CHAPTER 8
WIND AND WEATHER
______
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. The pressure gradient force causes air to flow from areas of relatively ______pressure to areas of relatively ______pressure.
a. low……………high
b. high……………low
*b. high……………low
2. Horizontal air pressure gradients arise from horizontal gradients in
a. air temperature.
b. vapor pressure.
c. air density.
d. Any of these is correct.
e. None of these is correct.
*d. Any of these is correct.
3. A vertical air pressure gradient is directed from the ______to the ______.
a. stratosphere...... troposphere
b. mesosphere...... stratosphere
c. thermosphere...... troposphere
d. troposphere...... stratosphere
e. mesosphere...... troposphere
*d. troposphere...... stratosphere
4. ______is the movement of air measured relative to the Earth's surface.
a. Gravity
b. The pressure gradient force
c. The Coriolis effect
d. The centripetal force
e. Wind
*e. Wind
5. ______is numerically equivalent to a force per unit mass.
a. Pressure
b. Speed
c. Acceleration
d. Velocity
e. None of these is correct.
*c. Acceleration
6. The surface air pressure is higher in a(n)
a. cyclone.
b. anticyclone.
*b. anticyclone.
7. The surface air pressure is lower in a(n)
a. cyclone.
b. anticyclone.
*a. cyclone.
8. Neglecting friction and the Coriolis effect, what would be the direction of the wind along a coastline if the air pressure over the land were higher than over the adjacent water body?
a. from water to land
b. from land to water
c. parallel to the coastline with low pressure to the left
d. parallel to the coastline with high pressure to the left
e. None of the above is correct.
*b. from land to water
9. A change in horizontal air pressure gradient from 2 mb per 100 kilometers to 4 mb per 100 kilometers will result in ______wind speed.
a. higher
b. lower
c. no change in
*a. higher
10. Due to the air pressure gradient alone, a parcel of air is accelerated
a. toward low pressure and perpendicular to isobars.
b. toward low pressure and parallel to isobars.
c. toward high pressure and parallel to isobars.
d. toward high pressure and perpendicular to isobars.
e. None of the above is correct.
*a. toward low pressure and perpendicular to isobars.
11. Where the horizontal air pressure gradient is zero over a broad region,
a. air is calm.
b. skies are usually cloudy and threatening.
c. rain or snow is quite likely.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.
*a. air is calm.
12. The Coriolis effect arises from the fact that
a. friction balances the horizontal pressure gradient force.
b. Earth rotates.
c. there are horizontal gradients in air density.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.
*b. Earth rotates.
13. In midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes air that is initially blowing from north to south to become a wind blowing from the ______.
a. northwest
b. southeast
c. south
d. northeast
e. southwest
*d. northeast
14. In midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes a wind blowing from the west to become a(n) ______wind.
a. northwest
b. northeast
c. southwest
d. east
e. southeast
*a. northwest
15. In midlatitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes a west wind to become a(n) ______wind.
a. northwest
b. northeast
c. southwest
d. east
e. southeast
*c. southwest
16. The Coriolis effect produces its maximum deflection at the
a. poles.
b. equator.
c. 45 degree latitude circles.
d. 60 degree latitude circles.
e. Tropic of Capricorn.
*a. poles.
17. The Coriolis effect is zero and produces no deflection at the
a. poles.
b. equator.
c. 45 degree latitude circles.
d. 60 degree latitude circles.
e. 30 degree latitude circles.
*b. equator.
18. The Coriolis effect is present but relatively unimportant in
a. planetary-scale winds.
b. cyclones.
c. anticyclones.
d. All of these are correct.
e. None of these is correct.
*e. None of these is correct.
19. At the equator, the Coriolis effect
a. deflects an east wind toward the southwest.
b. deflects a west wind toward the southeast.
c. deflects a west wind toward the northeast.
d. does not affect wind direction.
*d. does not affect wind direction.
20. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes air initially moving southward to swerve toward the
a. southwest.
b. southeast.
c. left.
d. east.
e. north.
*a. southwest.
21. Friction affects horizontal winds
a. only at the synoptic-scale.
b. blowing at altitudes above 3000 meters.
c. by shifting the winds across isobars and toward high pressure.
d. by slowing the winds and shifting them across isobars toward low pressure.
e. only at the equator.
*d. by slowing the winds and shifting them across isobars toward low pressure.
22. Air that blows from land to sea typically undergoes horizontal ______near the coastline.
a. divergence
b. convergence
*a. divergence
23. Air that blows from sea to land typically undergoes horizontal ______near the coastline.
a. divergence
b. convergence
*b. convergence
24. With hydrostatic equilibrium, the vertical air pressure gradient in the atmosphere is balanced by ______.
a. friction
b. a centripetal force
c. gravity
d. the horizontal pressure gradient
e. the Coriolis effect
*c. gravity
25. The geostrophic wind is blowing directly from west to east. The highest air pressure is located to the
a. north.
b. east.
c. south.
d. west.
*c. south.
26. The geostrophic wind is blowing directly from north to south. The highest air pressure is located to the
a. north.
b. east.
c. south.
d. west.
*d. west.
27. In a geostrophic wind, the horizontal pressure gradient force is balanced by
a. friction.
b. gravity.
c. the Coriolis force.
d. the centripetal force.
e. None of these is correct.
