CHAPTER 1
MONITORING THE WEATHER
______
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. ______is defined as the state of the atmosphere at some place and time.
a. Climate
b. Weather
2. Climate is defined as weather conditions at some locality averaged over a standard period of _____ years.
a. 10
b. 20
c. 30
d. 100
3. The climate of some locality governs
a. the type of crops that can be cultivated.
b. the fresh water supply.
c. the average heating and cooling requirements for homes.
d. All of the above are correct.
4. Depending on local topography, the maximum range of broadcasts of the NOAA weather radio is about ______kilometers.
a. 65
b. 100
c. 20
d. 30
5. ______is used to describe the weight of the overlying air.
a. Relative humidity
b. Dewpoint
c. Pressure
d. Temperature
6. ______pressure systems are usually accompanied by fair weather and ______pressure systems are usually accompanied by stormy weather.
a. High……………low
b. Low……………high
7. ______is (are) typically found near the center of a high pressure system.
a. Strong winds
b. Light winds or calm air
c. Rainy weather
d. Lightning
8. Viewed from above in the Northern Hemisphere, surface winds in a high pressure system blow
a. clockwise and inward.
b. clockwise and outward.
c. counterclockwise and inward.
d. counterclockwise and outward.
9. From your experience, weather systems usually cross the United States in
a. less than an hour.
b. several days.
c. one to two months.
d. several years.
10. Weather systems in the middle latitudes of the Earth generally move in the direction towards the
a. east.
b. south.
c. west.
d. north.
11. Viewed from above in the Northern Hemisphere, surface winds blow ______about the center of a low pressure system.
a. clockwise and outward
b. clockwise and inward
c. counterclockwise and outward
d. counterclockwise and inward
12. Air temperatures tend to be relatively low to the ______of a low pressure system.
a. east and south
b. north and west
13. As a general rule, lows that track from west to east across southern Canada produce ______precipitation compared to lows that track along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
a. more
b. less
c. about the same amount of
14. An air mass is a huge volume of air that is relatively uniform horizontally in
a. temperature.
b. humidity.
c. Both of the above are correct.
15. A front is a narrow zone of transition between air masses that contrast in
a. temperature.
b. humidity.
c. Either or both of the above are correct.
16. The temperature and moisture characteristics of an air mass depend on
a. the phase of the Moon.
b. the properties of the surface over which the air mass resides and travels.
c. conditions in the upper atmosphere.
d. None of the above is correct.
17. Often associated with a front is (are)
a. cloudiness.
b. precipitation.
c. ascending air.
d. All of the above are correct.
18. ______fronts are associated with cloudiness and precipitation over a broad band
a. Cold
b. Warm
19. At the same humidity (water vapor concentration), a cold air mass is ______a warm air mass.
a. denser than
b. less dense than
c. as dense as
20. Most cloudiness and precipitation associated with a cold front occur as a relatively ______band along or just ahead of where the front intersects Earth’s surface.
a. narrow
b. broad
21. In North America, tornadoes are most common
a. along the U.S. East Coast.
b. along the U.S. Pacific Coast.
c. in the central United States.
d. in Alaska.
22. The winds in a ______pressure system bring contrasting air masses together to form fronts.
a. low
b. high
23. A horizontal wind is named for the direction ______the wind blows.
a. toward which
b. from which
24. Typically, the day’s ______temperature occurs around sunrise.
a. maximum
b. average
c. minimum
25. Often the day’s highest air temperature and lowest relative humidity occur
a. around midnight.
b. near Sunrise.
c. during early to mid-afternoon.
d. None of the above is correct.
26. On average, 10 cm of freshly fallen snow melt down to _____ cm of liquid water.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 1.0
d. 0.1
27. A northeast wind blows from the ______toward the ______.
a. southwest...... northwest
b. southeast...... northeast
c. northeast...... southwest
d. west...... east
28. The National Weather Service issues a weather ______when hazardous weather is imminent or actually taking place.
a. watch
b. warning
29. A geostationary satellite orbits Earth at a ______altitude than a polar-orbiting satellite.
a. lower
b. higher
30. All other factors being equal, temperatures are ______during clear nights.
a. coldest
b. warmest
31. All other factors being equal, an overcast sky ______the day’s maximum temperature.
a. lowers
b. raises
c. has no effect upon
32. An infrared satellite image is especially useful
a. during the day.
b. at night.
33. On an infrared satellite image, high clouds appear ______low clouds.
a. brighter than
b. darker than
c. the same as
34. In the portion of the atmosphere where most clouds occur, the air temperature ______with increasing altitude.
a. rises
b. drops
c. is constant
35. Clouds appear on ______satellite images.
a. visible
b. infrared
c. water vapor
d. All of the above are correct.
36. Weather radar monitors the movement of
a. cloud particles.
b. precipitation.
37. Meteorologists monitor the movement of water vapor at higher altitudes of the atmosphere using
a. radar.
b. water vapor satellite imagery.
c. infrared satellite imagery.
38. On a water vapor satellite image, dry air is indicated by
a. areas of black.
b. areas of gray.
c. areas of bright white.
39. Weather radar emits pulses of ______energy that are reflected by precipitation particles (e.g., raindrops, snowflakes).
a. radio
b. visible
c. infrared
d. microwave
40. Weather radar utilizes the ______effect to monitor the motion of precipitation particles.
a. Coriolis
b. Doppler
c. tornado
d. dewpoint
41. A cloud in contact with the Earth’s surface is known as
a. a cumuliform cloud.
b. fog.
c. a cirrus cloud.
d. a thunderstorm.
42. Wispy-appearing clouds that occur at high altitudes are composed of mostly
a. tiny liquid water droplets.
b. tiny ice crystals.
c. methane.
d. solid carbon dioxide.
43. ______clouds occur at relatively high altitudes and have a fibrous or wispy appearance.
a. Ice-crystal
b. Water-droplet
44. Clouds that form horizontal layers are described as
a. cumuliform.
b. fog.
c. stratiform.
d. ice-crystal clouds.
45. Cumuliform clouds ______form along or ahead of a cold front.
a. never
b. typically
c. always
46. ______usually indicate fair weather.
a. Scattered cumulus clouds
b. Stratiform clouds
47. Cumulus clouds that exhibit essentially no vertical growth are ______to produce precipitation.
a. likely
b. unlikely
48. A thunderstorm cloud:
a. cumulus
b. cirrus
c. cumulonimbus
d. stratiform
49. ______weather is usually associated with cumulonimbus clouds.
a. Fair
b. Stormy
50. Clouds located at different altitudes ______move in the same direction indicating ______in the horizontal wind direction with altitude.
a. always...... a change
b. sometimes...... no change
c. sometimes...... a change