ATSC 2000 Final Fall 2005 true/false /25 multiple choice /25 short answer /23 essay /10 total /83 or % True/False Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false. (25 questions 1% each) 1. Columbus used the midlatitude westerlies to sail to America. 2. American bombers flying west for bombing raids on Japan in World War II were slowed down significantly when they encountered a jet stream. 3. The trade winds originate at the ITCZ. 4. Temperature inversions are rare in polar regions in the winter. 5. The polar jet stream moves farther south during summer in the Northern Hemisphere. 6. Air on the windward side of a mountain is usually drier and warmer than it will be when it has reached a similar elevation on the leeward side of the mountain. 7. The monsoon in the Southwest (e.g. Tucson AZ) results in a summer that is wetter than winter. 8. Maritime air masses are dry in winter and humid in summer. 9. If an air parcel is warmer than its surroundings, it is more dense and will thus sink. 10. Maritime tropical air masses are a significant source of precipitation for much of the eastern portion of the United States. 11. Heat exchange between a moving air mass and the surface beneath it is at its maximum when the temperatures of the two are equal. 12. Skies are often clear after the passage of a cold front. 13. Long, gentle rains are associated with cold fronts. 14. Occluded fronts occur at the surface boundary between two polar air masses. 15. Extratropical cyclones often form from interactions in the interior of a single air mass. 16. When a frontal disturbance matures, and a cut-off cyclone forms aloft, intensifying precipitation can be expected. 17. Cyclones often form in the lee of major mid-latitude mountain ranges. 18. As a cyclone climbs up a high terrain barrier, its rate of spin decreases. 19. In general, the closer a location is to the center of a passing open-wave cyclone, the shorter the time between the arrival of the warm front and the arrival of the cold front. 20. Divergence of air aloft in an air column means increasing pressure below it. 21. Extratropical cyclones over warm waters can increase in strength.
22. The dry conveyor belt (or dry tongue jet) causes strong surface winds. 23. The warm conveyor belt causes the dry slot. 24. The Fitzgerald sank due to large waves stirred up by a hurricane. 25. Wintertime anticyclones in the United States usually originate as mt air masses. Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. (25 questions, 1% each) 26. Over the course of a year, this would have the least cloud cover a. equator. b. 7 degrees north. c. horse latitudes. d. 45 degrees north. e. Antarctica 27. This approximate latitude has frequent thunderstorms year-round a. equator. b. 15 degrees north. c. horse latitudes. d. 40 degrees north. e. 50 degrees north. 28. If Earth had no land, jet streams would typically be found at about degrees and degrees. a. 0, 90 b. 15, 45 c. 15, 75 d. 30, 60 e. 45, 75 29. The trade-wind inversion a. is caused by the rising of warm surface air. b. is most common at high latitudes. c. causes convective cumulonimbus and resulting thunderstorms. d. causes stratocumulus over colder ocean waters. e. is unrelated to Hadley Cell circulation. 30. The Hadley Cell a. gives an accurate description of atmospheric circulation at middle latitudes. b. gives an accurate description of atmospheric circulation at high latitudes. c. accounts for the existence of the ITCZ. d. predicts lush rainforests at 30 degrees latitude. e. was proposed in the mid-twentieth century. 31. High pressure a. exists over Siberia in winter. b. is found primarily in the region of the ITCZ. c. does not exist in the Atlantic in summer. d. exists over Iceland in winter. e. exists in southeastern Alaska in winter. 32. Near the polar front you would expect to find a. midlatitude westerlies. b. polar easterlies.
