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Subsidence ____ stability.


A) increases
B) decreases
C) has little effect on

D) A) and B)
E) A) and C)

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A

The difference between the "moist" and "dry" adiabatic rates is due to


A) the fact that saturated air is always unstable.
B) the fact that an unsaturated air parcel expands more rapidly than a saturated air parcel.
C) the fact that moist air weighs less than dry air.
D) the fact that latent heat is released by a rising parcel of saturated air.

E) C) and D)
F) A) and C)

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A knowledge of air stability is important because


A) it determines the direction of movement of storms.
B) it determines the vertical motion of air.
C) it determines the movement of high pressure areas.
D) it determines seasonal weather patterns.

E) A) and B)
F) B) and D)

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List and explain the four processes that cause rising air motions in the atmosphere.

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1. Convection: This process occurs when ...

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Vertical mixing of air tends to ____ a large environmental lapse rate.


A) decrease
B) increase

C) A) and B)
D) undefined

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Does radiational cooling at the ground at night act to increase or decrease atmospheric stability?

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Radiational cooling at the ground at nig...

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Soaring birds in flight,like hawks and eagles,often indicate the presence of


A) irreversible pseudoadiabatic processes.
B) absolute instability.
C) thermals.
D) subsidence inversions.

E) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

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Would you expect to find a subsidence inversion to be associated with high or low pressure?

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A subsidence inversion is typically associated with high-pressure systems. In meteorology, a subsidence inversion occurs when a layer of air descends and warms adiabatically, which means without losing or gaining heat to the surrounding environment. This descending air is a characteristic of high-pressure systems, where air from the upper levels of the atmosphere is pushed toward the ground, increasing the atmospheric pressure at the surface. As the air descends, it compresses and warms, and since warmer air is less dense, it forms a layer above the cooler air at the surface. This warm layer acts as a cap and prevents the cooler air below from rising. This situation stabilizes the atmosphere and inhibits vertical mixing, often leading to clear skies and dry weather conditions. In contrast, low-pressure systems are generally associated with rising air, which can lead to cloud formation and precipitation. Rising air cools and expands, which can lead to the condensation of water vapor and the development of weather fronts and storms. Therefore, a subsidence inversion is more likely to be found in association with a high-pressure system, which promotes stable atmospheric conditions and can trap pollutants and lead to reduced air quality in the affected regions.

Sinking air sometimes cools adiabatically.

A) True
B) False

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A conditionally unstable atmosphere is ____ with respect to unsaturated air and ____ with respect to saturated air.


A) unstable,stable
B) unstable,unstable
C) stable,unstable
D) stable,stable

E) A) and D)
F) All of the above

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The temperature an air parcel would have if it were moved to a pressure of 1,000 mb at the dry adiabatic rate is called the


A) descending temperature.
B) adiabatic temperature.
C) potential temperature.
D) dew point temperature.
E) base temperature.

F) A) and E)
G) D) and E)

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What would the air temperature inside a conventional jet airliner be,if outside air at an altitude of 10 km,pressure of 250 mb and a temperature of -60 C,is brought inside and compressed to a 1,000 mb pressure? (Hint: you may assume that 1,000 mb pressure is equivalent to 0 m altitude. )


A) -60 C
B) 0 C
C) 40 C
D) 60 C

E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

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Convective instability associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can be brought on by


A) lifting a stable air layer whose surface is humid and whose top is dry.
B) forcing a layer of moist air to descend a mountain range.
C) heating the upper portion of an unsaturated layer of air.
D) all of the above

E) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

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Which of the following would increase the environmental lapse rate?


A) cold advection at higher altitudes
B) daytime solar heating
C) surface radiational cooling
D) all of the above
E) both cold advection at higher altitudes and daytime solar heating

F) B) and D)
G) B) and E)

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If the environmental lapse rate is 5 C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25 C,then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is


A) 25 C.
B) 30 C.
C) 20 C.
D) 15 C.

E) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

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Which of the following sets of conditions would produce a cumulus cloud with the lowest base?


A) air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 50 F
B) air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 40 F
C) air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 60 F
D) air temperature 90 F,dew point temperature 20 F

E) A) and D)
F) B) and C)

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In a rising thermal,the dew-point temperature


A) increases at a slower rate than the parcel temperature.
B) decreases at the same rate as the parcel temperature.
C) decreases at a slower rate than the parcel temperature.
D) increases at a faster rate than the parcel temperature.

E) B) and C)
F) All of the above

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The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the


A) environmental lapse rate.
B) dry adiabatic rate.
C) moist adiabatic rate.
D) thermocline.

E) A) and C)
F) B) and C)

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A

Which of the following conditions would be described as the most stable?


A) Environmental lapse rate is 13 C per kilometer.
B) Environmental lapse rate is 3 C per kilometer.
C) isothermal conditions
D) an inversion

E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

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The most latent heat would be released in a ____ parcel of ____ saturated air.


A) rising,warm
B) rising,cold
C) sinking,warm
D) sinking,cold

E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

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