Introduction to Meteorology Review
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Course Introduction
Introduction to Meteorology provides students with a foundational understanding of atmospheric science, exploring the physical principles that govern weather and climate. The course covers topics such as atmospheric composition and structure, heat and energy transfer, cloud formation, precipitation processes, wind systems, and severe weather phenomena. Students will also learn about weather forecasting techniques, climate variability, and the impact of human activity on the atmosphere. Through a combination of lectures, practical exercises, and data analysis, this course prepares students to interpret meteorological data and understand the dynamic nature of Earth's atmosphere.
Recommended Textbook
Meteorology Today An Introduction to Weather Climate and the Environment 10th Edition by C.
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Chapter 1: Earth and Its Atmosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) The gas that absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere is A) water vapor.
B) nitrous oxide.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) ozone.
E) chlorofluorocarbons.
Answer: D
Q2) The gas that shows the most variation from place to place and from time to time in the lower atmosphere is
A) ozone (O<sub>3</sub>).
B) carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>).
C) water vapor (H<sub>2</sub>O).
D) methane (CH<sub>4</sub>).
E) argon (Ar).
Answer: C
Q3) What instruments are used in meteorology? What role did the discovery of instruments play in the emergence of the science of meteorology?
Answer: no answer
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3
Chapter 2: Energy: Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere
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Q1) Explain how energy in the form of sunlight absorbed at the ground could be transferred upward in the atmosphere in the form of latent heat.How or when is the latent heat energy released in the air above the ground?
Answer: no answer
Q2) In what ways is the atmospheric greenhouse different from an agricultural greenhouse?
Answer: no answer
Q3) The amount of heat energy required to bring about a small change in temperature is called the
A) radiative equilibrium.
B) dead heat.
C) specific heat.
D) latent heat.
Answer: C
Q4) How do red and blue light differ?
A) Blue light has a higher speed of propagation.
B) The wavelength of red light is longer.
C) Red light has a higher intensity.
D) Red and blue light have different directions of polarization.
Answer: B
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Chapter 3: Seasonal and Daily Temperatures
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a hilly region,the best place to plant crops that are sensitive to low temperatures is A) on the valley floor.
B) along the hillsides.
C) on the top of the highest hill.
D) in any dry location.
Answer: B
Q2) Longer days are generally associated with A) less insolation.
B) fewer heating degree days.
C) more insolation.
Answer: C
Q3) In July,at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere,the day is ____ long and is ____ with each passing day.
A) less than 12 hours,getting longer
B) less than 12 hours,getting shorter
C) more than 12 hours,getting longer
D) more than 12 hours,getting shorter
Answer: D
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5
Chapter 4: Atmospheric Humidity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ignoring the contributions of wind,a baseball would be expected to travel farther in warm,humid air because
A) water vapor helps to lift the baseball even higher.
B) water vapor sticks to baseballs.
C) water vapor is less dense than dry air.
D) none of the above
Q2) The relative humidity is often near 100 percent in the polar regions.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If water vapor comprises 3.5 percent of an air parcel whose total pressure is 1000 mb,the water vapor pressure would be
A) 1035 mb.
B) 35 mb.
C) 350 mb.
D) 965 mb.
Q4) At what time of day is the relative humidity normally at a minimum?
A) when the air temperature is highest
B) just before sunrise
C) about midnight
D) when the air temperature is lowest
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Chapter 5: Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe,with the aid of a figure,the orbital paths followed by geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites.
Q2) Under what conditions can a cloud form when air is sinking?
Q3) List and discuss some of the effects that you think weather satellites may have had on the field of weather prediction.
Q4) List the main types of fog,then briefly explain how each one forms.Where might you expect each of these different types of fog to form?
Q5) Hail is usually associated with what cloud?
A) stratus
B) cumulus
C) stratocumulus
D) altocumulus
E) cumulonimbus
Q6) List one or more key identifying features for each of the ten basic cloud types.Which cloud types might have fairly similar appearances and thus be difficult to identify?
Q7) Fog is a major hazard to aviation.
A)True
B)False
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Stability and Cloud Development
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Sample Questions
Q1) Would you expect clear skies to accompany stable,unstable,or neutral stability conditions? Explain your answer.
Q2) What effects might a subsidence inversion have on weather conditions at the ground?
Q3) A completely dry air parcel which first rises and cools,and subsequently sinks and warms,is undergoing
A) an irreversible pseudoadiabatic process.
B) a reversible adiabatic process.
C) an irreversible adiabatic process.
Q4) The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the
A) environmental lapse rate.
B) dry adiabatic rate.
C) moist adiabatic rate.
D) thermocline.
Q5) Explain how the stability of the atmosphere can affect the types of clouds that form.
Q6) Based on atmospheric stability considerations,do you think it would be best to burn agricultural debris in the early morning or the afternoon?
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Chapter 7: Precipitation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Large raindrops fall ____ than smaller raindrops,and have a ____ terminal velocity than small raindrops.
