DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES NAME
_______________________
SAN FRANCISCO STATE
UNIVERSITY November
24, 2004
Metr 356.01
MIDTERM #2
Fall 2003
200 pts
Part 1. Use and Interpretation of Weather maps
Figure 1 is the 500 mb chart for 00 UTC 21 April 2001
1. On Fig. 1, Line 2 is
a. a ridge
b. a trough
c. a dry line
e. a dynamic low
2. On Fig. 1, Line 1 is
a. a ridge
b. a trough
c. a dry line
d. a cold front
e. a dynamic low
3. On Fig. 1, convergence is probably
occurring at
a. Area A
b. Area B
c. Area C
d. Areas A and C
e. Areas B and D
4.. 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 surface dynamic low
pressure area(s) should be
found at the surface under
a. Area A
b. Area B
c. Area C
d. Areas A and C
e. Areas B and D
Figure
2 is the surface chart for 21 UTC 20 April 2001. For
the purposes of this exam, you can assume that the times of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2
correspond. Note Lines 1, 2 and 3;
and Regions A, B and C.
5. On Fig. 2, the low seen in eastern
Colorado, western Nebraska, and western Kansas is
a. a
wave cyclone
b. Dynamic
c. Dynamic and a wave cyclone
e. Thermal
6. On Fig. 2, Line 1 is a
a. Occluded
Front
b. Stationary Front
c. Cold Front
d. Warm Front
e. Dry Line
7. On Fig. 2, Line 3 is a
a. Occluded
Front
b. Stationary Front
c. Cold Front
d. Warm Front
e. Dry Line
8. 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.
9. On Fig. 2, which of the following
regions probably would experience the greatest risk of thunderstorms (yes, we
talked about this between Midterm 1 and where we cutoff the fair-game material
for Midterm 2)?
a. Region A
b. Region B
c. Region C
d. Regions
A and C
e. CanÕt tell
10.
Persons just north of Line 3 should expect over the next several hours
a. northwest winds
b. falling
temperatures
c. winds
switching to southwesterly
d. warming
temperatures
e. (c) and (d)
11.
the Stations 1, 2 and 3. Which
station has the lowest amount of water vapor?
a. Station 1
b. Station 2
c. Station 3
12.
Note the Stations 1, 2 and 3.
Which station has the highest amount of water vapor?
a. Station 1
b. Station 2
c. Station 3
13. Note the Stations 1, 2 and 3. Which station has the lowest relative
humidity?
a. Station 1
b. Station 2
c. Station 3
Part
II. Statistical Measures Important
in Characterizing the Climate of an Area
a. the usual rainfall or temperature
expected in an area.
b. defined as the average rainfall or
temperature for the whole period of record.
c. defined as the mean for the 30 yr
period ending in the last year of the last decade (currently1971-
2000)
d. a measure of correlation.
e. the standard deviation expressed
as a percentage.
a. the
given relationship between the events is not due to chance alone and there is a
systematic
reason
for the relationship.
b. the average rainfall or temperature for
the whole period of record does not change.
c. the mean for the 30 yr period ending in
the last year of the last decade (currently 1971-
2000)
reflects the long term mean.
d. the occurrence of one event is linked,
by statistical test to the
occurrence of another event.
e. the standard deviation is expressed
as a percentage.
a.
standard deviation
b. correlation coefficient.
c. coefficient of variation
d. extreme values.
e. (a) and (c) above.
a. T
b. F
18. In the context of correlation, the
given relationship between the events is not due to chance alone and there is a
systematic reason for the relationship is the definition for
a.
average or mean value.
b. correlation coefficient.
c. coefficient of variation
d. statistical significance
e. standard deviation
Part
III. California Rainfall
Variability
Refer
to Figure 3, a diagram that shows the seasonal rainfall for the period for the
period of record for Downtown San Francisco.
19. The present location for the rain
observation for Downtown San Francisco is
a.
