Geosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography, 9e (Christopherson)
Chapter 8 Weather
8.1 Multiple Choice Questions
1) Weather is
A) the climate of a region.
B) the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
C) the long-term atmospheric condition, including extremes that may occur.
D) a reference to temperature patterns only.
2) The scientific study of the short-term condition of the atmosphere is
A) weather.
B) climate.
C) meteorology.
D) geography.
3) A(n)________ is a homogenous volume of air defined based on its temperature, and moisture
characteristics.
A) cyclone
B) air mass
C) front
D) parcel
4) Which of the following is false regarding air masses?
A) An air mass initially reflects the characteristics of its source region.
B) They are homogenous in terms of temperature and humidity.
C) They may dominate half the depth of the troposphere.
D) Air masses tend to maintain their original characteristics as they migrate from their source
regions.
5) Air masses which develop over Canada are examples of ________ air masses.
A) mT
B) mP
C) cT
D) cP
6) Which of the following matches is true?
A) specific humidity of 17 g/kg = average moisture content of mT Gulf air mass in the summer
B) very cold, dry, and stable air mass = mT Pacific air mass
C) warm, humid, very unstable air mass = mT Pacific air mass
D) tropical air mass source region = 40° to 55° N or S
7) Given a cP air mass and cT air mass with the same relative humidity, which air mass would
have higher specific humidity?
A) The cP air mass would have the higher specific humidity.
B) The cT air mass would have the higher specific humidity.
C) The specific humidity of both would be the same because their relative humidities are the
same.
D) It is impossible to say what would usually be true of their specific humidities.
8) Which of the following characteristics is not associated with a well-developed newly formed
cP air mass?
A) cold temperatures
B) clear skies
C) high pressure
D) formation in the Southern Hemisphere
E) anticyclonic wind flow
9) Which of the following pressure systems reside within the source region for mP air masses?
A) Bermuda high and Pacific high
B) Aleutian low and Icelandic low
C) Bermuda high and Icelandic low
D) Aleutian low and Pacific high
10) The maritime tropical Pacific (mT) and maritime tropical Gulf and Atlantic (mT) air masses
are
A) different from one another because the Pacific air mass usually has lower specific humidity
than the Gulf/Atlantic air mass.
B) both usually extremely unstable.
C) very different because the Pacific air mass is very unstable and the Gulf/Atlantic air mass is
usually stable.
D) both less active during summer months.
11) A mT air mass is likely to be ________ than a cT air mass because the mT air mass
________.
A) wetter; is warmer than the cT air mass
B) wetter; forms over the ocean
C) drier; is a cold air mass
D) drier; forms under the equatorial low
E) hotter; forms over the ocean
12) A mT air mass ________ than a cT air mass.
A) forms over tropical rainforests and is usually more humid
B) forms over an ocean and is usually more humid
C) forms over an ocean and is usually less humid
D) forms under the equatorial low and is usually less humid
E) forms over tropical rainforests and is usually less humid
13) Which of the following would not result in the modification of the air mass?
A) A mT air mass moving across Texas
B) A cP air mass moving across the Great Lakes
C) A cT air mass moving across the Gulf of Mexico
D) An cA air mass moving across the Gulf of Alaska
E) An cP air mass remaining stationary over central Canada
14) Which is incorrectly matched?
A) cP—cold, dense air
B) mP—warm, moist, stable conditions
C) mT—warm, humid, variable stability depending on source region
D) cA—very cold, very dry, stable
15) When a cold cP air mass passes over the warmer Great Lakes, it absorbs heat energy and
moisture and becomes humidified. This is known as the
A) continental effect.
B) maritime effect.
C) humidity effect.
D) lake effect.
16) Air flowing from different directions to an area of low pressure, coming together, and being
displaced upward is an example of ________ lifting.
A) convergent
B) convectional
C) orographic
D) frontal
17) Air rising as a result of being stimulated by local surface heating is an example of ________
lifting.
A) convergent
B) convectional
C) orographic
D) frontal
18) Air rising forcibly lifted upslope when it meets a topographic barrier such as a mountain is
an example of ________ lifting.
A) convergent
B) convectional
C) orographic
D) frontal
19) Air displacement at a zone of discontinuity between two air masses of different temperature,
pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and cloud development is an example of ________
lifting.
