Chapter 7

McKnight's Physical Geography, 12e (Hess)
Chapter 7 Atmospheric Disturbances
1) Calm, fair weather is most likely to result from a(n) ________.

A) tropical cyclone
B) midlatitude cyclone
C) midlatitude anticyclone
D) tornado
E) chinook
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Topic/Section: 7.1 Air Masses
Learning Outcome: 7.18 Define midlatitude anticyclone, and explain the associated weather
patterns.
Natl. Geog Stds: GS7
Global Sci Stds: G2
Bloom's Taxonomy: Remembering/Understanding
1
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
2)
What air mass source and movement does this figure show?
A) A
B) cP
C) mP
D) cT
E) E
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.5 Identify the source regions and associated air masses that affect North
America.
Global Sci Stds: G2
2
3) An average air mass is on the order of ________ kilometers (miles) in diameter.
A) 1 (0.6)
B) 10 (6)
C) 100 (60)
D) 1,000 (600)
E) 10,000 (6,000)
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.1 Define air mass, and list the three characteristics of an air mass.
Global Sci Stds: G2
4) The warmest air can be found in the ________ air mass.

A) cP
B) mP
C) mT
D) cT
E) E
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.4 Identify the names and properties of the six classes of air masses.
Global Sci Stds: G2
5) Which of the following air masses can be identified as being "very stable"?
A) Arctic
B) Equatorial
C) Maritime tropical
D) Maritime polar
E) Rocky Mountain
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
3
6) Which of the following is NOT necessarily a property of an air mass?
A) It must be large.
B) It must have relatively uniform properties within itself.
C) It must have a warm front at its leading edge.
D) It must travel as a recognizable entity.
E) It must modify as it leaves its source region.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.1 Define air mass, and list the three characteristics of an air mass.
Global Sci Stds: G2
7) Which of the following masses rarely affects North America?

A) Continental tropical
B) Maritime tropical
C) Arctic
D) Continental polar
E) Equatorial
Answer: E
Diff: 2
America.
Global Sci Stds: G2
8) The desert would be the obvious zone of origin of a(n) ________ air mass.
A) mP
B) cT
C) cP
D) mT
E) mM
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
4
9) Which of the following is NOT an ideal air mass source region?
A) The Rocky Mountains west of Denver
B) The flat tundra surface of northern Canada
C) The flat desert surface of the Sahara
D) The Pacific Ocean near the Gulf of Alaska
E) The regions of the world which have stable air
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.2 Describe the origin of air masses in terms of source regions.
Global Sci Stds: G2
10) According to latitude and place in the surface westerlies, which of the following is the least
likely zone of formation for a large air mass?
A) Eastern Siberia
B) Northern Sahara
C) Under an oceanic subtropical high
D) Caribbean Sea
E) The U.S. Midwest
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.2 Describe the origin of air masses in terms of source regions.
Global Sci Stds: G2
Bloom's Taxonomy: Applying/Analyzing
11) Which of the following occurs least over North America?

A) Maritime Tropical air from the North Pacific
B) Maritime Polar air from the Gulf of Alaska
C) Maritime Tropical air from the Pacific
D) Maritime Polar air from the North Atlantic
E) Arctic air from Siberia
Answer: D
Diff: 2
America.
Global Sci Stds: G2
5
12) The coldest air is bound to be associated with a(n) ________ air mass.
A) mP
B) cP
C) mT
D) cT
E) E
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.3 Explain how air masses are named.
Global Sci Stds: G2
13) When neither air mass displaces the adjacent one, their boundary is called a(n) ________
front.
A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) dry
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Topic/Section: 7.2 Fronts
Learning Outcome: 7.10 Describe the formation of an occluded front and the weather patterns
that occur as an occluded front passes a location.
Global Sci Stds: G2
14) Fronts are located ________.

