The Nature of Storms
Practice Test
1.
What is the first step of thunderstorm formation?
a.
Air must be lifted.
b.
an abundant source of moisture in the lower atmosphere
c.
The atmosphere where the cloud grows must be unstable.
d.
release of latent heat
2.
What type of weather potentially is created by the phenomenon shown in the figure?
a.
a tornado
b.
a typhoon
c.
a hurricane
d.
a thunderstorm
3.
What is the calm center of a hurricane called?
a.
funnel cloud
b.
downburst
c.
eye
d.
eyewall
4.
What are tropical cyclones that form in the Pacific Ocean called?
a.
tornadoes
b.
typhoons
c.
downdrafts
d.
funnel clouds
5.
What is the wind-chill factor?
a.
the point at which human skin will become frostbitten
b.
the length of a cold wave
c.
the freezing point of water
d.
the phenomenon of heat loss from human skin due to wind and temperature
6.
What atmospheric condition increases the likeliness of a flood?
a.
friction between updrafts and downdrafts
b.
weak, upper-atmospheric current that moves storms slowly
c.
condensation of updrafts
d.
stronger downbursts
7.
What causes the air of a tropical storm to rotate?
a.
funnel clouds
b.
strong downbursts
c.
supercells
d.
the Coriolis effect
8.
What happens in the developing or cumulus stage of a thunderstorm?
a.
Air sinks with precipitation.
b.
Updraft slows.
c.
Downdrafts occur.
d.
Air rises vertically.
9.
What causes thunder?
a.
the expansion and contraction of the air heated by lightning
b.
condensation of updrafts
c.
falling precipitation
d.
friction between updrafts and downdrafts in a cumulonimbus cloud
10.
Where do the disturbances that cause tropical storms originate?
a.
tornado alley
b.
near the Gulf Stream
c.
the ITCZ or from tropical waves
d.
the Pacific Ocean only
11.
The table shows the water level of the Green River during a thunderstorm. If the flood plain is 3.8 meters, when would this river have flooded?
Time
10:00 A.M.
11:00 A.M.
NOON
1:00 P.M.
2:00 P.M.
3:00 P.M.
Water Level (m)
3
3.1
3.4
4.0
5.0
5.2
a.
just after 11:00 a.m.
b.
just after 1:00 p.m.
c.
just after noon
d.
just after 10:00 a.m.
12.
Violent downdrafts from a thunderstorm that are concentrated in a local area are called __________.
a.
downbursts
b.
hurricanes
c.
lightning
d.
tornadoes
13.
As the instability of the air __________, the strength of the thunderstorms' updrafts and downdrafts __________.
a.
increases, increase
b.
decreases, decrease
c.
decreases, increase
d.
increased, decrease
14.
What causes lightning?
a.
condensation of updrafts
b.
friction between updrafts and downdrafts in a cumulonimbus cloud
c.
the expansion and contraction of the air heated by lightning
d.
falling precipitation
15.
What type of clouds produce thunderstorms?
a.
stratus
b.
cumulonimbus
c.
cirrus
d.
cumulus
16.
You encounter a tornado that has a path of destruction 20 miles long that lasted about 30 minutes. Use the table to determine the rank of tornado this is.
Rank
Category
Path of Destruction
Wind Speed (mph)
Duration
F0 and F1
Weak
up to 3 miles
60-115
1-10 minutes
F2 and F3
Strong
15+ miles
110-205
20 minutes or longer
F4 and F5
Violent
50+ miles
more than 200
1 hour or longer
a.
F0
b.
F5
c.
F2
d.
F4
17.
What sparks the development of a tornado?
a.
weak upper-atmospheric currents
b.
strong downbursts
c.
condensation of updrafts
d.
large contrast in the temperature of polar and tropical air
18.
Large, rotating, low-pressure storms are called __________.
a.
tornadoes
b.
tropical cyclones
c.
hail storms
d.
storm surge
