Chapter 10: Hurricanes and Cyclones Flashcards
Cyclones are classified as tropical or extratropical based on
A) their sustained wind speeds and lowest atmospheric pressure.
B) whether they originate in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.
C) their place of origin and temperature of their core region.
D) whether they stay in the tropics or move outside the tropics.
E) the direction of rotation and winds.
C) their place of origin and temperature of their core region
Where is the cyclone in the figure located?
A) Anywhere on Earth, all cyclones are the same
B) Cannot tell from the figure
C) At the equator
D) Northern Hemisphere
E) Southern Hemisphere
D) Northern Hemisphere
What is a difference between tropical and extratropical cyclones?
A) Extratropical cyclones obtain their energy from the horizontal temperature contrast between air masses on either side of a front.
B) Tropical cyclones are much less destructive than extratropical cyclones.
C) Extratropical cyclones obtain their energy from the warm ocean water and latent heat that is released as rising air condenses.
D) Tropical cyclones obtain their energy from the horizontal temperature contrast between air masses on either side of a front.
E) Extratropical cyclones form a spiraling pattern of clouds.
A) extratropical cyclones obtain their energy from the horizontal temperature contrast between air masses on either side of a front
Why is the classification and naming of cyclones often debated?
A) Since all cyclones are named it becomes difficult to develop new names each year.
B) Classification of a cyclone is only done after the storm ends.
C) It is a very subjective system that uses no scientific data.
D) The system varies from year to year, so there is no consistency.
E) It is based on a combination of science, custom, and politics.
E) It is based on a combination of science, custom, and politics.
A hurricane category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale is determined by
A) the average 1-minute wind speed.
B) the amount of damage done by the hurricane.
C) a combination of the wind speed and storm surge.
D) the value of the storm surge.
E) the size (diameter) of the storm.
A) the average 1-minute wind speed.
The most intense rainfall of a hurricane occurs
A) in the rain bands.
B) just outside the rain bands.
C) outermost wall.
D) in the eyewall.
E) in the eye.
D) in the eyewall.
Which of these is not a condition needed for a hurricane to develop from a tropical storm?
A) Little vertical wind shear
B) Ample depth of warm water to provide energy
C) Close enough to the equator so the Coriolis effect is strong enough to cause rotation
D) Fast enough cooling of the atmosphere from ocean surface upward
E) Warm ocean waters at least 26 degrees C (~80 degrees F)
C) close enough to the equator so the Coriolis effect is strong enough to cause rotation
What have scientists discovered may help predict hurricane
intensity changes?
A) All of these have been used
B) Decrease in the eye size
C) Shift in direction
D) Increase in rain bands
E) Development of hot towers
E) development of hot towers
The band of warm moist air under ‘Pacific Ocean’ in the figure that can feed extratropical cyclones is referred to as the
A) California Express stream.
B) Pineapple Express.
C) Pacific Express.
D) Pacific jet stream.
E) Subtropical jet stream.
B) Pineapple Express.
Why was Hurricane Katrina so devastating to New Orleans even though there was ample advance warning?
A) Overreliance on technology to protect lives and property
B) Failure in the design of levees and flood walls
C) It is complex and multifaceted – all of these are reasons
D) Social and psychological denial
E) Limited education of many of the residents in the affected area
C) It is complex and multifaceted – all of these are reasons
Which of the following U.S. states has the highest risk for hurricanes?
A) Louisiana
B) South Carolina
C) Alabama
D) New Jersey
E) Virginia
B) South Carolina
From the given areas, which experiences the highest number of hurricanes?
A) North Atlantic Ocean
B) Near the equator
C) Southeast Pacific Ocean
D) South Atlantic Ocean
E) Northwest Pacific Ocean
E) Northwest Pacific Ocean
Which is not an effect of cyclones?
A) Flooding
B) High winds
C) Storm surge
D) Land subsidence
E) Blizzards
D) land subsidence
In what part of a hurricane can you usually find the strongest winds, precipitation, and storm surge for storms making landfall in the northern hemisphere?
A) Left forward quadrant
B) Right forward quadrant
C) Left back quadrant
D) Right back quadrant
E) In the eye
B) Right forward quadrant
Which would create a greater storm surge?
A) High waves hitting the coast
B) Coastal water depth becomes deeper toward shore
C) Landfall of a hurricane during low tide
D) Coastal water depth becomes more shallow toward shore
E) None of these would create a large storm surge
C) landfall of a hurricane during low tide
Most of the severe weather on the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver is caused by
A) Tornadoes developed in extratropical cyclones.
B) High winds and heavy rains from a hurricane after landfall.
C) Strong winds and heavy rains from tropical cyclones.
D) Blizzards developed in nor’easters.
E) Strong winds and heavy rains from extratropical cyclones.
E) strong winds and heavy rains from extratropical cyclones
Which is not a linkage between cyclones and other natural hazards?
A) Tornadoes from storms that do not make landfall
B) Some of the fastest rates of coastal erosion
C) Devastating landslides in mountainous areas
D) Saltwater flooding from storm surge
E) Flash flooding due to already saturated soil
A) tornadoes from storms that do not make landfall
What is a natural service function of cyclones?
A) Move cold air from the polar regions to the tropics
B) Eliminate ecosystems by carrying plants, animals, and microorganisms in the wind
C) Provide primary source of precipitation in many areas
D) Damage coastal areas so that further development will not take place
E) None of these are natural service functions.
C) provide primary source of precipitation in many areas
Which is not a way human behavior has made cyclone hazards more dangerous?
A) Building seawalls to protect property
B) Improperly attaching building materials
C) Expanding urban areas along the coastline
D) All of these behaviors can make cyclones more dangerous
E) Destruction of coastal dunes for building sites
D) all of these behaviors can make cyclones more dangerous
Once a hurricane has formed, which is not a prediction that must be made by meteorologists?
A) How wide an area it will affect
B) Who will need to evacuate
C) How much storm surge will accompany the hurricane
D) How strong the winds will be
E) If it will reach land
B) who will need to evacuate
Why have property damage costs associated with hurricanes increased so dramatically if there is better forecasting?
A) None of these are reasons for the increase in costs.
B) Building hurricane proof structures are not feasible.
C) The structure preparation before a storm is subpar.
D) People value their homes more on the coast.
E) The increase in coastal populations have put more property
in the hazard areas.
E) the increase in coastal populations have put more property in the hazard areas
Which is not a way individuals can make adjustments for hurricanes?
A) Learn the evacuation routes
B) Prepare their homes and property
C) Evacuate the area immediately when a watch is issued
D) Have a preparedness kit
E) Know when the hurricane season is
C) evacuate the area immediately when a watch is issued