A) near air masses
B) underneath air masses
C) in the middle of air masses
D) at the edges of air masses
E) with respect to motion, to the rear of air masses
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.6 Define front, and identify the four types of front.
Global Sci Stds: G2
6
15) ________ have the most dynamic and changeable day-to-day weather on Earth.
A) Tropical latitudes
B) Latitudes affected by fronts
C) Polar latitudes
D) Latitudes affected by hurricanes
E) Air mass source regions
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
16)
What type of front is shown in the figure?

A) Cold
B) Warm
C) Stationary
D) Occluded
E) Low
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
7
17) Which of the following is CLOSEST to the WIDTH of a front at Earth's surface?
A) 10 meters (16 feet)
B) 100 meters (161 feet)
C) 10 kilometers (6 miles)
D) 100 kilometers (61 miles)
E) 1000 kilometers (610 miles)
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
18) Which latitudes can be characterized with the word "monotony"? That is, there is little day-
to-day change in the weather.
A) Tropical latitudes
B) Latitudes affected by fronts
C) Latitudes affected by middle latitude cyclones
D) Latitudes affected by stationary fronts
E) Latitudes affected by occluded fronts
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
8
19)
What type of front is shown in purple in the right bottom corner of the figure?
A) Cold
B) Warm
C) Stationary
D) Occluded
E) Low
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
20) The coldest, driest air masses are termed ________.

A) maritime Tropical
B) continental Tropical
C) continental Polar
D) Equatorial
E) maritime Polar
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
9
21) On the average, ________ fronts move the fastest of all fronts.
A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) hot
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.7 Describe the formation of a cold front and the weather patterns that
occur as a cold front passes a location.
Global Sci Stds: G2
22) Which type of front causes many hours of steady rain BEFORE that front passes a location?
A) Warm
B) Cold
C) Stationary
D) Dry line
E) Tropical
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
23) Which of the following is a normal slope for a warm front?

A) 1:10
B) 1:200
C) 1:400
D) 1:2,000
E) 1:50,000
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.8 Describe the formation of a warm front and the weather patterns that
occur as a warm front passes a location.
Global Sci Stds: G2
10
24) Which front is shown on weather maps as a line with alternating semicircles and triangles on
the same side of the line?
A) Warm front
B) Cold front
C) Stationary front
D) Occluded front
E) Dry front
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
25) In which frontal type is there no aggressor air mass?

A) Cold
B) Warm
C) Stationary
D) Occluded
E) Low
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.9 Describe the formation of a stationary front and the weather patterns that
occur on either side of the front.
Global Sci Stds: G2
26) On a weather map, a symbol consisting of triangles arranged along one side of a line
indicates a(n) ________ front.
A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) tropical
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
11
27) Which of the following is least associated with a cold frontal passage two hours ago?
A) An increase in temperature
B) A change in wind speed
C) An increase in in humidity
D) An increase in stability
E) A change in wind direction
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
28) Which type of front typically produces the fastest rise of air?
A) Cold
B) Warm
C) Stationary
D) Occluded
E) Dark
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
29) In an occluded front, the warm air sector is ________.

A) on the ground
B) above the ground
C) north of the cold sector
D) south of the cold sector
E) in the center of the anticyclone
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Topic/Section: 7.3 Midlatitude Cyclones
Global Sci Stds: G2
12
30) Which of the following can be said to be the "death" of a midlatitude cyclone?
A) The presence of strong temperature gradients across fronts
B) Cyclogenesis
C) Occlusion
D) Expansion of the size of the warm sector
E) Occurrence of intense precipitation
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.14 Explain the stages in the life cycle of a midlatitude cyclone.
Global Sci Stds: G2
31) A speed of ________ kilometers per hour (miles per hour) is typical of the movement of a
middle latitude cyclone across the landscape.
A) 10
B) 20
C) 40
D) 60
E) 80
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.12 Explain the characteristics of a midlatitude cyclone.
Global Sci Stds: G2
32) "________" is NOT a term referring to a midlatitude cyclone.

A) Wave cyclone
B) Low
C) Depression
D) Hurricane
E) Extratropical cyclone
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
13
33) An occluded front forms part of which of the following?
A) A cold front
B) A warm front
C) A stationary front
D) An extratropical cyclone
E) A dry line
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
34) The beginning of a middle latitude cyclone is known as ________.

A) a westerly wave
B) the dissipating stage
C) the mature stage
D) cyclogenesis
E) an occlusion
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
35) Cyclogenesis occurs along the________.

A) polar front
B) occluded front
C) edge of a baugio
D) edge of a hurricane
E) center of the subtropical high
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
14
36) Which of the following is most closely associated with midlatitude cyclones?
A) Zonal flow in the upper westerlies
B) Subsidence of air above the surface cyclone
C) Stable air
D) Cloud-free skies
E) Meridional flow in the upper westerlies
Answer: E
Diff: 3
Global Sci Stds: G3
Bloom's Taxonomy: Evaluating/Creating
37) It can be said that along all the fronts in a middle latitude cyclone, ________.
A) cold air sinks
B) air rises
C) precipitation is unlikely
D) the pressure is high
E) heavy rain occurs
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.13 Identify the four kinds of movement that midlatitude cyclones undergo.
Global Sci Stds: G2
38) Aloft, which air flow originates from the west of a midlatitude cyclone?
A) The wet conveyor belt
B) The dry conveyor belt
C) The cold conveyor belt
D) The warm conveyor belt
E) The frontal conveyor belt
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
15
39)
One of the upper air streams called conveyer belts is ascending air from the Atlantic Ocean
moving over the surface features of the midlatitude cyclone. This conveyor belt is the ________.
A) wet conveyor belt
B) dry conveyor belt
C) cold conveyor belt
D) warm conveyor belt
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
16
40)
In this image, a warm front ________.

A) is not present
B) is probably moving from east to west
C) will probably bring warm air to the northeastern United States
D) will probably catch up to the cold front over time
E) separates to warm air mass from the coldest air
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
17
41)
The center of this midlatitude cyclone will move ________.

A) from east to west
B) much faster than the jet stream aloft
C) underneath but slower than the jet stream aloft
D) in a spiral pattern
E) towards the warmest air
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.13 Identify the four kinds of movement that midlatitude cyclones undergo.
Global Sci Stds: G2
18
42)
A midlatitude cyclone center is in Iowa. A surface cold front is trailing to the south extending to
the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. A warm front stretches from Iowa to North Carolina. Richmond,
Virginia, is to the east of the warm front and the center of the cyclone will pass to its northwest.
The cold front will be entirely east of Richmond in another two days. What weather sequence
should Richmond expect over these two days?
A) Rainy, warmer, rainy, colder
B) Warmer, rainy, colder
C) Colder, warmer, rainy
D) Rainy, colder, rainy, warmer
E) No change from the present weather
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: 7.15 Explain the typical weather pattern associated with the passage of a
midlatitude cyclone with the center to the north of the location.
Global Sci Stds: G2
19
43) Midlatitude cyclones and anticyclones function as migratory features in the ________.
A) westerlies
B) easterlies
C) ITC
D) stratosphere
E) ionosphere
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.11 Identify the general characteristics of atmospheric disturbances.
Global Sci Stds: G2
44) Midlatitude cyclones contain several well-defined channels of air called ________.
A) fronts
B) Rossby waves
C) the eye
D) the stratus layer
E) the conveyor belt
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.17 Describe the occurrence and distribution of midlatitude cyclones.
Global Sci Stds: G2
45) Upper air divergence is most closely associated with surface ________.
A) anticyclones
B) inversions
C) cyclones
D) isobars
E) air mass source regions
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
20
46) Which of the following statements does NOT correctly describe the U.S. distribution of
midlatitude cyclones?
A) More occur in the summer than in the winter.
B) They commonly form along the central Atlantic coast.
C) Most of them exit the country through the Northeast.
D) They commonly form downwind of the Rocky Mountains.
E) They form underneath areas of divergence.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
47) Midlatitude anticyclones are often found ________.

