Texas A&M University (TAMU) ATMO201 Weather and Climate Exam 2 Practice

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• What is the condition for conditional instability in the atmosphere?
• Where is the Coriolis force lowest?
• What is the primary effect of an adiabatic process on air temperature?
• How do winds primarily form in the atmosphere?
• Which term describes the actual temperature profile of the atmosphere?
• What does "nimbus" indicate when describing clouds?
• What happens to raindrops when they get too large, approximately 6mm?
• What defines stratus clouds in the atmosphere?
• How does aggregation affect ice particles in clouds?
• What process occurs as surface air moves into a low-pressure area?
• What visual phenomenon is associated with cirrostratus clouds?
• What happens to air pressure as height increases?
• What characterizes an absolutely unstable atmosphere?
• As wind speed increases, what happens to the Coriolis force?
• What role does a strong updraft play in the growth of raindrops in deep clouds?
• What describes complete thermal circulation from high to low pressure?
• How does surface wind behave differently from geostrophic wind?
• In an absolutely stable atmosphere, what will happen to a rising parcel of air?
• What is typically not a focus of climatological forecasts?
• What is the primary cause of the Coriolis Force?
• What does the prefix "alto" signify when classifying clouds?
• Why do bad model forecasts occur?
• Which force causes air to move from areas of high pressure to low pressure?
• In the context of atmospheric sciences, what does PGF stand for?
• What is the main role of isoheights on a weather map?
• What term refers to the reflection, refraction, and dispersion of light in raindrops that forms a rainbow?
• What atmospheric condition typically promotes the formation of haze?
• What does a weather "watch" signify?
• What is the main factor that contributes to the formation of radiation fog?
• What occurs to the distances between molecules when air cools?
• What describes the formation of stratus clouds?
• Which atmospheric condition contributes to Southern US storm forecasting?
• What is a meteogram primarily used for?
• What does the detection of a tornado indicate according to the watches and advisories?
• What effect does entrainment have on a rising parcel of air?
• Which mechanism contributes to the growth of raindrops in warm water regions of clouds?
• What does persistence forecasting predict?
• What happens to molecules in a warm air column?
• Which direction does surface wind flow around low pressure centers in the Southern Hemisphere?
• How can precipitation grow in cold ice regions of a cloud?
• Which weather condition is associated with hazardous weather advisories?
• Which of the following terms refers to snow formed through deposition and aggregation?
• What distinguishes graupel from regular snow?
• When air is heated, what happens to its ability to exert pressure?
• The horizontal difference in temperature creates a horizontal difference in what?
• In the Northern Hemisphere, what direction does the Coriolis effect act in relation to the moving object?
• What typically prompts a weather advisory?
• Does bitter, cold, and dense air typically have high or low pressure?
• What are isobars used to represent on a weather map?
• What is one way to improve the output from weather models?
• What term describes particles in the atmosphere that enhance condensation during haze formation?
• What happens to wind speed as the distance from the surface increases?
• When the air in a column cools, what occurs to the molecules?
• What is the approximate dry adiabatic lapse rate?
• How do you calculate the Pressure Gradient Force (PGF)?
• What best characterizes nimbostratus clouds?
• What does an outlook forecast show?
• What effect does decreasing the density of air have on air pressure?
• What type of atmospheric pressure is typically associated with warm air aloft?
• What process involves supercooled drops evaporating while ice crystals do not, providing water vapor that assists in vapor deposition on ice?
• What type of clouds can create a "mackerel sky" appearance?
• What happens to the motion of water as a result of horizontal differences in atmospheric pressure?
• Which of the following describes the apparent deflection of free-moving objects due to Earth's rotation?
• In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force acts in which direction?
• What is the effect of the Coriolis Force on wind direction?
• Which type of fog is often confused with smog?
• What is indicated by a weather "warning"?
• Which statement is true regarding the structure of warm and cold air columns?
• Which of the following natural disasters is an example of a hazard?
• What is "black ice" more commonly known as?
• Where is the Coriolis force greatest?
• What is a key aspect influencing bad weather model forecasts?
• What does the Beaufort wind scale measure?
• What is the main characteristic of non-adiabatic processes?
• Which phenomenon involves vapor turning directly into ice?
• At which atmospheric pressure level can long waves in the atmosphere be observed?
• What does the term "analog" refer to in weather forecasting?
• What is supercooled water?
• What does the Coriolis force never influence?
• In what condition will warm and buoyant air keep rising?
• Which cloud type can extend to the top of the troposphere and is known for heavy rain and lightning?
• What is the impact of surface warming on pressure gradients?
• In Southern US storm predicting, what is essential to creating instability?
• What type of fog typically forms under clear night skies?
• What is the effect of warming on air density?
• What process describes the cooling of air to the dew point, leading to dew formation?
• What do closely spaced isobars on a weather map indicate?
• What is the effect on the pressure and density of a cooler air column in a pressure gradient?
• What kind of structure do hailstones often exhibit?
