Question 1

The change of state from a gas to a liquid is called _____ .

Accepted Answer

A)  condensation 
B)  deposition 
C)  evaporation 
D)  sublimation 
A)  condensation 
B)  deposition 
C)  evaporation 
D)  sublimation

Question 2

Irregular heating of the air can produce thermals, which are _____ .

Accepted Answer

A)  pockets of warm air that sink 
B)  pockets of cold air that rise 
C)  pockets of warm air that rise 
D)  pockets of cold air that sink 
A)  pockets of warm air that sink 
B)  pockets of cold air that rise 
C)  pockets of warm air that rise 
D)  pockets of cold air that sink

Question 3

When air rises, _____ it _____ and adiabatically.

Accepted Answer

A)  expands; warms 
B)  expands; cools 
C)  compresses; warms 
D)  compresses; cools 
A)  expands; warms 
B)  expands; cools 
C)  compresses; warms 
D)  compresses; cools

Question 4

Why is the vertical movement of air critical to the formation of clouds and precipitation? What role do adiabatic temperature changes play in these processes?

Accepted Answer

Air tends to resist vertical movement. T

Question 5

The term used to describe clouds that consist of globular masses that take on a billowy form is_____  .

Accepted Answer

A)  cirrus 
B)  cumulus 
C)  cumulonimbus 
D)  stratus 
A)  cirrus 
B)  cumulus 
C)  cumulonimbus 
D)  stratus

Question 6

Clouds form because rising air_____  and has a _____ water capacity.

Accepted Answer

A)  cools; higher 
B)  warms; higher 
C)  cools; lower 
D)  warms; lower 
A)  cools; higher 
B)  warms; higher 
C)  cools; lower 
D)  warms; lower

Question 7

The process of converting a liquid to vapor is termed _____ .

Accepted Answer

A)  condensation 
B)  melting 
C)  evaporation 
D)  sublimation 
A)  condensation 
B)  melting 
C)  evaporation 
D)  sublimation

Question 8

The Great Basin is an example of a_____  .

Accepted Answer

A)  monsoon desert 
B)  subtropical desert 
C)  chinook desert 
D)  rainshadow desert 
A)  monsoon desert 
B)  subtropical desert 
C)  chinook desert 
D)  rainshadow desert

Question 9

Why does a rain gauge have a wide opening that funnels into a narrow tube?

Accepted Answer

A)  The narrow tube minimizes evaporation and magnifies the amount of rain captured by the wide opening. 
B)  The narrow tube takes less space. 
C)  The wide opening allows evaporation so it is a more accurate representation of what actually happens on the surface. 
D)  Rain drops are too far apart to measure with a narrow opening. 
A)  The narrow tube minimizes evaporation and magnifies the amount of rain captured by the wide opening. 
B)  The narrow tube takes less space. 
C)  The wide opening allows evaporation so it is a more accurate representation of what actually happens on the surface. 
D)  Rain drops are too far apart to measure with a narrow opening.

Question 10

Given an environmental lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and a dry adiabatic of 10°C, what would be the temperature of unsaturated surface air after it rises to height of 2000 m if its surface temperature had been 25°C?

Accepted Answer

A)  20°C 
B)  5°C 
C)  10°C 
D)  25°C 
E)  15°C 
A)  20°C 
B)  5°C 
C)  10°C 
D)  25°C 
E)  15°C

Question 11

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

Accepted Answer

A)  convergence 
B)  orographic lifting 
C)  frontal wedging 
D)  adiabatic cooling 
A)  convergence 
B)  orographic lifting 
C)  frontal wedging 
D)  adiabatic cooling

Question 12

When air is cooled to its dew point, the relative humidity is_____  %

Accepted Answer

A)  0 
B)  75 
C)  50 
D)  100 
A)  0 
B)  75 
C)  50 
D)  100

Question 13

Which of the following would not be associated with stable atmospheric conditions?

Accepted Answer

A)  afternoon thunder showers 
B)  widespread fog 
C)  temperature inversion 
D)  dreary overcast with light drizzle 
A)  afternoon thunder showers 
B)  widespread fog 
C)  temperature inversion 
D)  dreary overcast with light drizzle

Question 14

When the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic rate,_____  .

