CHAPTER 8
WIND AND WEATHER
______
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. ______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
2. In a synoptic-scale cyclone, vertical wind speeds are usually ______horizontal wind speeds.
a. stronger than
*b. weaker than
c. the same magnitude as the
3. A force has
a. direction.
b. magnitude.
*c. both direction and magnitude.
d. none of the above.
4. The ______causes air to flow from areas of relatively high pressure to areas of relatively low pressure.
*a. pressure gradient force
b. centripetal force
c. frictional force
5. 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.
6. 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
7. ______is numerically equivalent to a force per unit mass.
a. Pressure
b. Speed
*c. Acceleration
d. Velocity
e. None of these is correct.
8. At middle latitudes, the surface air pressure is higher in a(n)
a. cyclone.
*b. anticyclone.
9. At middle latitudes, the surface air pressure is ______in an anticyclone then in a cyclone.
a. lower
*b. higher
10. Neglecting friction and the Coriolis Effect, what would be the direction of the wind along a coastline if the air pressure were higher over the land 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.
11. 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
12. 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.
13. Where the horizontal air pressure gradient is zero over a broad region,
*a. the 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.
14. 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.
15. At middle latitudes 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
16. In middle latitudes 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
17. In middle latitudes 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
18. The Coriolis Effect produces its maximum deflection of moving air at the
*a. poles.
b. equator.
c. 45 degree latitude circles.
d. 60 degree latitude circles.
e. Tropic of Capricorn.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. The Coriolis Effect has maximum deflection at
*a. the poles
b. the midlatitudes
c. the equator
23. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis Effect always acts
a. directly towards high pressure.
*b. at a right angle and to the left of the initial direction of motion.
c. at a right angle and to the right of the initial direction of motion.
d. directly towards low pressure.
24. 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 initial direction of motion.
*c. at a right angle and to the right of the initial direction of motion.
d. directly towards low pressure.
25. 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.
e. none of the above is correct.
26. The Coriolis Effect ______in magnitude with decreasing wind speed and latitude.
*a. decreases
b. increases
27. 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.
28. Air that blows from land to sea typically undergoes horizontal ______near the coastline.
*a. divergence
b. convergence
29. Air that blows from sea to land typically undergoes horizontal ______near the coastline.
a. divergence
*b. convergence
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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.
33. 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.
34. In the geostrophic wind, the Coriolis Effect is balanced by
a. gravity.
*b. the horizontal pressure gradient force.
c. friction.
35. The geostrophic wind blows in a ______path.
*a. straight
b. curved
36. If air is flowing parallel to straight isobars, what horizontal forces are acting on the air?
*a. Coriolis Effect and pressure gradient force.
b. Coriolis Effect and the force of friction.
c. pressure gradient force and the force of friction.
d. pressure gradient and centripetal forces.
37. The geostrophic wind requires
a. straight and parallel isobars.
b. the presence of the pressure gradient force and Coriolis Effect.
c. no significant frictional force.
*d. All of the above are correct.
38. The gradient wind is
a. horizontal.
b. curved.
c. a model of the actual wind.
d. frictionless.
*e. All of these are correct.
39. Curved large-scale horizontal wind above the atmospheric boundary layer:
a. geostrophic wind
*b. gradient wind
c. valley breeze
d. lake breeze
40. The horizontal pressure gradient force and wind speed decrease as the spacing between isobars
a. decreases.
*b. increases.
c. stays the same.
41. 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
42. 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
43. Average horizontal wind speed ______with altitude within the troposphere.
a. decreases
b. does not change
*c. increases
44. 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.
45. 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.
46. In a Northern Hemisphere ______viewed from above, surface winds blow counterclockwise and inward.
a. anticyclone
*b. cyclone
47. 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.
48. 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.
49. The anemometer that is based on the effect of wind on the propagation of sound waves is the
a. cup anemometer
b. hot-wire anemometer
*c. sonic anemometer
50. 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.