Mission Dolores
b. Duboce Park
c. City Hall
d. Ferry Building
e. Coit Tower
20. The mean seasonall rainfall for
Downtown San Francisco is approximately
a.
42 inches
b. 32 inches
c. 22 inches
d. 62 inches
e. 12 inches
21. The term seasonal rainfall implies
a.
that the rainfall shown is only for the winter season.
b. that the rainfall shown is only
for the summer season.
c. that the rainfall shown comes
seasonally.
d. that the rainfall shown is
calculated for the period July 1 of one year to June 30 of the next.
e. that the rainfall shown is
calculated only for the winter season.
22. The dashed red lines shown on the chart
encompass approximately
a.
67% of the seasonal rainfall totals.
b. the extreme values.
c. the wettest year.
d. the driest year.
e. the correlation
coefficient.
23. The coefficient of variation shown on
the chart was obtained by
a.
subtracting the standard deviation from 100.
b. dividing the temperature by the
dew point temperature.
c. comparing San FranciscoÕs
rainfall with that of New York
d. multiplying the correlation
coefficient with the rainfall.
e. dividing the standard deviation
by the mean seasonal rainfall.
24. Two stations report the same average
annual rainfall. One station reports a coefficient of variation
of 50% and the other a coefficient of
variation of 20%. The station with
the higher coefficient of
variation
a.
has more than 67% of it yearly rainfall totals either greater or lesser
than one standard deviation
and,therefore
has higher rainfall variability.
b.
has annual rainfall totals that depart more greatly from the average
value and, therefore has
higher rainfall variability.
c. has lower rainfall variability.
d. has higher areal variabilty of
rainfall.
e. has a lower standard deviation of
rainfall.
25.
Meteorologists are not concerned that the high areal variability of rainfall in
California is an
indicator of climatic change because the areal
variability in California is due mostly to topography and not to any temporal
difference in meteorological
factors.
a. T
b. F
Part
IV. California Climate
26. The vegetation in CaliforniaÕs
Mediterranean Climate zone is largely xerophytic. This means that
theplants that
are endemic (native) to this area are
a.
lose their leaves during the winter.
b. are highly combustible.
c. adapted to dry conditions.
d. able to survive prolonged periods
of freezing temperatures.
e. chaparral species.
27. The chief adaptation that plants in the
Mediterranean Climate zone of California make to drought is
that
a.
their leaves have a hardened waxy coating.
b. they grow tall..
c. they develop long tap roots.
d. they lose their leaves in the
fall.
e.
they lose their leaves during the winter.
28. Vegetation whose chief adaptation to
prolonged periods of low rainfall is to have hardened waxy
leaves is called
ÒsclerophyllousÓ
a. T
b. F
29.
The climate zone immediately to the north of the Mediterranean Climate zone of
California is the
a.
Subtropical Desert Climate
b. Marine West Coast Climate
c. Midlatitude Steppe Climate
d. Midlatitude Boreal Climate
e. Coastal Rain Forest Climate
30.
The climate zone immediately to the south of the Mediterranean Climate zone of
California is the
a.
Subtropical Desert Climate
b. Marine West Coast Climate
c. Midlatitude Steppe Climate
d. Midlatitude Boreal Climate
e. Coastal Rain Forest Climate
31.
California;s Bay Laurel trees are found in the drier sections of the
Mediterranean Climate zone
a. T
b. F
32.
Which of the following plants is a native member of the Mediterranean Climate
assembledge in
California?
a.
Manzanita
b. Sitka spruce
c. Canary Island pine
d. Eucalpytus
e. Ponderosa pine
33.
The 22 year drought cycle can be used by water resource planners to anticipate
annual droughts.
a. T
b.
F
Part
V. Fall Patterns
Figure
4a and 4b give the 500 mb and surface weather charts, respectively, for 12UTC
22 October 2000.
34.
Fig. 4a and 4b were used in class to illustrate
a. the weather pattern associated with advection fog.
b. the weather
pattern associated with summer thunderstorms.
c. the weather
pattern associated with tule fog.
d. the weather
pattern associated with snow.
e. the weather pattern associated with
Diablo winds.
