ATMS 100 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS

Constant Pressure - Answer A surface in the atmosphere where the pressure is equal everywhere along that surface Higher heights=____;Lower heights=____. - Answer Warmer air;colder air Isotherms - Answer Lines of equal temperature Ridges - Answer Elongated highs where air is warmer and indicating depressions Troughs - Answer Elongated lows where air is colder. Pressure gradient force (PGF) - Answer Directed from higher towards lower pressure at right angles to the isobars; force that causes winds to blow The stronger the PGF, the ____ the wind speed. - Answer Greater Coriolis Force - Answer Force due to rotation of the earth; causes wind to deflect to the right of its intended path in the NH and to the left of its intended path in the SH. As wind speed increases, Coriolis force ___. - Answer Increases;Stronger the wind the greater the deflection Coriolis force increases for all wind speeds from a value of ____ at the equator to a ____at the poles. - Answer Zero;maximum The Coriolis force acts at___angles to the wind, only influencing___and never____. - Answer Right;wind direction;wind speed Does the Coriolis force influence small-scale flows such as flushing toilets? - Answer No; coriolis force is so small that it is negligible. How do you determine the upper-level winds given height contours? - Answer Parallel the contour lines; wavy west to east direction,contour lines tend to decrease in height from south to north because air is warmer towards south. How do you determine the pressure gradient and Coriolis forces from height contours on an upper-level map? - Answer When contours are widely spaced the flow is weak; when they are narrowly spaced, the flow is stronger; increase in winds=(CF), which balances a larger (PGF). Geostrophic Wind - Answer Wind flows in a straight path, parallel to the isobars at a constant speed Gradient Wind - Answer A wind that blows at a constant speed parallel to curved isobars above the level of frictional influence;gradient wind blowing around low-pressure center is constantly accelerating because it's constantly changing direction How does the wind aloft around highs(ridges) and lows (troughs) compare to the geostrophic wind? - Answer In NH winds blow counterclockwise around areas of low pressure & clockwise around areas of high pressure. Cyclone - Answer A swirling center of low air pressure Anticyclone - Answer A high-pressure center of dry air What force is important at the surface that is not important aloft? - Answer PGF Friction - Answer extends upward to an altitude near 1000 m or 3000 ft above the surface, slows down wind speed How do you determine the surface winds from isobars on a surface map? - Answer Winds blow across isobars toward lower pressures Air mass - Answer Extremely large body of air with similar temp and moisture concentrations in horizontal.