Global Winds Review

1. A westerly wind means that the atmosphere: a.would act to decrease the rotation of the earth b.is moving faster than the earth spins c.is moving slower than the earth spins d.is moving as fast as the earth rotates

2. Which below is not an assumption of the single-cell model of the general circulation of the atmosphere? a.the earth's surface is covered with water b.the earth rotates once in 24 hours c.the sun is always overhead at the equator d.none of the above

3. The large thermally driven convection cell that is driven by convective "hot" towers along the equator is the: a.Ferrel cell b.Hadley cell c.Ekman spiral d.El Niño cell

4. Chicago, Illinois (latitude 42 N) is located in the ____. a.northeast trades b.southeast trades c.westerlies d.doldrums

5. The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is a region where: a. the polar front meets the subtropical high b. northeast trades meet the southeast trades c. northeast trades converge with the subtropical high d. the Ferrel cell converges with the Hadley cell e.polar easterlies converge with the air at the doldrums

6. In terms of the three-cell model of the general circulation, areas of surface low pressure should be found at: a. the equator and the poles b. 30° latitude and the poles c. the equator and 60 ° latitude d. 30 ° latitude and 60 ° latitude e. the equator and 30 ° latitude

7.In Honolulu, Hawaii (latitude 21 ° N), you would most likely experience winds blowing from the: a. northeast b. south c. southwest d. northwest

8.At Barrow, Alaska (latitude 70° N), you would expect the prevailing wind to be: a. northerly b. westerly c. southerly d. easterly

9. Generally, along the polar front one would not expect to observe: a. temperatures on one side lower than on the other side b. an elongated region of lower pressure c. clouds and precipitation d. converging surface air e. sinking air aloft

10. According to the three-cell general circulation model, at the equator we would not expect to find: a. the ITCZ b. light winds c. cumuliform clouds d. a ridge of high pressure e. heavy showers

11. The wind belt observed on the poleward side of the polar front is called the: a. doldrums b. prevailing westerlies c. northeast trades d. polar easterlies

12. The majority of the United States lies within this wind belt: a. trades b. easterlies c. northerlies d. westerlies e. southerlies

13. In the general circulation of the atmosphere, one would find the region called the doldrums: a. near 30° latitude b. at the equator c. at the poles d. near 60 ° latitude

14. In terms of the three-cell general circulation model, the driest regions of the earth should be near: a. the equator and the polar regions b. the equator and 30 ° latitude c. the equator and 60 ° latitude d. 30° latitude and 60° latitude e. 30° latitude and the polar regions

15. The world's deserts are found at 30 ° latitude because: a. the intertropical convergence zone is located there b. of the sinking air of the polar front c. of the convergence of the prevailing westerlies and the Northeast Trades d. of the sinking air of the subtropical highs e. of the doldrums

16. Which of the following does not describe the subtropical jet stream? a. forms along the polar front b. generally blows from west to east c. is found at the tropopause d. is normally equatorward of the polar front jet stream

17. Which below does not describe the polar front jet stream? a. is strongest in winter b. moves farther south in winter c. forms near the boundary called the polar front d. is normally found at a higher elevation than the subtropical jet

18. In the Northern Hemisphere, the polar jet stream is strongest when: a. air temperatures on the East Coast of the US are much colder than on the West Coast of the US b. air north of the polar front is much warmer than air south of the polar front c. air temperatures on opposite sides of the polar front are about equal d. air north of the polar front is much colder than air south of the polar front

19. The jet stream flows: a. directly from west to east b. directly from east to west c. from the equator towards the poles d. in a wavy pattern from west to east

20. As an air parcel aloft moves northward from the equator, it moves closer to the earth's axis of rotation. Because of the conservation of angular momentum, the air parcel's motion should: a. remain constant b. slow and eventually reverse direction c. slow but continue in the same direction d. increase in speed

21. In the Northern Hemisphere, air found to the north of the polar front is ____, while air further south is ____: a. cold, warm b. cold, cold c. warm, cold d. warm, warm

22. The average winds aloft are strongest in: a. summer b. winter c. fall d. spring

23. Average winter temperatures in Great Britain and Norway would probably be much colder if it were not for the: a. Labrador current b. North Atlantic Drift c. Canary current d. North Equatorial current e. Greenland current

24. In the Northern Hemisphere, ocean currents in the Atlantic and the Pacific move in a generally circular pattern. The direction of this motion is ____ in the Atlantic and ____ in the Pacific. a. clockwise, counterclockwise b. counterclockwise, counterclockwise c. clockwise, clockwise d. counterclockwise, clockwise

25. At any given time, only one jet stream can be found in the atmosphere. a. true b. false

26. Major ocean currents that flow parallel to the coast of North America are: a. Labrador, Canary, California b. California, Gulf Stream, Labrador c. Kuroshio, California, Labrador d. Labrador, Canary, Gulf Stream

27. The name given to the current of warm water that replaces cold surface water along the coast of Peru and Ecuador during December is: a. Brazil current b. Humbolt current c. Benguela current d. El Niño

28. The two ocean currents, warm and cold, that produce fog off the coast of Newfoundland are the: a. Gulf stream and Canary current b. Labrador current and Canary current c. Gulf stream and Labrador current d. North Atlantic Drift and Canary current e. North Atlantic Drift and Gulf stream

29. The Ekman Spiral describes: a. the turning of water with depth b. the air flow into a center of low pressure c. the circulation of surface water around a gyre d. the air flow out of a region of high pressure e. the wind-flow pattern in a jet stream

30. Upwelling is: a. the lifting of air along the polar front b. the rising of cold water from below c. increasing heights in an upper-level ridge d. the rising air motion found in a low pressure center

31. A condition where the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean turns cooler than normal is called: a. El Niño b. La Niña c. the Southern Oscillation d. the Ekman Spiral

32. Jet streams sometimes split into two branches. a. true b. false

33. The ultimate cause of jet streams is a. the fact that water can exist in all three phases at once b. ultraviolet energy from the sun c. the energy imbalance between high and low latitudes d. all of the above

34. The semi-permanent surface anticyclone that is normally positioned over the ocean, west of California is called the: A. Hawaiian High B. Baja High C. Pacific High D. Aleutian High

35. How do the semi-permanent highs shift position between summer and winter? A. Moves eastward in summer, westward in winter. B. Moves southward in summer, northward in winter. C. Moves northward in summer, southward in winter.