Q&A Hero

Q: What generally causes clouds to form? A) falling relative humidity B) sinking of saturated air C) lifting of air D) addition of water vapor

Q: As cumulus clouds grow they shade the ground from the Sun. This acts to A) slow down the heating of the ground surface. B) dissipate cumulus cloud formation. C) slow down convectional lifting. D) slowly cool the ground surface, slowing convectional lifting, and dissipating cloud formation.

Q: In order to produce precipitation, an air mass must rise because rising air A) allows water droplets more time in the cloud where they can grow in size. B) produces downdrafts which increases the evaporation of droplets from the cloud. C) supports the downfall of raindrops. D) all of the above.

Q: Cumulus clouds generally occur in an atmospheric state of A) stability. B) instability. C) cool, dry adiabatics. D) warm, moist adiabatics.

Q: Clouds occur when moist air is cooled by A) expansion when it rises. B) compression when it rises. C) expansion when it falls. D) compression when it falls.

Q: Clouds denoted by the prefix "alto" are A) high clouds that form about 6000 meters above the ground. B) middle clouds that form 2000 to 6000 meters above the ground. C) low clouds that form 1000 to 2000 meters above the ground.

Q: Clouds that begin to develop 6000 meters above the ground are generally A) stratus and stratocumulus type clouds. B) cumulus and stratus type clouds. C) cirrus and cirrostratus type clouds. D) cumulonimbus and altocumulus type clouds.

Q: Clouds that develop about 1000 meters above the ground are generally A) cirrus and cirrocumulus type clouds. B) cumulus and stratus type clouds. C) cumulus and cirrocumulus type clouds. D) cirrocumulus and altocumulus type clouds.

Q: Cloud types associated with stable air include A) cumulus and cumulonimbus. B) cirrostratus, altostratus, and stratus. C) cirrostratus, altocumulus, and altostratus. D) stratocumulus, stratus, and cirrostratus.

Q: An example of a convective cloud is the A) nimbostratus. B) cumulus. C) cirrocumulus. D) altostratus.

Q: At the same level and temperature in the atmosphere, is moist air lighter or heavier than dry air?

Q: What is an adiabatic process?

Q: What happens to the air pressure of an air parcel as it flows up the side of a mountain?

Q: Is it possible for the temperature of an air mass to change if no thermal energy is added or subtracted? Defend your answer.

Q: The Chinook wind is a warm, dry wind that descends the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. What makes these winds so warm and dry?

Q: What is a temperature inversion?

Q: How are air convection cycles generated?

Q: When water vapor condenses to liquid water, is thermal energy absorbed or released?

Q: The lowest temperature on any given day occurs A) around midnight. B) around sunset. C) around sunrise. D) at about 4:00 pm.

Q: Rising air expands and cools. If the air mass cools below its dew point temperature, the air mass A) reaches 100% relative humidity, and water vapor evaporates. B) reaches 100% relative humidity, and water vapor may condense to form clouds. C) stops moving upward and relative humidity climbs to 100%. D) continues to cool at the environmental lapse rate.

Q: Rising air expands and cools. The rate of cooling depends on A) the air's moisture content. B) the dry adiabatic lapse rate. C) the energy of the water-vapor molecules. D) temperature inversions.

Q: Air temperature decreases with increasing altitude; this rate of cooling is called the A) dry adiabatic lapse rate. B) a moist adiabatic rate. C) environmental lapse rate.

Q: Atmospheric stability can determine the types of clouds that form. In stable air, clouds tend to A) have lots of vertical development. B) take a billowy and towering form. C) spread out into horizontal layers. D) evaporate quickly.

Q: Warm, moist air blowing over cold water can result in A) adiabatic cooling. B) a dry adiabatic rate. C) fog. D) orographic lifting.

Q: As air rises, it expands. It expands because it moves to A) a region of higher air pressure. B) a region of lower air pressure. C) an area of greater humidity. D) an area of cooler air temperature.

Q: Air moves from A) a region of low pressure to a region of high pressure. B) a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure. C) a region of stability to a region of instability. D) a cold front to a warm front.

Q: Air is considered unstable when it A) continues to rise because it is warmer than surrounding air. B) behaves unpredictably. C) warms as it descends. D) cools as it rises.

