Weather

Question 1

4 basic types of cumuliform clouds

Answer 1

Cumulus (CU)
Towering cumulus (TCU)
Cumulonimbus (CB)
Altocumulus castellanus (ACC)

Question 2

CU

Answer 2

Cumulus

Develop vertically
Bulging upper part
Appear detached from other clouds
White at the tp and relatively dark bases

Question 3

TCU

Answer 3

Towering cumulus

Rapidly growing cumulus
Height exceeds the width

Question 4

CB

Answer 4

Cumulonimbus

Contain thunderstorm activity
Upper portion is smooth/ fibrous & always flattened

Question 5

ACC

Answer 5

Altocumulus castellanus

White/ gray/ both
Composed of rounded masses & rolls, may/ may not be merged

Question 6

Pressure gradient

Answer 6

Rate of change of pressure with horizontal distance measure in km

Calculated by 4 hPa in ‘x’ km (distance between isobars is always 4 hPa)

Question 7

Buys Ballot’s Law

Answer 7

In N. hemisphere: wind at your back = area of low pressure lies to your left

Question 8

Veering

Answer 8

Wind makes a clockwise change in direction

Question 9

Backing

Answer 9

Wind makes a counter-clockwise change in direction

Question 10

Arrows on surface maps indicate the direction wind is ____

Answer 10

Blowing from

Question 11

Full barb on arrow represent ___ knots

Answer 11

10

Question 12

5 lifting agents

Answer 12

Convection
Orographic lift
Frontal lift
Mechanical turbulence
Convergence

Question 13

Convection

Answer 13

Air is heated from below by contact with Earth’s surface

Question 14

Orographic lift

Answer 14

Air is force up sloping terrain by the wind

Question 15

Frontal lift

Answer 15

Air is forced to rise by a wedge of colder/ denser air

Question 16

Mechanical turbulence

Answer 16

Friction between the air and ground cause the air to be stirred up into series of swirling motion known as eddies

Question 17

Convergence

Answer 17

Air converges at the centre of low-pressure systems and is force to rise, resulting in cloud & precipitation

Question 18

Air mass

Answer 18

Large section of troposphere with relatively uniform properties of temperature and moisture

Takes on its original properties from the surface over which it has formed

Question 19

2 types of air masses

Answer 19

Maritime air masses (form over water/ humid)
Continental air masses (form over land/ dry)

Question 20

Artic air masses

Answer 20

Form in the Arctic/ high latitudes

Question 21

Polar air masses

Answer 21

Form in the temperate zones (permafrost line to 30 degrees N)

Question 22

Tropical air masses

Answer 22

Form in the tropics/ low latitudes (between 30 degrees N & the equator)

Question 23

4 air masses commonly found in N. America

Answer 23

Continental Arctic (cA) (winter only)
Maritime Arctic (mA)
Maritime Polar (mP)
Maritime Tropical (mT)

Question 24

Front

Answer 24

Transition zone between 2 air masses

Question 25

Cold front

Answer 25

Transition zone between advancing cold air and warm air Symbol: arrowhead (triangle)

Question 26

Warm front

Answer 26

Transition zone between warm air and retreating cold air Symbol: half circle

Question 27

Stationary front

Answer 27

Transition zone between two air masses that are not moving Symbol: alternating arrowheads and half circles

Question 28

Polar front theory

Answer 28

Earth is covered by polar (cold) air in polar regions and tropical (warm) air in equatorial regions, separated by the polar front (2 air mass 1 front model)

Question 29

Severity of the weather created by the front depends on...

Answer 29

Slope of the frontal surface Speed of frontal movement Temperature of the lifted air mass Moisture content of the lifted air mass Stability of the lifted air mass

Question 30

High pressure is generally associated with ___ weather, while low pressure is associated with ____ weather.

Answer 30

Nice Cloudy/ rainy/ snowy

Question 31

Before a cold front arrives, the wind ahead of the front is typically out of the ___. Once the front passes, the wind will shift to the ____.

Answer 31

SSW WNW

Question 32

Before a warm front arrives, the wind ahead of the front is typically from the ___. Once the front passes, the wind will shift to the ____.

Answer 32

E SSW

Question 33

Passage of warm front will result in ____ in temperature.

Answer 33

increase

Question 34

Arrival of a cold front will result in ____ temperature.

Answer 34

sudden decrease

Question 35

Dew point temperature generally ___ with a warm frontal passage and ___ with a cold frontal passage.

Answer 35

increase, decrease

Question 36

Visibility is ___ well in advance of warm fronts.

Answer 36

reduced

Question 37

Ahead of cold fronts, visibility is ___. Close to the front, visibility may be ___.

Answer 37

good, reduced

Question 38

Pressure will ___ as warm front approaches a location.

Answer 38

fall

Question 39

Pressure will ___ once the cold front has passed a location.

Answer 39

rise

Question 40

Frontal turbulence is strongest when the lifted warm air is ___ and ___.

Answer 40

moist, unstable

Question 41

Most severe cases of frontal turbulence are generally associated with fast-moving ___ fronts.

Answer 41

cold

Question 42

3 factors that determine the type of cloud and precipitation at a warm front

Answer 42

Moisture content of the overrunning warm air Stability of the overrunning warm air Degree of overrunning (pressure gradient in the warm air & angle of warm air motion relative to the frontal surface)

Question 43

3 factors that determine the type of cloud and precipitation at a cold front

Answer 43

Moisture content of the lifted warm air Stability of the lifted warm air Degree of lift (slow of the frontal surface & speed of the front)