A) faster,lesser
B) faster,greater
C) slower,lesser
D) slower,greater
Q2) Satellites measure rainfall from space using which instrument?
A) radar
B) tipping-bucket rain gauge
C) ceiliometer
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Q3) How is precipitation measured using Doppler radar?
Q4) Given that precipitation can be accurately measured at surface weather stations,explain why it is desirable to measure rainfall from space.
Q5) Explain why it is much more difficult to measure snowfall amount than rainfall amount.
Q6) Design an automated device for measuring snowfall.How might it work?
Q7) What shape does a large raindrop have? What forces determine this shape?
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Air Pressure and Winds
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Sample Questions
Q1) Pressure changes
A) more rapidly in the horizontal direction than in the vertical.
B) more rapidly in the vertical direction than in the horizontal.
C) at the same rate in the horizontal and vertical directions.
D) more rapidly in the vertical over land than over the ocean.
Q2) Suppose that the winds aloft are geostrophic and blowing from the north.Low pressure is located to the
A) north.
B) south.
C) east.
D) west.
Q3) The ____ is an apparent force created by the earth's rotation.
A) pressure gradient force
B) Coriolis force
C) centripetal force
D) gravitational force
Q4) Under what conditions might a station pressure of 750 mb be observed?
Q5) Explain briefly why upper-level winds at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere blow from west to east.In what direction do upper level winds at middle latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere blow?
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Chapter 9: Wind: Small Scale and Local Systems
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Q1) You are hiking on a mountain trail at sunrise when you smell the smoke from cooking bacon.You can't see where the smoke is coming from.Would you expect the camp to be above you or below you on the mountain? Explain.
Q2) Dust storms and dust devils are ____ on Mars.
A) infrequent
B) extremely rare
C) common
Q3) List the scales of atmospheric motion from largest to smallest and give an example of each.From what you know about the various types of wind systems,are the size and duration related?
Q4) The nighttime counterpart of the sea breeze circulation is called a A) chinook.
B) Santa Ana.
C) land breeze.
D) night breeze.
E) foehn.
Q5) Clear air turbulence often occurs near a boundary of high wind shear.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Explain how Florida's sea breezes can increase the potential for wildfires.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Wind: Global Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) What changes might you expect to see in the earth's general circulation if the earth's rotation were in the opposite direction?
Q2) A jet stream transfers more heat across the globe when it is
A) zonal.
B) meridional.
Q3) The southern hemisphere has ____ semi-permanent lows than the northern hemisphere.
A) fewer
B) more
Q4) During a major El Niño event,
A) Peruvian fishermen harvest a record amount of fish near Christmas time.
B) extensive ocean warming occurs over the tropical Pacific.
C) the Northeast trade winds increase in strength.
D) California experiences severe drought conditions.
Q5) Explain why large high and low pressure systems don't move from east-to-west across the continental United States.
Q6) Describe at least two important ways that the ocean interacts with large-scale atmospheric wind systems.
Q7) What meteorological conditions are typically associated with the ITCZ?
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Air Masses and Fronts
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Q1) What type of clouds,if any,would you expect to see form when a cP air mass moves across warm water? Would conditions be any different when mT air moves across a cold land surface? Which types of clouds would form in this latter case?
Q2) Describe some of the changes in weather conditions (winds,temperature,clouds,precipitation,pressure changes)you would expect to observe as a cold front approaches and passes through your location.
Q3) What type of weather front would be responsible for the following weather forecast? "Increasing cloudiness and warm today with the possibility of showers by this evening.Turning much colder tonight.Winds southwesterly becoming gusty and shifting to northwesterly by tonight."
A) cold front
B) warm front
C) cold-type occluded front
D) stationary front
Q4) The word "frontogenesis" on a weather map would mean that
A) a front is in the process of dissipating.
B) one front is about to overtake another front.
C) a front is regenerating or strengthening.
D) severe thunderstorms will form along a front.
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Chapter 12: Middle-Latitude Cyclones
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Q1) For a surface storm system to intensify,the upper-level low (or trough)should be located to the ____ of the surface low.
A) north
B) south
C) east
D) west
Q2) Describe how horizontal changes in both wind direction and wind speed can cause convergence and divergence.
Q3) How can shortwaves be identified and followed on 500 mb charts?
Q4) Vorticity is always present in the atmosphere,even during fair weather.
A)True
B)False
Q5) When upper-level divergence of air above a surface low pressure area is stronger than the convergence of surface air,the surface pressure will ____ and the storm itself will ____.
A) increase,intensify
B) increase,dissipate
C) decrease,intensify
D) decrease,dissipate
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Chapter 13: Weather Forecasting
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Sample Questions
Q1) With all other factors being equal,will a cloudy day have a higher or lower maximum temperature then a clear day? How about the minimum temperature during a cloudy vs.clear night? Explain.
Q2) Which weather advisory is issued when falling or blowing snow and winds of at least 35 miles per hour restrict visibility to less than 1/4 mile for several hours?