*c. the Coriolis force.
28. The geostrophic wind is
a. horizontal.
b. unaccelerated.
c. straight.
d. frictionless.
e. All of these are correct.
*e. All of these are correct.
29. The gradient wind is
a. horizontal.
b. curved.
c. a model of the actual wind.
d. frictionless.
e. All of these are correct.
*e. All of these are correct.
30. In a Northern Hemisphere cyclone viewed from above, surface winds blow
a. clockwise and parallel to isobars.
b. clockwise and outward.
c. counterclockwise and parallel to isobars.
d. counterclockwise and inward.
e. None of the above is correct.
*d. counterclockwise and inward.
31. At the center of an ideal cyclone, winds are
a. downward.
b. upward.
c. calm.
*b. upward.
32. In a Northern Hemisphere anticyclone viewed from above, horizontal winds above the atmospheric boundary layer blow
a. clockwise and parallel to isobars.
b. clockwise and outward.
c. counterclockwise and parallel to isobars.
d. counterclockwise and inward.
e. None of these is correct.
*a. clockwise and parallel to isobars.
33. In a Southern Hemisphere anticyclone, horizontal winds above the atmospheric boundary layer blow
a. clockwise and parallel to isobars.
b. clockwise and outward.
c. counterclockwise and parallel to isobars.
d. counterclockwise and inward.
e. counterclockwise and outward.
*c. counterclockwise and parallel to isobars.
34. In a Northern Hemisphere anticyclone above the atmospheric boundary layer, the horizontal pressure gradient force ______the Coriolis effect.
a. exactly equals
b. is slightly greater than
c. is slightly less than
*c. is slightly less than
35. In a Northern Hemisphere cyclone above the atmospheric boundary layer, the horizontal pressure gradient force ______the Coriolis effect.
a. exactly equals
b. is slightly greater than
c. is slightly less than
*b. is slightly greater than
36. Curved large-scale horizontal wind above the atmospheric boundary layer:
a. geostrophic wind
b. gradient wind
c. valley breeze
*b. gradient wind
37. Horizontal winds are always named for the direction ______they blow.
a. toward which
b. from which
*b. from which
38. Average horizontal wind speed ______with altitude above Earth's surface.
a. decreases
b. does not change
c. increases
*c. increases
39. Which one of the following surfaces has the least surface roughness and therefore offers the least resistance to the horizontal wind?
a. deciduous forest
b. city
c. tall-grass prairie
d. tidal mud flats
e. conifer forest
*d. tidal mud flats
40. From largest to smallest, the scales of atmospheric circulation are designated
a. planetary, meso, micro, synoptic.
b. planetary, micro, synoptic, meso.
c. synoptic, planetary, meso, micro.
d. planetary, synoptic, meso, micro.
e. synoptic, meso, planetary, micro.
*d. planetary, synoptic, meso, micro.
41. As the spacing between isobars increases, the horizontal pressure gradient force
a. and the wind speed increase.
b. decreases as the wind speed increases.
c. and wind speed decrease.
d. increases as the wind speed decreases.
*c. and wind speed decrease.
42. Horizontal wind speed generally increases with altitude above Earth's surface because
a. only the lowest layer of air rotates with the Earth.
b. air temperature normally decreases with altitude.
c. friction with the surface slows the air near the ground.
d. air parcels expand and become less dense as they rise above the surface.
*c. friction with the surface slows the air near the ground.
43. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force always acts
a. directly towards high pressure.
b. at a right angle and to the left of the direction of motion.
c. at a right angle and to the right of the direction of motion.
d. directly towards low pressure.
*b. at a right angle and to the left of the direction of motion.
44. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect always acts
a. directly towards high pressure.
b. at a right angle and to the left of the direction of motion.
c. at a right angle and to the right of the direction of motion.
d. directly towards low pressure.
*c. at a right angle and to the right of the direction of motion.
45. The Coriolis deflection
a. is greatest at the equator.
b. would increase if Earth's rotation rate slowed down.
c. acts on objects at rest on Earth's surface.
d. None of the above is correct.
*d. None of the above is correct.
46. The Coriolis effect
a. is a force that arises from use of a coordinate system that rotates with Earth.
b. increases in magnitude with wind speed.
c. increases in magnitude with latitude.
d. All of the above are correct.
*d. All of the above are correct.
47. If air is flowing parallel to straight isobars, what horizontal forces are acting on the air?
a. Coriolis and pressure gradient forces.
b. Coriolis force and the force of friction.
c. pressure gradient force and the force of friction.
d. pressure gradient and centripetal forces.
*a. Coriolis and pressure gradient forces.
48. The geostrophic wind requires
a. straight and parallel isobars.
b. the presence of the pressure gradient and Coriolis forces.
c. the presence of no frictional forces.
d. All of the above are correct.
*d. All of the above are correct.
49. If Earth rotated in the direction opposite to what it now does, in the Northern Hemisphere
a. air would flow into surface Highs.
b. Highs would not form.
c. air would flow clockwise out of a surface High.
d. air would flow counterclockwise out of a surface High.
*d. air would flow counterclockwise out of a surface High.
50. In a cyclone, vertical wind speeds are usually ______horizontal wind speeds.
a. stronger than
b. weaker than
c. the same magnitude as the
*b. weaker than