Q: Which of the following is an example of adiabatic warming? A) cyclone B) Chinook C) drought D) tornado

Q: A rising parcel of air continues to rise as long as A) the wind is blowing. B) it is warmer and less dense than the surrounding air. C) the temperature is inverted. D) it is cooler and denser than the surrounding air.

Q: Heat can be added to air by solar radiation, moisture A) condensation, or contact with warm ground. B) evaporation, or contact with warm ground. C) condensation, or contact with cool ground. D) evaporation, or contact with cool ground.

Q: Air pressure decreases with A) increasing height. B) increasing humidity. C) increasing temperature. D) increasing density.

Q: When warm air is above cooler air it is called A) stable. B) unstable. C) a temperature inversion. D) a Chinook.

Q: Which air mass has greater air pressure? A) warm air B) cold air C) adiabatic air D) expanding air

Q: Warm air rises and cool air sinks. So, when an air parcel rises it becomes A) cooler. B) warmer. C) more stable. D) less stable.

Q: What is the El Nio condition?

Q: What is the Gulf Stream?

Q: What is the direction of Ekman transport in the Northern Hemisphere?

Q: What is surface ocean circulation primarily driven by?

Q: What effect does the formation of sea ice in polar regions have on the density of seawater?

Q: Discuss the formation of the winter and summer monsoon in India.

Q: What type of pressure system is needed for upwelling to occur along the western coast of North America? Explain.

Q: Explain the relationship between the general circulation of the air and the circulation of ocean currents.

Q: What is the polar front and how does it influence the development of the polar jet stream?

Q: What direction do the trade winds blow? Is this direction a constant? How do the trade winds influence ocean circulation?

Q: Which of the following occurs during an El Nio year? A) Fishing catches improve along the South American coast. B) Cold water upwelling increases. C) The Trade winds become stronger. D) Storms increase on the western side of the Pacific.

Q: The ocean can be divided into several vertical layersthe surface zone, a transition zone, and the deep zone. As one descends to lower depths, water pressure ________ and temperature ________. A) increases; decreases B) decreases; increases C) increases; increases D) decreases; decreases

Q: The process where surface waters are pushed away from the land and replaced by nutrient-rich bottom waters is called A) downwelling. B) upwelling. C) land breeze. D) sea breeze.

Q: In the Southern Hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is A) at a 45 angle from the wind direction. B) parallel to the wind direction. C) to the right of the wind direction. D) to the left of the wind direction.

Q: The Ekman transport spiral is driven A) by density differences in the water column. B) by gravity. C) solely by the Coriolis force. D) by the wind.

Q: The source of large icebergs is A) glaciers. B) sea ice. C) ice and snowstorms at high latitudes. D) summer thawing.

Q: Large icebergs in the Arctic and Antarctic form as A) frozen seawater thickens. B) sea ice forms next to continental land. C) glaciers calve into the sea. D) alpine glaciers melt in Arctic and Antarctic waters.

Q: In the open ocean, surface currents are most affected by A) winds, the Coriolis force, the pressure-gradient force, and land boundary conditions. B) frictional force (winds), the Coriolis force, and the pressure-gradient force. C) winds and gyres. D) both winds and the Coriolis force.

Q: Deep ocean currents flow in a circulation pattern that is A) north to south. B) south to north. C) west to east. D) east to west.

Q: The climate of northwestern Europe is greatly affected by the A) Kuroshio current. B) Gulf Stream. C) trade winds. D) jet stream.

Q: Most surface ocean currents are due to A) melting polar glaciers. B) river flow into the ocean. C) winds. D) density differences in the vertical profile of the ocean.

Q: The rate of evaporation over the very salty Mediterranean is A) less than the rate of precipitation. B) greater than the rate of precipitation. C) equal to the rate of precipitation. D) greater than the influx of fresh water from streams and rivers.

Q: Water evaporated from over the oceans produces precipitation of fresh water because A) there are more water molecules than salt molecules in the ocean. B) the salt dissolves and forms a solution, which becomes more and more dilute until all the water is fresh. C) the salt dissolves in the air. D) only water vapor molecules, and not salt molecules, evaporate.

Q: When sea ice forms, what happens to the unfrozen water immediately adjacent to the new sea ice? A) the salinity decreases B) the density increases C) the water sublimates D) the density decreases

Q: Water that is denser than surrounding water sinks. With respect to the densities of deeper water, how far does it sink? A) until it encounters water of the same density B) until it encounters water that is less dense C) until it encounters water that is denser D) None of the above.

