52) The point where saturation begins in a rising air parcel is
A) the dry adiabatic rate.
B) the moist adiabatic rate.
C) the lifting condensation level.
D) cloud condensation nuclei.
53) The general term that refers to the tendency of a parcel of air to either remain in place or
change its initial position is
A) adiabatic.
B) stability.
C) conditional instability.
D) stasis.
54) The two opposing forces determining the vertical position of a parcel of air are
A) buoyant force and gravitational force.
B) centrifugal force and coriolis force.
C) coriolis force and buoyant force.
D) gravitational force and pressure gradient force.
55) An air parcel is considered unstable when it
A) either remains as it is, or changes its initial position.
B) continues to rise until it reaches an altitude at which the surrounding air has a similar
temperature.
C) it resists displacement upward.
D) it ceases to ascend.
56) When the environmental lapse rate is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates
conditions are described as
A) adiabatic.
B) stability.
C) conditionally unstable.
D) unstable.
57) Air that is not saturated will cool or heat at a rate of ________ as it rises or descends,
respectively.
A) 10 C° per 1000 m (5.5 F° per 1000 ft.)
B) 6 C° per 1000 m (3.3 F° per 1000 ft.)
C) 6.4 C° per 1000 m (3.5 F° per 1000 ft.)
58) The dry adiabatic rate (DAR) is
A) 6 C° per 1000 m (3.3 F° per 1000 ft).
B) the rate used for a saturated parcel of air.
C) a term that refers to the temperature decrease in the still, calm air that surrounds a moving air
parcel.
D) 10 C° per 1000 m (5.5 F° per 1000 ft.).
59) A parcel of air, with less than 100% relative humidity, that is rising because of heat energy
derived from the surface is
A) stable.
B) unstable.
C) conditionally unstable.
60) When stable air is forced to lift as it passes over a mountain range, the air may become
saturated and condensation may occur. In this case, the air is
A) stable.
B) unstable.
C) conditionally unstable.
61) Which of the following is correctly matched.
A) Normal lapse rate—3.5°C/1,000 m
B) Environmental lapse rate—6.4 C°/1000 m
C) Dry adiabatic rate—10 C°/1000 m
D) Moist adiabatic lape late—15 C°/1000 m
62) The difference between the dry adiabatic rate and the moist adiabatic rate is on account of
A) the latent heat of condensation.
B) less atmospheric pressure.
C) altitudinal temperature differences.
D) the specific heat of water.
63) If you visited Mount Shasta City (elevation 900 m [3000 ft.]) and found the outside air
temperature to be 27°C (81°F), what would be the air temperature at the summit of Mount Shasta
(elevation 4200 m [14,000 ft.]) at that moment—assuming that the temperature conditions with
altitude change at an average, or normal, lapse rate?
A) 2°C (35.6°F)
B) 48°C (118.4°F)
C) 5.9°C (42.5°F)
D) 10°C (39.2°F)
64) Assume a warm air parcel, at sea level, has a temperature of 21°C (70°F) and begins to rise
upward. Assume it becomes saturated at 1000 m (3300 ft) altitude, and continues to rise to 2000
m (6600 ft.) altitude. What would the approximate temperature of the parcel be at an elevation of
2000 m (6600 ft.)?
A) 1°C (44.6°F)
B) 5°C (46.4°F)
C) 8.2°C (48.2°F)
D) 9°C (41.°F)
65) The wet adiabatic rate is ________ than the dry adiabatic rate because ________.
A) greater; condensation heats the air
B) greater; condensation cools the air
C) less; condensation heats the air
D) less; condensation cools the air
66) Areas between 25° to 35° latitude usually become ________ because this area is dominated
by air that is sinking and being ________.
A) deserts; cooled by expansion
B) deserts; heated by compression
C) rain forests; cooled by expansion
D) rain forests; heated by compression
67) Flat and puffy clouds with horizontal development are classed as
A) cumumliform.
B) cirroform.
C) stratiform.
68) Vertically developed puffy and globular clouds are classed as
A) cumumliform.
B) cirroform.
C) stratiform.
69) High altitude wispy clouds made of ice crystals are classed as
A) cumumliform.
B) cirroform.
C) stratiform.
70) Condensation nuclei over the ocean consist primarily of
A) pieces of coral.
B) minute fragments of sea shells.
C) salt particles.
