Choose the best answer.
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1 | | Which of the following statements is false? |
| | A) | Cyclones move cold air toward the equator and warm air poleward. |
| | B) | The temperature contrast on either side of the polar front serves as a source of potential energy for developing cyclones. |
| | C) | Cyclones convert kinetic energy into potential energy as the storm's winds strengthen. |
| | D) | Cyclones derive energy from latent heat released by condensing water vapor. |
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2 | | A front is: |
| | A) | characterized by sharp temperature changes. |
| | B) | a dividing line between two air masses of different characteristics. |
| | C) | a region of drastically changing weather conditions. |
| | D) | all of the above. |
| | E) | none of the above. |
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3 | | A good source region for a continental air mass would be: |
| | A) | the southern Indian Ocean. |
| | B) | the Hawaiian Islands. |
| | C) | the Canadian Prairie. |
| | D) | Lake Ontario. |
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4 | | If a short wave trough is forecast to pass over your location, what kind of weather might you expect? |
| | A) | A relatively short bout of stormy weather, followed by clearing skies. |
| | B) | A prolonged period of unsettled weather. |
| | C) | Plenty of sunshine, followed by clouds and precipitation. |
| | D) | Several days of sunny weather and warm temperatures. |
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5 | | Which of the following processes/phenomena lead(s) to strengthening cyclones? |
| | A) | Baroclinic instability. |
| | B) | Westward 'tilt' of the system with height (upper trough behind surface low). |
| | C) | Warm and cold advection associated with the cyclone's cold and warm fronts. |
| | D) | All of the above are true. |
| | E) | None of the above is true. |
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6 | | The earth's desert regions serve as source regions for _____ air masses. |
| | A) | continental tropical (cT) |
| | B) | continental polar (cP) |
| | C) | maritime polar (mP) |
| | D) | maritime tropical (mT) |
| | E) | continental Arctic (cA) |
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7 | | Occluded fronts: |
| | A) | form as fast-moving cold fronts overtake slower warm fronts. |
| | B) | are usually found at the end of a cyclone's life cycle. |
| | C) | are characterized by cool/cold air on both sides of the boundary. |
| | D) | All of these statements apply. |
| | E) | None of these statements applies. |
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8 | | The late afternoon is characterized by sunshine and warm temperatures, while thunderstorms occur in the evening, followed by clear skies and a sharp drop in temperatures that night. What type of boundary has most likely passed through? |
| | A) | Dry line. |
| | B) | Cold front. |
| | C) | Warm front. |
| | D) | Stationary front. |
| | E) | Occluded front. |
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9 | | What features allow us to determine the position of a front on a weather map? |
| | A) | Sharp changes in wind direction. |
| | B) | Precipitation. |
| | C) | Drastic changes in dew-point temperature. |
| | D) | A and B are useful. |
| | E) | All of these features are useful. |
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10 | | How do the Rocky Mountains lead to the development of stationary fronts? |
| | A) | Shallow cold air masses from central Canada cannot move over the mountains. |
| | B) | Overrunning and topography combine to form clouds and precipitation. |
| | C) | Air gliding down the lee side of the mountains becomes warmer and advances into the Plains region of the U.S. |
| | D) | Cold air masses travel unimpeded over the Rockies, meaning that stationary fronts do not form near mountains. |
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11 | | Overrunning: |
| | A) | typically occurs with cold fronts. |
| | B) | produces a narrow band of clouds and precipitation right along or just ahead of a front. |
| | C) | often results in cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms. |
| | D) | occurs as warm (less dense) air glides up and over colder (more dense) air near the ground. |
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12 | | When cP air moves southward from Canada into the U.S. during the summer, it passes over warmer land. As a result, the thermal contrast across the cold front decreases. This is an example of: |
| | A) | frontogenesis. |
| | B) | frontolysis. |
| | C) | cold occlusion. |
| | D) | warm occlusion. |
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13 | | How does upper-level divergence lead to the intensification of cyclones at the surface? |
| | A) | If upper-level divergence exceeds low-level convergence, the cyclone's pressure falls. |
| | B) | Upper-level jet streaks produce areas of upper-level divergence and convergence. |
| | C) | If low-level convergence exceeds upper-level divergence, the cyclone's pressure falls. |
| | D) | Upper-level divergence is associated with increasing cyclonic vorticity, which in turn makes cyclones spin faster. |
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14 | | Which of the following is not a part of the conveyor belt model of frontal cyclones? |
| | A) | Warm conveyor belt. |
| | B) | Moist conveyor belt. |
| | C) | Cold conveyor belt. |
| | D) | Dry conveyor belt. |
| | E) | All of these are part of the conveyor belt model. |
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15 | | Continental polar air masses are typically associated with what kind of winter weather? |
| | A) | Clear skies and warm temperatures. |
| | B) | Sunny but cold. |
| | C) | Cool, rainy conditions. |
| | D) | Hazy, hot and humid, with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. |
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