128 Questions
What is atmospheric pressure?
The force exerted by the weight of the air molecules above the earth’s surface per unit area
What is the primary cause of air motion (wind)?
Variation in atmospheric pressure
How are atmospheric pressure and temperature related?
Inversely related
How is atmospheric pressure measured?
By a barometer
What is the average atmospheric pressure at sea level?
1013.25 mb (millibar)
How does atmospheric pressure change with increasing altitude?
It rapidly decreases
What is the diameter of the storm over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean?
600-1200 km
In which direction do tropical cyclones mostly move?
East to west
What is another name for temperate cyclones?
Extra-tropical cyclones
What plays an important role in temperate cyclones and influences their direction from west to east?
Jet streams
Where do tropical cyclones make landfall?
Eastern coasts of continents
What type of clouds may drift into the outer region from the eye wall during torrential rains?
Cumulus clouds
What is the term used for the homogeneous surfaces over which air masses form?
Source regions
Which air mass is classified as moist and warm?
Maritime tropical (mT)
What is the boundary zone between different air masses called?
Front
What type of front remains stationary?
Stationary front
In which region are fronts uncommon?
Tropical regions
What are the atmospheric disturbances involving a closed circulation of air around a low pressure at the center and high pressure at the periphery called?
Cyclones
In which hemisphere do tropical cyclones rotate anti-clockwise?
Northern hemisphere
What type of cyclone develops in the region between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer?
Tropical cyclones
Which factor is NOT favorable for the formation of tropical cyclones?
$60°C$ sea surface temperature
What is the center of a mature tropical cyclone called?
Eye
What type of weather is associated with warm fronts?
Moderate to gentle rainfall
What is the process by which a cold front of a rotating low pressure system catches up with a warm front?
Occlusion
What characterizes the trade winds?
They flow between 30°N and 30°S latitudes
Where do the westerlies blow from in the southern hemisphere?
South-west
What causes the formation of a sea breeze during the day?
The air over the land warms and expands leading to the formation of a low pressure zone
What are tertiary winds?
Winds blowing only during a particular period of the day or year in a small area
Which wind is characterized by bringing reddish sand from the Sahara desert?
Sirocco
What is the defining characteristic of an air mass?
It has little horizontal variation in temperature and moisture
What characterizes the westerlies?
They flow between 30°N and 60°N in the northern hemisphere
What is characteristic of mountain breeze?
During the night, slopes get heated up and air moves up the slope, while air from the valley blows up
What defines secondary winds?
They change their direction in different seasons and are characterized by seasonal reversal of wind direction
What characterizes North American local winds - Chinook?
They are warm, dry westerly off the Rocky Mountains
What characterizes land breeze?
The land loses heat faster than water, forming a low pressure zone leading to land breeze at night
What characterizes African winds - Khamsin?
They are dry, hot and sandy wind blowing from North Africa to eastern Mediterranean
What is an isobar?
An imaginary line connecting places of uniform atmospheric pressure reduced to mean sea level
What does closely spaced isobars indicate?
A steep pressure gradient
Where does the equatorial low-pressure belt lie?
Between 0°N to 5°N and 0°S to 5°S
What are the winds that blow from the subtropical high-pressure belt towards the equatorial low-pressure belt called?
Trade winds
What is another name for the subtropical high-pressure belt?
Horse Latitude
What causes the formation of the subpolar low-pressure belt?
Warm westerly winds colliding with cold polar easterly winds and rising up
Which type of pressure belts are formed due to high and low temperature respectively?
Equatorial low pressure and polar high pressure belts
Who proposed the Hadley cell model?
George Hadley in 1735
What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
Barometer
How does the atmosphere behave with an increase in temperature?
The air expands, leading to a decrease in pressure
What is the primary cause of air motion (wind)?
Pressure gradient
What is the average atmospheric pressure at sea level?
$1013.25$ mb
In which direction does atmospheric pressure change with increasing altitude?
It decreases
What are the atmospheric disturbances involving a closed circulation of air around a low pressure at the center and high pressure at the periphery called?
Cyclones
Which type of cyclone forms over both land and water and covers a larger area than tropical cyclones?
Extra-tropical cyclones
What plays an important role in the direction of temperate cyclones from west to east?
Jet streams
What is the average diameter of a tropical cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean?
1200 - 1500 km
Which type of cyclone predominantly moves along with the direction of trade winds?
Tropical cyclones
What atmospheric disturbances involving a closed circulation of air around a low pressure at the center and high pressure at the periphery are characteristic of tropical cyclones?
Eye wall
In which region do temperate cyclones occur in both the hemispheres?
30°-60° latitude
What is the name given to an imaginary line connecting places of uniform atmospheric pressure reduced to mean sea level?
Isobar
What is the name of the belt of calm at the equatorial low-pressure belt?
Doldrums
What causes the formation of a high-pressure belt along the subtropical region?
The warm westerly winds move towards the poles and collide with cold polar easterly winds
Which cell features part of the air rising at 60° latitude that flows towards poles and descends towards the subpolar region?
Polar Cell
What is the name given to the horizontal movement of air from high pressure zones to low pressure areas?
Wind Systems
What instrument is used to measure the speed of the wind?
Anemometer
What type of winds are also called planetary winds, blow constantly throughout the year, and are invariable?
Primary Winds
What are the three types of primary winds?
Trade Winds, Westerlies, Easterlies
'Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells set the pattern for what?'