A) convergent
B) convectional
C) orographic
D) frontal
20) The dry leeward side of a mountain is often termed a (n)
A) rain shadow.
B) chinook.
C) front.
D) orogeny.
21) The Intertropical Convergence Zone is characterized by
A) cold, dry rising air.
B) cold, dry sinking air.
C) warm dry rising air.
D) warm, wet rising air.
22) Summer afternoon thundershowers in the southeastern United States are more than likely a
result of
A) convectional lifting.
B) orographic lifting.
C) frontal lifting.
D) subtropical high pressure disturbance.
23) The term “orographic” refers to
A) convection stimulated principally by local heating.
B) lifting along the edges of conflicting air masses.
C) air mass modification and the formation of secondary air masses.
D) forced uplift due to the presence of a physical barrier.
E) vertical lifting due to converging air masses.
24)
In the state of Washington, the western portion of the state receives far more rainfall than the
eastern portion of the state. What accounts for this stark contrast?
A) The western portion of the state see a great deal of frontal lifting, while the eastern portion is
under a high pressure cell.
B) The western portion of the state experiences orographic precipitation, while the eastern
portion is in the rain shadow.
C) The western portion of the state has much more moderate temperatures due to the maritime
effect and, therefore, experiences convectional uplift, while the eastern portion is governed by
continentality.
D) The western potion of the state is under the ITCZ during the summer and experiences
convergent uplift, while the eastern portion is under the Azores High and experiences subsiding air.
25) The place on Earth with the highest annual average rainfall is located in
A) the United States.
B) the Amazon Basin.
C) Southeast Asia.
D) equatorial Africa.
26) The record precipitation received in a single year was
A) in the United States.
B) in the Amazon in Brazil.
C) in the Assam Hills in India, south of the Himalyas.
D) in Southeast Asia.
27) The term “rain shadow” refers to
A) periods of time during which there is a lack of rainfall.
B) dry regions on the leeward side of mountain ranges.
C) windward slopes of mountains.
D) wet areas on the downwind sides of mountains.
28) The highest rainfall in the world occurs in an area whose rainfall is generated by
A) advectional cooling of air masses over cold ocean currents.
B) orographic uplift of warm, moist air.
C) convectional uplift of warm, moist air.
D) radiative cooling of cold, moist air.
29) The wetter, intercepting slope of a mountain is termed the ________ slope, whereas the drier,
downwind slope is termed the ________ slope.
A) left side; right side
B) west side; east side
C) windward; leeward
D) leeward; windward
30) Cyclonic storm tracks across the United States and Canada generally
A) shift to the south in winter, and toward the north in summer.
B) move east to west.
C) move south to north.
D) exist in spring and fall only.
31) Which of the following is true of the open stage of a midlatitude cyclone in the Northern
Hemisphere?
A) A disturbance develops along the polar front with warm air converging and rising near the
surface.
B) The faster moving cold front overtakes the slower warm front and wedges beneath it.
C) Warm air moves northward along an advancing front, while cold air advances southward.
D) The lifting mechanism is completely cut off from the warm air mass.
32) Which of the following is true of the occluded stage of a midlatitude cyclone?
A) It occurs when the cold front overruns the slower moving warm front.
B) It occurs as soon as air begins to be uplifted along the cold front.
C) It occurs at the time when the cold front and warm front are clearly and distinctly separated
from one another.
D) This stage is characteristic of an early stage of cyclone development.
33) Occlusion in a midlatitude wave cyclone can occur because
A) warm fronts travel more quickly than cold fronts.
B) cold fronts travel more quickly than warm fronts.
C) warm and cold fronts travel at the same speed.
D) warm air sinks in low pressure areas.
34)
The weather station symbol symbolized by A is a(n)
A) cold front.
B) warm front.
C) stationary front.
D) occluded front.
35)
The weather station symbol symbolized by B is a(n)
A) cold front.
B) warm front.
C) stationary front.
D) occluded front.
36)
The weather station symbol symbolized by C is a(n)
A) cold front.
B) warm front.
C) stationary front.
D) occluded front.
37)
The weather station symbol symbolized by D is a(n)
A) cold front.
