Meteorology Unit Test

Choose the answer that best completes each

statement. Place all of your responses on the
scantron. DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST.
Each question is worth 2 points.

1. The most abundant gas in the atmosphere by volume is _________.

This gas comprises 78% of the Earths atmosphere by volume.
a. Oxygen
b. Argon
c. Carbon Dioxide
d. Nitrogen
2. Which layer of the Earths atmosphere contains most of the ozone?
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Mesosphere
d. Thermosphere
3. Which layer of the Earths atmosphere has the coldest
temperatures?
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Mesosphere
d. Thermosphere
4. Which layer of the Earths atmosphere has the warmest
temperatures?
a. Troposphere
b. Stratosphere
c. Mesosphere
d. Thermosphere
5. Heat lamps are an example of which form of heat transfer?
a. Conduction
b. Convection
c. Radiation
d. Albedo effect
6. The breeze outside is an example of which form of heat transfer?
a. Conduction
b. Convection
c. Radiation
d. Albedo effect

7. The seasons of spring, summer, winter, and fall are a direct result of
which phenomenon?
a. The sun's energy output and the Earth's proximity to the sun
b. Shifting of ocean currents
c. The 23.5 tilt of the Earth from vertical
d. The jet stream
8.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Which of the follow list is NOT a greenhouse gas?

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Argon (Ag)
Water Vapor (H2O)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

9.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Winds move from ____________ to ________________.

low to high pressure.
low to high temperature.
high to low pressure.
high to low temperature.

10. Name the strong wind that moves from to east to west near 30
degrees latitude North and South that many trading ships sailed on.
a. Doldrums
b. Horse Latitudes
c. Polar Easterlies
d. Trade Winds
11. Name the warm calm (weak) wind that is located near the equator.
a. Doldrums
b. Horse Latitudes
c. Polar Easterlies
d. Trade Winds

12. These winds are influenced by the geography of the area and
travel a short distance.
a. Local Winds
b. Global Winds
c. Jet Stream
d. Horse Latitudes
13. Name the type of precipitation that is the most common solid from
of precipitation.
a. Rain
b. Hail
c. Freezing rain
d. Snow
14. Name the type of precipitation that is clear ice pellets and is
frozen before it reaches the surface of the earth.
a. Sleet
b. Rain
c. Freezing rain
d. Snow
15. Using the table below find the relative humidity in the following
situation. To use the table you need to calculate the difference
between the dry-bulb and the wet-bulb temperature.
Dry-bulb temperature 12 degrees C
Wet bulb temperature 10 degrees C

a.
b.
c.
d.

89%
67%
78%
64%

16. Because of the Coriolis effect, an object in the Northern

Hemisphere (north from the equator) will curve to the
_______________.
a. right
b. left
c. no change at all
d. south or down
17. Continental polar, maritime polar, continental tropical, and
maritime tropical are types of _______________________.
a. air fronts
b. air systems
c. air masses
d. air flow
18. Which front forms when a warm front and a cold front meet but
no movement occurs.
a. Warm front
b. Cold front
c. Occluded front
d. Stationary front
19. Which air mass sinks because it is denser?
a. warm
b. cold
c. moist
d. dry
20. The following picture is an example of which type of front?

a.
b.
c.
d.

Warm front
Cold front
Occluded front
Stationary front

Use the diagram below for questions 21-24.

21. What letter in the station model represents the current barometric
(air pressure) reading?
a. letter A
b. letter B
c. letter C
d. letter D
22. What letter in the station model represents the current dew point
reading?
a. letter A
b. letter B
c. letter C
d. letter D
23. What is the current cloud cover of the station model?
a. or 75%
b. or 50%
c. 100%
d. Clear
24. The wind direction of the station model is ___________.
a. north
b. south
c. southwest
d. west

Use the diagram below for questions 25-29.

