Which of the following is not helpful in obtaining data about the conditions of the

atmosphere?
Select one:
a. ships
b. long-range trucks
c. commercial aircraft

Commercial aircraft collect weather data during flight that is utilized by meteorologists at
the National Weather Service.
Select one:
True
False

What is the amount of infrared energy sensed by a GOES satellite related to?
Select one:
a. The solar radiation reflected by the surface.
b. The solar radiation absorbed by the surface.????
c. The emission of energy from only water molecules.
d. The temperature of the highest surface (cloud top or ground) visible from the satellite.

To obtain measurements over the ocean, thousands of buoys have been deployed, each
with the capability of launching rawinsondes without human assistance.
Select one:
True

False???

The United States is the only country in the world that has weather satellites.
Select one:
True
False

Where is the Lightning Detection Network currently installed?

Select one:

a. in the Central Plains

b. across the entire United States
c. in the mountainous regions of the West

Pressure on a surface station model is coded only if it is outside of the range of 980 mb to
1040 mb.
Select one:
True
False

A vertical cross section through a thunderstorm might help identify the storm's updraft as
well as regions of hail.
Select one:
True
False

The contours on an upper level chart depict the altitude of a pressure surface.
Select one:
True
False

The Internet has made access to maps easier and required meteorologists to adopt a
standard plotting format so all maps look the same.
Select one:
a. true
b. false

Numerical weather prediction models cannot be used to study specific severe weather
phenomenon such as tornadic thunderstorms or hurricanes because these storms are still
too complicated for current computer technology.
Select one:
True
False
In general, which forecasts would you expect to be most accurate, all things being equal?

Select one:
a. short-range forecasts
b. medium-range forecasts
c. long-range outlooks
d. All forecasts have the same accuracy.

What type of forecast would provide the most useful information in predicting phenomena
such as El Nio and drought?
Select one:
a. short-range forecasts
b. medium-range forecasts
c. long-range outlooks

Approximately how long does it take a team of scientists to develop an operational

computer model for weather forecasting?
Select one:
a. 1 day
b. 6 months
c. 1 year
d. several years
e. several decades

At 0000 UTC 14 December, the actual date in the United States is still 13 December.
Select one:
True
False

The infrared channel on a GOES satellite can be used to estimate the temperature of cloud
tops.
Select one:
True
False

While satellites are able to detect several wavelengths of radiation, human eyes can only
detect visible wavelengths of radiation.
Select one:
True
False

The brightest regions on a or an __________ satellite image are associated with the coldest
clouds or surfaces.
Select one:
a. visible
b. infrared
c. water vapor

Geostationary weather satellites are placed in orbit over the equator at a distance of how
many miles above the Earths surface?
Select one:
a. about 100 miles
b. about 1000 miles
c. about 22,000 miles
d. 1000 to 5000 miles, depending on season.
e. None of the above are correct.

While information on the location of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes would be beneficial to

forecasters, currently there no such system exists that reliably measures the location of
lightning strikes.
Select one:
True
False
Which of the following would be seen most easily by examining a cross section?
Select one:
a. the horizontal precipitation pattern at the surface along a front
b. the cloud cover across the United States east of the Mississippi River

c. the location of troughs approaching the west coast of the United States
d. the distribution and gradient of temperature in a severe storm from the cloud base to the
tropopause

A vertical cross section shows the conditions of the atmosphere at one particular location
across the span of several days.
Select one:
True
False

The contours on an upper level chart depict the altitude of a pressure surface.
Select one:
True
False

What type of weather product allows meteorologists to visualize the vertical structure of
fronts, clouds, and jet streams?
Select one:
a. upper air map
b. cross section
c. sea level pressure map
d. all of the above

One reason research models are seldom used for operational weather forecasting is that the
research simulations take too long to complete to be useful in a forecast.
Select one:
True
False

Mesoscale models are not typically used for operational weather forecasting because the
availability of observational data to resolve the initial state is inadequate.

Select one:
True
False

Which of the following weather phenomena would typically not be simulated using a
mesoscale research model?
Select one:
a. tornado
b. drought
c. hurricane
d. thunderstorm

A thunderstorms anvil is:

Select one:
a. composed of ice crystals.
b. not as wide as the base of a thunderstorm.
c. symmetrically shaped if the vertical wind shear is strong.
d. the region where the thunderstorms strongest downdraft is located.

Frontal squall lines trigger new thunderstorms as the front advances into the warm moist air
ahead of the front.
Select one:
True
False

Supercell thunderstorms account for most tornadoes, virtually all severe tornadoes,
damaging straight-line winds and most large hail.
Select one:
True
False

On radar, the bounded weak echo region of a supercell thunderstorm is where the volume
of the cloud has weak radar echoes and appears structurally similar to a gothic cathedral
vault.

Select one:
True
False

What type(s) of thunderstorms is (are) responsible for much of the summer rainfall on the
Central Plains?
Select one:
a. frontal squall line thunderstorms
b. airmass thunderstorms
c. supercell thunderstorms
d. mesoscale convective system thunderstorms
e. all thunderstorm types

Frontal squall lines make up the head of a comma cloud associated with an extratropical
cyclone.
Select one:
True
False

Prior to the development of a supercell, there is often a temperature inversion in the lower
troposphere.
Select one:
True
False

Within a supercell, the process of vortex stretching concentrates the rotation in a

mesocyclone.
Select one:
True
False

Which statement about tornadoes is not correct?

Select one:

a. Exceptionally strong tornadoes can destroy steel-reinforced structures.

b. Strong tornadoes can throw automobiles over 100 feet.
c. On average, over 1,000 tornadoes are reported in the United States each year.
d. Over the 12-year period ending in 2006, an average of around 50 people have been
killed and roughly another 1000 injured in the United States annually by tornadoes.
e. Over the 12-year period ending in 2006, tornadoes were responsible for over 100 billion
dollars in property losses.

Tornado Alley is located from Texas to Indiana. Why?

Select one:
a. This region aligns approximately with the typical orientation of strong cold fronts or dry
lines as they move across the central United States.
b. This region aligns with the typical orientation of the jet stream during supercell
outbreaks.
c. This region has the highest number of mobile home parks per capita.
d. a and b are correct.
e. a, b, and c are all correct.