c. cold polar air. d. a warmer airmass. e. all of the above 33. Rossby waves a. are most evident at the surface. b. are responsible for midlatitude cyclones in North America. c. move westward with the polar easterlies. d. are usually absent in winter. e. all of the above 34. This is the most significant source of atmospheric transfer of heat poleward a. midlatitude cyclones. b. blocking highs. c. zonal flow. d. split-flow patterns. e. hurricanes. 35. From January to June in the Northern Hemisphere a. the ITCZ shifts north. b. the polar front shifts north. c. jet streams shift north. d. all of the above 36. An air mass is a large body of air a. with similar moisture characteristics throughout. b. with similar temperature characteristics throughout. c. that can cover hundreds of thousands of square miles. d. that can be involved in the formation of fronts. e. all of the above 37. The summer characteristics of a continental polar air mass is a. mild and humid. b. cool and dry. c. warm and humid. d. warm and dry. e. very hot and dry. 38. The summer characteristics of a maritime polar air mass is a. mild and humid. b. cool and dry. c. warm and humid. d. warm and dry. e. very hot and dry. 39. The mt air masses that affect the United States do not form over the a. Gulf of Mexico. b. Caribbean Sea. c. subtropical western Atlantic Ocean. d. subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean. e. midlatitude northern Pacific Ocean. 40. Air mass modification often includes changes in a. temperature. b. moisture content. c. stability.
d. all of the above 41. A cold cp air mass that descends to the Gulf of Mexico in December a. drops the ocean temperatures in the Gulf by three or more degrees Celsius. b. can change such that it is reclassified as mt. c. is a rare event. d. will likely bring substantial precipitation to the Southwest. 42. Fronts a. require two distinct air masses. b. can be several hundred miles long. c. are often associated with precipitation. d. all of the above 43. The air that follows the passage of a cold front is a. colder than the air it replaced. b. the same temperature as the air it replaced. c. warmer than the air it replaced. d. much warmer than the air it replaced. 44. When a cold front approaches a. altostratus clouds form. b. winds blow from the north. c. air pressure remains steady. d. air pressure drops. 45. This occurs earliest in an extratropical cyclone a. warm front. b. cold front. c. occluded front. d. occluded cyclone. e. frontal wave. 46. The most intense extratropical cyclones have lows of about mb. a. 870 b. 910 c. 960 d. 990 e. 1010 47. Which occurs last? a. fully developed warm front b. cut-off cyclone c. occluded cyclone d. open wave e. fully developed cold front 48. The most important trigger for cyclogenesis is a. short-waves in the jet stream. b. a landfalling hurricane. c. a weak temperature gradient. d. the presence of a front.
49. This conveyor belt contributes to the formation of the most precipitation of a cyclone a. cold conveyor belt. b. dry conveyor belt. c. warm conveyor belt. d. stratospheric conveyor belt. 50. Compared to cyclones, anticyclones are a. wetter. b. of shorter duration. c. more cloudy. d. windy. 51. [extra credit] The sinking air in an anticyclone a. causes instability. b. leads to widespread precipitation. c. increases in relative humidity as it sinks. d. warms adiabatically. e. all of the above Short Answer (23 questions, 1% each) 52. The lie at about 30 degrees north and south, and they were disliked by sailors. 53. = mass x rotational velocity x perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation. 54. The meet at the ITCZ. 55. The circulation of air from the ITCZ through the upper atmosphere down through the subtropical highs and back to the ITCZ is called a after the person who first explained it. 56. Subsiding air at near 30 degrees north and south latitudes create the, which are often dry and sunny. 57. The warmer winds of the meets the colder winds of the polar easterlies at the polar front. 58. The Northern Hemisphere typically has three or more upper-level waves called encircling it. 59. A comparatively low levels of precipitation on the leeward side of the Coast Range in the Pacific Northwest is termed a. 60. Air masses are characterized by the and moisture characteristics of their source regions. 61. The North Pacific is a common source region for air masses. 62. _ air masses often form over northern mainland Canada. 63. _ air masses form over the Southwest in summer. 64. air masses form over the Gulf of Mexico. 65. A _ front occurs when two air masses collide but have little if any surface movement. 66. In late spring, _, regions of strong contrasts in humidity, frequently form over Oklahoma and Texas.