A) within the subtropical highs
B) moving east to west
C) closely following a cyclone
D) as the cause of stormy weather
E) having low pressure at the center
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Topic/Section: 7.4 Midlatitude Anticyclones
patterns.
Global Sci Stds: G2
48) A midlatitude anticyclone ________.

A) is more than one air mass
B) exhibits instability
C) has a front in its center
D) is associated with fast winds
E) is associated with sunny, dry weather
Answer: E
Diff: 1
patterns.
Global Sci Stds: G2
21
49) Stable anticyclones act as a ________ to moving cyclones.
A) cause
B) friend
C) block
D) rainy counterpart
E) catalyst
Answer: C
Diff: 1
patterns.
Global Sci Stds: G2
22
50)
This feature is a weather disturbance called a(n) ________.

A) midlatitude cyclone
B) tropical cyclone
C) anticyclone
D) thunderstorm
E) easterly wave
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Topic/Section: 7.5 Easterly Waves
Learning Outcome: 7.19 Define easterly wave, and describe the associated weather
characteristics.
Global Sci Stds: G2
23
51) In front of an easterly wave there is ________ and behind it there is ________.
A) a hurricane, a midlatitude cyclone
B) the jet stream, the trade winds
C) surface westerlies, surface easterlies
D) divergence, convergence
E) thunderstorms, fair weather
Answer: D
Diff: 2
characteristics.
Global Sci Stds: G2
52)
Why don't tropical cyclones originate in the South Atlantic Ocean?

A) Water temperatures are too cold
B) No fast ocean currents
C) No jet stream
D) No trade winds
E) Weak subtropical high pressure
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Topic/Section: 7.6 Tropical Cyclones: Hurricanes
Learning Outcome: 7.24 Identify areas where hurricanes originate and their common tracks.
Global Sci Stds: G2
24
53) Hurricanes are usually fueled by energy from ________.
A) the jet stream
B) frontal boundaries
C) warm water
D) midlatitude cyclones
E) fast surface winds
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.21 Describe the characteristics of a hurricane.
Global Sci Stds: G2
25
54)
Where are the fastest winds located in this diagram?

A) In the eye
B) In the eyewall
C) In the spiral rain bands
D) In the outflow over the storm
E) In the convergence at the edge of the storm
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.22 Describe the structure of a hurricane.
Global Sci Stds: G2
26
55) The World Meteorological Organization standard is to identify hurricanes by using a
________.
A) single alphabetized list for all world regions
B) separate alphabetized list for each world region
C) system naming hurricanes by latitude and longitude of origin
D) system naming hurricane by the date when they first became hurricanes
E) system naming hurricanes by their order of occurrence in a particular year
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
56) The damage done in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina was mainly a result of ________.
A) flooding from the failure of levees
B) heavy rainfall
C) very high winds
D) accompanying tornadoes
E) the subtropical high
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.25 Explain hazards associated with hurricanes and the types of damage
they cause.
Global Sci Stds: G2
57) Of the following, the correct designation for a hurricane is as a(n) ________.
A) enlarged tornado
B) super thunderstorm complex
C) tropical cyclone
D) tropical occlusion
E) extratropical anticyclone
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
27
58) The part of the hurricane characterized by scattered high clouds and light winds is known as
the ________.
A) spiral band
B) eyewall
C) eye
D) warm sector
E) warm front
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
59) In order to be classified as a hurricane, sustained wind velocity must exceed ________
kilometers per hour (mph).
A) 320 (200)
B) 160 (100)
C) 119 (74)
D) 88 (55)
E) 48 (30)
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
60) Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of which city?

A) New York City
B) Miami
C) Galveston
D) New Orleans
E) Honolulu
Answer: D
Diff: 1
they cause.
Global Sci Stds: G2
28
61) Over the last 25 years or so, the number of Atlantic hurricanes has ________.
A) increased due to global warming
B) decreased due to global warming
C) stayed the same
D) increased due to the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Signal
E) decreased due to the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Signal
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.26 Describe the possible connections between hurricanes and climate
change.
Global Sci Stds: G2
62) North America's greatest hurricane loss of life took place in ________.
A) Los Angeles, California
B) Miami, Florida
C) New Orleans, Louisiana
D) Galveston, Texas
E) Savannah, Georgia
Answer: D
Diff: 1
change.
Global Sci Stds: G2
63) The energy source of hurricanes is ________.

A) thunderstorms
B) cold fronts
C) the jet stream
D) warm seawater
E) warm fronts
Answer: D
Diff: 1
change.
Global Sci Stds: G2
29
64) The largest and strongest tropical cyclones are associated with the ________.
A) South Atlantic Ocean near Argentine
B) Indian Ocean south of Pakistan
C) North Atlantic Ocean near North Carolina
D) China Sea
E) Pacific Ocean near Hawaii
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.24 Identify areas where hurricanes originate and their common tracks.
Global Sci Stds: G2
65) The eye of the hurricane is a zone characterized by ________.

A) the most severe winds in the storms
B) tremendous amounts of precipitation
C) sinking air
D) a radius of approximately 1,000 kilometers
E) many tornadoes
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
66) Tropical cyclones tend to cause the greatest loss of life on the ________.
A) Gulf Coast of the United States
B) Bay of Bengal
C) islands of the Caribbean
D) islands of the Philippines
E) coast of Brazil
Answer: B
Diff: 1
they cause.
Global Sci Stds: G2
30
67) The average hurricane exists, on the average, for about ________.
A) one week
B) two weeks
C) three weeks
D) four weeks
E) five weeks
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: 7.23 Describe the movement and lifespan of a hurricane.
Global Sci Stds: G2
68) The 1-5 scale rating of hurricane intensity is the ________ scale.
A) Saffir-Simpson
B) Fujita
C) PH
D) Likert
E) Crawford
Answer: A
Diff: 1
they cause.
Global Sci Stds: G2
69) Hurricane destruction to land coastlines is made worse when a(n) ________—not prominent
in all hurricanes—is present.
A) eye wall
B) storm surge
C) easterly wave
D) winds of hurricane force
E) heavy rain
Answer: B
Diff: 1
they cause.
Global Sci Stds: G2
31
70) The most intense hurricane in the North Atlantic Basin history was Hurricane Wilma of
2005. Rounded to the nearest hundred millibars, how low was its central pressure? (Reason this
out knowing about average sea level pressure.)
A) 100
B) 500
C) 900
D) 1,000
E) 1,200
Answer: C
Diff: 3
they cause.
Global Sci Stds: G2
32
71)
This map shows the average number of days per year with ________.
A) hurricanes
B) midlatitude cyclones
C) midlatitude anticyclones
D) thunderstorms
E) tornadoes
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Topic/Section: 7.7 Localized Severe Weather
Learning Outcome: 7.27 Explain the three stages in the development of a thunderstorm.
Global Sci Stds: G3
33
72) A(n) ________ is a large, rapidly-moving, long-lived windstorm originating from
thunderstorms.
A) microburst
B) downburst
C) outflow
D) cold front
E) derecho
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
73) Which of the following areas is where the most severe thunderstorm watches are issued?
A) Southern Canada
B) California
C) Rocky Mountain States
D) Florida
E) Central United States
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.30 Explain the ways storms can be monitored to enable informed
decisions about personal safety.
Global Sci Stds: G2
74) Which country is the most likely place on Earth for a tornado to occur?
A) Brazil
B) The United States
C) Russia
D) The People's Republic of China
E) India
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.29 Explain the formation of tornadoes.
Global Sci Stds: G3
34
75) The Enhanced Fujita Scale ranges from EF ________ to EF ________.
A) -10, 10
B) 1, 10
C) 0, 10
D) 0, 5
E) 1, 100
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
76) The most active phase of a thunderstorm is called the ________ phase.
A) active
B) cumulonimbus
C) severe storm
D) rain
E) mature
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
77) Thunderstorms are violent ________ storms accompanied by thunder and lightning.
A) adiabatic
B) convective
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) jet stream
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
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78) ________ is a distinguishing feature of thunderstorms.
A) A cirrus cloud base
B) An anvil top
C) Scant vertical development
D) Ground fog
E) Clouds of horizontal development
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
79) Which stage of a thunderstorm is associated with the coexistence of updrafts and
downdrafts?
A) Cumulus stage
B) Mature stage
C) Dissipating stage
D) Dilating stage
E) Contracting stage
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
80) Tornadoes, although erratic in their pathways, are always characterized by ________
pressure.
A) high
B) low
C) constantly variable
D) adiabatic
E) devaporized
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
36
81) A(n) ________ is the name for a tornado that does not reach the ground.
A) stratus cloud
B) mesocyclone
C) anticyclone
D) funnel cloud
E) "EF-0"
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
82)
One line in the figure represents sea thunderstorms and the other line represents land
thunderstorms. Which of the following is TRUE?
A) The top line is the sea and the lower line is the land.
B) Given thunderstorm formation conditions, either line could represent the land or the sea.
C) Given thunderstorm formation conditions, it is unlikely either line represents reality.
D) The figure is wrong: The highest values on the lines should be 50º North and South.
E) The top line is the land and the lower land is the sea.
Answer: E
Diff: 3
Global Sci Stds: G2
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83)
The mature stage is one in which ________.

A) the thunderstorm has lasted longest
B) the thunderstorm has just started
C) downdrafts of air dominate the flow
D) updrafts of air dominate the flow
E) updrafts and downdrafts are equal
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
84) As a group of places, where are thunderstorms most common?

A) Over oceans
B) Over high mountains
C) Over high latitudes
D) Over tropical latitudes
E) Equally over any latitude
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
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85) Tornado patterns have changed in which one of the following ways?
A) Many more people are now being killed.
B) Tornadoes are becoming less predictable.
C) Tornado outbreaks are becoming more common.
D) The western United States now has almost all tornadoes.
E) Tornadoes are being caused by cooling Earth surface temperatures.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
86) Which of the following is the most likely month to sight a tornado in the United States?
A) January
B) March
C) May
D) October
E) December
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Global Sci Stds: G2
87) Which of the following would be a common diameter for a tornado?

A) 40 meters
B) 400 meters
C) 4,000 meters
D) 40,000 meters
E) 400,000 meters
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
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88) Most tornadoes are classified as ________.
A) incredible
B) catastrophic
C) violent
D) devastating
E) light or moderate
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
89) Which of the following happens LAST before a tornado drops to the ground?
A) Formation of a mesocyclone
B) Dissipating stage of a thunderstorm
C) Influx of unstable air
D) Formation of a cold front
E) The rapid rise of air into a cloud
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: 7.28 Explain the formation of a mesocyclone.
Global Sci Stds: G2
90) Why can't most tornadoes be viewed on existing radars?

A) The tornadoes contain water and are, thus, invisible.
B) The tornadoes are spinning too quickly.
C) The tornadoes have diameters that are too small.
D) The tornadoes are hidden by the parent mesocyclone.
E) The tornadoes have very low pressure, thus creating a vacuum.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
40
91) Which of the following represents a typical count of confirmed tornadoes for a year in the
United States?
A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1,000
E) 10,000
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
92) The temperature in a lighting flash ________.

