1. Scientist are concerned that growing amounts of one of the gases below will bring about a warming of the lower atmosphere. Which one?
II. True or False
- 1 point each (circle either T for true or F for false) [Total: 30 points]
1
. T F The most important greenhouse gas today is water vapor.
2. T F The stratopause is the coldest part of the atmosphere.
3. T F Coalescence can only occur in cold clouds (below freezing temperatures)
4. T F Orographic lifting is caused by topography
5. T F Blue sky is caused by the selective scattering of the longer wavelengths of solar radiation in the atmosphere.
6. T F Among the different modes of heat transfer in the atmosphere, convection is the least significant.
7. T F The Bergeron process can only occur in cold clouds (below freezing temperatures)
8. T F Static stability/instability of air indicates its tendency to move vertically
9. T F The global water cycle is tied to the global energy balance through uptake and release of latent heat during phase changes of water.
10. T F The dryer the air, the smaller the difference between air temperature and dew point temperature.
11. T F Geostrophic wind occurs only when isobars are straight and evenly spaced.
12. T F Geostrophic wind occurs close to the surface
13. T F Gradient wind in the northern hemisphere flows clockwise around high pressure cells at high altitude
14. T F Adiabatic expansion of an air parcel results in a higher temperature
15. T F Lifting due to convergence is associated with surface lows
16. T F The 500 mb level generally drops from the poles towards the equator
17. T F Saturation can be reached by mixing warm moist and cold dry air
18. T F Saturation can be reached by ongoing condensation
19. T F A single cumulus cloud can stretch over hundreds of kilometers
20. T F Sleet and freezing rain forms only when there is a strong surface inversion
21. T F Cirrus clouds are composed primarily of supercooled water
22. T F Stratus clouds generally form in stable air
23. T F Cumulus clouds are typically created by subsidence (sinking air) in high pressure zones
24. T F Latent heat is the conversion of water vapor to energy
25. T F The lapse rate is the rate of increase of temperature with height
26. T F Cyclonic flow refers to counter-clockwise flow around a low pressure system
27. T F The friction force always points in the same direction as the wind
28. T F An air parcel that is not accelerated can move at the same speed and direction forever
29. T F A thermal surface low is commonly associated with a high aloft (and vice versa)
30. T F A sea breeze circulation is generated by differences in heating rate between land and water
III. Fill in the Blank
[Total: 24 points].
Fill in the missing terms on the lines provided. Broken lines indicate that more than one word is needed.
1. Over the last 30 years Ozone has been depleted in a layer of the atmosphere called the ___________________ , characterized by __________________ temperature with height. [2 pts]
The continued presence of Ozone in this layer of the atmosphere is important because Ozone reduces the amount of harmful _______________ ________________ by __________________ it. [2 pts]
2. Over the same period of time Ozone increased in a layer of the atmosphere called the ____________________. [1 pts]
The increasing concentration of Ozone in this layer of the atmosphere is of concern, because Ozone is a strong ______________________ with negative implications on human health. [1 pts]
3. Buys-Ballots’ law says that, if the wind is blowing from your back, the higher pressure is on your _______________ side. [1 pts]
For which part of the globe (geographically) is this law valid in the form given above ?
Answer: _______________ _______________________ [1 pts]
4. When air temperature decreases with height, the stratification is termed _____________ . [1 pts]
Depending on the slope of the environmental lapse rate (ELR) compared to the DALR and the SALR such a profile can still be absolutely or conditionally ______________ or ____________ [2 pts]
A layer where temperature is increasing with height, on the other hand, is called an _______________. [1 pts]
5. The _______________________ is the coldest layer of the atmosphere. [1 pts]
It lies above the ______________________ and the boundary between them is called [1 pts]
the _______________________ [1 pts]
6. The process that occurs when water changes from its gaseous state to its liquid state is called ____________________, and is characterized by the release of ___________ ___________. The reverse process is called _______________________. [3 pts]
7. Relative humidity, as a measure of humidity, is dependent on _________________. [1 pts]
A measure of humidity that does not show this dependence is __________ ___________ [1 pts]
which is why it is termed a ______________________ measure of humidity. [1 pts]
8. Absolutely pure water (that is in the absence of _______________ __________) [1 pts]
will not freeze spontaneously until it is cooled to –40 °C. At this temperature, liquid water is
called ____________________ . Normally, water freezes at _________ °C [2 pts]
IV. Numerical Problems
– Show all work [Total: 15 points].
(write into the space provided and always include the units of your results!)
Relevant Equations and Constants:
1. You obtain the following measurements of humidity and temperature:
