question

The bottom of a cumulonimbus cloud tends to have a _____ charge.

answer

negative

question

Charge separation in a thunderstorm involves which substances' interactions?

answer

graupel and ice crystals

question

"Bolts from the blue" are most likely __________ lightning and originates in the __________ of a thundercloud

answer

positive, top

question

The first lightning strike to move out of the bottom of a cloud and get within 50 meters of the ground is called

answer

stepped leader

question

The most 'powerful' type of lightning based on the distance traveled from a storm would be _____ lightning.

answer

positive

question

The most common form of lightning is called:

answer

negative, intracloud

question

Positive charges that stream off of high points at the Earth surface are called:

answer

positive streamers

question

In talking about negative lightning, which part of a cloud to ground lightning strike carries the most electrical current?

answer

return stroke

question

Lightning that shows branches as it flashes in the sky is called:

answer

forked

question

Lightning that is too far away to hear the thunder is called _____ lightning.

answer

Heat

question

Thunder is caused by

answer

rapidly expanding air pressure decaying to an acoustic wave

question

If you see a lightning bolt and hear thunder 15 seconds later, the lightning bolt was _____ miles away from you.

answer

3

question

Lightning is more common along the Gulf of Mexico because:

answer

air mass thunderstorms are more common in the same areas

question

When a negative cloud to ground lightning bolt gets close to the ground, it typically meets the _____ rising up to meet the bolt

answer

positive streamers

question

Thunder makes a rumbling noise because

answer

sound from different parts of the lightning bolt reach the hearer at different times

question

The charge separation between the Earth's surface and top of the atmosphere is maintained by _______.

answer

Thunderstorm

question

Sheet lightning is what general type of lightning?

answer

negative, intracloud

question

In New York State, you have a chance that lightning will strike within a half mile (kilometer) of you at least ____ times per year

answer

2-3

question

Charges that follow a thunderstorm because they are attracted to the bottom of a thunderstorms are called

answer

postive shadow

question

A typical lightning stroke is ____ wide at the surface of the Earth.

answer

1-2 cm

question

Which of the following choices of classes of tornadoes is on the ground longer (both in terms of time and distance)

answer

average

question

In the past two years, New York State has had _____ tornadoes per year compared to the past 50 years.

answer

fewer

question

In the first four months of this year (2017), the number of tornadoes in the USA is _____ than average over the past 50 years.

answer

Higher

question

A tornado with windspeeds of 175 miles per hour could be classified as:

answer

strong

question

Which class of tornado is generally smaller in diameter at the surface of the Earth?

answer

most frequent (representative)

question

In the "loaded gun scenario" of tornado formation

answer

All of these are necessary: the difference between temperature and dewpoint are small at the surface differences between temperature and dew point are large above the inversion the air above the inversion is cold and dry

question

In the United States, most tornadoes travel from _____ to _____.

answer

Southwest to Northeas

question

A horizontal pipe of wind can form in a thunderstorm due to

answer

wind shear

question

The entrainment of the horizontal roll (pipe) of a supercell thunderstorm into the strong updraft produces:

answer

a mesocyclone

question

From the perspective of an observer (you) on the ground, as a tornado approaches the observer, the windspeed is higher on the observers's ____.

answer

left

question

Which characteristic of a tornadic thunderstorm tilts the horizontal roll?

answer

strong updraft

question

Which physical transfer of energy is essential to the development of a tornadic thunderstorm?

answer

free convection

question

A meteorological "sounding" is

answer

a graph of how atmospheric conditions change vertically in the atmosphere

question

If viewed from above a tornado, wind speed is greatest on the _____ side of the direction of a moving tornado

answer

right

question

According to the conservation of angular momentum, as air is drawn into the dynamic pipe of a tornado, the wind speed

answer

increases

question

A "dry line" is a front where the ______ changes significantly on either side of the front

answer

humidity

question

Most tornadoes are located in the _____ of a thunderstorm.

answer

updraft / downdraft boundary

question

The seasonal march of tornadoes across the USA follows:

answer

All of these are necessary: directness of the sun's rays clash of maritime tropical (mT) and continental polar (cP) air masses the location of the jet stream

question

Most people are killed by which type of tornado?

answer

violent

question

Smaller, more intense, circulations within the larger circulation of a violent tornado are often called:

answer

suction vortices (plural of vortex)

question

Quiz 11

answer

Missing

question

What are the principle gases that absorb heat in our atmosphere?

answer

carbon dioxide and water vapor

question

Scientists can determine past temperatures (up to hundreds of thousands of years ago) by studying:

answer

ice cores

question

Most of the temperature (heat) increase due to increased carbon dioxide levels is absorbed by the _____.

answer

oceans

question

Which of the following substances are considered fossil fuels?

answer

oil coal natural gas

question

Clean coal technology, removing as much carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants, will ____ the cost of electricity.

answer

increase

question

Which of the following other gases are considered adding to the problem of global warming?

answer

methane chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) ozone

question

According to the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) most of the increase in global warming gases in our atmosphere comes from:

answer

humans

question

If we stop emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere today,

answer

the global average temperature will still increase

question

Which country is said to have contributed the most carbon dioxide to Earth's atmosphere in the past few hundred years?

answer

USA

question

The amount of warming of the air at the surface of the Earth as a result of global warming is likely to

answer

vary by latitude

question

Changes in precipitation patterns due to global warming is expected to _____.

