Assignment #1

Question 1

A stable air mass is most likely to have which characteristic?

a. showery precipitation
b. poor surface visibility
c. turbulent air

Answer 1

b. poor surface visibility

Question 2

Crests of standing mountain waves may be marked by stationary, lens-shaped clouds known as:

a. standing lenticular clouds
b. roll clouds
c. mammatocumulus clouds

Answer 2

a. standing lenticular clouds

Question 3

What clouds have the greatest turbulence?

a. nimbostratus
b. towering cumulus
c. cumulonimbus

Answer 3

c. cumulonimbus -

Question 4

What cloud types would indicate convective turbulence?

a. towering cumulus clouds
b. cirrus clouds
c. nimbostratus clouds

Answer 4

a. towering cumulus clouds

Question 5

What measurement can be used to determine the stability of the atmosphere?

a. actual lapse rate
b. atmospheric pressure
c. surface temperature

Answer 5

a. actual lapse rate -

Question 6

What would decrease the stability of an air mass?

a. cooling from below
b. decrease in water vapor
c. warming from below

Answer 6

c. warming from below -

Question 7

What is the characteristic of stable air?

a. unlimited visibility
b. cumulus clouds
c. stratiform clouds

Answer 7

c. stratiform clouds -

Question 8

Clouds, fog, or dew will always form when:

a. relative humidity reaches 100 percent
b. water vapor is present
c. water vapor condenses

Answer 8

c. water vapor condenses-

Question 9

The amount of water vapor which air can hold depends on the:

a. air temperature
b. dew point
c. stability of the air

Answer 9

a. air temperature -

Question 10

What are the processes by which moisture is added to unsaturated air?

a. super saturation and evaporation
b. evaporation and sublimation
c. heating and condensation

Answer 10

b. evaporation and sublimation -

Question 11

During the life cycle of a thunderstorm, which stage is characterized predominately by downdrafts:

a. mature
b. cumulus
c. dissipating

Answer 11

c. dissipating

Question 12

Thunderstorms reach their greatest intensity during the:

a. downdraft stage
b. mature stage
c. cumulus stage

Answer 12

b. mature stage

Question 13

The boundary between two different air masses is referred to as a:

a. front
b. frontolysis
c. frontogenesis

Answer 13

a. front -

Question 14

One of the most easily recognized discontinuities across a front is:

a. a change in temperature
b. an increase in cloud coverage
c. an increase in relative humidity

Answer 14

a. a change in temperature

Question 15

One weather phenomenon which will always occur when flying across a front is a change in the:

a. wind direction
b. type of precipitation
c. stability of the air mass

Answer 15

a. wind direction -

Question 16

Where does wind shear occur?

a. only at higher altitudes
b. at all altitudes, in all directions
c. only at lower altitudes

Answer 16

b. at all altitudes, in all directions

Question 17

What situation is most conducive to the formation of radiation fog?

a. warm, moist air over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights
b. moist, tropical air moving over cold, offshore water
c. the movement of calm air over much warmer water

Answer 17

a. warm, moist air over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights -

Question 18

In which situation is advection fog most likely to form?

a. a warm moist air mass on the windward side of mountains
b. an airmass moving inland from the coast in winter
c. a light breeze blowing colder air out to sea

Answer 18

b. an airmass moving inland from the coast in winter

Question 19

If there is thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of an airport at which you plan to land, which hazardous atmospheric phenomenon might be expected on the landing approach?

a. wind-shear turbulence
b. steady rain
c. precipitation static

Answer 19

a. wind-shear turbulence

Question 20

One in-flight condition necessary for structural icing to form is:

a. stratiform clouds
b. visible moisture
c. small temperature/dewpoint spread

Answer 20

b. visible moisture