What law of physics is responsible for the concentration of rotation in a supercell

thunderstorm?
Select one:
a. conservation of energy
b. conservation of momentum
c. conservation of kinetic energy
d. conservation of angular momentum

About 75 percent of all tornadoes occur in the United States.

Select one:
True
False

It is believed that a significant number of the smaller tornadoes that occur across North
America each year are of what type?
Select one:

a. landspouts
b. gustnadoes
c. waterspouts
d. cold air funnels

What type of vortex rarely reaches the ground?

Select one:
a. gustnado
b. dust devil
c. landspout
d. waterspout
e. cold air funnel

This type of vortex forms along the boundary of cool outflow ahead of a thunderstorm.
Select one:
a. gustnado
b. dust devil
c. landspout
d. waterspout
e. cold air funnel

What is the speed of the strongest wind, and what pressure level is it located at?
Select one:
a. 50 knots, 150 mb
b. 100 knots, 200 mb
c. 100 knots, 150 mb
d. 50 knots, 250 mb
e. 50 knots, 200 mb
f. 100 knots, 250 mb
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What is the wind speed and direction at 500 mb?
Select one:
a. out of the northeast at 20 knots
b. out of the northeast at 40 knots
c. out of the southwest at 20 knots
d. out of the southwest at 40 knots
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Which layer is a cloud layer located at (where is the air saturated)?
Select one:
a. 900-950 mb
b. 850-900 mb
c. 950-1000 mb
d. 800-850 mb
What will happen if a parcel of air is displaced vertically in an unstable environment?
Select one:
a. It will remain in its new position.
b. It will return to its original position.
c. It will continue to accelerate away from its original position.
d. None of the above. Air cannot be displaced vertically in the atmosphere.
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Which best describes an air parcel?
Select one:
a. a cloud
b. a large area of rain
c. a volume of air that moves around in the atmosphere intact
d. the bubble of air sometimes seen on the top of thunderstorms
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Air lifted through the lifting condensation level will not necessarily become buoyant. The air
must be lifted through its level of free convection before it will rise freely.
Select one:
True
False
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If an air parcel is ________, it will ____________ at the moist adiabatic lapse rate.
Select one:
a. saturated; expand and cool

b. saturated; expand and warm

c. saturated; contract and cool
d. unsaturated; expand and cool
e. unsaturated; contract and cool

The three primary channels used by satellites for imaging weather systems are AM
(amplitude modulated), FM (frequency modulated), and Microwave (tuned to water vapor
frequency).
Select one:
True
False

The brightest regions on a or an __________ satellite image are associated with the coldest
clouds or surfaces.
Select one:
a. visible
b. infrared
c. water vapor

The potential for damage from a falling hailstone increases with which of the following?
Select one:
a. the stones size
b. the stones fall speed
c. the horizontal windspeed
d. all of the above

What causes the milky white appearance of some hailstones?

Select one:
a. air bubbles trapped in the hailstone
b. above normal atmospheric pressure
c. pollution trapped in the thunderstorm cloud
d. snowflakes trapped during hailstone growth

What will likely happen to graupel particles that are located in the core of a strong
thunderstorm updraft early in their growth phase?
Select one:
a. They will melt.
b. They will become the largest hailstones.
c. They will shatter into smaller fragments.
d. They remain small because they will be swept into the upper part of the cloud.

Which of the following cities is not in Hail Alley?

Select one:
a. Dallas
b. Kansas City
c. Oklahoma City
d. New Orleans

Which is not a possible characteristic of a hailstone?

Select one:
a. solid
b. hard
c. soft
d. spongy
e. A hailstone can have any of the above characteristics.

What does a graupel particle generally have the consistency of?

Select one:
a. a marble
b. a snowball
c. a milk shake
d. milk

Why are the interior structure of hailstorms and the growth processes of hail difficult to
study?
Select one:

a. Hailstorms move rapidly.

b. Hailstones melt too rapidly to permit careful study.
c. Storms containing hail cannot be distinguished by radar.
d. Flying research aircraft through a hailstorm is dangerous.
What is the current average lead time for tornado warnings?
Select one:
a. 0 minutes (no lead time)
b. 2 minutes
c. 6 minutes
d. 12 minutes
e. 27 minutes

What are storm spotters?

Select one:
a. individual cloud tops that appear on infrared satellite just prior to tornadogenesis
b. the red-colored radar echoes that appear on Doppler radar during tornadic
thunderstorms
c. meteorologists who watch the skies through the windows of the National Weather Service
office
d. trained volunteer citizens who monitor severe weather conditions from a pre-determined
location

On what type of weather product would you be able to identify the mesocyclone signature
associated with a tornadic supercell?
Select one:
a. sounding
b. radar radial velocity
c. radar reflectivity
d. visible satellite
e. infrared satellite

Tornadoes may form in supercell thunderstorms, squall line thunderstorms and hurricanes.
Select one:

True
False

If the Doppler radar detects a mesocyclone signature, approximately how long does it take
forecasters to identify its position, track its movement and forecast its future location?
Select one:
a. seconds
b. at least 10 minutes
c. about a half hour
d. This is not possible yet.

The national network of wind profilers is concentrated in the central United States.
Select one:
True
False

The National Lightning Detection Network has only been implemented in parts of the
eastern United States.
Select one:
True
False

Visible satellite imagery is most helpful during nighttime hours.

Select one:
True
False

Where is the Lightning Detection Network currently installed?

Select one:
a. in the Central Plains
b. across the entire United States
c. in the mountainous regions of the West

A or An ________ image from the GOES satellite allows us to measure the amount of
moisture in the atmosphere.
Select one:
a. visible
b. infrared
c. water vapor
Station models are used to represent data on both surface maps and upper air maps.
Select one:
True
False
The approximate direction and speed of the wind at the 500 mb level can be determined
from what type of map?
Select one:
a. A contour map showing the altitude (height) of the 500 mb surface.
b. A map showing isotherms (lines of constant temperature) on the 500 mb surface.
c. A map showing isodrosotherms (lines of constant dew point temperature) on the 500 mb
surface.
d. a, b and c are all wrong. The only way to tell the direction and speed of the wind on the
500 mb surface is to have winds plotted directly on the chart.

