Chapter 4 Worksheet 3 Meteorology Name: Circle the letter that corresponds to the correct answer 1) Natural convection and turbulence are most likely to occur when: a) temperature decreases rapidly with height. b) relative humidity is low. c) temperature increases with height. d) air pressure is relatively high. e) wind is nearly calm. 2) The vertical motions that occur when the air is unstable are termed: a) convection. b) subsidence. c) cyclonic. d) geostrophic. e) convergence. 3) The environmental lapse rate of an air layer next to the ground is strongly influenced by: a) barometric pressure. b) relative humidity. c) heating or cooling of the ground. d) adiabatic heating. e) wind speed. 4) The change in the actual air temperature as you go up into the atmosphere is called: a) environmental lapse rate. b) convergence. c) latent heat. d) conversion. e) diffusion. 5) A large negative temperature lapse rate would occur in a layer with: a) uniformly cold temperatures throughout. b) cold air above, warm air below. c) warm air above, cold air below. d) uniformly warm temperatures throughout. 6) If your environmental lapse rate is 7 C/km on a partly cloudy afternoon, then the atmosphere is said to be: a) absolutely stable. b) absolutely unstable. c) conditionally stable.
7) If your environmental lapse rate is 17 C/km on a partly cloudy afternoon, then the atmosphere is said to be: a) absolutely unstable. b) absolutely stable. c) conditionally stable. 8) An inversion represents an extremely stable atmosphere because a parcel of air that rises into an inversion will eventually become and dense than the air surrounding it. a) colder, less b) colder, more c) warmer, less d) warmer, more 9) These two conditions, working together, will make the atmosphere the most unstable. a) warm the surface and warm the air aloft b) warm the surface and cool the air aloft c) cool the surface and warm the air aloft d) cool the surface and cool the air aloft 10) The atmosphere is most unstable when the temperature of the air with height. a) is uniform b) drops rapidly c) increases slightly d) decreases slightly e) increases rapidly 11) Which of these pairs of processes, working together, will make the atmosphere most unstable? a) cool the surface and cool the air aloft b) cool the surface and warm the air aloft c) warm the surface and warm the air aloft d) warm the surface and cool the air aloft 12) A stable atmosphere is one in which: a) clouds are forming. b) upward vertical motions are resisted. c) rising bubbles of air accelerate upward. d) temperatures are adiabatic. 13) The stability of an air layer refers to its: a) tendency to either sustain or suppress upward vertical motions. b) albedo. c) overall density. d) pressure as measured at its base. 14) An increase in the environmental lapse rate of an air layer results in the layer becoming: a) less stable. b) an air parcel. c) cooler. d) more stable. e) heavier.
15) If the environmental lapse rate is less than the wet adiabatic lapse rate, then the atmosphere is: a) absolutely stable. b) absolutely unstable c) conditionally unstable d) cannot determine from this information. 16) The stability of the air layer close to the earth's surface can vary markedly. Much of this variation is caused by: a) changes in wind speed. b) changes in pressure. c) changes in wind direction. d) changes in heating or cooling of the surface. 17) A cold air mass that is warmed at its base from contact with the warm ground will have its lapse rate: a) compressed. b) decreased. c) remain constant. d) increased. e) changed to an inversion. 18) 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? a) 2700 meters b) 1300 meters c) 1400 meters d) 2600 meters 19) Sinking or subsiding air cannot form clouds due to the: a) release of latent heat. b) loss of particulates. c) removal of water vapor. d) formation of unstable layers. e) warming temperatures. 20) Which of the following will not cause air to become more unstable? a) forceful lifting of air b) subsidence of an air column c) intense solar heating which warms the air from below d) upward movement caused by general convergence 21) Which of the following would not be associated with stable atmospheric conditions? a) buildup of pollutants b) temperature inversion c) widespread fog d) afternoon thunderstorms
For the following questions, refer to the diagram shown below. 22) Given the conditions shown in the diagram above, the elevation of the cloud base would be: a) 111000 m b) 2000 m c) 2500 m d) 3000 m 23) In the diagram shown above, the temperature and dew point at the peak (4000 m) would be: (Assume 100% relative humidity and a wet adiabatic lapse rate of 5 C/km.) a) both equal to 5 C. b) both equal to 15 C. c) equal to 5 C and 10 C, respectively. d) equal to 15 C and 5 C, respectively. 24) In the diagram shown above, the parcel would have a temperature of when it reached the base on the leeward side of the mountain. a) 15 C b) 20 C c) 25 C d) 35 C Circle T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false T F 25) Adiabatic temperature changes refer to parcels of air that rise or sink. T F 26) When air sinks, it is compressed and warmed. T F 27) For a given mass of rising air, the dry adiabatic rate will always be higher than the wet adiabatic rate. T F 28) The environmental lapse rate is usually the same as the dry adiabatic rate. T F 29) Temperature inversions occur when warm air is below cold air. T F 30) When the lapse rate is 7 degrees per kilometer, the atmosphere is absolutely unstable. T F 31) If the relative humidity is 100 percent and the environmental lapse rate is 8 degrees C per
kilometer, then the air is conditionally unstable. T F 32) Thunderstorms are most likely to occur when the atmosphere is absolutely unstable. T F 33) Clear skies are associated with subsidence or sinking motion. T F 34) The wet adiabatic lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Answer the following questions 35) Thermals are created by the lifting mechanism known as. 36) To make a decision about the stability of the air, what is the most important information that you need 37) List two atmospheric phenomena in air near the surface that are likely when the air is very stable. 38) In your own words, describe the process that causes a cold glass of ice water to 'sweat'. Include a discussion of the flow of energy through this system, and use appropriate vocabulary.