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quiz questions Flashcards

1
Q

at which scale do cyclones, anticyclones, troughs and ridges occur?

A

synoptic scale

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2
Q

meridional flow is _________ while zonal flow is ___________.

A

north/south
west/east

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3
Q

four scales in order

A

planetary, synoptic, meso, micro

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4
Q

what area does the hadley cell cover?

A

just areas near the equator

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5
Q

the polar front

A

is a region marked by a sharp change in horizontal temp

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6
Q

winds in the upper atmosphere are westerly where?

A

both the northern and southern hemisphere

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7
Q

westerly winds in the upper atmosphere at mid-latitudes in the northern hem

A

are the reason most mid latitude storms move from west to east

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8
Q

ferrel cell is associated with

A

mid latitudes

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9
Q

what are jet streams?

A

bands of high speed wind found at elevations of 9-15 km

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10
Q

where are the two main hemispheric jet streams located?

A

between 50 and 60 degrees latitude and 30 degrees latitude

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11
Q

what are rossby waves

A

major undulations in the path of a jet stream

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12
Q

how can the jet stream return to normal zonal flow after rossby waves build?

A

separation of a mass of cold air from the jet stream

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13
Q

the northeast trade winds

A

are the result of air flowing from the subtropical high to the ITCZ

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14
Q

PGF is stronger at which mb level?
- 800
- 900
- 950
- 700

A

700

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15
Q

air mass source regions are least likely to be found here

A

middle latitudes

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16
Q

most air masses in the central part of the US are either

A

continental polar or maritime tropical

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17
Q

between a cold front and a warm front we find

A

warm moist and unstable air mass

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18
Q

which airmass is responsible for bringing virtually all of the moisture that impacts the US east of the rocky mountains?

A

maritime tropical

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19
Q

which of the fronts do not separate tropical from polar air?

A

occluded

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20
Q

which of the fronts move with the greatest velocity?

A

cold front

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21
Q

drylines in the US typically have what air?

A

typically have continental air to the west

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22
Q

according to the polar front theory midlatitude cyclones form along a boundary

A

separating polar air and warmer air to the south

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23
Q

by the end of the forecast period, where should the max divergence at 500mb take place?

A

downstream from the trough axis, from minnesota to colorado

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24
Q

which mb level does a midlatitude cyclone follow? what speed?

A

500mb, half the speed

25
Q

in the conveyor belt model, this belt enters the storm flowing westward toward the surface cyclone

A

cold conveyor belt

26
Q

cyclogenesis begins when

A

cold air begins to advance southward and warm air goes north

27
Q

where is cyclogenesis most likely to occur?

A

in regions of strong temp contrasts or where topographic features disrupt the normal airflow

28
Q

the warm sector between the warm and cold fronts is characterized by

A

clear conditions

29
Q

earth vorticity

A

is a function of latitude

30
Q

the formation of a mesocyclone requires

A

vertical wind shear

31
Q

an outflow boundary is

A

All of the below:
- the leading edge of cold air from a thunderstorm downdraft
- a favorable place for future severe storm development, esp if two intersect
- can be seen clearly on radar images

32
Q

common doppler radar associated with supercell is the

A

hook echo

33
Q

air mass thunderstorms

A

extinguish themselves through the formation of extensive downdrafts

34
Q

tornados

A

are associated with cumulonimbus clouds

35
Q

not significant in explaining why the US has so many tornados

A

cold ocean current on the west coast

36
Q

how many times greater is the pressure gradient of the tornado vs its core from the cyclone and an anticyclone

A

5000 times greater

37
Q

tropical storms in the east pacific

A

generally move westward

38
Q

hurricanes

A

are smaller than mid-latitude cyclones

39
Q

hurricanes have

A

no fronts

40
Q

a hurricane is almost symmetric in shape because

A

a hurricane has only warm air

41
Q

a hurricane typically

A

has temps near its center that are much higher than surrounding temps

42
Q

the strongest winds in a hurricane occur

A

in the eyewall

43
Q

hurricanes are

A

warm core systems with high pressure aloft

44
Q

horizontal air flow in a hurricane is

A

counterclockwise at the surface, clockwise aloft

45
Q

the strongest rainfall within a hurricane occurs

A

in the eyewall

46
Q

air _______ inside the eye of a hurricane

A

sinks and warms adiabatically

47
Q

order in size: hurricane, thunderstorm, tornado, mid-latitude cyclone

A

mid-latitude cyclone, hurricane, thunderstorm, tornado

48
Q

an easterly wave is

A

a favorable area for hurricane development

49
Q

Hurricanes gain most of their energy from

A

latent heat released by condensation

50
Q

absence of coriolis

A

prohibits hurricane formation at the equator

51
Q

the reason why almost all hurricanes form in equatorial region:

A

largest source of warm water

52
Q

hurricane’s greatest threat to life and property

A

storm surge

53
Q

you would most likely expect a rain shadow

A

east side of the cascade mountains in the PNW

54
Q

When the environmental lapse rate exceeds both the dry adiabatic lapse rate and the wet adiabatic lapse rate of a parcel of air, that air parcel contains

A

absolutely unstable air

55
Q

The lower atmosphere is most likely to have the steepest environmental lapse rate at this time.

A

mid-day

56
Q

Cumuliform clouds

A

typically have higher water content than stratiform clouds

57
Q

Collision-coalescence is the predominant cause of precipitation in this region.

A

the Tropics

58
Q

In middle latitudes, rain

A

usually begins as snow

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