A) tornado warning
B) hurricane warning
C) snow advisory
D) blizzard warning
Q3) List some of the factors that affect the accuracy of atmospheric models.
Q4) Refer to Exhibit 13-1.At which of the 4 positions would you expect to hear the following 12-hour forecast: "Partly cloudy and continued warm through this afternoon and evening"?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
Q5) Describe the relationship between dew point and minimum temperatures.
Q6) Describe the difference between persistence and steady-state forecasts.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
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Q1) What makes a tornado-producing thunderstorm different from other thunderstorms?
Q2) List and describe the sequence of events that occur during a cloud-to-ground lightning discharge.
Q3) Electrons
A) are negatively charged.
B) are positively charged.
C) carry no charge.
D) can carry either positive or negative charge.
Q4) The initial stage of an ordinary thunderstorm is the
A) mature stage.
B) dissipating stage.
C) cumulus stage.
D) multicell stage.
Q5) Which of the following factors is most important in determining the strength of a tornado?
A) diameter
B) air temperature
C) duration
D) central pressure
Q6) Do invisible tornadoes exist? Why or why not?
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Chapter 15: Hurricanes
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Q1) As surface air rushes in toward the eye of a hurricane,the air expands and should cool.The main reason the surface air is not cooler around the eye is because
A) the sinking air near the eye warms the air.
B) friction with the water adds heat to the air.
C) the warm water heats the air.
D) sunlight heats the air.
Q2) List and describe some of the conditions that are favorable to hurricane development.What atmospheric conditions inhibit hurricane formation and growth?
Q3) Computer models of hurricanes almost always agree on their predictions of a hurricane's movement and evolution.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Very heavy rainfall amounts are often recorded when a hurricane or tropical storm moves over land.Why do these storms produce so much rain?
Q5) Even though more hurricanes form,on average,over the Eastern Pacific than over the tropical North Atlantic,we generally hear less about them.Why do you think this is so?
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Earths Changing Climate
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Q1) Volcanoes that have the most impact on global climate seem to be those rich in A) nitrogen.
B) water vapor.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) sulfur.
E) oxygen.
Q2) Which of the following are external causes of climate change?
A) changes of the earth's surface
B) changes in atmospheric composition
C) changes in incoming solar radiation
D) all of these
Q3) The Milankovitch Theory proposes that climatic changes are due to A) variations in the earth's orbit as it travels through space.
B) volcanic eruptions.
C) changing levels of CO<sub>2</sub> in the earth's atmosphere.
D) particles suspended in the earth's atmosphere.
Q4) Briefly describe the climatic variations that have occurred since the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch to the present day.
Q5) In what ways might global warming benefit the planet?
Q6) What are some of the possible consequences of global warming?
Page 18
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Chapter 17: Global Climate
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Q1) The coldest regions of large continents are usually on the west coast.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The variety of climatic zones that one observes on a mountain is due primarily to differences in
A) atmospheric pressure.
B) relative humidity.
C) rainfall amounts.
D) temperature.
Q3) A city on the west coast of the United States with mild winters and a long cool summer would have a ____ climate.
A) moist subtropical (Cfb)
B) tropical wet and dry (Aw)
C) moist continental (Dfa)
D) semi-arid (BS)
Q4) Which climate type(s)would be affected most by global warming? Why?
Q5) How is it possible for regions with a desert climate to be found next to an ocean,which you might expect to be an abundant source of moist air?
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Chapter 18: Air Pollution
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Q1) About 97 percent of all ozone in the atmosphere is found in the A) stratosphere.
B) troposphere.
C) mesosphere.
D) exosphere.
E) thermosphere.
Q2) Describe how the use of a tall smoke stack might improve air quality in the vicinity of a large industrial facility.
Q3) What gas is produced naturally in the stratosphere and is also a primary component of photochemical smog in polluted air at the surface?
A) carbon dioxide
B) carbon monoxide
C) ozone
D) nitrogen dioxide
E) hydrocarbons
Q4) Explain why locating industrial facilities on the perimeter of a city might not always prevent air pollution in the city.
Q5) How does Los Angeles-type smog differ from London-type smog?
Q6) Why doesn't an acidified lake look polluted?
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Chapter 19: Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics
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Q1) White light is ____ of electromagnetic radiation.
A) a single long wavelength
B) a single short wavelength
C) a mixture of all visible wavelengths
D) a mixture of all types
Q2) The blue color of distant mountains is due primarily to
A) diffraction of light.
B) scattering of light.
C) refraction of light.
D) emission of light.
E) absorption of light.
Q3) Because of atmospheric refraction,a star seen near the earth's horizon is actually A) slightly higher than it appears.
B) slightly lower than it appears.
C) much dimmer than it appears.
D) much further away than it appears.
Q4) Write a set of instructions for observing a rainbow.Include the meteorological conditions to look for,the time(s)of day,and the direction(s)in which to look.
Q5) How does adding particles to the atmosphere affect visibility?
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