occupied the volume of mixture at its temperature.
Dalton’s Law
The thin layer of transparent gases, predominantly hydrogenand helium above the photosphere and below the corona of the sun.
Chromosphere
The tendency of two nearby tropical cyclones to rotate cyclonically about each other as a result of their circulations’ mutual advection is called:
Fujiwhara effect
The temperature to which a given air parcel must be cooled at constant pressure and constant water vapor content in order for saturation to occur.
Dew point
The relative ability of a substance to absorb water vapor from its surroundings and ultimately dissolve is termed as:
hygroscopicity
The region poleward of the Arctic or Antarctic Circles (66-33’N and 66-33’ S respectively)
Frigid Zone
The quantiy measured by a thermometer whether it is a dry-bulb or wet-bulb thermometer is called:
Temperature
The quantity measured by a barometer whether it is an aneroid or mercury barometer is:
Pressure
The process by which various types of clouds are formed involving the cooling by expansion of ascending moist air.
Cloud formation
The outermost or topmost portion of the atmosphere is the:
Exosphere
The main synoptic times (in UTC) at which meteorological observations are made for the purpose of synoptic analysis are:
0000, 0600, 1200, 1800
The lowest level in the atmosphere at which the air contains a perceptible quantity of clouds particles in the given cloud layer.
Cloud Base
The interconversion of magnetic and compass headings can be found on a n especially designed nomogram called:
Napier Diagram
The interconversion of departure and difference of longitude is a method mostly used in what type of sailing?
Parallel sailing
The initial formation of a front or frontal zone is called a/an:
Frontogenesis
The fraction of solar radiation reflected directly by clouds in the atmosphere is known as:
Cloud Albedo
The force imparted by the earth to a mass that is at rest relative to the earth is called:
Gravity
The first light that is visible in the solar sky before sunrise or the time of that appearance which is synonymous with the beginning of morning twilight.
Dawn
The envelope of air that does not contain air pollution is called:
Clean Air
The dissipation of a front or frontal zone is called a/an:
Frontolysis
The description and scientific study of the athmosphere is called:
Climatology
The cylindrical vessel of a mercury barometer into which the tube dips.
Cistern
The condition in which vapor pressure is equal to the equilibrium vapor pressure over a plane surface of pure liquid water, or sometimes ice.
Saturation
The breaking away of a mass of ice from a floating glacier, ice front, or iceberg.
Calving
The Bicol region and Southern Luzon includin Mindoro Island is often hit by tropical cyclones at an average of:
3 cyclones in 2 years
The area within a circulation of a tropical cyclone where relatively warm air can be found.
Warm Sector
The area within a circulation of a tropical cyclone where relatively cold air can be found.
Cold Sector
The air that surrounds us, within which we live is the____.
Atmosphere
The addition of agents (ex. Silver iodide) that will alter the phase and size distribution of cloud particles, with the intent of influencing precipitation.
Cloud seeding
That part of morning or evening twilight between complete darkness and civil twilight is called:
Dusk
That parallel of latitude that lies directly beneath the winter solstice solstice is the:
Tropic of Capricorn
That parallel of latitude that lies directly beneath the summer solstice is the:
Tropic of Cancer
Substances that do not occur naturally in the atmosphere.
Air pollutants
Sky with a total cover greater than four oktas.
Cloudy Sky
Shreds or small detached masses of clouds moving rapidly before the wind often below a layer of lighter clouds are popularly called:
Scud
Sea from the surface of which meltwater has disappeared after the formation of cracks and thaw holes.
Dried ice
Samar and Leyte provinces experience the passing of five tropical cyclones every:
three years
Rising air currents produced by warm islands are commonly called:
Atoll clouds
Rains or thundersqualls of the frontal type experienced mainly fom the coast of brazil?
Abrolhos squalls
Pressure chart changes shows:
isobaric lines
Popularly, a descriptive of short, rough, irregular wave motion on a sea surface.
Choppy seas
Pieces of floating ice that are subjected to a converging motion which increases ice concentration and/or produces stresses that may result in ice deformation.
Compaction
Philippine area with the second highest frequency of cyclones passing the province of Isabela, Mt.Province, Ifugao, Abra, Ilocos Sur averages:
2 cyclones per year
One thousand millibars is equal to :
all of these
Once daily, tidal variations in sea-level which increase with lunar or solar declination North and South of the equator.
Diurnal tide
On a weather map, lines drawn with equal atmospheric pressure is called:
isobars
Often resembles a cauliflower, the sunlit parts of these clouds are mostly brilliant white and their bases are relatively dark and nearly horizontal.
Cumulus
Often resembles a cauliflower with the sunlit part are brilliant white and their base is relatively dark and horizontal.
Cumulus
Metro Manila and Polillio islands,including Bataan and Central Luzon averages the passing of tropical storms by:
5 cyclones in three years
Meteorological information issued when actual or expected weather conditions do not constitute a serious hazard but may cause inconvenience or concern
Weather advisory
Lines on the Earth’s surface with zero magnetic dip is called:
aclinic
Lines on a weather map having equal amounts of precipitation during a given time is called:
isohyet
Lines on a magnetic chart connecting points of zero variation.
agonic
Lines of equal percentage of the total annual precipitation falls in a given season or month is called:
isomer
It is one climatic type, an annually recurring period of one or more months during which precipitation is at minimum.