67. In the Norwegian cyclone model, dry air is initially separated from moist marine tropical air. 68. In the Norwegian cyclone model, a initially develops along the front separating two air masses. 69. An features an occluded front. 70. Cyclone initiation and growth is termed. 71. The brings warm and wet storms from the Hawaii region to the West Coast. 72. Downstream of an upper-level trof, but before the ridge, occurs. 73. During the process of, a cyclone's low-pressure area moves away from the fronts to a position under the upper-level tough. 74. The dry slot is associated with the belt. 75. [extra credit] Centers of high pressure form in certain areas, a process called _. Essay (choose 1 only, 10%). If you want extra credit, you can write a second essay, also for a maximum of 10%. Do not answer a third one - it will not be graded. 76. Sketch the Hadley Cell and label all parts. 77. Write an essay in which you discuss the nature and importance of Rossby waves and the various flow patterns associated with them. 78. List the important characteristics a region should have in order to be a good source of air masses. 79. Compare and contrast mp and mt air masses with respect to formation, characteristics, and effects on United States weather. 80. What causes a dryline to form? 81. Write an essay in which you explain the causes of the weather faced by the Fitzgerald from the beginning of its last voyage until it sank. 82. Describe the main components of the Norwegian cyclone model. 83. Describe the factors that contribute to cyclogenesis. 84. Describe typical cloud, precipitation, temperature, and dew point trends as a the warm and cold fronts of a cyclone reach and pass over a given location. 85. Discuss the interactions of the jet stream with extratropical cyclones. 86. Explain how "conveyor belts" help explain the characteristics of extratropical cyclones.
ATSC 2000 Final Fall 2005 Answer Section TRUE/FALSE 1. ANS: F PTS: 1 2. ANS: T PTS: 1 3. ANS: F PTS: 1 4. ANS: F PTS: 1 5. ANS: F PTS: 1 6. ANS: F PTS: 1 7. ANS: T PTS: 1 8. ANS: F PTS: 1 9. ANS: F PTS: 1 10. ANS: T PTS: 1 11. ANS: F PTS: 1 12. ANS: T PTS: 1 13. ANS: F PTS: 1 14. ANS: T PTS: 1 15. ANS: F PTS: 1 16. ANS: F PTS: 1 17. ANS: T PTS: 1 18. ANS: T PTS: 1 19. ANS: T PTS: 1 20. ANS: F PTS: 1 21. ANS: T PTS: 1 22. ANS: T PTS: 1 23. ANS: F PTS: 1 24. ANS: F PTS: 1 25. ANS: F PTS: 1 MULTIPLE CHOICE 26. ANS: E PTS: 1 27. ANS: A PTS: 1 28. ANS: D PTS: 1 29. ANS: D PTS: 1 30. ANS: C PTS: 1 31. ANS: A PTS: 1 32. ANS: E PTS: 1 33. ANS: B PTS: 1 34. ANS: A PTS: 1 35. ANS: D PTS: 1 36. ANS: E PTS: 1 37. ANS: B PTS: 1 38. ANS: A PTS: 1
39. ANS: E PTS: 1 40. ANS: D PTS: 1 41. ANS: B PTS: 1 42. ANS: D PTS: 1 43. ANS: A PTS: 1 44. ANS: D PTS: 1 45. ANS: E PTS: 1 46. ANS: C PTS: 1 47. ANS: B PTS: 1 48. ANS: A PTS: 1 49. ANS: C PTS: 1 50. ANS: E PTS: 1 51. ANS: D PTS: 1 SHORT ANSWER 52. ANS: horse latitudes 53. ANS: Angular momentum 54. ANS: trade winds 55. ANS: Hadley Cell 56. ANS: subtropical highs 57. ANS: midlatitude westerlies 58. ANS: Rossby waves 59. ANS: rain shadow 60. ANS: temperature 61. ANS: maritime polar 62. ANS: Continental polar 63. ANS: Continental tropical 64. ANS: Maritime tropical 65. ANS: stationary 66. ANS: drylines 67. ANS: continental polar 68. ANS: frontal wave 69. ANS: occluded cyclone 70. ANS: cyclogenesis 71. ANS: Pineapple Express 72. ANS: divergence 73. ANS: occlusion 74. ANS: dry conveyor 75. ANS: anticyclogenesis