Medium-range forecasts provide predictions of the state of the atmosphere from 0 to 16

days into the future.
Select one:
True
False

A conditionally unstable atmosphere is______ for an air parcel that is unsaturated and
______ for an air parcel that is saturated.
Select one:
a. unstable; stable
b. unstable; unstable
c. stable; unstable
d. stable; stable

e. neutral; unstable

Which of the following lapse rates is measured by a rawinsonde?

Select one:
a. Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate
b. Environmental Lapse Rate
c. Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate
d. Aerological Lapse Rate
e. Mental Lapse Rate

What type(s) of thunderstorms appear as a long continuous line on radar reflectivity,

extending hundreds of miles.
Select one:
a. frontal squall line thunderstorms
b. airmass thunderstorms
c. supercell thunderstorms
d. mesoscale convective system thunderstorms
e. all thunderstorm types

F0 tornadoes are the least common tornadoes.

Select one:
True
False

Melissa Hinton

ATMS 1002Synthesis Activity 6

Ch. 4 (pg 72) Forecasting and Simulating Severe Weather-Inadequate Forecasting

When a forecast reaches 15 days it becomes known as a:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Bi-weekly Forecast
Monthly Forecast
Spaghetti Forecast
Macaroni Forecast
None of the above

Ch. 6 (pg 117) Atmospheric Stability-Stability Indicies

The popular ______________ is often used in the assessment of non-severe convective precipitation.
a.
b.
c.
d.

SWEAT Index
TT Index
SWAT Index
K Index

Ch. 18 (pg 309) Thunderstorms-Ordinary Thunderstorms

Round sagging, pouch like bags hanging down from the anvil that form as particles evaporate in the anvil
are called:
a.
b.
c.
d.

Nimbostratus clouds
Cumulus Clouds
Cumulonimbus clouds
None of the above (mammantus clouds)

Ch. 22 (pg 406) Downbursts-Downburst Structure

Strong winds generally occur within ________________ of the surface, at the base of the curl in the
flow.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

30 to 50 meters
10 to 25 meters
70 to 80 meters
100 to 120 meters
None of the above

Ch. 19 (pg 337) Tornadoes-Tornado Formation in Supercells

Which level of a mesocyclone are/is associated with the development of a wall cloud during the process
of supercell tornadogenesis?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Mid-level
High-level
Low-Level
Both a & b
None of the above

Ch. 2 (pg 18) Meteorological Measurements

Universal Time is set in London, England. This time zone is called:
a.
b.
c.
d.

UTC Time
Z
GMT
CST

The three primary channels used by satellites for imaging weather systems are AM
(amplitude modulated), FM (frequency modulated), and Microwave (tuned to water vapor
frequency).
Select one:
True
False

Doppler radar is a valuable tool for detecting severe thunderstorms but we have not yet
figured out how to use it to detect winter precipitation such as snow.
Select one:
True
False

Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) and Automated Weather Observing Systems
(AWOS) work nonstop, 24-hours a day, to collect atmospheric data.
Select one:
True
False

Which of the following is most representative of what is displayed on an infrared GOES

satellite image?
Select one:
a. density
b. cloud top pressure
c. cloud top temperature
d. cloud top relative humidity
e. all of the above

The frequency shift related to the movement of the raindrops and ice particles along the
direction of a Doppler radar beam is similar to the frequency shift in sound waves from a
trains whistle as the train approaches and then passes your location.
Select one:
True
False

At what altitude above sea level is the 500 mb pressure surface typically located?
Select one:
a. 1,000 ft
b. 5,000 ft
c. 10,000 ft
d. 18,000 ft
e. 30,000 ft

On a surface station model, if there is no significant weather occurring an "N" is placed

between the temperature and dew point temperature values.
Select one:
True
False

Which of the following is not considered to be a factor that contributes to the degradation of
forecasts made via numerical weather prediction?
Select one:
a. inexact equations
b. errors in initial data
c. inadequate resolution
d. climate changes due to global warming

Which statement about numerical weather prediction is false?

Select one:
a. To do the model calculations, weather data are organized on grids.
b. Model forecasts are initialized every hour, corresponding to the times that data is
available from rawinsondes.
c. The model must be given information about things like snow cover and the underlying
topography.
d. Computer models must make forecasts quickly so that the model output is available in
time to disseminate forecasts.

What will happen if a parcel of air is displaced vertically in an unstable environment?

Select one:
a. It will remain in its new position.
b. It will return to its original position.
c. It will continue to accelerate away from its original position.
d. None of the above. Air cannot be displaced vertically in the atmosphere.

In the atmosphere, a rising air parcel will expand.

Select one:
True
False

If an air parcel is displaced vertically in a stable environment, what will the parcel do?
Select one:
a. remain in its new position
b. return to its original position
c. turn east due to the pressure change
d. turn north due to the pressure change
e. accelerate away from its original position

What term describes the accumulation of rain-cooled air near the surface, under a
thunderstorm?
Select one:
a. cold pool
b. gust front
c. shelf cloud
d. overshooting top
e. mammatus cloud

Frontal squall lines can be hundreds of miles long.

Select one:
True
False

What is the term used to describe the bulge at the top of a thunderstorm caused by a
strong updraft?
Select one:
a. cold pool
b. gust front
c. shelf cloud
d. overshooting top
e. mammatus cloud

What type(s) of thunderstorms contain thunder and lightning?

Select one:
a. supercell thunderstorms
b. frontal squall line thunderstorms
c. airmass thunderstorms
d. mesoscale convective system thunderstorms
e. all thunderstorm types

These vortices are most commonly observed off coastlines in tropical regions.
Select one:
a. gustnado
b. dust devil
c. landspout
d. waterspout
e. cold air funnel

If you wanted to determine the extent of cloud cover over the United States at noon,
Central Daylight Time in mid-summer, which weather product would you examine?
Select one:
a. sounding
b. wind profiler data
c. visible satellite image
d. radar reflectivity image

Which of the following statements about satellites is(are) true?

