Deck 19: Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Local Weather Systems

Question 1

Which of the following is necessary for thunderstorm formation?

A)dry air
B)a downdraft
C)lightning
D)atmospheric instability

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Thunderstorms are most likely to occur

A)in polar regions.
B)in the tropics.
C)over the open ocean.
D)associated with dry coastal areas.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Development of a thunderstorm begins when __________ air starts to __________.

A)dry; rise as an updraft
B)dry; descend as a downdraft
C)moist; rise as an updraft
D)moist; descend as a downdraft

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a local weather system?

A)tornado
B)hurricane
C)mid-latitude cyclone
D)typhoon

Question 5

In order for a thunderstorm to form, the air in the lower atmosphere must

A)contain a lot of water vapor.
B)have a low relative humidity.
C)be very windy.
D)be stagnant.

Question 6

When an air parcel rises without exchanging heat or mass with its surroundings, __________ takes place.

A)adiabatic expansion
B)orographic lifting
C)atmospheric instability
D)a squall line

Question 7

Which of the following best describes where the energy in a thunderstorm comes from?

A)increase in relative humidity that occurs when an updraft is initiated
B)warm air that is associated with the initial atmospheric instability
C)changes in temperature and relative humidity that take place in an updraft
D)winds associated with the storm formation

Question 8

A __________ consists of towering cumulonimbus clouds that produce lightning and thunder.

A)local weather system
B)macroscale weather system
C)thunderstorm
D)mid-latitude cyclone

Question 9

Which of the following is MOST likely to occur when a cold front intersects a package of warm air?

A)The two air masses mix, and a thunderstorm results.
B)The two air masses mix, and the formation of a tornado is possible.
C)The cold air is lifted on top of the warm air, and a thunderstorm results.
D)The warm air is lifted on top of the cold air, and a thunderstorm results.

Question 10

When wind reaches hills or mountains, it can no longer travel horizontally and must instead rise up the slopes. This is known as

A)warming from below.
B)topographic lifting.
C)orographic lifting.
D)the rain shadow.

Question 11

Based on the information given in the image below, it can be said that thunderstorms are

A)evenly distributed across all of the land areas of the world.
B)most prevalent in coastal regions.
C)concentrated in certain regions.
D)more common during certain times of the year.

Question 12

A parcel of air that has undergone initial lifting in a region that contains unstable air will most likely

A)continue to rise.
B)sink back down.
C)mix with the air around it.
D)remain in its new location.

Question 13

An anvil cloud is most likely to form when

A)a parcel of warm air begins to cool and loses buoyancy.
B)rising air reaches the tropopause and loses buoyancy.
C)water vapor is converted to a liquid and rain starts to fall.
D)a thunderstorm invades a package of stable air and spreads out.

Question 14

A(n) __________ thunderstorm is an isolated thunderstorm that does not rotate.

A)squall-line
B)straight-line
C)supercell
D)ordinary

Question 15

Thunderstorms, lake-effect storms, and coastal sea breezes are examples of

A)local weather systems.
B)macroscale weather systems.
C)mid-latitude cyclones.
D)updrafts.

Question 16

A parcel of air that has undergone initial lifting in a region that contains stable air will most likely

A)continue to rise.
B)sink back down.
C)mix with the air around it.
D)remain in its new location.

Question 17

The distribution of thunderstorms can best be described as

A)evenly distributed across all of the land areas of the world.
B)most prevalent in coastal regions.
C)concentrated in certain regions.
D)more common during certain times of the year.

Question 18

Using the figure below, where are thunderstorms most likely to occur in the United States?

A)Idaho
B)Pennsylvania
C)Nebraska
D)Florida

Question 19

A(n) __________ is the leading edge of the cool, dense air that flows down and out of a thunderstorm once rain starts to fall.

A)downdraft
B)updraft
C)gust front
D)cool pool

Question 20

A severe thunderstorm is one that produces

A)tornadoes.
B)hurricanes.
C)hail up to 1 cm.
D)mid-latitude cyclones.

Question 21

A huge electrostatic discharge, caused when negatively and positively charged particles become separated in the clouds of a thunderstorm, is called

A)lightning.
B)thunder.
C)hail.
D)mesocyclone.

Question 22

A tornado that forms over water is known as a(n)

A)hurricane.
B)mesocyclone.
C)water spout.
D)typhoon.

Question 23

What should a person do when a tornado warning has been issued?

A)Check outside to see if the tornado is visible nearby.
B)Go inside and look out a window to see if a tornado is nearby.
C)Go into an interior room indoors, avoiding windows.
D)Wait to see if the warning is upgraded to a watch.

Question 24

A(n) __________ thunderstorm forms along a distinct line that marks the edge of a front or gust front.

A)squall-line
B)straight-line
C)supercell
D)ordinary

Question 25

Squall-line thunderstorms are most likely to be accompanied by

A)tornados.
B)straight-line winds.
C)tremendous amounts of rain.
D)supercell thunderstorms.

Question 26

Most lightning travels from ________ to________.

A)the ground; clouds
B)clouds; the ground
C)cloud; cloud
D)cloud; clear sky

Question 27

Spherical or irregularly shaped lumps of solid ice that form in nearly all thunderstorms are called

A)snow.
B)hail.
C)sleet.
D)cool pool.

Question 28

Which of the following is MOST true of a supercell thunderstorm relative to an ordinary thunderstorm?

A)In a supercell thunderstorm, the updraft is rotating.
B)Frontal squall lines accompany supercell thunderstorms.
C)Supercell thunderstorms cover a larger geographic area.
D)Straight-line winds accompany supercell thunderstorms.