Dry season
It is a nomogram or a graphical device on a weather chart used for the determination of the wind speed along straight isobars or isobaric spacing on a synoptic chart.
Geostophic Wind Scale
In Meteorology,this is ageneral term for dry substances suspended in the atmosphere including dust, haze, smoke, and sand.
lithometeor
In Meteorology, this term is applied to an area where weather, wind, pressure, etc., show signs of initial development of a cyclonic circulation.
Disturbance
In Meteorology, this refers to electrostatic discharges in the atmosphere with a visible and audible sound of lightning and thunder.
electrometeor
In Meteorology, this instrument is used to meaure quantities of heat particularly to measure solar radiation.
Calorimeter
In Meteorology, the unit of atmospheric pressure used in synoptic charts is the hectoPascal. One hectoPascal (hPa) is equal to:
1 millibar
In Meteorology, the Beaufort Wind scale of a wind with a speed from 7 to 10 knots is Force 3. This is known as a:
Gentle Breeze
In Meteorology, it is usually the “eye of the storm”, that is the roughly circular area of comparatively light winds found at the center of a severe tropical cyclone.
Eye
In Meteorology, it is the process by which water vapor changes to dew, fog or clouds.This term is known as:
Condensation
In Meteorology, it is the process by which the change of water is from liquid to gaseous state.
Evaporization
In Meteorology, it is the point of intersection of a trough and a ridge in the pressure pattern in the weather map.
Col
In Meteorology, it is a ring of cumulonimbus that encircles the eye of a tropical cyclone.
Eyewall
In Meteorology, it is a departure from the usual decrease or increase with height of an atmospheric property like temperature.
inversion
In Meteorology, generally, the interface or transition zone between two air masses of different density.
Front
In Meteorology, fog associated with frontal zones and frontal passages is called a/an:
Frontal Fog
In Meteorology, any chart or map on which data and analyses are presented that describe the state of the atmosphere over a large area at a given moment of time is termed as:
Synoptic chart
In Meteorology, a storm warning of sustained winds of 28 to 47 knots inclusive either predicted or occuring and it is not associated with tropical cyclones.
Gale warning
In low latitudes, the Highs of the diurnal variation of pressure occur(s) at:
1000 and 2200
In general, any tornado over a body of water is called:
waterspout
In an ocean area where waves are generated by a wind having a constant direction and speed, this length or distance is measured in the direction of the wind in which the ocean waves are generated.
Fetch
If you are located within a stationary high pressure area and your aneroid barometer is falling steadily, it means :
a decrease in the intensity of the pressure system
If the air is cold relativeto the surface, the lower portion of the air mass will be _____, resulting in an unstable air.
heated
If an air mass is warm relative to the surface, the lower portion of the air mass is ______, tending to remain close to the surface which is a stble air.
cooled
Ice on a body of water that remains as an unbroken surface when the water level drops so that a cavity is formed between the water surface and the ice.
Shell ice
Having the sense of rotation about the local vertical and the same as that of the Earth’s rotation; that is, if viewed from above, counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Cyclonic
Disintegration of an ice cover on coastal waters, on land or river as a result of thermal and mechanical processes is called:
Ice breakup
Characterized by equal or constant pressure with respect to either space or time.
isobaric
Basilan, Sulu and Zamboanga in Southern Mindanao normally averages:
1 tropical cyclone in 12 years
Any winds with components from the West and generally moving in an easterly direction is termed as:
Westerlies
Any winds with components from the East and generally moving in a westerly direction is termed as:
Easterlies
Any sea ice that is immobile due to its attachement to a coast, ususally extending offshore at about 20 meters isobath is called a/an:
Fast ice
Any sea ice that has been drifting from its place of origin is called:
Drift ice
Any relatively flat piece of ice 20 m or more across. It may be composed of several fragments bonded together.
Floe
Any product of condensation or deposition of atmospheric water vapor formed in the atmosphere or the earth’s surface is called a/an:
Hydrometeor
Any development or strengthening of a cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere where previously it did not exist as well as to the intensification of existing cyclonic flow.
Cyclogenesis
Any deposit or coating of ice on an object caused by the impingement and freezing of liquid hydrometeors.
icing
Any cyclonic-scale storm that is not a tropical cyclone, usually referring only to the migratory frontal cyclones of middle and high latitudes is called a/an:
Extratropical cyclone
Anautomatic, active, remote-sensing device for detecting the presence of clouds and meaures the height of their bases.
Ceilometer
An unusual, frequently severe weather condition characterized by strong winds and dust-filled air over an extensive area.
Duststorm
An avalanche of dry loose snow is called:
Dust avalanche
An assessment of the future state of the atmosphere with respect to precipitation, clouds, winds and temperature.