Select one:
a. Infrared satellite images show the temperature of the cloud tops.
b. A satellite in geostationary orbit views the same region of Earth 24 hours a day.
c. The vapor channel can identify regions of the atmosphere that are dry or moist because
it is sensitive to the water vapor concentration.
d. The visible channel observes frequencies of electromagnetic energy that our eyes can
sense.
e. All of the above are true.

Vertical wind shear is generally necessary for a thunderstorm to become severe.

Select one:
True
False

Tornadoes have occurred in all 50 states.

Select one:
a. Fact
b. Myth

Tornadoes cannot hit downtown areas because the buildings deflect the airflow.
Select one:
a. Myth
b. Fact

If you are driving in a car on the highway and see a tornado behind you, find the nearest
overpass and hide under it.
Select one:
a. Myth
b. Fact

When the tornado siren goes off, go to the innermost room on the lowest level of your
house or building.

Select one:
a. Fact
b. Myth

Tornadoes are attracted to mobile home communities.

Select one:
a. Fact
b. Myth

Tornadoes sometimes sound like a freight train.

Select one:
a. Fact
b. Myth

Tornadoes can be invisible.

Select one:
a. Myth
b. Fact

Wind speeds within a tornado can exceed 200 miles per hour.
Select one:
a. Myth
b. Fact

Tornadoes always rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.

Select one:
a. Fact
b. Myth

If a tornado watch has been issued, this means a tornado has been sighted.
Select one:
a. Myth

b. Fact

If there is a tornado warning, you should open all the windows in your house or apartment.
Select one:
a. Myth
b. Fact

Tornadoes can be made up of 2 or more smaller tornadoes called suction vortices.

Select one:
a. Myth
b. Fact

The radial velocity image shown below on the left and radar reflectivity image shown below
on the right is from May 24, 2011 when several tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma, including
a few EF4s and EF5s. The storm circled in blue was producing an EF4 tornado at this time
between Chickasha and Oklahoma City . Notice how the greens and blues toward the radar
and the reds and pink away from the radar form a nice counter-clockwise couplet in this
region. This is what you want to look for when determining whether a mesocyclone or some
other circulation that may be associated with a potential tornado (or one that is about to
occur) is present and should be warned on.

Answer the following two questions about the image above:

What type of storm produced the tornado in Chickasha?
Select one:
a. mesoscale convective system
b. supercell
c. derecho
d. multicell

The top images above are zoomed in on the Broken Arrow tornado, while the bottom
images above are zoomed in on an EF1 tornado that occurred near Spavinaw, OK about an
hour later from the same storm. What kind of thunderstorm feature was associated with
these tornadoes?
Select one:
a. hook echo of a supercell thunderstorm
b. hook echo of a multicell thunderstorm
c. bookend vortex of a small bow echo feature of a squall line

At least three tornadoes were confirmed in south Louisiana on April 24, 2013, including two
associated with one of the storms circled above around Noon. Using the image above, which
storm do you think was producing tornadoes around this time?
Select one:
a. Storm 3
b. Storm 2
c. Storm 1

The image below is from April 2, 2012 when several tornadoes occurred in and around the
Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Using the images below, determine whether you think a
tornado warning should be issued for each storm discussed below.
Would you issue a tornado warning on storm 1?
Select one:
a. Yes
b. No

Radar reflectivity is sensitive to which of the following?

Select one:
a. the size of the reflecting particles
b. the composition of the particles, i.e., liquid vs. ice
c. the upward velocities in a thunderstorms core
d. All of the above are correct.
e. a and b are correct, c is incorrect

In which of the following states is large hail most frequent?

Select one:
a. Florida
b. Alaska
c. Illinois
d. Alabama
e. Oklahoma

At what location in the updraft of a thunderstorm do rising cloud droplets supercool?

Select one:
a. below the 0C level
b. above the 0C level
c. at the base of the cloud
d. at the tropopause
e. none of the above

Hailstones that form via the wet growth regime typically have what characteristic?
Select one:
a. They are opaque or milky white.
b. They are at least one inch in diameter.
c. They have tiny air bubbles trapped inside the hailstone.
d. The surface temperature of the hailstone is at 0C.

What is the typical diameter of a lightning bolt?

Select one:
a. less than 1 mm (0.04 inches)
b. 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in)
c. 2 to 3 cm (0.7 to 1.2 in)
d. 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in)
e. More than 15 cm (6 in)

Which statement best explains how thunder forms?

Select one:
a. Two thunderstorms with opposite electrical charge collide.
b. The air within a lightning channel heats and cools rapidly, expanding and contracting.
c. Turbulent wind motions within the thunderstorm create a loud boom sound.
d. Positively and negatively charged cloud particles collide and neutralize each other,
resulting in a loud explosion.

Earths fair weather electric field has a net __________ charge in the atmosphere and a net
__________ charge on the ground.
Select one:
a. positive; positive
b. positive; negative
c. negative; negative
d. negative; positive

What is the typical length of a lightning bolt?

Select one:
a. less than 1 km (< 0.6 mi)
b. 1 km (0.6 mi)
c. 5 km (3 mi)
d. 10 km (6 mi)
e. more than 10 km (> 6 mi)

What is voltage related to?

Select one:
a. the strength of an electrical current
b. the speed of an electrical current
c. the strength of an attractive force of electrical origin
d. the insulating capacity of a substance

A tropical weather system is given a number when it reaches which status?

Select one:

a. tropical disturbance
b. tropical depression
c. tropical storm
d. hurricane

A tropical weather system is given a name when it reaches which status?

Select one:
a. tropical disturbance
b. tropical depression
c. tropical storm
d. hurricane

Air descends __________ in the eye of a hurricane and rises __________ in the eyewall.
Select one:
a. slowly; slowly
b. slowly; more rapidly
c. rapidly; more rapidly
d. rapidly; slowly

Hurricanes that develop in the Northern Hemisphere often migrate into the Southern
Hemisphere.
Select one:
True
False

By what atmospheric variable do meteorologists classify the strength of storms in the

tropics?
Select one:
a. maximum wind gust
b. highest air temperature
c. lowest sea level pressure
d. highest sea surface temperature

e. maximum sustained wind speed

What does the layered structure of many hailstones result from?

