Atmospheric Science Quiz

What is the term used for the energy of motion?

Which gas in the upper atmosphere provides protection from harmful ultraviolet rays?

What is the definition of 'weather'?

What happens to the air's capacity for water vapor as the temperature decreases?

At what temperature does pure water freeze on the Fahrenheit scale?

What is the term for the apparent force created by Earth's rotation?

During most nights, nighttime radiation inversions occur primarily on which type of nights?

What effect does increasing Earth's gravitational force have on atmospheric pressure at the ground?

The pressure gradient force is directed from higher pressure toward which area?

Convective clouds typically form due to which process?

What happens to a sea breeze circulation during night?

In an unsaturated environment, how much does a parcel of air cool by per 1000 m?

What is true about anticyclonic flow in the Northern Hemisphere?

What term is used for a raindrop that freezes before reaching the ground?

A wind that blows at a constant speed parallel to isobars is known as which type of wind?

What accounts for the majority of the water vapor added to the atmosphere each year?

What stage represents the initial stage of an ordinary cell thunderstorm?

Which of the following cloud types is characterized by thin, white, featherlike formations?

What is the primary ingredient needed for thunderstorm development besides moisture and stability?

During which month is the average temperature typically highest in the Northern Hemisphere?

What term describes a line of thunderstorms forming ahead of a cold front?

What characterizes a severe thunderstorm?

Which type of weather front is likely associated with increasing cloudiness and potential precipitation?

Which cloud type is characterized by a dark gray appearance with continuous precipitation?

What is the Absolute temperature scale that contains no negative numbers?

As the air temperature decreases, the air's capacity for water vapor tends to _____ .

Particles that serve as surfaces on which water vapor may condense are called _____ .

The only substance found naturally in the lower atmosphere that can exist as a solid, liquid, and gas is _____ .

The majority of atmospheric ozone is found in the _____ .

What is a boundary that separates warm, dry air from warm, moist air called?

What type of weather front is typically associated with thunderstorms and heavy rain?

What does the Saffir-Simpson scale category 5 indicate?

Where does the heaviest rainfall typically occur during a hurricane?

A weather watch is most likely issued for which condition?

What is a chart that plots air temperature changes over time at a specific station called?

When are storms that form in the tropics typically given names?

During which season are mid-latitude cyclonic storms in the U.S. typically better developed?

What is the term for the forecasting technique that produces several versions of a forecast model, each beginning with slightly different weather information?

What is the typical atmospheric condition when a humid subtropical climate is found in the United States?

What occurs just before a storm is classified as a tropical storm?

What visual effect causes the blue color of the sky?

Which statement correctly describes halos?

How do large volcanic eruptions that eject sulfur-rich materials into the stratosphere typically affect surface temperatures?

What happens to relative humidity as the difference between air temperature and dew point decreases?

What does the term 'stratus', or 'strato', refer to in cloud naming?

Which factor primarily regulates the seasons on Earth?

In a saturated atmosphere, how much does a parcel of air cool by for each 1000 m it rises?

What characteristic of air indicates the average speed of its molecules?

Nighttime radiation inversions typically occur on which kind of nights?

What type of fog is produced when warm, moist air moves over a cold surface?

What type of atmosphere would most likely produce unstable air and lead to cloud formation?

Which factor most directly enhances the greenhouse effect?

Which type of cloud is typically characterized by thin, wispy shapes and can appear as streaks in the sky?

What best defines the daily temperature range?

Which type of cloud is characterized by its individual, separate domes or towers?

What is the primary component required for the development of thunderstorms?

What describes a supercell storm?

What is the term for the average temperature throughout an entire year?

Which stage marks the beginning of an ordinary cell thunderstorm?

What is a boundary that separates warm, dry air from warm, moist air?

What indicates the severity of a category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale?

What is the term for a line of thunderstorms that develops in advance of a cold front?

During a hurricane, which area typically experiences the heaviest rainfall?

What does a weather watch indicate?

What is the primary fuel for hurricanes, derived from ocean waters?

Which type of air mass would most likely be found over a cold ocean current?

What phenomenon causes the center of a hurricane, known as the eye, to be cloud-free?

When is a tropical storm typically given a name?

Anticyclonic flow in the Northern Hemisphere typically results in which wind direction?

What happens to a parcel of air when it rises in an unsaturated atmosphere?

During El Niño events, how do surface waters in the tropical eastern Pacific change?

What type of wind flows at a constant speed parallel to straight-line isobars?

What occurs when dew freezes?

What environmental condition describes an atmosphere where the lapse rate is greater than both the moist and dry adiabatic rates?

Which process contributes the majority of water vapor added to the atmosphere each year?

What is the impact on atmospheric concentrations of certain gases?

What is the condition of the atmosphere at any particular time and place called?

What happens to the air pressure at the summit of Mount Everest compared to sea level?

During which condition will the wind around a surface high-pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere blow?

What happens to hurricanes when they move over colder water?

What indicates the increasing humidity in the air?

What is the term for the stage just before a storm is classified as a tropical storm?

