Ch 05: Check Your Understanding - Meteorology

A low pressure system is characterized by air that ______, while a high pressure system will be characterized by air that ______.
a. diverges and rises; converges and descends
b. converges and descends; diverges and rises
c. converges and rises; diverges and descends
d. diverges and descends; converges and rises

What causes the Coriolis effect?
a. vertical pressure differences
b. horizontal pressure differences
c. fluctuations in the height of the troposphere
d. Earth's rotation

The Coriolis effect causes both ocean gyres and high pressure systems to flow ______ in the Northern Hemisphere and to flow _____ in the Southern Hemisphere.
a. counterclockwise (Northern Hemisphere); counterclockwise (Southern Hemisphere)
b. counterclockwise (Northern Hemisphere); clockwise (Southern Hemisphere)
c. clockwise (Northern Hemisphere); counterclockwise (Southern Hemisphere)
d. clockwise (Northern Hemisphere); clockwise (Southern Hemisphere)

You are on a tropical island located somewhere between 10°N and 10°S of the Equator. Which shoreline of the island will normally be the windiest?
a. south
b. north
c. east
d. west

Which of the following statements is true about an El Niño?
a. An El Niño will produce a cold water upwelling off the west coast of South America.
b. An El Niño will trigger a violent hurricane season in both the southern Atlantic Ocean and in the northern Pacific Ocean.
c. An El Niño will result in warm surface waters off the west coast of South America and heavy rainfall.
d. An El Niño will cause a cold water upwelling off the east coast of South America and warm surface waters off the coast of California.

Which of the following areas is NOT influenced by a subpolar low pressure cyclonic system?
a. Hawaii
b. the coastal waters surrounding Antarctica
c. the coastal waters of southern Alaska
d. Iceland

The main reason why it is so difficult to breathe at the summit of an extremely high mountain (such as Mount Everest) is because:
a. the jet stream winds remove the oxygen content from the air, making it difficult to breathe at high elevations.
b. air pressure increases with elevation, thus the pressure becomes too great for humans to breathe effectively.
c. there is less oxygen in the air compared to the amount of nitrogen found at sea level.
d. air pressure decreases with elevation, thus there is less density and increased space between air molecules.

The hot and dry Santa Ana winds which often plague southern California are a prime example of what type of wind?
a. katabatic winds
b. jet stream
c. chinook winds
d. monsoon

The dynamics of the monsoon in South Asia involve which of the following?
a. a low pressure cell over land and high pressure system over the ocean during the winter, bringing ample amounts of precipitation to South Asia
b. a low pressure cell over land and high pressure system over the ocean during the summer, bringing ample amounts of precipitation to South Asia
c. a high pressure cell over land and low pressure system over the ocean during the summer, bringing ample amounts of precipitation to South Asia
d. a high pressure cell over land and low pressure system over the ocean during the winter, bringing ample amounts of precipitation to South Asia

Which of the following statements is correct regarding global pressure belts and wind systems?
a. The polar regions have well-defined and stationary low pressure cells.
b. The mid-latitudes of both hemispheres tend to be dominated by westerlies.
c. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a region of high pressure found along the Equator.
d. Trade winds are found in the upper mid-latitudes and are westerlies.

A westerly wind is blowing in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Which direction will it be deflected by the Coriolis effect?
a. south
b. east
c. west
d. north

Rossby waves are the result of:
a. the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) migrating into a mid-latitude high pressure belt.
b. cold polar air pushing into the lower latitudes, form-ing troughs of low pressure, while warm tropical air moves into higher latitudes.
c. tropical easterlies coming into contact with mid-latitude westerlies, creating atmospheric turbulence.
d. surface level geostrophic winds creating atmospheric turbulence in the lowest level of the troposphere.

During which month of the year will the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) migrate to its northernmost latitude?
a. March
b. September
c. June
d. December

Which one of the following statements is correct concerning oceanic currents?
a. The east coasts of continents tend to be influenced by warm currents.
b. The west coasts of continents tend to be influenced by warm currents.
c. Warm currents flow towards the Equator.
d. Cold currents flow towards the poles.

Which of the following is NOT a driving force behind wind speed and direction in the lower atmosphere?
a. El Niño
b. pressure gradient
c. Coriolis effect
d. wind friction (also known as surface friction)