WEATHER SYSTEM

1. Lines drawn through points on the Earth having the same atmosphere pressure are known as:
a. isothermal b. Millibars c. Isobars d. Seismic

2. As the temperature for a given mass of air decrease, the:

a. Relative humidity decrease
b. Relative humidity increase c. Relative humidity remains the same
d. dew point rises

3. The earth’s irregular heating is/are caused by:

a. The time of the day c. Geography
b. The seasons d. All of the above

4. The process in which an air mass changes in temperature and/or moisture characteristics is called:
a. Sublimation or condensation c. Consolidation
b. modification d. association

5. Dew point is reached when the:

a. Temperature of the air equals the temperature of the sea water
b. Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi
c. Relative humidity reaches 50%
d. Air becomes water vapor saturated

6. The dew point temperature is:

a. Always higher than the air temperature
b. always lower than the air temperature
c. the temperature at which the air is oversaturated and fog is present
d. The temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapor

7. Relative humidity is the percent of moist air to dry air at:

a. a specific barometric pressure c. A specific wind speed
b. A specific temperature d. anytime

8. The expression “the air is saturated means”

a. The relative humidity is 100%
b. The vapor pressure is at its minimum for the prevailing temperature
c. Precipitation has commenced
d. cloud cover is 100%

9. The direction of the surface wind is:

A. Directly from high pressure toward low pressure
b. Directly from low pressure toward high pressure
c. From high pressure toward low pressure deflected by the earth’s rotation
d. From low pressure toward high pressure deflected by the earth’s rotation

10. Wind direction may be determined by observing all of the following except:
a. Low clouds c. Whitecups
b. Waves d. Swells

11. A katabatic wind blows:

a. Up an incline due to surface heating
b. In a circular pattern
c. Down an incline due to cooling of the air
d. Horizontally between a high and a low pressure area

12. Mechanical lifting of air by the upslope slant of the terrain is called:
a. vertical lifting c. Advective lifting
b. Convective lifting d. Orographic lifting

13. The greater difference between a high and a low pressure center, the:
a. Drier the mass will be c. Greater the force of the wind will be
b. Cooler the temperature will be d. Warmer the temperature will be

14. A steep barometric gradient would indicate:

a. calm c. Strong winds
b. Light winds d. Precipitation

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15. Wind velocity varies:
a. Directly with the temperature of the air mass c. Inversely with the barometric pressure
b. Directly with the pressure gradient d. Inversely with the absolute humidity

16. All of the following are characteristics of the weather experienced in the zone (the doldrums) except:
a. a high relative humidity c. Steep pressure gradient
b. Frequent showers and thunderstorms d. Frequent calms

17. The diurnal pressure variation is most noticeable in the:

a. polar regions c. Roaring forties
b. Horse latitudes d. Doldrums

18. The horse latitudes are characterized by:

a. Weak pressure gradient and light, variable winds
b. The formation of typhoons and hurricane in certain seasons
c. Steady winds in one direction for six months followed by wind reversal for the next six months
d. Steady winds generally from the southeast in the S. Hemisphere

19. The region corresponding with the ring of high pressure which extends around the earth at about 35ºN
latitude is known as the:
a. Prevailing westerlies c. Troposphere
B. Horse latitudes d. Doldrums

20. The pressure gradient between the horse latitudes and doldrums runs:
a. East- west c. Northeast-southeast
b. North –south d. Northwest –southwest

21. The wind flow from the horse latitude to the doldrums is deflected due to:
a. The Coriolis force c. Differing atmosphere pressure
b. The mid-latitude semi-permanent high d. The prevailing westerlies

22. In N. America, the majority of the weather systems move from:

a. North to south c. East to West
b. South to North d. West to East

23. In the U.S., which direction do air masses usually move:

a. easterly c. Northerly
b. Southerly d. Southwesterly

24. Weather conditions in the middle latitudes move generally:

a. Eastward c. Northward
b. Westward d. Southward

25. Weather generally travels in the middle latitudes from:

a. east to west c. west to east
b. north to south d. None of the above
26. Which of the following winds reverse directions seasonally?
a. Monsoon winds c. Jet stream
b. Hooked trades d. Secondary winds

27. On the pole ward side of the high pressure belt in each hemisphere, the pressure again diminishes. The
airflow along these gradient are diverted by the earth’s rotation toward the east and are known as the:
a. Geostrophic winds c. Horse latitudes
b. Doldrums d. Prevailing westerlies

