Professional Documents
Culture Documents
;A weak trough of low pressure found in the tropics and along which hurricanes occasionally form is called a(n) __
a. tropical wave (or easterly wave)
c. isobar
d. streamline
ANSWER:
a. evaporation
b. condensation
c. fusion
d. melt
ANSWER:
;The skies in the center of a hurricane are often cloud free. This is because the air in the eye is ____.
a. sinking
b. very cold
c. dry
d. expanding
ANSWER:
;Pressure at the center of a hurricane is ____ than the surroundings at the surface and ____ than the surroundings
a. higher; lower
b. lower; higher
c. lower; lower
d. higher; higher
ANSWER:
;As surface air rushes in toward the eye of a hurricane, the air expands and should cool. The main reason the surf
ANSWER:
;The vertical structure of the hurricane shows an upper-level ____ of air, and a surface ____ of air.
a. outflow; inflow
b. outflow; outflow
c. inflow; outflow
d. inflow; inflow
ANSWER:
;During a hurricane, the heaviest rainfall occurs in the ____.
a. eye
b. eyewall
d. storm’s periphery
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
;Typhoons and hurricanes ____.
ANSWER:
;By international agreement, what is the general term for all hurricane-type storms that originate over tropical wa
a. typhoons
b. hurricanes
c. tropical storms
d. tropical cyclones
ANSWER:
;The skies in the center of a hurricane are often cloud free and surface air pressure is very low. This area is referre
a. eye
b. eyewall
c. rainfree area
d. streamline
ANSWER:
;During a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere, surface winds increase in speed as they blow ____ and ____ the
ANSWER:
;The strongest winds in a hurricane are found ____.
ANSWER:
d. neither hemisphere
ANSWER:
;Storms that form in the tropics are given names when ____.
ANSWER:
;As a northward-moving hurricane passes to the east of an area, surface winds should change from ____.
a. NW to N to NE
b. W to SW to S
c. NE to N to NW
d. S to SW to W
ANSWER:
;Suppose the eye of a hurricane passed directly over you, and you survived the experience. If winds were from th
from what direction did the winds blow when the eyewall reached you the second time?
a. NW
b. NE
c. SE
d. SW
ANSWER:
;The main reason hurricanes don’t develop over the south Atlantic Ocean adjacent to South America is because t
ANSWER:
;Which region of the United States will most likely experience thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes during th
ANSWER:
a. Winds are light, humidity high, and surface water temperature is warm.
b. Winds are light, humidity low, and surface water temperature is cool.
c. Winds are high, humidity high, and surface water temperature is cool.
d. Winds are high, humidity low, and surface water temperature is warm.
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
a. there isn’t much water along the equator, it’s mostly land
b. rising of warm air and sinking of cold air in the vicinity of weather fronts
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
;The three stages of a developing hurricane (from the first stage to the third) are ____.
ANSWER:
;Just before a storm is classified as a fully developed hurricane, it is in the ____ stage.
a. tropical depression
b. tropical disturbance
c. tropical storm
d. tropical cyclone
ANSWER:
;The main feature distinguishing a hurricane from an ordinary tropical storm is that ____.
b. tropical storms are more than 500 miles from the mainland
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
d. Atlantic hurricanes are given male names and Pacific hurricanes are given female names.
ANSWER:
;Climate models predict that, as the world continues to warm, sea-surface temperatures in the tropics will rise. Th
a. increase global circulation
ANSWER:
a. high winds
b. flooding
c. lightning
d. tornadoes
ANSWER:
c. wind shear
ANSWER:
a. a weak hurricane
ANSWER:
;On the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, a hurricane with winds in excess of 155 mi/hr (135 knots) would be classi
a. 1
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
;The strongest winds in a hurricane heading westward toward Florida would most likely be found on the ____ side
a. northern
b. southern
c. eastern
d. western
ANSWER:
;Hurricane Katrina was classified as a Category 5, but as it moved towards the coast its rainbands near the center
storm weakened, and Katrina made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. This weakening was primarily due to the p
a. trade-wind inversion
b. rainband disintegration
c. eye replacement
d. eyewall replacement
ANSWER:
;A hurricane warning ____.
c. gives the percent chance of a hurricane’s center passing within 65 miles of a community
ANSWER:
;Which event indicates that a hurricane will likely strike your area within 24 hours?
ANSWER:
;Despite there being many differences in structure, if a weakening hurricane links up with an upper-level trough,
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: T
;The terms typhoon and cyclone refer to the initial weaker stages in the development of a hurricane.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
;Most hurricanes develop in warm tropical waters at the Equator even though the Coriolis force is zero there.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
;Hurricane development is more likely when the trade wind inversion is well developed.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
;There is a reduction in the number of Atlantic hurricanes during a major El Niño event.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: T
;In most tropical regions the seasons are marked by differences in TEMPERATURE | PRECIPITATION.
ANSWER: PRECIPITATION
;In a hurricane are the fastest winds and strongest thunderstorms found closer to the CENTER or the outer EDGE
ANSWER: CENTER
;Tropical cyclone development is most likely in a region where surface winds CONVERGE | DIVERGE.