Select one:
a. recycling, i.e., a looping trajectory
b. varying concentrations of pollutants in the air
c. varying rates of accretion of supercooled water
d. lightning strikes that occurred in the portion of the cloud where the hailstones were
growing

Hail develops in thunderstorms with updrafts that have ______.

Select one:
a. very large diameters
b. very warm temperatures
c. very strong (fast) upward vertical motions
d. slanted profiles

Which of the following characteristics of a radar beam can be used to distinguish regions of
hail and regions of heavy rain?
Select one:
a. frequency
b. polarization
c. duration of the transmitted pulses
d. time between the transmitted pulses

Which statement regarding hail is incorrect?

Select one:
a. Large hail is associated with strong thunderstorms.
b. Hail reaches the ground in only a small fraction of thunderstorms.
c. Hail causes problems on Earths surface but never poses a hazard to aircraft.
d. Hailstorms can fall in great numbers from a thunderstorm, effectively covering the entire
ground.

Which statement regarding graupel is not correct?

Select one:
a. Graupel are soft ice particles.
b. The consistency of graupel is similar to that of hail.
c. The largest concentration of graupel in a supercell thunderstorm is found immediately
surrounding the BWER.
d. The embryo curtain is often comprised of graupel.

Immediately prior to a normal polarity cloud-to-ground lightning strike, what are the
respective net charges of the upper cloud, lower cloud and the ground?
Select one:
a. negative, positive, negative
b. positive, negative, positive
c. negative, negative, positive
d. positive, positive, negative

What is the estimated annual loss in the United States due to lightning?
Select one:
a. $1 million
b. $4 to 5 million
c. $1 billion
d. $4 to 5 billion
e. $10 billion

Which of the following is (are) a good conductor(s)?

Select one:
a. air
b. metal
c. water
d. plastic
e. b and c are both correct.

Approximately what percentage of lightning victims are male?

Select one:
a. 35 percent
b. 50 percent
c. 65 percent
d. 85 percent

At what altitude are the strongest winds of a hurricane found?

Select one:
a. at the sea surface
b. 0.5 to 1 km (0.3 to 0.6 mi) above the surface
c. 5 km (3 mi)
d. near the tropopause

What process generates the warm core in the eye of a hurricane?

Select one:
a. friction
b. solar heating
c. wind shear
d. warm, ocean water
e. adiabatic descent, compressional heating

What part of the hurricane emanates out from the center of the cyclone and is associated
with a curled shape, as viewed from above?
Select one:
a. eye
b. funnel
c. eyewall
d. spiral rainband

The strongest hurricanes are ranked EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
Select one:
True

False

Information about the rotational wind speeds and forward movement of four hurricanes is
provided in the sketches below. Four quadrants in each storm are defined relative to the
direction the storm is moving. Use the information to evaluate the winds in the eyewall in
the four quadrants of the storm (right, left, front and back). In addition, use the information
provided to determine the Saffir-Simpson rating of each hurricane.

Wind in S quadrant of Hurricane Abby 70

Wind in N quadrant of Hurricane Abby 70
Wind in W quadrant of Hurricane Abby 75
Wind in E quadrant of Hurricane Carolyn 75
Saffir Simpson rating for Hurricane Abby cat1

Answer 1

Choose...

Answer 2

Choose...

Answer 3

Choose...

Answer 4

Choose...

Answer 5

Choose...

Wind in N quadrant of Hurricane Carolyn 95

Wind in NE quadrant of Hurricane Benny 130
Wind in W quadrant of Hurricane Don 130
Saffir Simpson rating for Hurricane Benny cat 3
Saffir Simpson rating for Hurricane Don cat 3
Wind in N quadrant of Hurricane Don 130
Wind in SW quadrant of Hurricane Benny 160

Answer 6

Choose...

Answer 7

Choose...

Answer 8

Choose...

Answer 9

Choose...

Answer 10

Choose...

Answer 11

Choose...

Answer 12

Choose...

Match the statements to the types of lightning phenomena listed below. Some answers can
be used more than once.
HL heat lightning
BE bead lightning
SL sheet lightning
SE St. Elmos Fire
RS red sprites
BJ blue jets
EL elves
BA ball lightning
PP positive polarity lightning
ST stepped leader

Lightning from the anvil region of a thunderstorm.

PP

Answer 1
Choose...

Disk-shaped regions of light found far above a

thunderstorm.
EL

Answer 2

Earliest part of a lightning discharge in which negative

charge begins to descend below cloud base. ST

Answer 3

Choose...

Choose...

Floats in air after a lightning strike; ranges in color and may

last 30 seconds. BA

Answer 4

Lightning stroke breaks into separate, distinct segments of

light that do not last long enough to be observed by the
human eye. BE

Answer 5

Cannot be detected by the naked eye, but extend in a cone

shape from the top of the active part of thunderstorms. BJ

Answer 6

Illuminates a cloud uniformly.

Answer 7

SL

Choose...

Choose...

Choose...

Choose...

Large, weak luminous flashes that emanate upward from

the anvil regions of thunderstorms and are brightest at
heights of 65 to 75 km. RS

Answer 8

Flash of light overhead from a lighting stroke so far in the

distance that thunder is not heard. HL

Answer 9

Sparks that occur on metal objects.

Answer 10

SE

Choose...

Choose...

Choose...

Melissa J. Hinton
ATMS 1002
Synthesis Activity 3

Chapter 1--Temperature
1. Temperatures _______________ with height up to 12 km, they _______________ once they reach
over 12 km up to 50 km. Once they reach over 50 km they _______________ again. Temperatures
increase near the borders of outer space.
A. decrease; increase; increase
B. increase; decrease; increase
C. decrease; increase; decrease (pg. 4)
D. increase; increase; increase

E. They all vary each day depending on the weather patterns.

Chapter 8Curved Flow

1. In curved flows around the high-pressure, the true flow will be _______________ than its
geostrophic value.
A. slower
B. the same (pg. 141)
C. faster
D. none of the above

Chapter 12Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere during Freezing Precipitation

1. _______________ create(s) freezing precipitation when the snow falls from high in the clouds into an
atmospheric level where the temperatures exceed 0C.
A. supercooled warm rain process
B. melting levels
C. freezing drizzle
D. freezing rain
E. none of the above (pg. 209melting process)

Chapter 11Gulf Coast Cyclones

1. Which climatic change is taking place when subtropical jetstreams are stronger due to the surface sea
temperatures and moisture in the tropical atmosphere?