B) warm front.
C) stationary front.
D) occluded front.
38) When a cold front approaches, air pressure will initially ________ due to the displacement
and uplift of ________ air.
A) increase; cold
B) increase; warm
C) decrease; cold
D) decrease; warm
39) After a cold front passes, the temperature ________ and the pressure ________ (relative to
the conditions that existed prior to the passage of the front).
A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases
40) After a warm front passes, the temperature ________ and the pressure ________ (relative to
the conditions that existed prior to the passage of the front).
A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases
41) Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
A) abruptly lifted warmer air — cold front
B) drizzly precipitation — warm front
C) cold front — clear cold air and high clouds as the front approaches
D) hard rain and possible lightning — cold front
E) squall line — turbulent, changing wind patterns slightly ahead of a cold front
42) The severity of storm activity along a warm front is ________ than that along most cold
fronts because the rate of uplift is ________ along a warm front.
A) less; slower
B) less; faster
C) greater; slower
D) greater; faster
43) The severity of storm activity along a cold front is ________ than that along most warm
fronts because the rate of uplift is ________ along a cold front.
A) less; slower
B) less; faster
C) greater; slower
D) greater; faster
44) Storms along ________ are more severe than storms along ________.
A) warm fronts; cold fronts because warm fronts move more quickly
B) warm fronts; cold fronts because uplift is more rapid along warm fronts
C) cold fronts; warm fronts because cold air holds more moisture than warm air
D) cold fronts; warm fronts because uplift is more rapid along cold fronts
45) Which of the following is true of migrating centers of low pressure in the Northern
Hemisphere?
A) The winds diverge from the pressure system and spiral outward in a clockwise fashion.
B) These pressure systems tend to move east to west along storm tracks.
C) These pressure systems are characterized by converging, ascending air that spirals inward in a
counterclockwise fashion.
D) They form only a minor weather pattern in the middle and higher latitudes.
46) Which of the following is false regarding wave-cyclone development, intensification, and
strengthening?
A) The process can occur along the polar front.
B) Cyclogenesis is the name for this process.
C) A midlatitude cyclone, from birth to maturity to dissolution, takes an average of a month.
D) A midlatitude cyclone involves two fronts and three air masses.
47) Ice storms occur when which of the following conditions prevail?
A) Rain drops circulate repeatedly above and below the freezing level in a cloud.
B) Moist, cool air is adiabatically cooled to the freezing point.
C) A cold front pushes warm, moist air to the freezing level in a cloud.
D) A layer of warm air is between two layers of cold air.
48) Variations of wind speed and direction with altitude is known as
A) supercells.
B) convection.
C) wind shear.
D) convergence.
49) ________ are the strongest thunderstorms.
A) Supercells
B) Multicell clusters
C) Multicell lines
D) Single-cells
50) Which of the following is true?
A) Lightning results from the buildup of electrical-energy polarity within clouds.
B) Thunder is caused by rapid cooling of the air.
C) Thunder is caused by rapid contraction of the air.
D) Lightning is relatively uncommon on the Earth.
51) An estimated ________ lightning strikes occur each day on Earth.
A) 8,000
B) 80,000
C) 800,000
D) 8,000,000
52) Hail forms
A) when water falls from a cloud and freezes during its fall to the ground.
B) every time water condenses onto dust particles.
C) from repeated circulation of raindrops above and below the freezing level in a cloud.
D) when water vapor sublimates (deposits) inside a cirrus cloud.
53) Hail generally forms
A) within nimbostratus clouds.
B) in association with warm front activity.
C) within cumulonimbus clouds.
D) in altocumulus and cirrocumulus clouds.
54) Derechos are
A) named after the latin word for “hooked” or “curved.”
B) straight-line winds associated with thunderstorms.
C) associated with gravity drainage.
D) most common in the pacific northwest of the United States.
55) Tornadoes
A) are rarely associated with hurricanes.
B) are associated with mesocyclones.
C) do not occur anywhere else in the world outside of the United States.
D) are called funnel clouds after they come in contact with the ground.
56) Which of the following is true of tornadoes in the United States?
A) They occur in every month except March and April.
B) The peak month is November.
C) The peak month is May.
D) They develop within cP air masses.