ANSWER: CONVERGE
;A hurricane’s intensity will INCREASE | DECREASE when the storm moves from the ocean onto land.
ANSWER: DECREASE
;Hurricane development is more likely when preexisting upper-level winds are STRONG | WEAK.
ANSWER: WEAK
;Does the temperature difference between the ocean and cloud top determine the maximum strength of a storm
CONVECTION representation of a hurricane?
;As westward-moving Atlantic hurricanes approach the east coast of the United States, they turn toward the NO
ANSWER: NORTH
;In a hurricane moving northward along the Atlantic coast of the United States, the strongest winds will be on the
ANSWER: EAS
;Cloud seeding has been used in attempts to INCREASE | DECREASE the diameter of the eye wall and thereby w
ANSWER: INCREASE
;What do forecasters use in place of isobars on ocean weather maps and why?
Because the variation of sea-level pressure is normally small, drawing isobars on an ocean weather map pro
ANSWER:
typically analyze streamlines that depict wind flow. These are useful because they show where surface air c
;In the vertical, where are winds the strongest in a hurricane versus in mid-latitude cyclones?
ANSWER: Hurricane winds are strongest near the surface, whereas the strongest winds of a mid-latitude cyclone ar
The eye of a hurricane is its center -within the eye, winds are light,clouds are mainly broken, and the surfac
ANSWER: the eye and is a ring of intense thunderstorms that whirl around the storm’s center. The heaviest precipitati
eyewall.
In the region of the trade winds (especially near latitude 20°) the air is often sinking in association with the
ANSWER: and creates an inversion above the surface known as the trade wind inversion that, when strong enough, ca
hurricanes.
;About one-fourth of the hurricanes that strike the United States produce tornadoes. Where do these tornadoes
ANSWER: Tornadoes associated with hurricanes tend to form in the right front quadrant of an advancing hurricane, w
Tropical cyclones, called hurricanes, are similar to middle-latitude cyclonic storms in that, at the surface, bo
spiral counterclockwise (in the Northern Hemisphere) about their respective centers. However, there are m
hurricane derives its energy from the warm water and the latent heat of condensation, whereas a mid-latitu
temperature contrasts. The vertical structure of a hurricane is such that its central column of air is warm fro
ANSWER:
hurricane weakens with height. Mid-latitude cyclones, however, are cold-core lows that usually intensify wi
eye where the air is sinking, while mid-latitude cyclones are characterized by centers of rising air. Hurricane
strongest winds of the mid-latitude cyclones are found aloft in the jet stream. Even though hurricanes weak
draw in air with contrasting properties and if the hurricane links with an upper-level trough, it may actually
;Has the frequency and intensity of hurricanes have increased in recent years? Why or why not? Why might these
The number and intensity of hurricanes, especially in the Atlantic Basin, has increased over the last several
– the warmer the water, the more fuel available to drive the storm. An increase of only ;C (1°F) can increase
the maximum winds of hurricanes by about 5 knots (almost 6 miles/hr). Sea-surface temperatures have incr
ANSWER:
1990s. At least some of this warming may be attributed to an overall temperature rise throughout the world
continues to warm, sea-surface temperatures in the tropics will continue to rise, even by about 2°C (;F) by t
correct, future hurricanes could have much more intense wind speeds. There is debate, however, whether h
;Explain the various aspects of hurricanes that can allow them to be so devastating.
ANSWER: Although the high winds of a hurricane can inflict a great deal of damage, it is usually the huge waves and th
the most destruction and loss of life. The flooding is due, in part, to winds pushing water onto the shore and
which is usually well above the high-tide level, high winds, and the Ekman transport (bending or movement
an abnormal rise of several meters in the ocean level that can inundate low-lying areas. Extreme flooding ca
spawned tornadoes can also cause considerable damage.
;Hurricane Sandy lost its hurricane status about three hours before making landfall. Why, then, is it so historically significant?
Although it lost its hurricane status about three hours before making landfall, Hurricane Sandy, often called Superstorm San
damaging storm surge in more than 70 years to coastal areas of New Jersey and New York. The answer may also include a d
ANSWER: and include the other nations that were touched. In addition, answers may mention that in the aftermath of Sandy, the Nati
policy so that hurricane warnings can now be issued and kept in place up to landfall even if a hurricane is expected to becom
technically a hurricane) before it strikes land because coastal residents were not placed under a hurricane warning for Sand
;Why may the ancient sailors of the sea knew what they were doing when they would dump oil into the sea durin
Some sailors, even in ancient times, would dump oil into the sea during stormy weather, claiming it reduced
studies have shown that ocean spray has an effect on the winds of a hurricane. Apparently, the tiny spray re
ANSWER: Therefore, with the same pressure gradient, the more ocean spray, the higher the winds. So, limiting ocean
the ocean water may reduce the storm’s winds. Without knowing the mathematical reasons, the ancient sa
been preventing very strong winds and even hurricanes.