A) is several thousand degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit)
B) usually melts the atmosphere around it
C) is approximately that of an ordinary light bulb
D) cannot be measured, and so, is unknown
E) is about the boiling point of water
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
93) Tornadoes contain extreme pressure gradients. They are thought to be on the order of
________ millibars from the outside to the inside of the storm.
A) 10
B) 100
C) 1,000
D) 10,000
E) 100,000
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
41
94) On a NEXRAD computer screen, indications of strong winds flowing towards the radar
adjacent to strong winds flowing away from the radar is evidence of a(n) ________ within a
thunderstorm and would cause the radar operator to issue a tornado warning.
A) updraft
B) downdrafts
C) mesocyclone
D) anvil cloud
E) rain area
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G3
95) The Enhanced Fujita Scale is used in the United States. It is based on estimates of 3-second
gusts of wind as estimated by ________.
A) anemometers
B) tornado damage
C) Doppler radar
D) human survivors
E) weather balloons
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G3
96) The ability of NEXRAD to distinguish mesocyclones in thunderstorms is dependent upon

________.
A) good guesswork on the part of the meteorologist
B) the existence of tornado funnel clouds
C) the Doppler effect
D) the existence of cold fronts
E) weak wind shear aloft
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G3
42
97) ________ is the time of day when tornadoes are most likely to occur.
A) Dawn
B) Mid-morning
C) Noon
D) Mid-afternoon
E) Evening
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G3
98) Of the regions of the United States, which has the highest incidence of tornadoes?
A) New England
B) Hawaii
C) West Coast
D) Florida
E) Central States
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G3
99) Easterly waves occasionally intensify into ________.

Answer: tropical storms or hurricanes
Diff: 1
characteristics.
Global Sci Stds: G2
43
100) Explain how near-surface winds move in a spiral into the center of a cyclone while the
entire cyclone moves along.
Answer: The central low pressure causes a gradient and the three forces of the winds cause the
winds to spiral into the low at an angle across the isobars. Yet, the low moves along in a
predictable direction because it is caused and steered by the winds of the polar front jet stream.
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
101) How do midlatitude cyclones form?

Answer: Troughs in the jet stream cause divergence aloft and cause the rise of air over the polar
front. This causes the polar front boundary to kink and a wave to form.
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
102) How are ice crystals and water droplets related to lightning during a thunderstorm?
Answer: The key to the production of lightning seems to be the build-up of negatively charged
pieces of water at the bottoms of thunderstorm clouds. This phenomenon is due to the great
turbulence in thunderstorms causing collisions and breakage of pieces of water. Other parts of
the clouds are positively charged as is the ground and this can cause and electrical discharge.
Diff: 3
Global Sci Stds: G2
103) Explain how wind shear is instrumental in causing tornadoes.

Answer: Usually in the United States, low-level winds during tornadic days come from the
southerly quadrant. Upper winds are much stronger and come from the southwest. So, this effect
is wind shear in the horizontal and vertical directions. Wind shear causes a near surface tumbling
of wind on a horizontal axis. As a thunderstorm grows, this tumbling translates to the vertical
axis and becomes a spin that is the mesocyclone dropping a tornado.
Diff: 3
Global Sci Stds: G2
44
104) Give at least three other names for the tropical storm known as a hurricane and specify the
regions of the world in which these names apply.
Answer: Baguios in the Philippines. Typhoons in the western Pacific. Cyclones in the Indian
Ocean.
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
105) Why are there no fronts in hurricanes?

Answer: Hurricanes are usually formed from tropical waves that are disturbances in maritime
Tropical air. Only one air mass makes up the disturbance so there cannot be any fronts.
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
106) How did the concept of fronts come about?

