Introduction to Meteorology
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Introduction to Meteorology offers students a comprehensive overview of the atmospheric sciences, focusing on the fundamental principles and processes that shape Earth's weather and climate. The course covers topics such as the composition and structure of the atmosphere, energy transfer, weather patterns, cloud formation, precipitation, winds, and severe weather phenomena. Students will learn how meteorologists observe, analyze, and predict weather, and examine the impact of atmospheric conditions on human activities and the environment. Through lectures, laboratory exercises, and hands-on experiments, students will develop a basic understanding of meteorological concepts and how they relate to everyday weather events.
Recommended Textbook
Atmosphere An Introduction to Meteorology 12th Edition by Frederick K. Lutgens
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16 Chapters
1763 Verified Questions
1763 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Atmosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) When chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)are subjected to sunlight,________ is released,in turn leading to the destruction of ozone molecules.
A)chlorine
B)carbon
C)nitrogen
D)hydrogen
E)carbon dioxide
Answer: A
Q2) The four thermal layers of the atmosphere in order beginning from the surface are:
A)troposphere,stratosphere,mesosphere,thermosphere
B)thermosphere,stratosphere,mesosphere,troposphere
C)mesosphere,stratosphere,thermosphere,troposphere
D)stratosphere,troposphere,mesosphere,thermosphere
Answer: A
Q3) Weather and climate are synonymous terms.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 2: Heating Earths Surface and Atmosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) The two types of heat recognized by meteorologists are:
A)latent heat and sensible heat.
B)latent heat and kinetic heat.
C)kinetic heat and radiative heat.
D)sensible heat and conductive heat.
Answer: A
Q2) A 300-meter-thick cloud cover can reflect no more than 14 percent of incoming solar radiation.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) The troposphere warms as a direct result of shortwave energy passing into it.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) During a cold winter,snow can provide a useful shelter material for animals and humans because of its low ________.
Answer: conductivity
Q5) The blue color of the sky is due to ________ of light.
Answer: scattering
4
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Chapter 3: Temperature
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Sample Questions
Q1) A primary reason for drawing isotherms on a map of temperature values is to allow:
A)recognition of temperature patterns.
B)determination of temperature ranges.
C)calculation of mean values.
D)elimination of extreme values.
Answer: A
Q2) The most important cause of temperature variations is:
A)altitude.
B)differences in receipt of solar radiation.
C)cloud cover and albedo.
D)differential heating of land and water.
E)ocean currents.
Answer: B
Q3) There are two ways to measure the daily mean temperature,and they could give two different results.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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5
Chapter 4: Moisture and Atmospheric Stability
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Sample Questions
Q1) The air in Great Falls,Montana has a temperature of 5°C and a relative humidity of 50%.On the same afternoon,the air in Palm Springs,California has a temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 50%.What can be said about the amount of vapor in the air at these two cities?
A)Palm Springs will have a higher vapor content than Great Falls.
B)Great Falls will have a higher vapor content than Palm Springs.
C)Great Falls and Palm Springs will have the same vapor content.
Q2) Plants release water to the atmosphere through the process of ________.
Q3) Which of these pairs of processes,working together,will make the atmosphere 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 warm the air aloft
D)warm the surface and cool the air aloft
Q4) If the temperature remains unchanged and the mixing ratio drops,the relative humidity will increase.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is the most frequent cause of the air becoming saturated?
Q6) Thermals are created by the lifting mechanism known as ________.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Forms of Condensation and Precipitation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Fog is simply a cloud with a base at or near the ground.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A(n)________ is a low layer of dark gray clouds that produces precipitation.
A)cumulonimbus
B)altostratus
C)nimbostratus
D)cirrostratus
E)cirrus
Q3) A standard rain gauge magnifies rainfall ten times.
A)True
B)False
Q4) How are jet contrails thought to influence the surface temperatures of cities near major airports?
A)Decrease the daily temperature range.
B)Definitely make the daily mean temperature warmer.
C)Definitely make the daily mean temperature cooler.
D)They have no measurable influence on surface temperature.
Q5) List the two requirements that a cumulonimbus cloud must meet if hail is to form.
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Chapter 6: Air Pressure and Winds
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Sample Questions
Q1) A wind direction of 270 degrees means that the wind is blowing from the southeast.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Circulations in the earth's atmosphere are fundamentally caused by:
A)heating of the ozone layer.
B)frontal storm systems.
C)ocean currents.
D)gravity.
E)temperature contrasts between different locations.
Q3) Weather reports of wind express only the horizontal motion of the air.The vertical component of the air motion is usually:
A)very much slower.
B)much faster.
C)only slightly slower.
D)about the same.
E)No general statement can be made.
Q4) Anticyclones characteristically have winds blowing toward their center.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Circulation of the Atmosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Sahara and Australian deserts (among others)are associated with which pressure belt?
A)subtropical high
B)subpolar low
C)equatorial low
D)polar high
Q2) The strong Siberian high becomes well developed in the summer.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The primary force causing ocean currents is:
A)the major winds.
B)temperature differences between cold water below and warm water above.
C)the earth's rotation about its axis.
D)the earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun.
E)the Coriolis effect.
Q4) The Southern Oscillation refers to a change in surface pressure over the south Atlantic Ocean.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Name the four major pressure zones that occur in each hemisphere.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Air Masses
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Sample Questions
Q1) An air mass is a body of air with:
A)very low humidity in its lower layers.
B)very high pressure everywhere.
C)similar values of temperature and moisture in the horizontal.
D)at least two frontal zones.
E)equal density throughout.
Q2) Continental polar air masses do not form in the summer in North America.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Consider the map above.What air mass is the most likely to be found in Florida,just ahead of the cold front?
