Download psci 131 winter 2014 practice exam – meteorology

PSCI 131
WINTER 2014
PRACTICE EXAM – METEOROLOGY
KEY
The Atmosphere
1. Which lists the layers of the atmosphere in their correct order, from lowest to highest?
a. Stratosphere, mesosphere, troposphere, thermosphere
b. Troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, stratosphere
c. Troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere
d. None of the above
2. Which gas makes up most of our atmosphere?
a. Oxygen
b. Carbon dioxide
c. Nitrogen
d. Argon
3. Give a one-sentence definition of aerosol.
Solid particles small enough to remain suspended in the air.
4. Ozone is an effective absorber of heat, and helps keep the Earth’s surface warm. TRUE or FALSE
5. The most important factor in determining the temperature at a given location is
a. Cloud cover
b. The angle at which solar rays are striking the surface
c. Proximity to water
d. Wind direction
6. Solar energy that enters the atmosphere can be reflected, scattered, or absorbed by
atmospheric gases.
7. The higher the angle of the Sun above the horizon, the more atmosphere its rays must pass
through before they reach the ground. TRUE or FALSE
8. Visible light that is absorbed by the ground is re-radiated as ___ radiation.
a. Visible light
b. Ultraviolet
c. Microwaves
d. Infrared
9. The closer a location is to the equator or either of the poles, the less seasonal variation there is in
temperature. TRUE or FALSE
10. Which of the following is not one of the factors that controls air temperature?
a. Ocean currents
b. Proximity to large bodies of water
c. Leeward vs windward side of a continent
d. Ozone layer thickness
e. Altitude
Atmospheric Moisture
11. Indicate whether each state change of water below is endothermic or exothermic:
a. Condensation
exothermic
b. Freezing
exothermic
c. Sublimation
endothermic
d. Evaporation
endothermic
12. Give a one-sentence explanation of why sweating makes you feel cooler.
The evaporation of sweat is endothermic, and absorbs heat from the skin.
13. Which of the following is the correct equation for relative humidity?
a. RH = vapor content / saturation content
b. RH = saturation content / vapor content
c. RH = (vapor content / saturation content) x 100
d. RH = (saturation content / vapor content) x 100
14. What is the saturation content for air at the following temperatures?
a. 20 degrees C 14 g
b. 0 degrees C
3.5 g
c. -30 degrees C 0.3 g
15. As air temperature drops, saturation content decreases; therefore relative humidity increases,
assuming no change in the air’s vapor content.
16. What is the relative humidity of an air parcel with 5g vapor content and a temperature of 25
degrees C? Show work below in a legible and orderly fashion.
Saturation content for 25 degrees C is 20 g (from table)
RH = (5g / 20 g) x 100 = 25%
RH= 25 %
17. If the air mass from the previous question is sitting at ground level and begins to rise, it will cool at
the (DAR / WAR / ELR). Circle one answer.
18. Why is the DAR always greater than the WAR?
a. Latent heat released by evaporation
b. Latent heat absorbed by condensation
c. Latent heat absorbed by evaporation
d. Latent heat released by condensation
19. At an altitude of 2 km the air parcel from question 16 will have a temperature of ______ and a
relative humidity of ______.
a. 20 degrees C, 50%
b. 5 degrees C, 100%
c. 45 degrees C, 10%
d. 25 degrees C, 100%
20. This air parcel’s dew point temperature is 5 degrees C.
21. If the parcel continues to rise, it will cool at the (DAR / WAR / ELR). Circle one answer.
22. At an altitude of 4 km what will the parcel’s temperature be? Show all work in a legible and
orderly fashion.
Air is already at 2 km; additional 2 km of altitude gain to reach 4 km
2km * 5 deg C/km = 10 deg C of cooling
5 deg C – 20 deg C = -5 deg C
Temp at 4 km: -5 degrees C
23. Give a one-sentence definition of convective lifting.
Lifting of air caused by differential heating of the ground and consequent differential
heating of ground-level air parcels.
24. Match each type of atmospheric stability with the correct conditions:
a. Absolute stability
DAR > ELR > WAR C
b. Absolute instability
DAR > WAR > ELR A
c. Conditional instability
ELR > DAR > WAR B
25. Under conditional instability, an air parcel will “want” to rise until it reaches its condensation
level; above that, it must be forced to rise by some external process. TRUE or FALSE (other way
around)
26. Conditions of absolute instability are associated with “foul” weather like thunderstorms and
tornadoes. TRUE or FALSE
Air Pressure & Wind
27. The instrument used to measure air pressure is a barometer.
28. High pressure is caused by air that is (sinking / rising / neither) while low pressure is produced
by air that is (sinking / rising / neither).
29. Give a one-sentence definition of the Coriolis Effect.
Apparent deflection of wind or other moving object; caused by Earth’s rotation.
30. Ground-level winds around a high-pressure zone are
a. Converging
b. Diverging
c. Rising
d. Sinking
e. A and C
f. B and D
31. Mark the approximate location on this map that likely has the strongest winds
The dots show possible correct answers; any place where several isobars are close
together is acceptable.
32. Fill in the following table with the correct rotation direction of cyclones and anticyclones in the
northern and southern hemispheres. Use CW or CCW in each blank.
Cyclone
Northern Hemisphere
CCW
Southern Hemisphere
CW
Anticyclone
CW
CCW
33. Which hemisphere is the hurricane shown below located in? Northern (it’s rotating CCW)
34. Global atmospheric circulation patterns are partly the result of
a. Redistribution of heat from the equator to the poles
b. Earth’s movement around the Sun
c. Formation of hurricanes
d. Cloud formation
35. Match each feature of global atmospheric circulation to the correct description:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Trade winds
Equatorial low
Subpolar low
Polar easterlies
winds created by convergence along the subpolar low
zone of rising air in high latitudes
zone of rising air in tropical latitudes; heavy rainfall
winds created by convergence along the equatorial low
D
C
B
A