What effect does climate change have on sea-surface temperatures in the tropics?

What characteristic is associated with a humid subtropical climate?

What occurs when light bounces off a surface at the same angle at which it strikes?

What substance is typically responsible for halos in the atmosphere?

What describes a positive feedback mechanism in climate science?

What is the primary source of energy for a hurricane?

What atmospheric condition is typically indicated by a weather warning?

During what phase of a hurricane does the heaviest rainfall typically occur?

On the Saffir-Simpson scale, what does a category 5 hurricane indicate?

What is defined as the difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperature?

What type of air mass is typically characterized as warm and moist?

What type of cloud is characterized by being thin and featherlike in appearance?

Which term refers to a low, gray cloud layer with a uniform base?

What weather phenomenon is typically associated with the polar jet stream during the coldest months?

What type of data does a weather chart that tracks temperature changes display?

What is typically the most intense stage of a wave cyclone according to its life cycle model?

Which factor is NOT a necessary ingredient for thunderstorm development?

What is the significance of the eye of a hurricane?

What happens to the wind around a surface low-pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere?

Which type of storm is characterized by severe conditions including heavy showers and thunder?

What type of weather front typically results in cloudy weather followed by precipitation?

How much does a parcel of air cool every 1000 m if it is unsaturated?

What describes the average temperature for an entire year at a particular station?

What does the heat index combine with air temperature to represent?

What type of environment is characterized by the lifted parcel of air being colder than the air surrounding it?

What phenomenon occurs when dew freezes?

What factor creates pressure gradients that cause sea and land breezes to blow?

What describes the seasonal winds characterized by wet and dry periods?

What happens to average atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the past century?

What defines the greenhouse effect?

Which layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the majority of weather phenomena?

As air temperature decreases, how does the air's capacity for water vapor change?

What type of fog is produced by warm, moist air moving over a cold surface?

What type of cloud is most likely to form in an unstable atmosphere?

What typically occurs to the surface air around a strengthening low-pressure area?

Which statement correctly describes the average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer month?

What happens to atmospheric air pressure at the summit of Mount Everest compared to sea level?

What condition occurs when the atmosphere is absolutely stable?

What are the particles that serve as surfaces for water vapor to condense upon called?

In which atmospheric layer is the majority of ozone found?

What happens to hurricanes when they encounter cooler water?

In which atmospheric conditions would a humid subtropical climate typically be found in the United States?

Which cloud type is most likely associated with the formation of halos or sundogs?

What is the primary reason for the blue color of the sky?

What does a positive feedback mechanism in climate systems typically result in?

Which statement correctly describes how clouds interact with climate?

What are climate factors that produce the climate in a given area referred to as?

What typically happens to average global temperatures over the past century?

Which atmospheric layer contains all the weather phenomena we are familiar with?

Anticyclonic flow means which of the following in the Northern Hemisphere?

How does the greenhouse effect get enhanced?

What type of wind moves at a constant speed parallel to straight-line isobars with the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force in balance?

What is the term that describes a parcel of air that expands and cools, or compresses and warms, without exchanging heat with its surroundings?

During El Nino events, how are surface waters affected in the tropical eastern Pacific?

Which phenomenon is most likely to cause cold and cloudy nights to be warmer than cold and clear nights?

The phrase 'rain shadow' is associated with which type of precipitation?

In an absolutely stable environment, how does the lifted parcel of air compare to the surrounding air?

What is the term for the characteristic of air that indicates the average speed of the atoms and molecules?

What is the most likely composition of Earth's first atmosphere, around 4.6 billion years ago?

Which of the following factors primarily creates pressure gradients that cause sea and land breezes to blow?

What is the average temperature of a station for the entire year called?

What term describes the lowest and highest temperatures observed in a 24-hour period?

What are the three necessary ingredients for thunderstorm development?

Which type of cloud is typically composed of ice crystals and appears in thin, featherlike patches?

What is a characteristic feature of a supercell storm?

What defines a severe thunderstorm?

Which weather front is responsible for producing increasing high cloudiness followed by potential precipitation?

What phenomenon is characterized by a dark gray cloud continuously dropping precipitation without thunderstorms?

The air pressure at the summit of Mount Everest is _____ than the air pressure at sea level.

What is the main process through which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere?

Which layer contains the majority of atmospheric ozone?

A chart that plots how air temperature has changed over the past five days at a given station is known as a what?

Which of the following describes the heaviest rainfall location during a hurricane?

During which condition would a weather warning most likely be issued?

What type of storm is named when it forms in tropical regions?

If the first tropical storm of the season was named Andrea, what would be a likely name for the second one?

What does a weather watch typically indicate?

On the Saffir-Simpson scale, what does a category 5 storm signify?

How do factors like temperature and moisture influence the climate in a specific area?

What causes halos to form in the sky?

What does a humid subtropical climate typically exhibit?

What is a positive feedback mechanism in the context of climate change?

What term describes the process by which light is reflected at the same angle it strikes a surface?

What is the effect of increasing carbon dioxide levels on global temperatures?

What atmospheric condition allows the setting sun to appear red?