B. Tornado
C. Hurricane
D.
E. Cyclone

Chapter 15Extreme EventThe Winter of Blizzards

1. Which state(s) have had the worst blizzard(s) on record?

A. South Dakota
B. New York
C. Minnesota
D. North Dakota
E. Both B & C
F. Both A & D (pg. 263)
Which statement about floods in the western United States is not true?
Select one:
a. Wintertime flooding is the greatest danger in the mountains along the West Coast.
b. Moisture for precipitation that leads to flooding originates in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
c. Flash flooding in the river valleys of the mountains often leads to more widespread
flooding in the valleys at the base of the mountains.
d. Flooding is common along the coastal mountain range, but not along further inland
mountains because all the moisture precipitates out of the air.

Flooding is the number one weather-related cause of deaths worldwide.

Select one:
True
False

West Coast floods and hurricane-induced floods typically occur in the same season of the
year.
Select one:
True
False

Flash flooding contributed significantly to the 1993 Great Flood.

Select one:
True

False

The National Weather Service issues a flash flood watch when a flash flood is occurring or
imminent.
Select one:
True
False

What is a common feature of many weather systems responsible for floods in North
America?
Select one:
a. large size
b. erratic tracks
c. short lifetime
d. slow movement

Flooding from a tropical cyclone can affect areas hundreds of miles from a coastline.
Select one:
True
False

When severe drought occurs along the East Coast, urban water supplies from the major
rivers are threatened by the upstream penetration of _________.
Select one:
a. pollution
b. snakes
c. salt
d. heat

e. Both a and b are correct.

An unusually long period during which precipitation is below normal for a particular area is
referred to as what type of drought?
Select one:
a. agricultural
b. hydrological
c. socioeconomic
d. meteorological or climatological

Which of the following do not provide key atmospheric signatures of a drought episode?
Select one:
a. the polar jetstreamXXXXXXXXX
b. the subtropical jetstream
c. The subtropical high-pressure systems
d. upper-air waves in the large-scale flow

During which months does most of the precipitation fall in the western United States?
Select one:
a. January to June
b. April to September
c. July to December
d. October to April

The Crop Moisture Index is a longer-term index of drought than the Palmer Drought
Severity Index.
Select one:

True
False

Unlike the droughts of the 1930s and 1950s, the 1988 drought in the central United States
was essentially a one-year drought.
Select one:
True
False

During a drought along the East Coast of the United States, the airflow at the surface has a
persistent component in which direction?
Select one:
a. north to south
b. east to west
c. south to north
d. west to east

Worldwide, drought leads to more fatalities than any other weather phenomenon.
Select one:
True
False

In the most extreme cases, how long can flooding due to frontal squall lines last?
Select one:
a. several minutes
b. several hours

c. several days
d. several months

Which statement about the North American monsoon is true?

Select one:
a. It develops during the spring months
b. It develops when two subtropical high pressure systems merge.
c. It develops in response to changes in the atmospheric circulation over India.
d. It develops as a result of strong solar heating over the Desert Southwest in summer.

Which statement(s) accurately describe(s) levees?

Select one:
a. Levees are embankments raised to prevent a river from overflowing onto its floodplain.
b. Levees are prevalent in the western United States, especially in California, and also along
the Mississippi River in the central United States.
c. A levee can enhance flooding locally if the floodwater rises above the level that the levee
was designed to withstand and the levee breaks.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. a and b are correct; c is incorrect.

Flooding due to mesoscale convective systems is easier to predict that with frontal squall
lines.
Select one:
True
False

Which of the following is not a common meteorological cause of large-scale flooding events?

Select one:
a. hurricanes
b. snowmelt runoff
c. a stationary front
d. repeated frontal cyclones
e. fast-moving thunderstorms

Mesoscale convective systems were an important component of the Great Flood of 1993 of
the Mississippi River.
Select one:
True
False

During which decade did the population of the Northern Plains of the United States show the
greatest percentage decrease as a result of drought?
Select one:
a. 1890s
b. 1930s
c. 1950s
d. 1980s

Proxy data indicate that droughts comparable to the drought of the 1930s have occurred
one or two times per century back to at least the year 1600.
Select one:
True
False

Which of the following is true of the Drought of 1988 but not of the droughts of the 1950s
and the 1930s?
Select one:
a. The Palmer Drought Severity Index reached unprecedented levels.
b. There were no socioeconomic impacts of the drought in 1988.
c. The agricultural drought was monitored by satellite.
d. River levels were not significantly impacted.

What was one consequence of the drought of the 1950s in the Great Plains?
Select one:
a. diversion of several major rivers.
b. increased drilling of wells for irrigation water.
c. a shift from corn to wheat as the major agricultural crop.
d. the greatest population migration on record in the United States.

The same amount of precipitation over the same time period can result in drought at one
location and the absence of drought at a second location.
Select one:
True
False

Spring and summer are the key seasons for drought to develop in the eastern United
States.
Select one:
True
False

The Drought of 1988 is an example of drought in which U.S. region?

Select one:
a. central
b. East Coast
c. West Coast
d. Northern Hemisphere

Which dimension does not match a possible depth of airmass?

Select one:
a. from the surface to the tropopause
b. 5 kilometers (~ half the depth of the troposphere)
c. 1 to 2 meters
d. 1 to 2 kilometers

It is May on the Great Plains. A cold front is advancing toward you. What type of weather
conditions would you expect to find if the cold front is advancing into warm, moist,
conditionally unstable air?
Select one:
a. freezing rain and sleet
b. clear skies
c. thunderstorms
d. widespread fog

Which of the following statements about dry lines is false?