D) clay particles.
71) Which of the following is true regarding condensation nuclei?
A) Maritime air masses generally possess more nuclei per cubic meter than continental air
masses.
B) Condensation nuclei is rare in urban environments.
C) Continental air masses average about a billion nuclei per cubic meter.
D) Continental air masses contain more than 10 times the condensation nuclei of maritime air
masses.
72) Which of the following best describes a cloud?
A) Suspended raindrops that have not yet fallen under the force of gravity.
B) Aggregated condensation nuclei.
C) A visible aggregation of tiny moisture droplets and ice crystals suspended in the air.
D) Uniform featureless smoke lighter than the force of gravity.
73) Clouds that have vertical development and produce thunderstorms are called
A) stratocumulus.
B) cumulonimbus.
C) nimbostratus.
D) cumulus.
74) Which of the following are correctly matched?
A) flat or layered clouds – cumulus
B) puffy or globular clouds – cirroform
C) puffy or globular clouds – cumuliform
D) wispy clouds – water droplets
75) Which of the following is a middle-level cloud type?
A) cirrostratus
B) stratocumulus
C) cumulonimbus
D) altostratus
76) Which of the following is true regarding cirrostratus clouds?
A) They are uniform, featureless, and grey like high fog.
B) The Sun’s outline is just visible through these clouds.
C) They form a veil of ice crystals that creates a halo around the Moon or Sun.
D) They are sharply outlined, and billowy.
77) Which cloud type can indicate an oncoming storm, especially if they thicken and lower in
elevation?
A) fog
B) cumulus
C) stratocumulus
D) cirrus
78) A thunderstorm is associated with ________ clouds.
A) cirrostratus
B) stratocumulus
C) cumulonimbus
D) altostratus
79) The prefix nimbo- and the suffix -nimbus means
A) that clouds are generally forming.
B) clouds that occur in the middle altitudes (2000-6000 m).
C) that clouds are generally dissipating.
D) that the clouds are producing precipitation.
80) Cooling of a surface overnight that chills the air layer directly above that surface may form
A) an advection fog.
B) an upslope fog.
C) an evaporation fog.
D) a radiation fog.
81) A fog that develops when warm, moist air blows over a cold current (such as the California
Current) is an example of ________ fog.
A) radiation
B) convection
C) advection
D) evaporation
82) On cool spring mornings, veils of fog can often be seen rising above warm lakes and ponds.
This type fog is an example of ________ fog.
A) radiation
B) convection
C) advection
D) evaporation
83) Sea smoke refers to
A) smoke plume caused by undersea volcanoes.
B) air pollution over oceans caused by ships.
C) fog that moves from a bay inland.
D) evaporation fog at sea.
84) The condensation process requires
A) dew-point temperatures alone.
B) condensation nuclei and saturated air.
C) moisture droplets.
D) condensation nuclei alone.
85) Which of the following is a high altitude cloud?
A) stratus
B) cirrus
C) altocumulus
D) cumulus
86) Which of the following cloud type is associated with rain?
A) stratocumulus
B) cirrostratus
C) cirrus
D) cumulonimbus
E) lenticular
87) Which type of cloud would dominate the weather in a region under the ITCZ?
A) cirrus
B) altostratus
C) cumulonimbus
D) cirrocumulus
88) A stratus cloud that produces precipitation is known as
A) cirrocstratus.
B) stratocumulus.
C) nimbostratus.
D) altostratus.
89) Which of the following is incorrect?
A) fog = a stratus cloud that is high in elevation off the ground
B) cumulus cloud = vertically developed cloud
C) precipitation = rain, sleet, snow, hail
D) cloud droplets = condensation nuclei and water
90) An individual raindrop consists of approximately ________ moisture droplets.
A) 20
B) 2000
C) 1 million
D) 1 trillion
91) What type of cloud that has a thin wispy appearance, consists of ice crystals, and often
precedes a warm front?
A) cirrus
B) stratocumulus
C) cumulonimbus
D) altostratus
92) Which of the following illustrates how humans are using fog as a resource?
A) Electronic freeway signs in California’s central valley warn of fog hazards.
B) Gliders utilize winds from morning glory clouds for recreational purposes.
C) Residents in the Atacama Desert in Chile use nets to intercept advection fog.
D) Sand beetles harvest moisture from fog in the Namib Desert.