Question 29

Thunder is a consequence of

A)lightning.
B)rainfall.
C)hail.
D)cloud formation.

Question 30

Tornadoes are most likely to form

A)in mountainous regions.
B)in flat regions.
C)in coastal regions.
D)over the ocean.

Question 31

A supercell thunderstorm

A)is fueled by multiple rotating updrafts.
B)is accompanied by a tornado.
C)covers a large geographic area.
D)contains a strong, long-lasting rotating updraft.

Question 32

Which of the following best describes what is implied when a tornado watch is issued?

A)Weather conditions favor tornado formation.
B)A tornado has been visually spotted by an observer.
C)A tornado has been detected on the radar.
D)A tornado is actively posing a local hazard.

Question 33

A flash flood is a flood that happens rapidly with barely any warning.

A)localized, short-duration
B)widespread, short-duration
C)localized, long-lasting
D)widespread, long-lasting

Question 34

The best place to be during a tornado is

A)outside, away from any buildings that could fall.
B)indoors, near a window so that you can monitor the storm.
C)indoors, in a basement.
D)indoors, in a bathroom.

Question 35

A person stuck outside during a thunderstorm should

A)lay flat on the ground, making their entire body as close to the ground as possible.
B)crouch down, balancing on their toes with their feet together.
C)take shelter under tall trees.
D)use an umbrella to protect themself from the rain.

Question 36

When is rain most likely to fall during a thunderstorm?

A)during the development stage
B)during the mature stage
C)during the dissipation stage
D)throughout the life of the storm

Question 37

The image below depicts thunderstorm formation as a result of

A)lifting caused by gust fronts.
B)warming from below.
C)frontal lifting.
D)orographic lifting.

Question 38

The following image shows the rotating clouds of a(n)

A)tornado.
B)supercell thunderstorm.
C)ordinary thunderstorm.
D)squall line thunderstorm.

Question 39

The swath of destruction left by a tornado is called a

A)squall line.
B)mesocyclone.
C)tornado track.
D)supercell path.

Question 40

Which of the following is the best place to be during a thunderstorm?

A)outside, in an open area
B)outside, next to a tall tree
C)outside, on open water
D)indoors, in the middle of a room

Question 41

Which of the following best explains why we hear thunder?

A)Heat within the lightning channel causes air to expand and then contract violently. The resulting shockwave is heard as thunder.
B)When lightning hits the ground it rapidly heats the ground surface, which expands producing a clap of thunder.
C)Lightning and thunder are produced simultaneously during a thunderstorm.
D)During a thunderstorm, downdrafts move rapidly toward the earth in pulses. These pulses are heard as thunder.

Question 42

The circulation of air illustrated in the image below is known as a(n)

A)orographic lifting.
B)sea breeze.
C)water spout.
D)mesocyclone.

Question 43

Katabatic winds develop because

A)in coastal regions, hot air rises over the land and flows aloft, allowing cool coastal winds to blow landward.
B)in the winter, lakes provide moisture and heat to the atmosphere, generating winds that flow landward.
C)the air above an ice sheet becomes cold and dense and flows downslope off of the ice sheet, producing winds.
D)winds blow across mountain ranges if higher pressure is persistent on the windward side than on the leeward side.

Question 44

What is a squall-line thunderstorm? What type(s) of wind are associated with squall-line thunderstorms? Are they associated with tornado formation?

Question 45

Because water has a high heat capacity, the water of a large lake may remain liquid in early winter even if the air above it is well below freezing. In this way, lakes can provide moisture and heat to the atmosphere. This phenomenon is most likely to result in

A)warmer, milder winter weather in regions near lakes.
B)inversions.
C)lake-effect storms.
D)katabatic winds.

Question 46

Compare and contrast stable and unstable atmospheric conditions.

Question 47

What is implied by a tornado watch? How is this different from a warning?

Question 48

What is adiabatic expansion? What determines whether or not this will result in thunderstorm formation?

Question 49

Contrast the windward and leeward sides of a mountain. What weather-related conditions and phenomena can one expect on each side? What is the orographic effect?

Question 50

A tornado warning can best be described as

A)occurring when weather conditions favor tornado formation.
B)occurring after a tornado has been visually spotted.
C)occurring anytime there is a supercell thunderstorm.
D)identifying regions prone to tornado formation.

Question 51

What is taking place in the image below?

Question 52

The Enhanced Fujita scale is used to classify

A)thunderstorms based on their size and intensity.
B)thunderstorms based on their magnitude and the type of lifting mechanism involved in their formation.
C)the strength of lightning strikes based on the amount of energy transferred.
D)tornado intensities based on the damage caused and estimates of how this correlates to wind velocity.

Question 53

Compare and contrast an ordinary thunderstorm and a supercell thunderstorm.

Question 54

What conditions are necessary for thunderstorm formation?

Question 55

Precipitation is heaviest and most persistent of mountains.

A)on the top
B)on the windward side
C)on the leeward side
D)at the base

Question 56

Lifting that results in thunderstorm formation does not always have to take place along fronts. Illustrate, using words and/or pictures, how lifting could occur along a less distinct boundary.

Question 57

How can people best protect themselves from lightning?

Question 58

The leeward side of a mountain range tends to be

A)wet and humid.
B)rainy but not humid.
C)humid but not rainy.
D)dry.

Question 59

A layer in the atmosphere in which the temperature increases with altitude is known as a(n)

A)inversion.
B)mesocyclone.
C)katabatic wind.
D)squall line.

Question 60

A(n) __________ is shown in the photograph below.

A)squall-line thunderstorm
B)inversion
C)anvil cloud
D)tornado