Accepted Answer

A)  surface air will rise and fall 
B)  surface air will rise, form clouds, and fall 
C)  surface air will rise and continue to rise 
D)  surface air cannot rise and will be trapped beneath colder air above 
E)  surface air will not rise because this is the normal condition 
A)  surface air will rise and fall 
B)  surface air will rise, form clouds, and fall 
C)  surface air will rise and continue to rise 
D)  surface air cannot rise and will be trapped beneath colder air above 
E)  surface air will not rise because this is the normal condition

Question 15

If 2 grams of water absorbs 20 calories of heat assume not during a state change., the resulting water temperature change is _____  .

Accepted Answer

A)  +10°C 
B)  - 20°C 
C)  - 10°C 
D)  0°C 
E)  +20°C 
A)  +10°C 
B)  - 20°C 
C)  - 10°C 
D)  0°C 
E)  +20°C

Question 16

When very unstable air is forced to rise, _____ clouds and _____ conditions are expected.

Accepted Answer

A)  flat; calm 
B)  towering; stormy 
C)  towering; calm 
D)  flat; stormy 
A)  flat; calm 
B)  towering; stormy 
C)  towering; calm 
D)  flat; stormy

Question 17

Which of the following is not a mechanism that will cause air to rise?

Accepted Answer

A)  orographic lifting 
B)  conduction cooling 
C)  frontal wedging 
D)  convective cooling 
E)  convergence 
A)  orographic lifting 
B)  conduction cooling 
C)  frontal wedging 
D)  convective cooling 
E)  convergence

Question 18

The Bergeron Process suggests that the coexistence of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets in a cloud is ideal for producing rain because_____  .

Accepted Answer

A)  the ice crystals provide nuclei needed to form more water droplets 
B)  the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for water vapor than does liquid water 
C)  the ice crystals provide the nuclei for snowflakes to form as precipitation 
D)  the liquid water has a stronger affinity for water vapor than do ice crystals 
E)  the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for liquid water than does water vapor 
A)  the ice crystals provide nuclei needed to form more water droplets 
B)  the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for water vapor than does liquid water 
C)  the ice crystals provide the nuclei for snowflakes to form as precipitation 
D)  the liquid water has a stronger affinity for water vapor than do ice crystals 
E)  the ice crystals have a stronger affinity for liquid water than does water vapor

Question 19

Thunder and lightning are associated with these clouds.

Accepted Answer

A)  cirrostratus 
B)  cumulonimbus 
C)  altostratus 
D)  cirrus 
A)  cirrostratus 
B)  cumulonimbus 
C)  altostratus 
D)  cirrus

Question 20

If air at sea level with a temperature of 27°C is forced up a mountain slope and the air's dew point at the condensation level is 14°C, at what elevation will condensation begin?

Accepted Answer

A)  2600 meters 
B)  1300 meters 
C)  1400 meters 
D)  2700 meters 
A)  2600 meters 
B)  1300 meters 
C)  1400 meters 
D)  2700 meters

Exam 17: Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

The change of state from a gas to a liquid is called _____ .

Irregular heating of the air can produce thermals, which are _____ .

When air rises, _____ it _____ and adiabatically.

Why is the vertical movement of air critical to the formation of clouds and precipitation? What role do adiabatic temperature changes play in these processes?

The term used to describe clouds that consist of globular masses that take on a billowy form is_____ .

Clouds form because rising air_____ and has a _____ water capacity.

The process of converting a liquid to vapor is termed _____ .

The Great Basin is an example of a_____ .

Why does a rain gauge have a wide opening that funnels into a narrow tube?

Given an environmental lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and a dry adiabatic of 10°C, what would be the temperature of unsaturated surface air after it rises to height of 2000 m if its surface temperature had been 25°C?

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

When air is cooled to its dew point, the relative humidity is_____ %

Which of the following would not be associated with stable atmospheric conditions?

When the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic rate,_____ .

If 2 grams of water absorbs 20 calories of heat assume not during a state change., the resulting water temperature change is _____ .

When very unstable air is forced to rise, _____ clouds and _____ conditions are expected.

Which of the following is not a mechanism that will cause air to rise?

The Bergeron Process suggests that the coexistence of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets in a cloud is ideal for producing rain because_____ .

Thunder and lightning are associated with these clouds.

If air at sea level with a temperature of 27°C is forced up a mountain slope and the air's dew point at the condensation level is 14°C, at what elevation will condensation begin?

Introduction to Earth Science

Matter and Minerals

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Touring Our Solar System

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters

When air rises, _ it _ and adiabatically.

Clouds form because rising air_ and has a _ water capacity.

When very unstable air is forced to rise, _ clouds and _ conditions are expected.