Final Examination: December 1995    Time: 2 hrs

Student Name_____________________________________ Student Number_______________________

This Exam consists of three Parts:

•     A: Multiple Choice - 22 points    
•     B: Short answer questions - 30 points
•     C: Essay Questions 10 points

The numbers in brackets are the value of the questions.     Total possible points = 62. Show workings where appropriate.

All symbols are standard ones used in class.

PART A - 22 points

1. Which of the following are true

• i) stratus clouds are associated with neutral stability  
• ii) cumulus clouds are associated with neutral stability
• iii) cirrus clouds are associated with neutral stability   
• iv) stratus clouds are associated with stable stability
• v) stratus clouds are associated with unstable stability   
• vi) cumulus clouds are associated with unstable stability
• vii) cumulus clouds are associated with stable stability    
• viii) cirrus clouds are associated with warm fronts

a) i, iii         b) i, iv         c) ii, iii         d) ii,iv     e)v, vi

2.

• i) Coriolis effect influences the wind speed but not the wind direction   
• ii) Coriolis effect influences the wind direction but not the wind speed
• iii) Coriolis effect is influenced by wind direction but not wind speed   
• iv) Coriolis effect is influenced by wind speed but not wind direction
• v) Coriolis effect influences wind speed and direction        
• vi) Coriolis effect is influenced by wind speed and direction

3. The pressure gradient force is:

• a) related to the strength of pressure difference between two points   
• b) dependent on the coriolis effect when it is close to the poles
• c) dependent on the coriolis effect when it is close to the equator   
• d) is dependent on the centrifugal force
• e) related to the latitude and strength of the pressure difference between two points

4. Which of the following statements are true?    

a) i, ii, v, vi     b) i, iii, v, vi     c) i, iii, iv, vi,     d) i, ii, v, viii     e) iii, iv, vi

• i) Geostrophic wind is when pgf=ce               
• ii) Geostrophic wind occurs when the air crosses the isobars
• iii) Geostrophic wind occurs when the wind is parallel to the isobars   
• iv) Geostrophic wind occurs when the isobars are straight
• v) Geostrophic wind occurs when the isobars are curved       
• vi) Geostrophic wind occurs aloft     
• vii) Geostrophic wind occurs close to the surface

5. Supercooled water refers to:

• a) water that is high in the atmosphere              
• b) water in the gas phase at low temperatures
• c) water in the liquid phase below 0°C               
• d) water in the solid phase below -20°C
• e) water in the gas, liquid or solid phase below -40°C

6. If an air parcel is lifted to the lifting condensation level, the following will occur

• a) the air will clear       
• b) precipitation will occur        
• c) the air will be at the top of the cloud
• d) the air will be at the bottom of the cloud       
• e) the air will become unstable

7. The lag of the maximum refers to:

• a) difference in timing of the peak relative humidity and the peak of temperature   
• b) lag of the solar radiation and the relative humidity peaks
• c) the difference in timing of the peak of temperature and solar radiation   
• d) lag of solar radiation max. and the longwave radiation max.
• e) the lag of temperature maximum relative to the peak longwave radiation

8. The intertropical convergence zone occurs between the following general circulation cells:

• a) Polar and Ferrel cells   
• b) Ferrel and Hadley cells    
• c) Hadley and Polar cells    
• d) northern & southern Hadley cells    
• e) northern & southern Ferrel cells

9. With respect to the three main lifting mechanisms: local heating, orographic and frontal which of the following is correct?

• a) adiabatic concepts only apply to local heating       
• b) we do not get all three mechanisms within the United States
• c) a single convectional storm triggered by local heating affects large geographical regions
• d) the wettest average annual rainfall place on earth is most closely related to local heating and frontal activity
• e) given the necessary physical requirements, orographic precipitation is usually the most consistent type of the three.

10. Relative to low pressure areas

• a) air converges and ascends within the system    
• b) air diverges and descends within the system
• c) air converges and diverges within the system    
• d) they generally involve atmospheric pressures greater than 1000 mb
• e) they are characteristic of areas 30° N/S at the surface

11. Which best explains why in North America the Gulf Coast states are more humid in summer than the coastal areas of southern California?

