SAN FRANCISCO STATE
UNIVERSITY NAME________________________
DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES April 30, 2004
Meteorology 302.01
Midterm #2
200 points
Indicate your BEST CHOICE
for each question on the Scantron Form.
General Instructions. Most of the test refers to figures
which either are included on sheets attached to the rear of the test or in the
text of the test itself. Each of
these figures either has been adapted from your text book or from visual aids
used in the weather discussions and each (or a version) has been discussed in
class. Think about each question
carefully before answering. If any
question seems unclear, ask me to clarify. None of the questions has been purposefully made
"tricky". Each question
is worth 4 points.
Part A. ETA Forecast Products
The website that we just
have been using to access forecast weather maps (Real-Time Weather Data) has a
section entitled ŇNumerical ModelÓ.
The selection chart from one of the models is reproduced below as Table 1. Assume that the choices indicate forecast weather maps for
24 hours in the future (for example, MSLP/Winds = Mean Sealevel Pressure and
Winds). Questions 1 through 10 refer to choices in Table 1.
1. Direct measure
of instability in 24 hours
a. MSLP/Winds
b..Temperature
c.
Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
2. The Sea level weather (isobars) map in 24 hours
a. MSLP/Winds
b..Temperature
c. Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. None of the above
3. The wind conditions at approximately 18000 ft in 24 hours
a.
MSLP/Winds
b..Temperature
c. Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
4. An indirect
measure of moisture in 24 hours
a. MSLP/Winds
b..Temperature
c. Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
5. Areas in which rising air parcels are likely to be warmer than the surrounding atmosphere at the
same
elevation in 24 hours
a. MSLP/Winds
b..Temperature
c. Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
6. An indirect measure of instability in 24 hours
a. MSLP/Winds
b..Temperature
c. Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
7. Location of surface highs and lows in 24 hours
a. MSLP/Winds
b. Temperature
c. Dewpoint
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
8. Assume you see a surface low on the surface chart. To decide if it is a DYNAMIC low you
would look
at
the chart that shows
a.
Dewpoint
b..Temperature
c. Precipitation
d. CAPE/CIN
e. 500 mb winds
9. The chart you would look at to estimate of the position of
the dryline in 24 hours
a. Dewpoint,
b. 500 mb winds
c. 300 mb winds
d. SREH,
e. Precip
10. An estimate for the wind directions and
wind directions at 30000 feet
a. Dewpoint,
b. 500 mb winds
c. 300 mb winds
d. SREH,
e. Precip
Part B. Use and Interpretation of Forecast
Weather Maps
Figure 1 is the 500 mb chart
forecast to occur 00 UTC 30 April 2004.
Note Lines 1 and 2 AND Locations A and B.
11. On Fig. 1, Line 2 is
a. a ridge
b. a trough
c. a dry line
d. a cold front
e. a dynamic low
12. On Fig. 1, Line 1 is
a. a ridge
b. a trough
c. a dry line
d. a cold front
e. a dynamic low
13. On Fig. 1, divergence is probably
occurring at
a. Area A
b. Area B
14. On the basis of your interpretation of
Fig. 1, the divergence pattern that we would expect with such a
pattern
in the upper troposphere (as discussed in class) would predict that a surface dynamic low pressure area should be found under
a. Area A
b. Area B
Figure
2 is the forecast chart of mean sea level pressure (surface weather map) for
0000 UTC 30 April Note Lines A, B
and C (all labeled as Dry LinesÉbut only one is correctly labeled); and Regions
I, II and III.
15. On Fig. 2, the low seen in eastern New
Mexico and most of southwestern Texas is
a. a
warm core low
b. Dynamic
c. a hurricane
d. Inconsequential
e. Thermal
16. On Fig. 2, Line C is a
a. Occluded
Front
b. Stationary Front
c. Cold Front
d. Warm Front
e. Dry Line
17. On Fig. 2, Line A is
probably a
a. Occluded
Front
b. Stationary Front
c. Cold Front
d. Warm Front
e. Dry Line
18. On Fig. 2, the winds observed around
the low
a. are flowing counterclockwise and
inward with respect to the low
b. are flowing clockwise and inward
with respect to the low
c. are flowing counterclockwise and
outward with respect to the low
d. are flowing clockwise and outward
with respect to the low
e. are flowing absolutely parallel to
the isobars.
19. On
Fig. 2, which of the following is a boundary between warm moist and warm dry
air AND is not a front?
a. The jet stream
b. Line A
c. Line B
d. Line C
e. None of the above.
20. Figure 3 is the forecast chart of CAPE
and CIN for 0000 UTC 30 April 2004.