Select one:
a. Dry lines are found most commonly east of the Mississippi River.
b. A dry line is a front that is characterized by a sharp moisture difference
between two airmasses.
c. Dry lines develop when air flowing eastward from the high desert plateau
regions of the United States descends the Rockies into the southern Plains.
d. Thunderstorms tend to develop along dry lines in mid-afternoon.

While historically ice storms have caused significant impact in the United States, since 2000
there have been very few. Scientists attribute this to global warming.
Select one:
True
False

The warm rain process of freezing precipitation formation refers to the fact that the air
temperature is above freezing through most of the troposphere.
Select one:
True
False

In the central United States, most freezing precipitation is associated with arctic fronts and
warm fronts.
Select one:
True
False

Ice pellets are another name for frozen raindrops; sleet is another name for snow.
Select one:
True
False

Freezing drizzle is most common in the northeast United States and eastern
Canada, while freezing rain is most common on the High Plains of the central U.S.
and Canada.
Select one:
True
False

Freezing drizzle typically results in minor glaze accumulations.

Select one:
True
False

One of the most destructive ice storms in North America occurred in January 1998
along the northeast U.S./Canadian border. One reason for this storms destruction
was the prolonged duration (five days) of glaze accumulation.
Select one:
True
False

An Alberta Clipper is an extratropical cyclone that develops east of the Canadian

Rockies and rapidly moves eastward, typically across the Great Lakes region.
Select one:
True
False

The Great Lakes region experiences many extratropical cyclones. Which of the following
best describes why?
Select one:
a. The tracks of Rocky Mountain cyclones and Alberta Clippers converge over the Great
Lakes.
b. The Great Lakes is one the primary regions where extratropical cyclones initially develop.
c. The Great Lakes attract cyclones because of the large amounts of moisture in the air.
d. Both (a) and (b) are correct.
e. Both (a) and (c) are correct.

The tracks of extratropical cyclones that form east of the Rocky Mountains in Canada and
the United States typically converge over the Great Lakes region.
Select one:
True
False

Which statement about Alberta Clippers is not accurate?

Select one:
a. Alberta Clippers form east of the Rocky Mountains.
b. Alberta Clippers can produce up to 6 to 8 inches of snow.

c. Alberta Clippers develop as divergence occurs at jetstream level in a wave.

d. Alberta Clippers typically form in an environment where the air is very moist and warm.
e. Alberta Clippers move rapidly across the United States/Canadian border to the Atlantic
Ocean.

Cyclones typically intensify as they move onto the Plains east of the Rockies. Why does this
occur?
Select one:
a. The fronts all converge in the region of the low-pressure center.
b. Winds converge into the low-pressure center at the surface due to friction.
c. Warm air from over the Great Lakes moves into the cyclone increasing snowfall
downwind of the lakes and increasing divergence aloft over the low.
d. Warm air moves north to the east of the cyclone and cold air moves south to the west of
the cyclone. This can lead to an intensification of the curvature and jetstreak effects aloft,
increasing divergence over the low.
e. All of the above contribute to a lowering of the surface pressure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

When a dry line passes, winds typically shift from westerly before the dryline
passes to easterly after the dryline passes.
Select one:
True
False

Which of the following statements about dry lines is false?

Select one:
a. A dry line is a front that is characterized by a sharp moisture difference between two
airmasses.
b. Thunderstorms tend to develop along dry lines in mid-afternoon.
c. Dry lines are found most commonly east of the Mississippi River.
d. Dry lines develop when air flowing eastward from the high desert plateau regions of the
United States descends the Rockies into the southern Plains.

Which dimension does not match a possible depth of airmass?

Select one:
a. 1 to 2 meters
b. from the surface to the tropopause
c. 1 to 2 kilometers
d. 5 kilometers (~ half the depth of the troposphere)

The two fronts that produce most of the freezing precipitation on the plains between the
Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains are:
Select one:
a. occluded fronts and dry lines.
b. arctic fronts and warm fronts.
c. upper level fronts and dry lines.
d. upper level fronts and cold fronts.
e. back door cold fronts and coastal fronts.

Since freezing rain is produced primarily by thunderstorms, a sounding taken during

freezing rain must show conditional instability.
Select one:
True
False

During an ice storm, __________winds will worsen the situation by __________.

Select one:
a. strong; causing ice burdened structures to fail
b. strong; blowing the glaze accumulation to other nearby areas
c. weak; concentrating the ice accumulation in a localized area
d. None of the above are correct. Wind cannot impact the destruction of an ice storm.

Aircraft icing is most dangerous in freezing drizzle situations because the entire cloud in
which the aircraft is flying may consist of supercooled water.
Select one:
True

False

Cold air trapping often leads to freezing rain in which geographic region(s)?
Select one:
a. The Great Basin
b. Appalachian mountain valleys
c. The Colorado River valley
d. The Columbia River valley
e. Both b and d are correct.

One of the most destructive ice storms in North America occurred in January 1998 along the
northeast U.S./Canadian border. One reason for this storms destruction was the prolonged
duration (five days) of glaze accumulation.
Select one:
True
False

Freezing precipitation is generally found in a narrow (less than 100 mile wide) band on the
cold side of the 0C isotherm at the Earths surface.
Select one:
True
False

Waves in the upper atmosphere are vital to the development and intensification of
extratropical cyclones. When will a wave in the jetstream amplify?
Select one:
a. When warm air moves northward west of a low and cold air moves southward east of a
low.
b. When warm air moves southward west of a low and cold air moves northward east of a
low.
c. When cold air moves northward west of a low and warm air moves southward east of a
low.
d. When cold air moves southward west of a low and warm air moves northward east of a
low.

e. None of the above are correct. The amplification of an atmospheric wave has nothing to
do with the transport of air of differing temperatures.

Which of the following may occur when extratropical cyclones develop on the Plains east of
the Rockies in early spring?
Select one:
a. A line of thunderstorms will often form ahead of the dry line or upper level front.
b. A widespread area of moderate rain or snow will typically occur north of the warm front.
c. Heavy snow will fall along the Rockies north of the low because cold air is rising along the
topography in this region.
d. Air will flow counterclockwise around the low.
e. All of the above may occur.