answer

vary by location on Earth's globe

question

Without the natural amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, the average temperature on the Earth's surface would be approximately:

answer

-20C

question

Problems with reforestation as a solution to decreasing carbon dioxide include:

answer

available land for reforestation fertilizer needs for reforestation cost to reforest large areas of land

question

What human activity is said to be the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions?

answer

power stations (electrical generation)

question

As global temperatures rise, sea levels will likely _____

answer

increase

question

The amount of sea level rise in the oceans depends on:

answer

the rate carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere

question

Increasing sea surface temperatures due to global warming is likely to ____ the number and _____ the severity of hurricanes.

answer

decrease, increase

question

Food production on land and the food productivity of the oceans is expected to ____ as the global warming increases in the 21st century.

answer

decrease

question

The second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions is:

answer

agriculture

question

The oceans may stop producing enough food to feed the human population by the year _____ACE (AD).

answer

2050

question

The number of skin cancers associated with tanning beds every year is _____ the number of lung cancers associated with smoking.

answer

twice

question

What compound is responsible for ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere?

answer

chlorofluorocarbons

question

A hardening of the lens of the human eye as a result of ultraviolet light exposure is called:

answer

cataracts

question

The easiest way to test air quality at the surface of the Earth is to test the amount of:

answer

ozone

question

Ozone is most depleted so ultraviolet light is highest in _____ in Binghamton.

answer

March, April & May

question

The difference between atmospheric oxygen and ozone is that atmospheric oxygen has _____ atoms whereas ozone has ____ atoms of oxygen bonded together.

answer

2,3

question

As the ozone in the stratosphere decreases, the number of skin cancers _____.

answer

increases

question

Most of the Earth's natural ozone is located in the _____.

answer

stratosphere

question

Safer chlorofluorocarbons, HCFC's, are thought to be 'safer' because:

answer

lower residence time in the atmosphere

question

If the ozone layer was compressed to be at the same pressure as air at sea level, the ozone layer would be about _______.

answer

thick as a piece of paper

question

Ultraviolet radiation from an indoor tanning device is ____ intense than natural sunlight.

answer

more

question

Which form of ultraviolet light exposure is noted for causing a burning of human skin?

answer

UVB

question

Ozone is vitally important in the stratosphere because it:

answer

absorbs ultraviolet light

question

True or False: Scientists have demonstrated that using a tanning bed can be physically addictive.

answer

True

question

The best way to avoid ultraviolet exposure from the Sun is to ______

answer

stay out of the sun from 10am to 3pm

question

Ozone is naturally produce in the stratosphere at _____ latitudes.

answer

high

question

As the ozone in the stratosphere decreases, ultraviolet light at the Earth's surface _____.

answer

increases

question

Reflection refers to light bouncing of a _____ surface whereas scattering refers to light bouncing off a _____ surface.

answer

flat, curved

question

As light enters a more dense material, such as going from air to water, the light bends towards ______

answer

the perpendicular to the surface

question

White light breaking up into a spectrum of colors as it passes through a narrow opening is called:

answer

diffraction

question

A mirage where the object is seen as being upside down is called a _____ mirage.

answer

inferior

question

What ion (charged atom) is the culprit (causes) in destroying ozone?

answer

chlorine

question

Thick clouds, such as thunderstorms, are dark on the bottom because

answer

light is scattered away from the sides and top of cloud

question

The sky on the Earth appears bluish in color because dust and air molecules scatter _____ light best.

answer

blue

question

When the atmosphere bends light so that an object appears higher in the sky than it actually is, a _____ mirage is occurring.

answer

superior

question

Which of the following strategies might work best to reduce your chances of skin cancer and cataracts from exposure to ultraviolet radiation?

answer

wear long-sleeved clothing wear ultraviolet blocking sunglasses year-round avoid being outdoors between 10am and 3pm when UV intensity is highest don't use tanning booths protect your children from UV harm

question

Crepuscular rays appear to converge at a distance even though sun rays are parallel to each other at the Earth because of:

answer

perspective of view

question

The Sun can appear red at sunrise or sunset because:

answer

the other colors of light are scattered away from the viewer

question

The line that separates daylight from night time is called:

answer

terminator

question

On a hot, dry day, water may appear on a road because of a(n)

answer

inferior mirage

question

A halo in cirrus clouds 22 degrees from the Sun is caused by:

answer

ice crystals perpendicular to the line of sight

question

In order to see a circumzenith arc in cirrus clouds in the sky, one would need to look:

answer

up directly overhead

question

Sun pillars and sun dogs are optical effects caused by:

answer

snow flakes falling with flat sides parallel to Earth surface

question

True or False: A halo and moon dogs can be seen around the Earth's Moon at night when the cirrus clouds are present.

answer

True

question

In order to see a rainbow, the Sun must be to the observers _____ and the rain to the observers _____.

answer

back, front

question

In order to see a double rainbow, the light must refract and reflect in a raindrop _____.

answer

twice

question

A corona involves what atmospheric optical process?

answer

diffraction

question

Cloud iridescence is caused by diffraction of light through _____ water droplets.

answer

uniform

question

To see a glory, the Sun must be to the observer's _____ and the cloud must be to the observer's _____.

answer

back, front

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