Note the locations A
and B. The blue areas represent areas of
CIN. Thunderstorms are unlikely at
Location B because
a. There is no CAPE at that location.
b. There is CAPE and no CIN at that
location.
c. Although there is CAPE at that
location, there is CIN, which indicates that convection will be inhibited
there.
d. There
is CIN there but no CAPE.
e. There is neither CAPE nor CIN at that
location.
21. Figure 3 is the forecast chart of CAPE
and CIN for 0000 UTC 30 April 2004.
Note the locations A
and B. The blue areas represent areas of
CIN. These correspond to
a. Regions where the tendency for
convection is encouraged. If
values are large, thunderstorms will
likely
be severe.
b. Tornadoes are likely to occur.
c. Severe thunderstorms are likely to
occur.
d. Regions
where the tendency for convection is inhibited. If values are too large, thunderstorms will
not
form, no matter how great the value of CAPE
e. Strong straight-line winds are likely to
occur.
Part C.
PBS/National Geographic Article and National Geographic Web Presentation
22. All three presentations dealt largely
or partially with field studies or research that culminated of observations of
the F4 tornado that destroyed
b. Manchester, South Dakota
c. Amarillo, Texas
d. Kansas
City, Missouri
e. Clinton, Oklahoma
23. Tim SamarasŐs research was featured in
both of the National Geographic presentations. Tim attempted to place probes in the path of tornadoes. The probes were designed to measure
a. the dewpoint temperature
b. the atmospheric pressure.
c. the wind speeds.
24. Tim SamarasŐs probes were known as
a. Mice.
b. Twinkies.
c. DingDongs.
d. TOTOs.
e. Turtles.
Part
D. Instability and Thunderstorms
25. Thunderstorms that develop in an
unstable air mass in an environment of low or absent jet streams are known as
a. Multicell Thunderstorms.
b. Tornadic Thunderstorms.
c. Severe Thunderstorms.
d. Common or Single Cell Thunderstorms.
e. Supercells.
26. The most dangerous type of lightning is
a. Cloud-to-cloud lightning.
b. Cloud-to-ground lightning.
c. Ball lightning.
d. Sheet lightning.
e. In-cloud lightning.
27.
You notice a flash of cloud-to-ground lightning. It takes 10 seconds before you hear the thunder. The lightning
struck the ground
a. 1 mile away.
b. 1/2 mile away.
c. 2 miles away.
d. 3 miles away.
e. 10 miles away.
28..
An air parcel rises spontaneously if
a. it is
warmer than the air below it
b. it is
cooler than the air above it
c. it is
cooler than the air around it at the same elevation
d. it is
warmer than the air around it at the same elevation
e. all of
the above.
29. An ice pellet that forms when a cloud
droplet makes successive trips through the freezing level at the top of a growing
cumulus cloud is known as
a. sleet
b. freezing rain
c. drizzle
d. hail
e. snow
30. The amount of energy liberated for each
gram of water condensed is known as the latent heat of condensation.
a. T
b. F
31.
The reason that lightning, rainfall, and downdrafts all seem to occur when a
growing cumulus congestus
cloud penetrates the freezing level is
a. a
coincidence
b. that all
of these phenomena can be linked to the formation of hail and frozen
precipitation which
occur at
this stage in the development of the thunderstorm.
c. related
to the stronger jet stream winds at upper levels.
d.
dependent on the amount of hygroscopic nuclei present
e. related
to the amount of water vapor in the rising air.
A
sketch of a thunderstorm is given below.
Note the locations noted at A, B, C, D and E. Questions 35-40 refer to
this figure.
Locate
the following:
a. Location A
b. Location B
c. Location C
d. Location D
e. Location E
33. Anvil
a. Location A
b. Location B
c. Location C
d. Location D
e. Location E
34. Level of maximum hail formation
a. Location A
b. Location B
c. Location C
d. Location D
e. Location E
35. Location of very heavy rainfall
a. Location A
b. Location B
c. Location C
d. Location D
e. Location E
36. Maximum horizontal wind shear (max
hazard to pilots)
a. Location A
b. Location B
c. Location C
d. Location D
e. Location E
37. The drawing on the previous page shows
a
a. common or single cell thunderstorm
b. a multicell
thunderstorm
c. a supercell
thunderstorm
d. a mesoscale
convective complex
e. a squall-line
38. Hail size is ultimately related to
a. the type of thunderstorm.
b. the temperature.
c. The mammatus formation.
d. the strength of the updraft.
e. the size of the cloud.
39.
Common thunderstorms have no significant threats to life and property
associated with them.
a. T
b. F
Part
E. Hurricanes
40.