Several frontal boundaries can be present south of an extratropical cyclone located east of
the Rocky Mountains. Which of the following statement(s) correctly describe(s) the types of
weather that can occur in this region of the cyclone?
Select one:
a. A wide shield of clouds will be sometimes be present east of the upper level front with
precipitation type changing from rain to freezing rain to sleet to snow as one goes from
west to east.
b. When the upper level front leads the dry line, there may be one line of storms along the
upper level front and a second along the dry line if the low-level air is sufficiently heated
during the daytime.
c. Upslope flow will lead to a wide region of snowfall along the Rocky Mountains in this
quadrant of the cyclone.
d. The intensity of the precipitation and the potential for severe weather will depend on the
stability of the warm moist air and how the winds change with height in the warm air ahead
of the leading front.
e. b and d are both correct.

The Great Lakes region experiences many extratropical cyclones. Which of the following
best describes why?
Select one:
a. The tracks of Rocky Mountain cyclones and Alberta Clippers converge over the Great
Lakes.
b. The Great Lakes is one the primary regions where extratropical cyclones initially develop.

c. The Great Lakes attract cyclones because of the large amounts of moisture in the air.
d. Both (a) and (b) are correct.
e. Both (a) and (c) are correct.

The tracks of extratropical cyclones that form east of the Rocky Mountains in Canada and
the United States typically converge over the Great Lakes region.
Select one:
True
False

Upslope flow 179 263

Storms 282 283

To understand ice storms, we must first understand _______________.

Select one:
a. Glaze
b. Inversion
c. Melting Level
d. Supercooled Water

Which of the following is NOT a primary location of bomb cyclones to form?

Select one:
a. U.S Gulf Coast
b. U.S East Coast
c. Western Pacific
d. Mediterranean Sea

The balance between the pressure gradient force and Coriolis force is known as the?
Select one:

a. force balance
b. gradient force
c. geostrophic balance
d. hydrostatic balance

The type of cloud that can be describes as "layered and widespread"?

Select one:
a. stratus cloud
b. cumulonimbus cloud
c. cumulus cloud
d. cirrus cloud

Narrow bands of strong winds at upper levels below the tropopause are
Select one:
a. Wind convergence
b. Jet Streams
c. Jet streaks
d. Wind Divergence

Simple rules of winter travel can save your life if you are trapped on the road in a blizzard.
Travelers should ________________________
Select one:
a. Carry basic winter automobile safety items
b. Stay with your vehicle
c. Carry a winter storm survival kit
d. All of the above

The term "overrunning" referees to the action of?

Select one:
a. cold air falling downwards over warm air
b. none of the above
c. warm and cold are colliding

d. warm air rising upwards over cold air

A high value of air temperature corresponds to a low saturation vapor pressure.

Select one:
True
False

When a cloud dissipates, _________ is taking place.

Select one:
a. freezing
b. melting
c. evaporation
d. snowfall
e. condensation

How does the average speed of air molecules influence the atmosphere?
Select one:
a. It determines the air temperature.
b. It indicates the presence of clouds.
c. It indicates if there will be precipitation.
d. It determines what the relative humidity is.

The atmosphere is in hydrostatic balance if the vertical pressure gradient force exactly
balances the downward Coriolis force.
Select one:
True
False
A front is a narrow region with similar temperature characteristics directly under a jetstream
in the upper troposphere.
Select one:
True
False

If the earth did not rotate, the Coriolis force would be:
Select one:
a. strongest at the poles and zero at the equator.
b. strongest at the equator and zero at the poles.
c. strong and negative everywhere on earth.
d. zero everywhere on earth.

The atmosphere contains large numbers of invisible tiny particles called _____________.
Select one:
a. Deposition
b. Haze
c. Aerosol

Which of the following regions is not a preferred area for cyclone formation?
Select one:
a. Over the Pacific Ocean in the Gulf of Alaska
b. Over of the Great Lakes
c. East of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado
d. Near the North Carolina coast
e. Along the Texas-Louisiana coastline of the Gulf of Mexico

The balance between the pressure gradient force and Coriolis force is known as the?
Select one:
a. force balance
b. geostrophic balance
c. hydrostatic balance
d. gradient force

In general, a(n) ________________ front is likely to be present if a sharp line of storms

exists with clear air to the west of the line and if no significant change in the temperature or
dew point temperature appears at the surface across the line of storms.
Select one:
a. Stationary
b. Warm
c. Upper-Level
d. Cold

At what temperature (Celsius) does snow fall through the melting level and continue to fall
on the ground as rain?
Select one:
a. -10'c
b. 0'c
c. 2'c
d. 13'c

Which statement about the tropopause is incorrect?

Select one:
a. The tropopause acts as a lid on weather.
b. The tropopause slopes downward from the tropics to the poles.
c. The tropopause is the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
d. The tropopause is where pressure stops decreasing with height and starts increasing with
height.
e. The temperature at the tropopause is typically colder than the temperature at the
surface.

Which of Newtons laws relates the force exerted on an object to its acceleration?
Select one:
a. First law of motion
b. Second law of motion
c. Third law of motion

The ___________ causes air to slow down near the surface.

Select one:
a. Coriolis force
b. frictional force
c. gravitational force
d. vertical pressure gradient force
e. horizontal pressure gradient force

Which term is defined by the rate at which pressure changes with distance?
Select one:
a. pressure gradient
b. pressure contour
c. pressure unit area
d. pressure isoheight

Occluded fronts form as a _________

overtakes a(n) _________ .
cold, warm
Choose which frontal passage below best corresponds to the following forecast: Warm
temperatures, sunny skies and southerly winds will prevail today. Thundershowers expected this
evening followed by a rapid drop in temperature and winds shifting to northwesterly.
Select one:
a. occluded front
b. cold front
c. warm front
d. dryline

Clouds that develop along warm fronts typically are layered in nature and
any precipitation tends to be more widespread and steady.
Select one:
True
False

Freezing precipitation is generally found in a narrow (less than 100 mile wide) band on the
cold side of the 0C isotherm at the Earths surface.
Select one:
True
False