ATSC 201 - Meteorology of Storms - Fall 2006

Quizzes

Quizzes cover only the readings in textbook Rauber, Walsh and Charlevoix, 2005: Severe and Hazardous Weather, 2nd Ed. Kendall/Hunt Publ Co.

QUIZ 1 - Atmospheric Structure, Thunderstorms, Radar

If using a clicker, wait until Prof. Stull activates the PRS receiver, then join the class. Next, wait until he starts the quiz timer, then scroll to the different questions, type your response, and hit the enter (send) key after each question.

If using paper, write your name and student number at top.

  1. The boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere is called the A) stratopause B) mesosphere C) mesopause D) thermosphere E) tropopause
  2. What wind speed (in knots) does this symbol indicate A) 10 B) 15 C) 20 D) 25 E) 30
  3. Cloud droplets can remain liquid for T < 0°C? True False
  4. The balloon-lofted weather instrument used to measure standard weather elements is called a/an: A) ACARS B) rawinsonde C) radar D) profiler E) satellite
  5. Isolated thunderstorms are called ____ thunderstorms. A) air-mass B) supercell C) MCS D) multicell E) squall-line
  6. The most intense Tstorms are called __ thunderstorms. A) air-mass B) supercell C) MCS D) multicell E) squall-line

QUIZ 2 - Forces, Winds, Vorticity, Tornadoes

  1. The 4th stage (i.e., 2nd to last) of the tornado life cycle is called the ___ stage. A) mature B) rope C) decay D) organizing E) dust swirl
  2. In N. America the ___ scale is used to classify tornado intensity. A) Saffir-Simpson B) TORRO C) Coriolis D) Beaufort E) Fujita
  3. In existing mesocyclones, rotation is intensified toward tornadic speeds by a process called ___ . A) tilting B) advection C) beta D) drag E) stretching
  4. For horizontal winds, air parcels are affected by the Earth's rotation through ___ force. A) Coriolis B) Fujita C) Turbulent drag D) Pressure Gradient E) Advection
  5. Even when the air moves in a straight line (i.e., no curvature or turning), the relative vorticity can be non-zero. (T) True (F) False

QUIZ 3 - Lightning & Thunder

  1. Less lightning is produced in hurricane thunderstorms than in mid-latitude thunderstorms. (T) True (F) False
  2. The large accumulation of positive charge is found mostly in the ____ portion of a thunderstorm. (A) top (B) middle (C) bottom
  3. When lightning occurs inside a thunderstorm cloud, causing the cloud to light up but without seeing the lightning stroke itself, it is called: A) St. Elmo's fire B) Bead lightning C) Heat lightning D) Sheet lightning E) A bolt from the blue
  4. By measuring the time difference between when you see lightning and when you hear thunder, you can estimate your distance from the lightning, based on ___ seconds / kilometer. A) 0.1 B) 0.3 C) 1 D) 3 E) 5

QUIZ 4 - Hail

  1. Ice particles of diameter 1 to 5 mm are called ___ . A) embryos B) graupel C) hailstones D) hail curtains E) hail streaks
  2. What factors are needed for large hailstone growth? A) ice crystals B) supercooled liquid water C) strong updrafts D) a thunderstorm anvil E) Doppler radar
  3. The damage path on the ground caused by hail is called a/an ___. A) hail cascade B) hail curtain C) hailswath D) hailstreak E) bounded weak echo region (BWER)
  4. Which statement(s) is/are TRUE? A) Soft white layers in hail form during wet growth. B) Clear hard layers in hail form during dry growth. C) Relatively little liquid water exists in the echo-free vault region as viewed by radar. D) One of the Canadian provinces with many damaging hail storms is Alberta. E) Hail is more damaging if horizontal winds are faster.

QUIZ 5 - Downbursts & Gust Fronts

  1. When downburst air hits the ground and spreads out horizontally, the leading edge of the spreading air is called the gust front. True / False
  2. Both downbursts and gust fronts are hazardous to aircraft. True / False
  3. Downbursts are formed by what mechanism(s)? (Indicate all that are TRUE.) A) Strong jet-stream winds near the tropopause hit the thunderstorm anvil and are forced downward. B) Horizontal divergence of winds near the surface lowers the pressure there, and sucks the air downward. C) Cold environmental air near the thunderstorm top has negative buoyancy and sinks to the surface. D) Evaporation of precipitation cools the air below cloud base. E) Falling precipitation drags the air downward.

QUIZ 6 - Global Circulation, Rossby Waves, Forecasting, Air Masses, Fronts

  1. 1) Three limitations of weather forecast models are: inexact equations, errors in initial weather conditions, inadequate resolution.    ( T / F )

    2) A "spaghetti plot" is one way to display output from a numerical forecasting method called Model Output Statistics (MOS).   ( T / F )

    3) Surface low-pressure centers (i.e., mid-latitude cyclones) develop under regions where there is ___ aloft.  (one best answer)            A) shear   B) curvature  C) convergence     D) divergence      E) high-pressure

    4) The location(s) relative to a jet streak that favour cyclogenesis is/are the ____ region(s): 
    A) left entrance    B) right entrance   C) center D) left exit     E) right exit

    5) A cold occlusion has  (one best answer):
    A) warm air underlying both the cold and cool air
    B) warm air overlying both the cold and cool air
    C) a warm front that caught up to a cold front
    D) a narrow band of clouds
    E) the coldest air mass retreating

QUIZ 7 - Mid-latitude Cyclones and Hurricanes.

  1. 1) Satellite images of clouds associated with a mature mid-latitude cyclone often look like (one best answer):
    A) circles     B) exclamation points     C) periods   D) commas    E) bow echoes

    2) A trough of warm air aloft is called a/an:
    A) dry line     B) warm front    C) jet streak D) cold front    E) trowal

    3) Precipitation in mid-latitude cyclones can be triggered along (one or more answers):
    A) cold fronts   B) warm fronts   C) occluded fronts D) dry lines    E) upper-level fronts

    4) Hurricane formation is often favored in regions of (one best answer): 
    A) easterly waves    B) strong environmental wind shear     C) at the equator
    D) subsidence (descending air) near 30° latitude E) cold sea surface temperature

    5) The strongest winds and greatest storm surge are found (one best answer):   
    A) on the right side of the hurricane B) on the left side of the hurricane 
    C) near the eye   D) behind the hurricane

    6) Air descends in the hurricane eye due to (1 best answer):
    A) negative buoyancy (cold air sinking)   B) conservation of angular momentum   
    C) vertical pressure gradient     D) descending tropopause      E) clear skies

written by Roland Stull, 2006.
UBC
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