The storm surge is strongest in the right front portion of the
progressing hurricane. It is in
this region that
a. divergence is the greatest.
b. thunderstorms are the most severe..
c. the effects of low pressure at the eye,
forward motion of the storm and strong winds locally force unusually high ocean
levels, relative to sea level are combined.
d. the eyewall is found
e. ocean
temperatures are the warmest.
41.
The eye of the hurricane forms because
a. air circling into the storm center is
moving so quickly inward and upward, that centrifugal force prevents it from
reaching the center of the low.
Air from the high troposphere and low stratosphere sinks to the surface,
thus creating a relatively clear, windless area at the center of the storm.
b. it is the area in which the strongest
thunderstorms are found.
c. the atmosphere is very unstable there.
d. the lowest surface pressures are found at
the center of the storm.
e. the
effects of low pressure at the eye, forward motion of the storm and strong
winds locally force unusually high ocean levels, relative to sea level are
combined.
42.
Figure 4 shows the track and intensity chart for Hurricane
Michelle. The whole life history of
this storm is depicted on Fig. 4.
Hurricane Michelle was an atypical hurricane
a. because it was a Category 5 hurricane.
b. because it hit Cuba.
c. because it had no storm surge.
d. because it formed in the western Caribbean and
then moved north-northeastward.
The usual
birthplace
of hurricanes is in the tropical eastern (or central) Atlantic.
e. because
it was a dynamic low.
43.
Although tropical cyclones form when clusters of thunderstorms move over
ocean temperatures greater than 82oF, the chief reason for
intensification of these disturbances to hurricanes is
a. strong jet stream level winds.
b. downdrafts from thunderstorms.
c. Coriolis effect.
d. convergence in the upper troposphere.
e. the
tremendous release of latent heat when the air with very high dew points over
the ocean is ingested into the circulation of the developing storm.
44.
The chief threat from tropical cyclones once they pass far inland is
associated with
a. flash flood producing rainfall
b. storm surge
c. the Coriolis effect.
d. strong winds.
e. tornadoes.
45.
You live along the Atlantic seaboard. A hurricane warning is issued for your area. You should
a. get into an interior room.
b. hide in a storm shelter.
c. evacuate the coast and move inland.
d. board up your windows and get into the
bathtub.
e. go
to the beach and watch for the storm surge.
46. The black closed symbols represent
(a) the
previous positions of the hurricane at 6 hour intervals.
(b)
the
forecast positions of the hurricane at 12 hour intervals.
(c) the
storm surge
(d) the area of
hurricane warning.
(e) none
of the above.
Part
F. Products Issued by Storm
Prediction Center
47. Figure 5 is the Severe Hail Outlook for
4/29/02. The outlook basically
shows
a. the chances that rain will also
have hail mixed with it.
b. the probabilities that tornadoes
will occur.
c. the probabilities that hail 3/4Ó or
larger will be observed within 25 miles of a given location.
d. the probabilities that any hail
will occur at a given location.
e. None of the above.
48. Figure 5 is the Severe Hail Outlook for
4/29/02. The hatched area (normally blue hatching) on the outlook
shows
a. the chances that rain will also
have hail mixed with it.
b. the probabilities that severe-sized
hail will occur with other severe events, such as a tornado.
c. the region that has a 10%
probability that hail 2Ó or larger will be observed within 25 miles of a given
location.
d. the region in which severe
downbursts are sure to occur.
e. None of the above.
49.
Figure 6 is the Convective Outlook for 9/25/01. The outer arrow (normally colored brown or orange)
encompasses
a. the region that has a 10%
probability that strong and
violent tornadoes will be observed within 25 miles of a given location.
b. the portion of the United States
expected to experience general thunderstorms.
c. the portion of the United States
expected to experience tornadoes.
d. the region in which severe downbursts
are sure to occur.
e. the portion of the United States
expected to have a high risk for severe thunderstorms.
50.
Figure 6 is the Convective Outlook for 9/25/01. The inner arrow (normally colored red)
encompasses
a. the region that has a 10% probability
that strong and violent tornadoes
will be observed within 25 miles of a given location.
b. the portion of the United States
expected to experience general thunderstorms.
c. the portion of the United States
expected to experience tornadoes.
d. the region in which severe
downbursts are sure to occur.
e. the portion of the United States
expected to have a high risk for severe thunderstorms.
Figure 1. Forecast 500 mb Chart for 0000 UTC 30 April 2004
Figure 2.
Forecast Mean Sealevel Pressure, 0000 UTC Fri 30 April 2004
Figure 3:
Forecast Chart of CAPE/CIN valid 0000 UTC 30 April 2004
Figure 4.
Track/Strength Chart for Hurricane Michelle
Figure 5. Severe Hail Outlook for 4/29/02
Figure 6. Convective Outlook for September 25, 2001