A)mP
B)mT
C)cP
D)mA
Q4) Name three processes by which an air mass can be modified.
Q5) cT air masses are hot and dry.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Why are the boundary zones of air masses of special concern?
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Weather Patterns
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the stations listed below should have the highest temperature?
A)point E
B)point J
C)point H
D)point F
E)point A
Q2) Middle-latitude cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere:
A)have cold fronts but not warm fronts.
B)travel from east to west.
C)are large high-pressure systems.
D)rotate counterclockwise.
Q3) The approximate lifetime of a wave cyclone is:
A)a month.
B)10 - 24 hours.
C)1 - 2 days.
D)10 - 14 days.
E)a few days to a week.
Q4) Describe the favored locations for surface cyclones and anticyclones with respect to the upper-level ridges and troughs.
Q5) Warm air is lifted over cold air.
11
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Chapter 10: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
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Sample Questions
Q1) At what time of day is an air-mass thunderstorm more likely to develop?
A)midafternoon
B)midnight
C)midmorning
D)pre-dawn
Q2) "Heat lightning":
A)is actually a display of the northern lights.
B)is also called "ball lightning."
C)is brighter than ordinary lightning.
D)occurs more than 20 kilometers from the person observing it.
Q3) A mesocyclone often precedes tornado development.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A squall line is most likely to develop where?
A)in the middle of a cP air mass
B)along a warm front
C)along a cold front
D)along a dryline in the warm sector of a mid-latitude cyclone
Q5) How are both positively and negatively charged particles able to form in the same thunderstorm cloud?
12
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Chapter 11: Hurricanes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why do surface wind speeds increase toward the center of a hurricane?
A)reduced friction
B)stronger Coriolis effect
C)conservation of angular momentum
D)warmer water
Q2) The doughnut-shaped wall of intense convective activity surrounding the center of the storm is called the:
A)eye.
B)eye ring.
C)eye wall.
D)core.
Q3) The United States deadliest hurricane happened in 1900 in Galveston,Texas.Approximately how many deaths did the hurricane cause?
A)1000
B)2000
C)4000
D)8000
Q4) Hurricanes do not form within about 5 degrees latitude of the equator.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Weather Analysis and Forecasting
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the major problems of global weather forecasting is the lack of cooperation between major world powers.
A)True
B)False
Q2) One commonly used way to improve a numerical model forecast is to:
A)reformulate the model after every forecast to correct errors.
B)statistically assess errors that the model makes repeatedly and adjust the forecast accordingly.
C)eliminate portions of the model that aren't contributing to the forecast.
D)simplify the model's assumptions.
Q3) Clouds and precipitation patterns are often clues to the position of a front.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The primary purpose of a radiosonde is:
A)to acquire data about conditions in the upper atmosphere.
B)to report data about surface conditions at an automated weather station.
C)to compile data from thousands of automated weather stations into one file.
D)to calculate numerical predictions of weather.
Q5) Long-range forecasting employs this method: ________.
Q6) In this process a search is made for analogous past weather records: ________.
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Air Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Between 1990 and 2009,emissions of the five major primary pollutants rose significantly.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Building tall smokestacks may contribute to some air pollution problems.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Air pollution problems are most acute when winds are strong and gusty.
A)True
B)False
Q4) When air pollution episodes occur they generally result from a dramatic increase in the output of pollutants.
A)True
B)False
Q5) These are also known as hydrocarbons: ________.
Q6) This source of primary pollutants is the greatest contributor to air pollution.
A)solid waste disposal
B)transportation
C)industrial processes
D)stationary source fuel combustion
Page 15
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Chapter 14: The Changing Climate
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Sample Questions
Q1) The length of time that a volcanic eruption impacts the climate is largely determined by:
A)the amount of water evaporated.
B)how much ash is emitted.
C)whether the ash or gas reaches the stratosphere.
D)how much gas is emitted.
E)the explosive force of the eruption.
Q2) Past climate data measured with instruments extends back about
A)30 yrs.
B)200 yrs.
C)100 yrs.
D)500 yrs.
Q3) If the tilt of the earth's axis changes,how does this affect the temperature change across the seasons?
A)no consistent relation exists
B)more tilt,smaller seasonal change
C)less tilt,smaller seasonal change
D)less tilt,larger seasonal change
Q4) List two ways in which humans likely caused climate changes before the time of the industrial revolution.
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Chapter 15: World Climates
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Cs climates are only found near the Mediterranean Sea.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Mountains often have rainy climates on their windward slopes and dry climates on their leeward slopes.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The term laterite refers to:
A)rich tropical soils that sustain multiple types of agriculture.
B)heavily leached tropical soils that become extremely hard when dried.
C)laterally banded minerals found in tropical soils.
D)minerals left behind in soil when rainwater evaporates.
Q4) The first known attempt at classifying climates was made by:
A)Galileo.
B)ancient Romans.
C)ancient Greeks.
D)Islamic scholars.
E)the Chinese.
Q5) List four of the major controls that determine the climate of a place.
Q6) Give a brief definition of the term climate.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Optical Phenomena of the Atmosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) When two people view a rainbow,they both are observing the same bow.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Usually seen near sunrise or sunset in association with falling ice crystals,________ are vertical shafts of light that appear to extend upward from the Sun..
A)sun pillars
B)sun dogs
C)Fata Morgana
D)perihelion
Q3) The cloud drops responsible for the glory are smaller than those responsible for the rainbow.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Internal reflection is an important factor in the formation of optical phenomena.
A)True
B)False
Q5) This type of cloud is most often present when halos form.
Q6) These vertical shafts of light are created by slowly falling crystals of ice.
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