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Chapter-6
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The transition from water vapor to liquid water is called _____________.
a. condensation
b. evaporation
c. sublimation
d. deposition
2. The movement of water among the great global reservoirs constitutes the
_____________.
a. water-factor cycle
b. hydraulic cycle
c. hydrologic cycle
d. evaporation-precipitation cycle
3. Which reservoir of the hydrosphere contains the largest amount of water?
a. groundwater
b. atmosphere
c. ice sheets and glaciers
d. world oceans
4. Relative humidity:
a. is the maximum amount of water vapor that can be held by the air
b. is the actual quantity of water vapor held by a parcel of air
c. depends upon the volume of water vapor present in the air and is unrelated to the
air temperature
d. compares the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount the air could hold
5. What factor limits the ability of the air to hold water vapor?
a. specific humidity
b. air temperature
c. relative humidity
d. dew-point temperature
6. At what time of the day will relative humidity usually be the lowest?
a. between 6 A.M. and 8 A.M.
b. at Noon
c. between 2 P.M. and 4 P.M.
d. at Midnight
7. A parcel of air has a specific humidity of 7.5 g/kg and its air temperature is 20ºC.
This parcel of air can hold a maximum of 15 g/kg of water vapor. What is the relative
humidity of this parcel of air?
a. 10%
b. 20%
c. 50%
d. 75%
8. The _____________ of the air is the actual quantity of water vapor held by the air.
a. relative humidity
b. saturation level
c. specific humidity
d. dew-point temperature
9. Relative humidity within a parcel of air decreases when _____________.
a. air temperature rises
b. air temperature falls
c. evaporation occurs
d. the dew-point temperature increases
10. The process of temperature change because of the expansion or compression of air
linked to changes in atmospheric pressure with altitude is called _____________.
a. adiabatic
b. compressive
c. expansive
d. condensation
11. Why is the wet adiabatic lapse rate a variable quantity?
a. it depends on the moisture content and pressure of the air
b. it depends on the temperature and pressure of the air
c. it depends on the dry adiabatic lapse rate
d. it depends on the temperature, pressure, and moisture content of the air
12. Why is the wet adiabatic lapse rate lower than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
a. because latent heat is released through condensation
b. because latent heat is absorbed through condensation
c. because the air expands, linked to the decrease in atmospheric pressure with
increasing altitude
d. because cloud formation cools the air temperature significantly
13. What lapse rate is in effect when a parcel of air rises above the condensation level?
a. katabatic lapse rate
b. adiabatic lapse rate
c. dry adiabatic lapse rate
d. wet adiabatic lapse rate
14. Clouds are grouped into two major classes on the basis of form. These are
_____________ and _____________.
a. nimboform, luceriform
b. nimboform, stratiform
c. stratiform, cumuliform
d. cumiliform, luceriform
15. What type of cloud is associated with the production of thunderstorms?
a. cumulonimbus
b. cumulus
c. stratus
d. cirrus
16. What type of fog forms when warm, moist air moves over a colder surface?
a. radiation fog
b. advection fog
c. sublimation fog
d. convection fog
17. What type of precipitation is formed by the freezing of rain as it falls?
a. rain
b. snow
c. hail
d. sleet
18. Snowflakes characterized by intricate crystal structures are formed through
_____________.
a. condensation
b. supercooling
c. deposition
d. freezing
19. Precipitation caused by the lifting of air over mountain ranges is termed
_____________.
a. convective
b. orographic
c. cyclonic
d. advective
20. A belt of dry climate that extends down the leeward slope of mountains and beyond is
called _____________.
a. chinook
b. orographic
c. rain shadow
d. convectional
21. The lifting of air due to heating is called _____________.
a. convection
b. orographic
c. stable
d. advection
22. What two main conditions encourage the development of thunderstorms?
a. warm, moist air, and a decreasing environmental lapse rate
b. cool, dry air in collision with a colder air mass
c. warm, moist air, and an environmental lapse rate greater than the wet and dry rates
d. cold, moist air, and an environmental lapse rate smaller than the wet and dry rates
23. The size of hail produced by a thunderstorm is linked to:
a. the strength of the downdraft
b. the strength of the updraft
c. the microburst
d. the frequency of lightning
24. Thunderclap is caused by:
a. the fall of hail
b. the conflict between the updraft and the downdraft
c. the sound waves caused by the impact of lightning as it hits the ground
d. the rapid expansion of air caused by lightning
25. A very intense downdraft of air produced by a thunderstorm is _____________.
a. a tornado
b. a hurricane
c. a microburst
d. a wind
26. Smog has three main toxic ingredients. Of the following, which is not one of these
ingredients?
a. nitrogen oxides
b. volatile organic compounds
c. carbon dioxide
d. ozone
27. Particles smaller than fallout particles fall to the Earth by being combined with
precipitation. This process is called _____________.
a. fallout
b. smog
c. acid pollution
d. washout
28. Heat inversions are directly related to _____________ and its dire effects, because
pollutants are not able to rise far above the surface.
a. smog
b. acid rain
c. washout
d. acid pollution
29. A smog layer can cut visibility and illumination by up to _____________ percent in
winter.
a. ten
b. twenty
c. fifty
d. eighty
30. Acid deposition is produced by the release of sulfur dioxide and _____________ into
the air.
a. carbon dioxide
b. ozone
c. nitric oxide
d. volatile organic compounds
True/False Questions
31. True/False Acidity is measured using the pH scale. A fourteen on this scale is a
very strong acid.
32. True/False Deposition is the reverse process of sublimation.
33. True/False There is more water stored in ice sheets and glaciers than there is fresh
water in the hydrosphere.
34. True/False When precipitation reaches the surface, it all eventually evaporates.
35. True/False If air is chilled, it will reach its dew-point temperature with a relative
humidity of ninety-five percent.
36. True/False The dry adiabatic lapse rate is not variable as it is set by physical law.
37. True/False Clouds form on nuclei that are approximately one millimeter in size.
38. True/False Cumulonimbus clouds are a form of the cumuliform cloud commonly
called the thunderstorm.
39. True/ False Radiation fog is formed at night when warm moist air flows over cooler
ground.
40. True/False Snowflakes can be formed by deposition and can have intricate crystal
structures.
Short Answer Essay Questions
41. Contrast orographic precipitation with convectional precipitation.
42. Describe how unstable air results in thunderstorms in regions with warm, moist air.
43. Explain what the relationship is between smog and heat inversions.
44. What is a microburst? How do microbursts affect aircrafts?
45. What effect has acidification had on portions of Canada? Why?