Answer: The concept started with Norwegian meteorologists during World War I. They made
the analogy of masses of air battling like armies and the boundaries pushing back and forth along
the landscape were likened to fronts on the battlefield.
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
107) Of the weather disturbances explained in the textbook, ________ affects weather over the
greatest area at any one time.
Answer: midlatitude cyclones
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
45
108) Why doesn't the disturbance known as a midlatitude cyclone develop in the tropics?
Answer: The midlatitude cyclone is forced begin by the polar front jet stream which is not over
the tropics. Moreover, the surface expression of the midlatitude cyclone is a mixture of
contrasting polar and tropical air masses and this does not occur in the tropics.
Diff: 2
Global Sci Stds: G2
109) Define midlatitude anticyclone and explain the weather associated with it.
Answer: A high-pressure disturbance of the average flow of the surface westerlies and is so large
that it takes more than a day to pass over a location. It is associated with sunny, dry weather.
Diff: 1
patterns.
Global Sci Stds: G2
110) Compare/contrast the features of the midlatitude cyclone with the tropical cyclone.
Answer: Midlatitude cyclone: Energy from jet stream, west-to-east, fronts, conveyor belt, low
pressure center, strengthens with height. Tropical cyclone: Energy from warm seawater, east-to-
west, not fronts, maritime Tropical air, weakens with height.
Diff: 3
patterns.
Global Sci Stds: G2
111) Explain how midlatitude cyclones are associated with midlatitude anticyclones.
Answer: A cyclone is a storm while an anticyclone is associated with bright, dry weather. A
cyclone is caused and steered by the polar front jet stream while mixing two or more air masses.
The anticyclone is typically at a distance behind the cyclones cold front; the cold front is the
leading edge of the anticyclone.
Diff: 2
patterns.
Global Sci Stds: G2
46
112) In a midlatitude cyclone, what happens with the warm conveyor belt?
Answer: Warm, moist air of the warm sector is drawn upward and toward the center of the
cyclone. The air is drawn over the warm front top higher elevations and can become westerly
with the air at altitude. This is the conveyor supplying the moisture for precipitation ahead of the
cold front and ahead of the surface position of the warm front.
Diff: 3
Global Sci Stds: G2
113) How do meandering of the winds aloft relate to midlatitude cyclones?

Answer: With large departures from west-east flow the winds aloft are meridional. This makes
for strong divergence aloft which forces the formation of low pressure below because of the
forced rise of air up to the divergence.
Diff: 3
Global Sci Stds: G2
47

Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

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McKnight's Physical Geography, 12e (Hess)

Chapter 7 Atmospheric Disturbances

1) Calm, fair weather is most likely to result from a(n) ________.

4) The warmest air can be found in the ________ air mass.

7) Which of the following masses rarely affects North America?

11) Which of the following occurs least over North America?

14) Fronts are located ________.

What type of front is shown in the figure?

20) The coldest, driest air masses are termed ________.

23) Which of the following is a normal slope for a warm front?

25) In which frontal type is there no aggressor air mass?

29) In an occluded front, the warm air sector is ________.

32) "________" is NOT a term referring to a midlatitude cyclone.

34) The beginning of a middle latitude cyclone is known as ________.

35) Cyclogenesis occurs along the________.

In this image, a warm front ________.

The center of this midlatitude cyclone will move ________.

47) Midlatitude anticyclones are often found ________.

48) A midlatitude anticyclone ________.

This feature is a weather disturbance called a(n) ________.

Why don't tropical cyclones originate in the South Atlantic Ocean?

Where are the fastest winds located in this diagram?

60) Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of which city?

63) The energy source of hurricanes is ________.

65) The eye of the hurricane is a zone characterized by ________.

The mature stage is one in which ________.

84) As a group of places, where are thunderstorms most common?

87) Which of the following would be a common diameter for a tornado?

90) Why can't most tornadoes be viewed on existing radars?

92) The temperature in a lighting flash ________.

96) The ability of NEXRAD to distinguish mesocyclones in thunderstorms is dependent upon

99) Easterly waves occasionally intensify into ________.

101) How do midlatitude cyclones form?

103) Explain how wind shear is instrumental in causing tornadoes.

105) Why are there no fronts in hurricanes?

106) How did the concept of fronts come about?

113) How do meandering of the winds aloft relate to midlatitude cyclones?

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