Weather forecast
An apparent fog in the distance wherein no fog actually exists is called:
Fata Bromosa
Advice to shipping companies and ship captains of the best routes to be taken between any two ports by a particular ship.
Ship Routing
A wind speed of 17 to 21 knots is described as:
fresh breeze
A wave that increases linearly with time for a fixed interval, returns abruptly to the original level, and repeats the process periodically thus producing a shape resembling the teeth of a saw.
Sawtooth wave
A wave generated during a storm, usually taken to refer to a wave of great height.
Storm wave
A typhoon with a maximum sustained surface winds of 130 knots or greater.
supertyphoon
A transparent, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid found near the surface of the earth is:
water
A thermometer scale wherein Absolute zero temperature is placed at -273.16 degrees Celsius
Kelvin scale
A thermometer scale calibrated in 180 scale divisions wherein the boiling point of water is at 212 degrees and freezing point is at 32 degrees.
Fahrenheit scale
A thermometer scale calibrated in 100 scale divisions wherein the boiling point of water is at 100 degrees and freezing point is at 0 degrees.
Centigrade scale
A strong, dusty, or sandy northwesterly wind that blows seaward along the south coast of Arabia.
Belat
A storm characterized by a fall of freezing liquid precipitation.
ice storm
A statement of the actual values of meteorological elements observed at a specified place and time.
Weather report
A sky with considerable cirrocumulus clouds is popularly called a/an:
mackerel sky
A severe thunderstorm with vivid lightning and violent squalls coming from land off the West coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica in Central America.
Chubasco
A sea surface wave that has become too steep to be stable and that breaks on the shore or in the open ocean.
Breaker
A region of reverse flow immediately downwind of an obstacle or mountain where the surface wind is opposite to the prevailing wind direction upstream of the obstacle.
Cavity
A rare type of fog formed in the same manner as a steam fog, but a colder temperatures so that it is composed of ice particles instead of water droplets.
Frost smoke
A rapidly rotating column of air over a dry and dusty and shady area carrying leaves and other light materials picked up from the ground.
Dust Whirl
A process in which a substance that can exist in two or more phases is converted from one phase to another as in evaporation, condensation, freezing, melting, and sublimation of water.
Change of Phase
A point in the sea where there is zero tidal amplitude due to cancelling of waves.
Amphidrome
A period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently lone enough to cause a serious hydrological imbalance.
Drought
A period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather which may last from several days to several weeks.
Heat wave
A pattern of variable brightness on the underside of a cloud layer as a consequence of the variable reflectivity of the surface immediately underneath like ice, snow, land or water.
sky map
A patch of white water formed at the crest of a wave as it breaks, due to air being mixed into the water.
White caps
A northwesterly gale of the West Indies.
Chocolatta North
A nautical term for the equatorial trough, with special reference to the light and variable nature of the winds.
Doldrums
A monthly broadcast of the mean values of the meteorological elements during the preceding months for stations belonging to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Climat Broadcast
A moderate to gale-force southeasterly wind in the Persian Gulf accompanied by gloomy weather, rain and squalls.
Sharki
A mass of air that is devoid or free of clouds or fog is called:
Clear air
A low pressure that may be completely encircled by an isobar is a:
Closed Low
A long, well-defined wisps of cirrus clouds, thicker at one end than the other.
mare’s tails
A line on a weather chart connecting points of the same barometric tendencies.
isallobars
A line on a given surface chart connecting points with equal wind speed.
isotach
A line on a chart connecting all points of equal salinity or constant salinity.
isohaline
A line joining geographical points of equal insolation during a specific interval of time.
isohel
A line drawn through all points on the Earth’s surface having the same magnetic inclination is called:
isoclinic
A line drawn through all points on a isomagnetic chart having the same amount of magnetic variation.
isogonic
A line drawn through all points on a chart having the same amount of cloudiness is called:
isoneph
A line drawn on a weather chart having equal or constant temperature.
isotherm
A large, faintly colored, circular arc formed by light (usually sunlight) falling on cloud or fog.
all of these
A large wave that rolls over or breaks on a beach or a reef is called:
comber
A high pressure that may be completely encircled by an isobar is a:
Closed High
A heavy cloud bank that appears on the horizon with the approach of an intense tropical cyclone.
Cloud Bar
A front presumed to exist within the equatorial trough separating the air of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Intertropical front
A front at which the warm air is ascending up the frontal surface up to high altitudes.
Anafront
A front at which the warm air descends the frontal surface is a:
Katafront
A front across which the characterisitics of temperature change and shift of winds are weak.
Diffuse front
A forecast of weather conditions for a period extending beyond three or more days from the day of issuance.
Extended Forecast
A diagram on a pilot chart consisting of a circle from which 8 or 16 lines emenate, one for each compass point wherein the length of each line is proportional to the frequency of wind from that direction,and the percentage of calms is entered at its cente
Wind Rose
A countercurrent running north along the west coast of the United States from Northern California to Washington to at least 48 deg. Latitude during the winter months.
Davidson current
A bar is a unit of pressure equivalent to:
1000 millibars