Q: If evaporation exceeds precipitation, the salinity of the ocean in that area A) decreases. B) stays the same. C) gets denser. D) increases.

Q: Circulation of the ocean's surface water results from A) blowing wind and frictional force. B) the Coriolis effect. C) the pressure gradient force. D) frictional force from winds, along with the pressure gradient and Coriolis forces.

Q: As ocean currents carry warm water from equatorial regions northward, lands bordering the ocean are warmed. A prime example of such warming is the A) Doldrums. B) Coriolis force. C) Gulf Stream. D) Horse latitudes.

Q: As a scuba diver descends into the open ocean, pressure A) increases and temperatures decrease. B) decreases and temperatures increase. C) and temperatures decrease. D) and temperatures increase.

Q: The rainy monsoonal climate of the Tibetan highlands results from A) strong off-shore winds in the summer. B) a strong temperature contrast and pressure gradient from warm air over the highlands and cool air over the oceans. C) a strong temperature contrast and pressure gradient from cool air over the highlands and warm air over the oceans. D) none of these

Q: Irregularities in Earth's surface influence wind patterns. At night, winds blow from a region A) over the ocean toward land. B) above land toward the ocean. C) of high pressure to a region of lower pressure. D) of high pressure (ex: land) to a region of lower pressure (ex: ocean).

Q: Air that flows southward from the horse latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere deflects eastward to produce the A) Gulf Stream. B) trade winds. C) westerlies. D) Kuroshio current.

Q: Air that flows northward from the horse latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere produces the A) Gulf Stream. B) trade winds. C) westerlies. D) Kuroshio current.

Q: Air that flows northward from the horse latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere deflects westward to produce the A) trade winds. B) westerlies. C) Gulf Stream. D) Kuroshio current.

Q: Air that flows southward from the horse latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere produces the A) Gulf Stream. B) trade winds. C) westerlies. D) Kuroshio current.

Q: The trade wind belts are regions of generally A) little rainfall. B) heavy rainfall. C) low temperatures. D) westerly winds.

Q: A high-pressure zone girdles Earth at the 30N and 30S latitudes, causing A) great deserts, such as the Sahara and Arabia Desert in Africa, the Mojave Desert in the United States, and the great Victoria Desert in Australia. B) hot, weak winds in the horse latitudes. C) a belt of hot and dry surface air. D) all of these

Q: The Sahara in northern Africa is an example of a A) rain shadow desert on the downslope of a large mountain range. B) cold ocean current desert formed by local winds coming off cool ocean areas. C) horse latitude desert formed by Earth's tradewinds. D) subtropical desert formed when tropical areas are overwhelmed by sand.

Q: Although desert environments can occur for many reasons, a factor that has little to do with their occurrence is A) rising warm air. B) the rain shadow effect. C) when they are great distances from the ocean. D) descending air. E) the proximity of deserts to cold ocean currents.

Q: Many of the world's larger deserts are the result of A) warm ocean currents. B) extremely high temperatures. C) strong prevailing northwesterly winds. D) belts of high atmospheric pressure.

Q: The existence of the world's subtropical deserts (such as the Sahara) is primarily due to A) warm ocean currents. B) strong prevailing northwesterly winds. C) extremely high temperatures. D) belts of atmospheric high pressure.

Q: A strong temperature gradient contributes to steep pressure gradients and this can create very strong A) latitudes. B) winds. C) doldrums. D) frictional force.

Q: What causes the jet streams to form? A) pressure gradients B) temperature gradients C) pressure and temperature gradients D) none of the above

Q: Jet streams not only play an essential role in the global transfer of thermal energy but also aid A) eastbound airplanes. B) westbound airplanes. C) both eastbound and westbound airplanes. D) landings and takeoffs.

Q: The jet streams A) are high-speed winds in the upper troposphere. B) play an essential role in the transfer of heat energy from the Equator to the Poles. C) are generated by strong temperature and pressure gradients. D) are high speed winds generated by temperature and pressure differences.

Q: At temperate latitudes, the prevailing westerlies drive surface ocean currents A) eastward. B) westward. C) southward. D) northward.