Meteorology unit exam

Question 1

The map shows the location of four cities, A, B, C, and D, in the western United States where prevailing winds are from the southwest. Which city most likely receives the greatest amount of average yearly precipitation? Which city is most likely to receive the least amount of precipitation?

Answer 1

MOST: D LEAST:A
because it is right at the beginning of the hill where the air cools and the moisture from spot C condenses creating precipitation. And when all this precipitation happens at D leaves little to no moisture in the air as it reaches A.

Question 2

What is the role of the mountains in the distribution of precipitation and climate?

Answer 2

because of the high elevation, it is cooler at the top than the bottom and as air rises up the mountain the air cools and expands condensing and forming clouds which causes an increase in precipitation.

Question 3

what are the steps of cloud formation?

Answer 3

1. sun warms the ground 2. ground warms the air
2. the warm air expands and becomes less dense, therefore it begins to rise 4. as the air rises pressure decreases and air cools 6. air finally reaches a temp. cooler than its dewpoint. 7. water vapor conducts onto particles int he air creating clouds/ net condensation creates clouds

Question 4

What happens to a weather balloon as it rises through the troposphere and into the upper stratosphere?

Answer 4

The balloon expands because the air pressure in the stratosphere is less and then the air pressure on the inside of the balloon becomes greater than the air pressure outside the balloon and it pops.

Question 5

What is the relationship between air temperature and dew point?

Answer 5

As air temperature decreases it becomes closer to the dew point

Question 6

what is the most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 6

nitrogen

Question 7

Give 3 examples of heat transfer by conduction.

Answer 7

• Touching the metal handle of a pot on a stove and being burned.
• Ice cooling down your hand
• when dew is formed, Air that comes in contact with the cold surface cools by conduction. the air and the surface cools to the dew point creating dew.

Question 8

When do the sun’s rays strike latitude 0 ° at an angle of 90°?

Answer 8

at the equator: march and September

Question 9

When heat energy is transferred to air, what happens to the motion of particles in the air?

Answer 9

They move faster, there are more collisions, and they move farther away from eachother

Question 10

What was the relative humidity of the air when the dry bulb is 25 degrees and the wet bulb is 20 degrees?

Answer 10

63%

Question 11

What is the name of the weather instrument used to measure air pressure? …..to measure humidity? ….to measure wind direction? …..to measure wind speed?

Answer 11

air pressure: barometer
humidity: electrical hygrometer, psychrometer, dew cell, hair hydrometer
wind direction: wind vane
wind speed: anemometer

Question 12

What weather variables generally decreases when wind speed is increasing, clouds are thickening, and visibility drops?

Answer 12

air pressure decreases

temp and wind velocity also increase

Question 13

How is nighttime temperature affected by clouds? How is nighttime temperature affected by lack of clouds/clear night?

Answer 13

It is warm because clouds trap heat, therefore it is cold when skys are clear

Question 14

You are in a hot air balloon that is traveling to the top of the troposphere. How much of a temperature change will be experienced during your flight?

Answer 14

temp. drop of 70 degrees

Question 15

What is the most likely path of these two pressure centers over the next few days?

Answer 15

they will most likley both move NE

Question 16

describe the directions of the winds around the H and L

Answer 16

L: counter-clockwise H:clockwise

Question 17

what is the relationship between air pressure, gradient, and wind velocity

Answer 17

the lower the air pressure the steep the gradient and the faster the velocity

Question 18

Which atmospheric temperature zone is located between 8 and 32 miles above Earth’s surface and contains an abundance of ozone?

Answer 18

stratosphere

Question 19

What is the difference in the air temperature and humidity between a cT and mP air masses?

Answer 19

A maritime polar air mass is cool and moist while a Continental tropical air mass is warm and dry

Question 20

what is the relationship between latitude and average surface temp

Answer 20

As latitude increases (becomes further from the equator) surface temp decreases

Question 21

What type of land surfaces have the greatest degree of heating from insolation? What type of surface has the greatest albedo?

Answer 21

Dark surfaces that are rough such as blacktop and soil have the greatest insulation, ice snow and water and light colored smooth surfaces have the greatest albedo.

Question 22

Identify by name the surface ocean current that cools the climate of locations on the western coastline of South America.

Answer 22

The Peru C. current

Question 23

An Earth science student observed the following weather conditions in Albany, New York, for 2 days: The first day was cool with low humidity and a northerly wind. The second day, the temperature was 15 degrees warmer, the relative humidity had increased, and wind direction was southeast. Which type of air mass most likely had moved into the area on the second day?

Answer 23

A maritime tropical air mass most likely moved over the area causing the increase in humidity and temperature.

Question 24

What causes wind

Answer 24

Uneven heating of earth’s surface: land has a low heat capacity and the ocean/water has a high heat capacity

Question 25

DESCRIBE the temperature and moisture characteristics during El Nino conditions.

Answer 25

Temp and Moisture will increase on the west coast of South America and it will decrease on the east coast of Australia and Asia

Question 26

What is the relationship between air temperature and air pressure?

Answer 26

As air pressure increases so does air temperature because there are more collisions between the air molecules.

Question 27

What weather conditions is the west coast of South America experiencing during an El Nino event?

Answer 27

It will experience warmer weather with more rainfall and moisture, the land will be extremely lush, however, the water will be less nutrient rich

Question 28

when and why do hurricanes weaken?

Answer 28

When they hit the shore/coastline they weaken because there is no longer the warm moving convection currents (which is its energy source) and surface objects such as trees create drag slowing the winds

Question 29

Name two weather instruments that would have been used to collect data of a Hurricane

Answer 29

satellite and anemometer

Question 30

Why do hurricane winds show a parabolic curve from the west coast of Africa across the Atlantic to the east coast of the U.S.?

Answer 30

because trade winds push the Hurricane winds west, however, the Coriolis effect causes it to curve, and as it moves into the westerly winds it is pushed eastward and continues to curve

Question 31

why is the storm surge the largest loss of life

Answer 31

because it creates massive flooding and people that do not evacuate will often drownd

Question 32

When Hurricane winds reach the shorline where is the least and most damage done and why?

Answer 32

the most damage is done to the north of the eye and the least to the south because since it moves counterclockwise high-velocity winds will slap water into the north shore however on the south winds are at a slower velocity and will actually push the water away

Question 33

how does wind move in relation to a high and a low ? from what to what?

Answer 33

air moves out of a high into a low