25. Using the diagram the warm front is moving through which of the
following states?
a. Nevada
b. Texas
c. Michigan
d. South Carolina
26. Using the diagram the cold front is moving through which of the
following states?
a. Nevada
b. Texas
c. Michigan
d. South Carolina
27. Label Station Cs barometric pressure.
a. 007
b. 998
c. 014

d. 994
28. Label the cloud conditions at Station A.
a. overcast or 100%
b. clear
c. partly cloudy or 50%
d. or 25%
29. The temperature at Station B is _______degrees Celsius.
a. 25.0
b. 20.0
c. 15.6
d. 11.7
30. An air mass that is formed from dry air over desert regions is known as
a. maritime polar
b. maritime tropical
c. continental polar
d. continental tropical
31. Which of the following statements describes what happens when the sun
heats water and land?
a. Land heats more slowly than water does.
b. Water heats more slowly than land does.
c. Water and land absorb heat from the sun at the same rate.
d. Both absorb at the same rate but water releases energy faster.
32. A severe storm that forms as a rapidly rotating funnel cloud is called a
_______________.
a. hurricane
b. tornado
c. typhoon
d. thunderstorm
33. Thunder is a _______________.
a. booming sound simultaneous with lightning
b. booming sound preceding lightning
c. booming sound caused by lightning
d. Not always related to lightning
34. As elevation increases, atmosphere becomes less dense. The
ability to absorb and hold thermal energy is reduced and temperatures
are lower. This is the explanation of _________________.
a. adiabatic cooling
b. cloud condensation nuclei
c. advective cooling

d. fog formation
35. Using the diagram below to answer this question. Which stage of
the thunderstorm is the moisture formed in the clouds released.

a. Cumulus stage or stage 1

b. Mature stage or stage 2
c. Dissipating stage or state 3
36. The thing needed to produce a tornado is ______________________.
a. a sunny day
b. lightning
c. nothing they can just form anytime
d. a thunderstorm
37. Lightning never strikes more than once.
a. True
b. False
38. A tropical storm that has damaging winds is called:
a. Tornado
b. Thunderstorm
c. Hurricane
d. Monsoon
39. Three things that are needed for cloud formation are:
a. cold air, warm air, water vapor
b. water vapor, temperature change, winds
c. water vapor, temperature change, updraft
d. water vapor, temperature change, cloud condensation nuclei

40. The two factors that affect the climate the most are:
a. temperature and precipitation
b. precipitation and solar energy
c. temperature and cloud cover
d. precipitation and altitude
41. Winds affect the amount of precipitation that a region receives.
a. True
b. False
42. The 3-7 year cycle that changes the weather in areas of the world
due to trade winds weakening and warming of the East Pacific Ocean.
a. Trade winds
b. Tornado
c. El Nino Southern Oscillation
d. Hurricanes
43. There are how many main climate zones?
a. 1
b. 3
c. 5
d. 7
44. The greenhouse effect is due to human impact in the environment.
a. True
b. False
45. The lines that connect points of equal air pressure are called
__________.
a. thermobars
b. elevation lines
c. isobars
d. dew point bars
46. This type of cloud is associated with storms.
a. stratus
b. cirrus
c. altostratus
d. cumulus
47. A maritime tropical air mass contains ___________.
a. warm, wet air
b. cold, moist air
c. warm, dry air
d. cold, dry air

48. The device used to measure wind speed is called a

____________________.
a. radiosonde
b. anemometer
c. barometer
d. psychrometer
Use the below graphs to answer questions 49 -50

49. What time of day and time of the year are you most likely to have
a tornado occur based on the graph?
a. March and 17 (1700 hours or 5 pm)
b. May and 18 (1800 hours or 6 pm)
c. Jun and 18 (1800 hours or 6 pm)
d. May and (1900 hours or 7 pm)
50. The majority of the tornadoes are _________________.
a. Very destructive with winds over 300 mph.
b. Cause very little damage with winds around 45 mph
c. Destructive with winds over 200 mph
d. Moderate with winds less than 117 mph