Download sug ed problems: week 7

ATM S 101: Weather!
Summer Quarter 2010
sug!"ed problems: week 7
True and False (Circle T or F; if False, indicate which part of the statement is erroneous)
1. Thunderstorms are convective in nature due to massive plumes of rising air within.
T
F
2. Thunderstorms can be triggered by terrain, fronts, or intense daytime heating.
T
F
3. Supercells are a special, long lived class of thunderstorm with a rotating updraft.
T
F
4. Ordinary thunderstorms have short life cycles of 5 - 10 minutes.
T
F
5. Squall lines are extensive, linear collections of thunderstorms ahead of cold fronts.
T
F
6. Mesoscale convective complexes can be as much as 1000 times larger than
ordinary thunderstorms. They often form beneath a ridge of high pressure.
T
F
7. Doppler radar can see tornadoes.
T
F
8. Hurricanes commonly form from easterly waves passing out off West Africa.
T
F
9. Thunderstorms in a hurricane are limited to the eyewall and spiral bands.
T
F
10. Winds flow counterclockwise in towards the eye of a hurricane at lower levels.
T
F
11. Strong vertical wind shear and friction over land are detrimental to hurricanes.
T
F
12. Hurricanes move east to west across ocean basins and then recurve to the east.
T
F
13. Devastating hurricanes have their names retired (e.g., Andrew, Katrina).
T
F
14. In 2005, Hurricane Vince struck the west coast of Spain as a tropical depression.
T
F
15. STORMFURY was a government project to intentionally strengthen hurricanes.
T
F
16. Tornado alley extends from the Gulf coast of Texas north to Southern Minnesota.
T
F
17. Blizzards are defined by strong sustained winds and low visibility due to snow.
T
F
18. Thunderstorms with large hail are most common along and east of the foothills of
the Rocky Mountains.
T
F
19. A tornado that forms over water is called a whirlpool.
T
F
20. Hurricanes do not form on the equator because the Coriolis force is large there.
T
F
ATM S 101: Weather!
Summer Quarter 2010
Multiple Choice (Circle the correct answer)
21. A tropical storm is weaker than a hurricane but stronger than a _________.
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a. tropical depression!
b. tropical cyclone!
c. tropical mesocyclone! d. typhoon
22. Hurricanes dissipate rapidly over _______.
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a. warm water! !
b. ocean waves!!
c. cold water!
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d. strong surface winds
23. The strongest Saffir-Simpson category rating for a hurricane is _____.
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a. 1!
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b. 3!
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c. 5!
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d. 6!
24. El Nino / Southern Oscillation affects storms through its influence on Atlantic ______.
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a. wave action! !
b. wind shear!
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c. SST! !
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d. ocean currents
25. When thunderstorms produce lightning but not rain, the lightning is termed ___ lightning.
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a. heat! !
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b. dry! !
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c. tinder!!
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d. fire!
c. attract!
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d. distract
26. Lightning rods are intended to ______ lightning.
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a. repel!!
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b. prevent!
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27. The strongest windstorm to affect the Pacific Northwest in the last 150 years occurred on
_______, 1962.
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a. Halloween!
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b. the 4th of July!
c. Columbus Day!
d. Inauguration Day
28. ______ floods occur when saturated soils and intense rainfall cause rapid flooding.
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a. quick!!
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b. flash!
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c. slow! !
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d. motion
29. A _____ is produced when heavy air from a thunderstorm downdraft reaches the ground.
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a. microburst!
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b. downer!
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c. bomb !!
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d. bow echo!
30. A gust front marks the leading edge of ____ air near a cold front.
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a. warm!!
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b. cold! !
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c. moist!
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d. dry! !
Short Answer (Write no more than 4 sentences)
31. Describe the differences between a squall line and a mesoscale convective complex.
ATM S 101: Weather!
Summer Quarter 2010
32. List two conditions necessary for the formation of supercell thunderstorms
33.Describe where Norʼeasters get their name, and what conditions accompany them.
34. How are funnel clouds and tornadoes different from one another?
35. Why have the number of tornadoes increased over the 20th century? And why have deaths
from tornadoes declined over the same period?
36. What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
37. During what month of the year do hurricane formation and intensity reach a maximum?
38. Why are thunderstorms rare along the west coast of the United States?
39. Describe what constitutes a tornado outbreak.
40. What is a mesocyclone and how does it differ from a tornado?