35.
What is your best estimate for surface wind direction at San Francisco on this
day?
a. southwest wind.
b. northeast
wind.
c. northwest
wind.
d. southeast
wind.
e. south wind.
36.
What is your best estimate for wind direction at 18000 feet over San Francisco
on this day?
a. southwest wind.
b. northeast wind.
c. northwest
wind.
d. southeast
wind.
e. south wind.
37.
The high pressure area on Fig. 4b over the Pacific Northwest and northern Great
Basin is probably a
a.
thermal high.
b. dynamic low.
c. wave cyclone.
d. dynamic high.
e. North American Thermal Low.
38.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a foehn type wind?
a.
chinook.
b. the wind called Moria.
c. sundowner.
d. Santa Ana.
e. scirocco.
39.
Diablo winds are hot because they sink from high elevation to low elevation,
warming compressionally,
and because
a.
they are hot to begin with, originating over the Great Basin in the warm
season.
b. they come from the warm tropics.
c. they are associated with a warm front.
d. they are associated with low dew point
temperatures.
e. they come from the Gulf of Mexico.
40.
Diablo winds are associated with low relative humidity because they are
associated with high
temperatures and low dew point temperatures to begin
with.and because ae they sink to
sealevel the difference between the temperature and dew point gets even larger.
a. T
b. F
41.
One factor NOT related to the meteorological pattern associated with Diablo
winds but important in
understanding the
fire hazard associated with them is
a. the
impact of irrigation.
b.
that the peak frequency of Diablo Winds comes after the normal six
months dry season and the
vegetation
tends to be dried out.
c. the migration of various species of
animals.
d. is the relation of fires to highways.
e. is the relation of fires to
transmission towers.
Part
VI. Winter Patterns
Figures
5 and 6 show the surface weather map and plot of weather data in the Bay Area
on December 12, 1997.
42.
The high pressure area shown in Figure 5 is the Pacific High.
a. T
b. F
43.
The high pressure area on Fig. 5 over the Pacific Northwest and northern Great
Basin is probably a
a.
thermal high.
b. dynamic low.
c. wave cyclone.
d. dynamic high.
e. North American Thermal Low.
44.
The map given in Figure 5 suggests that Diablo Winds were occurring in the Bay
Area.
a. T
b. F
45.
The high pressure area shown in Fig. 5 is located in
a. the
Gulf of California.
b. the Gulf of Alaska.
c. the central Pacific.
d. the Great Basin.
e. the Pacific Northwest.
46.
On Fig. 6, every station in the Central Valley is reporting a relative humidity
of 100%.
a. T
b. F
47.
On Fig. 6, every station in the Central Valley is reporting present weather of
a.
dust storm.
b.
heavy drizzle.
c. moderate snow.
d. moderate rain.
e. moderate fog.
48.
On Fig. 6, most stations in the Central Valley are reporting sky coverage of
a. sky obscured
b.
cloudy.
c. clear.
d. partly cloudy.
e. scattered clouds.
49.
On Fig. 6, most stations in the Central Valley are reporting wind conditions of
a.
northwest at 10 knots.
b.
southeast at 5 knots.
c. calm.
d. southwest at 30 knots.
e. west at 15 knots..
50.
The pattern shown in Figs. 5 and 6 suggest that the following is occurring in
California
a.
advection fog.
b.
tule fog.
c. steam fog.
d. upslope fog.
e. frontal fog.
Figure 1. 500 mb Chart for 0000 UTC 21 April 2001
Figure 2. Surface weather map for 21 UTC 20 April
2001
Figure 3. Seasonal Rainfall, San Francisco,
Downtown, Period of Record
Figure 4a (left) and
Figure 4b (right). 500 mb and
surface weather charts for 12Z 22 October 2000
Figure 5. Surface weather map for 12 UTC December
12, 1997
Figure 6. Plot of surface weather observations in
the Bay Area at 16 UTC December 12, 1997