• Does cooling create more or less density in air?
• What happens to the speed of molecules in a cooling air column?
• What altitude range defines middle clouds?
• What effect does friction have on wind speed?
• What is the primary cause of dew formation?
• What keeps the air moving counterclockwise in relation to a low-pressure center?
• Which type of forecast is based on long-term averages?
• Which type of clouds generally has a base lower than 2 km?
• What is a nowcast primarily used for?
• What device is commonly used for directly measuring precipitation?
• What is the specific temperature change experienced by a rising air parcel at the moist adiabatic lapse rate?
• Which type of cloud is characterized by being high, thin, and wispy?
• What challenge do meteorologists face with computer models?
• Which color of light is refracted the least during a sunset?
• What atmospheric layer is influenced by friction?
• What does the term "cumulus" refer to in cloud classification?
• What characterizes freezing rain?
• What type of fog is created when warm, moist air moves over a cold surface?
• What do the spacing of isoheights indicate?
• What happens to the temperature of a rising parcel of air that is not saturated?
• What causes horizontal pressure variations in the atmosphere both aloft and at the surface?
• In a subsidence inversion, what happens to the sinking air?
• Which fog results from the cooling of air as it moves upslope?
• What is the significance of the 500 hPa maps in weather analysis?
• What is the focus of a medium-range forecast?
• If more air is added to a column, what happens to the density and surface pressure?
• What distinguishes a hurricane watch from a hurricane warning?
• In which direction is the Pressure Gradient Force always directed?
• What atmospheric condition is typically associated with reduced visibility and increases in humidity?
• What is the primary function of an updraft in cloud formation?
• In which situation does evaporation fog typically occur?
• What occurs during a frontal inversion?
• What is the definition of air pressure?
• What happens to the pressure and density of a warmer air column during a pressure gradient?
• What is the relationship between the height of cold and warm air columns?
• How does pressure decrease in a cold air column with height?
• What is the result of collision within the collision-coalescence mechanism?
• What factors influence the amount of deflection caused by the Coriolis force?
• What effect does a greater pressure difference have on wind speed?
• What typically indicates steady precipitation from a cloud type?
• Which of the following cloud types resembles a woolly appearance at lower altitudes?
• Hail typically forms in which atmospheric conditions?
• What do you call rain that evaporates before it reaches the ground?
• What characterizes a long-range forecast?
• Which type of middle cloud is known for providing some sunlight visibility?
• Which forecasting method focuses on significant short-term weather phenomena?
• How does the density of air affect surface pressure when more air is added?
• Snowflakes can take on various shapes depending on what factor?
• What happens to the strength of wind as the spacing of isoheights gets closer together?
• What is the moisture adiabatic lapse rate when a parcel reaches its dew point?
• What determines the terminal velocity of rain droplets?
• What is the net force acting on the wind when centripetal force is involved?
• What is the definition of centripetal force in the context of wind?
• What is an example of Coriolis Force in action?
• What occurs when supercooled water collides with ice particles?
• What is the definition of trend forecasting?
• What time frame does a short-range forecast typically cover?
• What tool is used to measure direction at a point for wind?
• At higher altitudes, how does the rate of air pressure decrease change?
• What is the primary function of an anemometer?
• What does frontal lifting involve?
• Why do not all cloud droplets fall out of the sky?
• Why is fog more common in winter months?
• How does wind flow around high pressure centers aloft in the Northern Hemisphere?
• How do molecules behave in a warm air column?
• How does snow typically form?
• In the context of wind, what is the primary characteristic of geostrophic wind?
• What does probability indicate in the context of climatology?
• What type of model is typically used in climatological forecasting?
• What primary weather feature does a long-range forecast include?
• Why doesn’t air pressure decrease rapidly in a warm air column?
• What type of precipitation consists of liquid drops with a diameter of less than 0.5 mm?
• What is graupel?
• What does a sounding in meteorology provide?
• What can decrease air pressure in a given area?
• What establishes the force that causes air to move from higher pressure to lower pressure?
• What characterizes a cumulus cloud?
• How does friction affect wind as it approaches the surface?
• What atmospheric element is primarily analyzed in a sounding?
• What phenomenon occurs when air flows from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure?
• What is one method to slow down or stop rising air?
• What device measures atmospheric pressure?
• What is the movement of air forced by pressure variations at the surface?
• What method is used to enhance rainfall by introducing ice nuclei into clouds?
• What does the term 'rimes' refer to in cloud physics?
• What does atmospheric stability refer to?
• Which of the following forces slows down wind, especially near the surface?
• Cold air aloft is normally associated with which type of atmospheric pressure?
• Which measurement method allows for the assessment of precipitation over large areas indirectly?
• Which method involves using computers to model weather through equations?
• How do surface winds in the Northern Hemisphere move around a low-pressure system?
• What does a "hazardous weather watch" specifically indicate?
• Which term refers to assuming the weather will continue as it is now?
• What phenomenon occurs when light bends due to changes in air density?