General Circulation of the Atmosphere
'At which latitude does part of the air rise and flow towards poles, descending in the sub-tropics?'
60°
'What type of belts are formed due to high and low temperature respectively?'
Thermally Formed Pressure Belts
'What is the name given to an instrument that measures the speed of the wind?'
Anemometer
What characterizes the westerlies?
They blow from subpolar low pressure belts towards subtropical high pressure belts
What causes the formation of a sea breeze during the day?
The land heats up faster than water, creating a low pressure zone over the land
What characterizes African winds - Sirocco?
Dry, hot and sandy wind that blows from North Africa to the eastern Mediterranean
What type of weather is associated with warm fronts?
Steady rain or drizzle
What characterizes North American local winds - Chinook?
(snow eater) These are warm dry westerly off the Rocky Mountains
What causes the formation of land breeze during the night?
The air over the land becomes cooler than the air over the ocean
What are the main source regions for air masses?
The high pressure belts in the subtropics and around the poles
What is the boundary zone between two different air masses called?
Front
What process involves the convergence of two distinct air masses?
Frontogenesis
What type of front is formed when a warm air mass moves towards the cold air mass?
Warm front
What atmospheric disturbances involve a closed circulation of air around a low pressure at center and high pressure at the periphery?
Cyclones and anticyclones
What is the center of a mature tropical cyclone called?
Eye
What type of front brings significant precipitation along the front?
Stationary front
'Hurricanes' in the Atlantic, 'Typhoons' in the Western Pacific, and 'Cyclones' in the Indian ocean are all names for which atmospheric disturbance?
Tropical cyclones
What plays an important role in the direction of temperate cyclones from west to east?
Jet streams
What characterizes tropical air masses?
Warm and moist
What causes the rapid decrease in atmospheric pressure with increasing altitude?
The vertical pressure gradient
What effect does an increase in temperature have on atmospheric pressure?
It causes the air to expand and the pressure to decrease
What is the primary cause of air motion (wind) according to the given information?
The vertical pressure gradient
What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure as mentioned in the text?
Barometer
At sea level, what is the average atmospheric pressure as stated in the text?
1013.25 mb
What is the defining characteristic of the vertical distribution of atmospheric pressure as mentioned in the text?
Decrease with height
What is the primary reason for the movement of tropical cyclones from east to west?
Influence of the trade winds
What distinguishes temperate cyclones from tropical cyclones in terms of their formation?
Formation over both land and water
What is the primary characteristic of the movement of temperate cyclones?
West to east orientation
What is the most significant impact of tropical cyclones on coastal lowlands?
Creation of storm surges
Which atmospheric feature plays a crucial role in the development and direction of temperate cyclones?
Jet streams
What is the average diameter of a tropical cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean?
600 - 1200 km
What is the primary cause of air motion (wind)?
Rotation of the Earth
What is the defining characteristic of an air mass?
Temperature
Where do the westerlies blow from in the southern hemisphere?
Polar high-pressure belt
What characterizes the westerlies?
Cyclonic activity
What is the primary role of the Coriolis force in atmospheric circulation?
Deflecting wind direction
'Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells set the pattern for what?'
Atmospheric circulation
'At which latitude does part of the air rise and flow towards poles, descending in the sub-tropics?'
60°N to 65°N and 60°S to 65°S
'What type of belts are formed due to high and low temperature respectively?'
'Thermally formed pressure belts'
'What is another name for temperate cyclones?'
'Extratropical cyclones'
'How is atmospheric pressure measured?'
'Barometer'
What characterizes tropical air masses?
Warm and moist
What are tertiary winds?
Localized winds influenced by topography
Which type of front is formed when a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass and goes underneath it?
Occluded front
What is the boundary zone between different air masses called?
Front
What characterizes the westerlies?
Strongly influenced by the Coriolis force
What is the term used for the homogeneous surfaces over which air masses form?
Source regions
What are the atmospheric disturbances involving a closed circulation of air around a low pressure at center and high pressure at the periphery called?
Cyclones
What type of winds are also called planetary winds, blow constantly throughout the year, and are invariable?
Trade winds
'What characterizes African winds - Sirocco?'
Blows from the Sahara to the Mediterranean
'What is another name for temperate cyclones?'
'Extratropical cyclones'
'In which direction does atmospheric pressure change with increasing altitude?'
'Decreases'
'Where do tropical cyclones make landfall?'
'Coastal regions'
What causes the formation of the subpolar low-pressure belt?
Cold air from high altitudes meeting warm air from low altitudes
What factor is NOT favorable for the formation of tropical cyclones?
High vertical wind speed variations
Which wind is characterized by bringing reddish sand from the Sahara desert?
Sirocco
In which direction do tropical cyclones predominantly move?
West to East
Who proposed the Hadley cell model?
George Hadley
Which type of weather is associated with warm fronts?
Stable, steady rain
What is the process by which a cold front of a rotating low-pressure system catches up with a warm front?
Occlusion
What is another name for the subtropical high-pressure belt?
Horse latitudes
How does the atmosphere behave with an increase in temperature?
Expands and exerts more pressure
'Hurricanes' in the Atlantic, 'Typhoons' in the Western Pacific, and 'Cyclones' in the Indian Ocean are all names for which atmospheric disturbance?
Tropical cyclone
Test your knowledge about the trade winds and westerlies which flow between specific latitudes and play a crucial role in global atmospheric circulation patterns. Learn about their direction, characteristics, and impact on weather.
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