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Quiz about General Meteorology I
Quiz about General Meteorology I

General Meteorology I Trivia Quiz


Here is a short quiz on general meteorology. Some questions are easy and some I made a bit tougher!

A multiple-choice quiz by hutch2000. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
hutch2000
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
195,430
Updated
Nov 29 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
1672
Last 3 plays: Guest 155 (7/10), Guest 106 (5/10), Guest 169 (3/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What exactly is meteorology? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In what part of the atmosphere does the vast majority of our weather take place? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What are the three most widely recognized branches of meteorology? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. If you study synoptic meteorology what do you concentrate on? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. So what exactly is the primary cause of the earth's weather (in the broadest sense)? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In the northern hemisphere, which way does air move/flow near areas of high pressure? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which of the following answers most accurately describes how air pressure varies with height in a standard atmospheric profile? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What is the most highly variable gas in our atmosphere (i.e., which gas's concentration fluctuates the most in time and space)? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which of the following terms best describes air moving from one location to another in the vertical or horizontal? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of these explains why the sky is blue? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 22 2024 : Guest 155: 7/10
Mar 22 2024 : Guest 106: 5/10
Mar 22 2024 : Guest 169: 3/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 175: 4/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 112: 8/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 205: 3/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 202: 2/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 111: 5/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 175: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What exactly is meteorology?

Answer: the study of the earth's atmosphere and weather phenomena

The word Meteorology comes from the Greek word "meteos" which literally means the "heavens". Over the centuries, however, the term has come to be identified with the study of weather and the atmosphere.
2. In what part of the atmosphere does the vast majority of our weather take place?

Answer: the troposphere

The troposphere is the lowest layer of the earth's atmosphere, going from the surface to approximately 35,000ft. This number can vary significantly depending on whether you are in the tropics or the higher latitudes.
3. What are the three most widely recognized branches of meteorology?

Answer: physical, dynamical, and synoptic

This classification can vary depending on the particular university or academic program, but I have found that these three are the most common.
4. If you study synoptic meteorology what do you concentrate on?

Answer: large-scale weather systems

Synopticians typically study this information in order to produce short-term and long-term forecasts.
5. So what exactly is the primary cause of the earth's weather (in the broadest sense)?

Answer: the latitudinal variation of incident solar radiation

Ultimately, it is this differential heating of the earth by the sun that drives all of the atmospheric motions, and hence is responsible for all of our daily weather.
6. In the northern hemisphere, which way does air move/flow near areas of high pressure?

Answer: clockwise

It is important to remember that in the mid-latitudes, winds aloft(i.e. not surface winds) are balanced by two main forces: the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force. The pressure gradient force always "pushes" air from higher to lower pressure areas and the Coriolis force always "pushes" air to the right in the northern hemisphere.

The balance of these two forces causes air to move in a clockwise direction around areas of higher pressure, and counter-clockwise around areas of lower pressure.
7. Which of the following answers most accurately describes how air pressure varies with height in a standard atmospheric profile?

Answer: pressure decreases nearly exponentially with increasing height

Air pressure and density both decrease less and less the higher up you go. Thus, even though the atmosphere is about 100km thick, most of its mass is in the first 10 or so kilometers.
8. What is the most highly variable gas in our atmosphere (i.e., which gas's concentration fluctuates the most in time and space)?

Answer: water vapor

Water vapor is by far the most variable gas in the earth's atmosphere. Think of the difference between the moist tropics and the extremely dry desert regions.
9. Which of the following terms best describes air moving from one location to another in the vertical or horizontal?

Answer: advection

I asked this question because forecasters are always very interested in the amount of cold-air or warm-air advection that takes place in a particular region. Without this knowledge it is very difficult to make an accurate forecast.
10. Which of these explains why the sky is blue?

Answer: largely due to Rayleigh Scattering

Since individual air molecules are considerably smaller than the wavelength(s) of visible light passing through the atmosphere, scattering in the Rayleigh region predominately occurs. It is always good to know this one (just in case somebody ever asks)!
Source: Author hutch2000

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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