Final Examination: May 1994     Time: 2 hrs

Students Name_____________________________________ Student Number_______________________

• This Exam consists of :
• A: Multiple Choice - 18 points
•  B: Short answer questions - 37 points
•   C: Essay Questions - Answer two questions. 20 points

The numbers in brackets are the value of the questions.     Total possible points = 75.

Show workings where appropriate.

PART A - 18 points

1. 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     

Use the diagrams of cross sections of fronts to the left to answer the following questions

2. The most intense precipitation is probably located at:

a) A    b) B     c) C    d) G    e) I

3. The frontal situations illustrated are

• a) A-F stationary front, G-J warm front, K-M cold front
• a) A-F occluded front, G-J warm front, K-M cold front
• a) A-F cold front, G-J warm front, K-M stationary front
• a) A-F warm front, G-J cold front, K-M occluded front
• a) A-F cold front, G-J warm front, K-M occluded front

4. The warmest temperatures will be located at

a) A    b) C    c) D    d) G    e) J

5. If temperature at K > M then K-M is a

• a) warm type stationary front    
• b) cold type occluded front    
• c) warm type occluded front
• d) cold type stationary front   
•  e) cold front

6. A mid-latitude cyclone in a complete life cycle has the following combination of fronts associated with it:     

• a) A-F, G-J only     
• b) A-F and K-M only    
• c) G-J and K-M only    
• d) A-F, G-J and K-M
• e) A-F, G-J and K-M plus an additional type of front    

7. 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

8. An air parcel is considered unstable when

• a) it either remains as it is or changes its initial position
• b) it continues to rise until it reaches an altitude where the surrounding air has a similar density
• c) it resists displacement upward
• d) the environmental lapse rate is less than the saturated adiabatic lapse rate
• e) it ceases to ascend and begins to descend

Use the diagram to the right to answer the following questions

9. The lowest pressure would be found at

a) A    b) E    c) H    d) D     e) J

10. Line AB represents

• a) cold front   
• b) an occlusion    
• c) a warm front
• d) an isobar    
• e) stationary front

11. Which of the stations listed below should have the highest temperature?

a) A    b) E    c) F    d) H     e) J    

12. Of the stations listed below, which one most likely has the least rain and cloud cover

a) A     b) B    c) G    d) I    e) H

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

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

Use the following statements to answer questions 14-16

• a) drives air from areas of higher to lower barometric pressure
• b) decreases with height above the surface
• c) causes apparent deflection of winds from a straight path
• d) it operates alone on atmospheric flows at altitude
• e) drives air from areas of lower to higher barometric pressure

14. Which of the above describes coriolis?

15. Which of the above describes friction?

16. Which of the above describes the pressure gradient force?

17. Relative to high 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 lower than 1000 mb
• e) they are characteristic of areas along the equator

18. On a map of air pressure, what can you infer from a closer spacing of isobars?

• a) little without knowing temperature patterns
• b) a steep pressure gradient creating a slower flow of air
• c) a steep pressure gradient creating a faster flow of air
• d) high pressure
• e) low pressure

PART B Show all workings.

• 1.a) For a summers day in Bloomington the outside air temperature is 25°C and the relative humidity is 80%. Use the attached graph to calculate:
• a) the saturated vapor pressure (1)
• b) the actual vapor pressure (2)
• c) the dew point temperature (1)

2. An airsonde was released over Bloomington and recorded the following temperature data:

T    z    a) Plot the data on the graph paper (2)

(°C)    (m)    

25    0

23    100

21    600

b) Assuming the air is non-saturated what is the stability of the lower part of the profile (2):

3. Distinguish between stratus, cumulus and cirrus type of clouds

• a) appearance (3)
• b) development mechanisms (4)

4. Compare and contrast the gradient and geostrophic winds. Discuss a) isobars b) forces c) location in the atmosphere. (3)

5. What is the influence of friction on surface winds? Compare and contrast a surface and an aloft cyclonic system.(3)

6. What are the characteristics of a source region for air masses? (4)

7. Draw a labelled diagram to show the development of a sea breeze (4)

8. What time of day is a sea breeze likely to get established (1) _____________________

9. Explain why hurricanes dissipate when they move over land and over cold water (2).

10. Raindrop formation is dependent on the state of water in the atmosphere. Discuss. (5)

PART C Essay Questions. Note use diagrams where appropriate. 20 points.

Answer TWO questions one from each set of topics. Each question is worth 10 points.

Choose one topic from the following:

1. Latent heat is extremely important in severe weather. Discuss.

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

3. Cooling or the addition of moisture can generate fog. Discuss.

Choose one topic from the following:

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

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