28. Which of the following wind patterns generally influence the movement of frontal weather systems over
the N. America continent?
a. Sub-polar easterlies c. Prevailing westerlies
b. Northeast trades d. Dominant southwesterly flow

29. The ‘roaring forties” are strongest at about latitude:

a. 40º N c. 40º S
b. 50º N d. 50º S

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30. the area of string winds occurring between 40º S and 60º S latitudes which blow toward the east is
called:
a. Polar easterlies c. Roaring forties
b. Prevailing westerlies d. Jet streams

31. In the N. Atlantic between latitudes 5ºand 30º, the winds you would expect to encounter are known as
the:
a. Doldrums c. Westerlies
b. Trades d. Easterlies

32. The consistent winds blowing from the horse latitudes to the doldrums are called the:
a. Trade winds c. Polar easterlies
b. Prevailing westerlies d. Roaring forties

33. The primary wind belt which has the greatest effect on the set, drift and depth of the equatorial are the:
a. Doldrums c. Trade winds
b. Horse latitudes d. Prevailing westerlies

34. The prevailing winds in the band of latitude from approximately 15 N to 30 N are called the:
a. Prevailing westerlies c. South trade winds
b. Northeast trade wind d. doldrums

35. Which of the following winds blow from the area about 30 N of the equatorial region?
a. Prevailing westerlies c. Equatorial flow
b. Roaring forties d. Northeast trades

36. The belt of light and variable winds between the westerly wind belt and the northeast trades is called:
a. subtropical high pressure belt c. Doldrums belt
b. Inter tropical convergence zone d. Polar front zone

37. At night, which of the following winds result from a land mass cooling more quickly than an adjacent
water area?
a. Coastal breeze c. Land Breeze
b. Sea Breeze d. mistral

38. A local wind which occurs during daytime and is caused by the different rates of warming of land and
water is a:
a. Foehn c. Noland breeze
b. Chinook d. Sea breeze

39. A strong , often violent, northerly occurring on the Pacific coast of Mexico, particularly during the cooler
months, and is a fall wind is called:
a. Tehuantepecer c. Norther
b. Papagoyo d. Pampero

40. In general, the difference between wind direction and wind driven current direction is:
a. Nil c. 45 ºto 75º
b. 15º to 45º d. 75º to 90º

41. On the pole ward side of the horse latitude, the winds will be predominantly:
a. Light and variable c. Westerly
b. Easterly d. Easterly in summer and westerly in winter

42. During the day the temperature of the land becomes Warner than the sea. The result is:
a. Stagnant air c. a land breeze, from land sea
b. A sea breeze, from sea to land d. winds rotating about the land mass

43. During the evening the land give off its heat and falls below the temperature of water. The result would
be:
a. Stagnant air c. A sea breeze, from sea to the land
b. A land breeze, from the land to sea d. Rotating winds about the land

44. the summer monsoon is caused by:

a. typhoon
b. Winds blowing from a low pressure to a high pressure
c. Low pressure over the sea
d. Low pressure over the land

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45. The primary cause of wind is:
a. the unequal heating of the earth’s surface d. Low pressure flowing to high pressure at the
b. the force of gravity surface
c. the rotation of the earth

46. the doldrums area is characterized by:

a. Overcast with showers and thunderstorms c. Strong winds
b. Clear skies d. Steep pressure gradient

47. The winter monsoon is caused by:

a, a rising air mass over the land c. a warmer body of land
b. a high pressure are over the sea d. a low pressure area over the sea

48. The winter monsoon is characterized by:

a. southerly wind, showers c. Northerly wind, clear skies
b. Light breezes, overcast skies d. Thunderstorms, hurricane

49. The summer monsoon is characterized by:

a. calms, northerly winds c. Rainfall, southerly winds
b. light breeze, little rainfall d. Overcast skies

50. the williwaw of the Aleutian coast, the tehuantepecer of the Mexican and Central America coast, the
pampero of the Argentina coast, the mistral of the Western Mediterranean, and the bora of the Eastern
Mediterranean are examples of which of the following?
a. Fall wind c. Typhoons
b. Anabatic wind d. Stationary fronts

51. Clouds formations are minimal when the:

A. Surface temperature and temperature aloft differ greatly
b. Relative humidity is very high
c. surface temperature and the temperature aloft are equal
d. Barometric pressure is very low

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