• a) the surface water temperature of Gulf Mexico is very warm    
• b) the air temperatures are higher over the Gulf States
• c) the air over the Pacific Ocean has much lower relative humidity    
• d) the surface water temperature of the Pacific Ocean is very warm    
• e) none of these

12. These two conditions, working together, will make the atmosphere the most unstable:

• a) cool the surface and cool the air aloft        
• b) cool the surface and warm the air aloft
• c) warm the surface and cool the air aloft    
• d) warm the surface and warm the air aloft

13. The funnel cloud characteristic of a tornado is primarily formed by:

• a) dust and dirt picked up from the surface            
• b) water drawn up from below into the cloud
• c) clouds being funneled by downward air currents coming out of a cumulonimbus cloud
• d) smoke from intense lightning activity within the tornado
• e) condensation of water vapor that is drawn into the low pressure core of the tornado

14. The primary source of energy for a hurricane is the

• a) strong surface winds    
• b) heat produced by sinking of air in the eye     
• c) release of latent heat of condensation and warm water
• d) rising of warm air and the sinking of cold air associated with weather fronts    
• e) meandering jet stream aloft

15. As a hurricane's eye passes directly overhead you would not expect to observe:

• a) a rise in temperature    
• b) low winds    
• c) high clouds    
• d) very low sea level pressure

16. Cirrus clouds are composed primarily of:

• a) water vapor    
• b) cloud droplets        
• c) ice crystals    
• d) rain drops    
• e) supercooled water

17. The Coriolis force is strongest when the wind speed is ________ and the latitude is ___________.

• a) high, low    
• b) high, high    
• c) low, high    
• d) low, low

18. The polar jet stream flows:

• a) in wavy west to east pattern       
• b) directly from east to west    
• c) in wavy east to west pattern     
• d) directly from west to east        

19. If a mid-latitude cyclone was moving across the Midwest in the spring time, the air masses that would be significant to the development of this system would be a ____ from the north and a _____ from the south.

• a) maritime polar, continental tropical     
• b) maritime arctic, continental equatorial    
• c) continental tropical, maritime polar        
• d) continental polar, maritime tropical    
• e) continental arctic, maritime equatorial

20. Which of the following describe the lifting condensation level:

• i) where condensation begins    
• ii) the location of the base of clouds
• iii) the point where the Saturated/wet adiabatic lapse rate should be used rather than dry adiabatic lapse rate
• iv) where the release of latent heat of vaporization begins
• v) the location where the dew point temperature is equal to the air temperature

a) i only        b) i & ii only    c) i, ii and iii    d) i, ii, iii and iv    e) i, ii, iii, iv, v

21. Which statement is true?

• a) A front separates regions with different densities       
• b) A warm front is steeper than a cold front
• c) Intense precipitation is associated with a warm front    
• d) Overrunning occurs in association only with a warm front
• e) An occluded front wedges the cold air upwards.

PART B Show all workings. - 30 points

1. Explain the relationship between Rossby waves and the Jet stream (2)

2. What are the characteristics of a source region for air masses? (3)

3. a)What are the two main types of precipitation forming processes? (2)

b) Choose one of these two processes and explain how that process allows the growth of a cloud droplet which results in precipitation at the surface.     (4)

4. Draw a series of annotated diagrams to show the development and decay of a mid-latitude cyclone.(6)

5. Draw two annotated diagrams to show:

• a) The typical paths of hurricanes that influence the east coast of the U.S. (2)
• b) The general circulation features that influence the typical paths of hurricanes that influence the east coast of the U.S. (4)

6. Draw a plan diagram with the forces that are important to illustrate an anticyclone aloft in the southern hemisphere. (3)

7. a) On a winter day in Bloomington, Indiana, the outside air temperature is 5°C and the relative humidity is 10%. Use the attached graph to calculate:

• a) the saturated vapor pressure (1)
• b) the actual vapor pressure (2)
• c) the dew point temperature (1)

Part D: Essay questions. 10 points. You may include annotated diagrams.

Choose one from the following: INDICATE(circle) WHICH QUESTION you have answered:      1 2 3 4

1. The type of lifting mechanisms provides a way to distinguish precipitation types. Discuss.

2. Differential heating plays an important role in atmospheric motion at all scales. Discuss

3. Latent heat of vaporization is extremely important in severe weather. Discuss.

4. Thunderstorms are an important part of meteorology at a number of different scales. Discuss.

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