CHAPTER 12 TROPICAL WEATHER SYSTEMS __________________________________________________________ MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1.

CHAPTER 12TROPICAL WEATHER SYSTEMS__________________________________________________________MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS1. A hurricane differs from an extra-tropical cyclone in that a hurricanea. has no fronts.b. develops within a uniform warm and humid air mass.c. is more intense but smaller.d. is a warm-core system.e. All of the above are correct.2. A hurricane ______ fronts.a. hasb. does not have3. Sustained surface winds in a hurricane area. greater than 250 km (155 mi) per hour.b. 119 km (74 mi) per hour or higher.c. strongest in the eye of the system.d. typically stronger than the winds produced by a F5 tornado.e. weakest in the eye wall.4. Typical weather within the eye of a hurricane consists of a. large hail.b. strong winds but clear skies.c. fair skies and light winds.d. thunder and lightning.e. tornadoes.5. The diameter of a hurricane is typically ______ that of an extra-tropical cyclone.a. greater thanb. about the same asc. less than6. The eye of a hurricane typicallya. shrinks in diameter as the hurricane intensifies.b. features subsiding air.c. is surrounded by a ring of cumulonimbus clouds (the eye wall).d. All of the above are correct.e. None of the above is correct.7. A tropical storm or hurricane develops in __________ air.a. continental tropicalb. continental polarc. arcticd. maritime polare. maritime tropical8. A hurricane is approaching you from the east. The wind changes from very strong northerly to calm. This means thata. the eye is overhead and it is safe to leave your shelter.b. the eye is overhead and the other half of the system is yet to come.c. the hurricane has dissipated and only light showers remain.d. a tornado spawned by the hurricane just missed you.9. Hurricanes do not typically form at latitudes north of 30 degrees N becausea. the surface ocean water is too cold.b. there is no Coriolis Effect.c. the air is too warm.d. All of the above are correct.e. None of the above is correct.10. Hurricanes do not form at the equator becausea. sea-surface temperatures typically are too low.b. there is no Coriolis Effect.c. fronts are present.d. All of the above are correct.e. None of the above is correct.11. The source of energy that sustains a hurricane circulation isa. sensible heat.b. latent heat.c. infrared radiation.d. ultraviolet radiation.e. None of these is correct.12. Hurricane formation requires a sea-surface temperature of at least ______ °C through a depth of about 45 meters or more.a. 15.0b. 20.5c. 26.5d. 31.5e. 34.513. Ultimately, the rate of evaporation of seawater is governed principally bya. air pressure.b. cloud cover.c. sea-surface temperature.d. whether it is raining or snowing.e. the tides.14. Force(s) operating within a hurricane:a. Coriolis Effectb. frictionc. pressure gradient forced. centripetal forcee. All of the above are correct.15. The minimum latitude where the Coriolis Effect is strong enough to sustain a hurricane circulation is about ______ degrees.a. 0b. 5c. 10d. 20e. 23.516. Hurricanes and tropical storms are least likely to affecta. New England.b. North Carolina.c. the west coast of South America.d. coastal California.e. New Jersey.17. A hurricane breeding ground:a. the Indian Ocean east of Madagascarb. the Arabian Seac. the Bay of Bengald. the Gulf of Mexicoe. All of the above are correct.18. Hurricanes rarely form off the coast of South America primar­ily because ofa. shear produced by strong winds in the middle and upper troposphere.b. a weak Coriolis Effect.c. persistent cloud-cover.d. relatively low sea-surface temperatures.e. None of the above is correct.19. Most Northern Hemisphere hurricanes occura. in winter.b. from June through November.c. from November through March.d. in spring.e. in early summer.20. At latitude 10 degrees N, Atlantic basin hurricanes generallya. drift slowly toward the east.b. drift slowly toward the west.c. move rapidly toward the northeast.d. move rapidly southward.21. At latitude 10 degrees N, tropical cyclones are steered by thea. westerlies.b. northeast trade winds.c. southeast trade winds.d. polar easterlies.e. circumpolar vortex.22. The first sign that a hurricane may be developing over tropical seas is the appearance ofa. high, thin cirrus clouds.b. a warm anticyclone.c. strong winds aloft.d. altocumulus lenticularis clouds.e. an organized cluster of cumulonimbus clouds.23. A tropical disturbance may be triggered bya. the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).b. a trough in the westerlies intruding into low latitudes.c. an easterly wave.d. Any of the above is correct.e. None of the above is correct.24. ______ convective cloud clusters that appear over the tropical Atlantic develop into full-blown hurricanes.a. Mostb. About halfc. Very few25. Which one of the following statements is true?a. Easterly waves originate in North Africa.b. Easterly waves typically travel from west to east across the tropical Pacific.c. Hurricanes occasionally develop off the coast of Norway.d. A barrier island is an ideal location for a hurricane shelter.e. A hurricane is the only type of coastal storm that can produce a storm surge.26. The central pressure is ______ in a hurricane than in a typical extra-tropical cyclone.a. higherb. lowerc. about the same27. The horizontal air pressure gradient is ______ in a hurri­cane than in a typical extra-tropical cyclone.a. steeperb. less steep28. The horizontal air pressure gradient is ______ in a hurri­cane than in a F4 tornado.a. steeperb. weaker29. The major source of energy in a hurricane is thea. downdraft in the system’s "eye."b. polar front jet stream aloft.c. strong temperature contrast across fronts.d. release of the latent heat of vaporization.e. None of the above is correct.30. A(n) __________ is often situated above a hurricane.a. polar jet streamb. subpolar lowc. ITCZd. anticyclonic air flowe. None of the above is correct.31. Historically, the most destructive aspect of a hurricane striking a low-lying coastal area:a. strong winds.b. heavy rains.c. hail.d. wind shear.e. storm surge.32. Most hurricane-related fatalities are caused bya. associated tornadoes.b. strong surface winds.c. lightning.d. coastal and inland flooding.e. spin-up vortices.33. It is ______ for tornadoes to accompany hurricanes.a. unusualb. usual34. The heavy rains of a hurricanea. are almost always confined to coastal areas.b. are triggered by subsidence within the eye.c. often persist as the system tracks well inland.d. seldom produce flooding.e. None of the above is correct.35. Full-blown hurricanes ______ strike New England.a. neverb. oftenc. occasional­ly36. Tornadoes __________ accompany hurricanes that make landfall on the U.S. east coast.a. rarelyb. often37. Hurricanes dissipate whena. they move over colder ocean water.b. they move over land.c. surface inflow of air exceeds upper-level outflow of air.d. All of the above are correct.e. None of the above is correct.38. In the United States over the 30-year period from 1970 to 1999, the majority of deaths due to tropical cyclones was due toa. tornadoes.b. lightning.c. storm surge flooding.d. inland freshwater flooding.e. high winds.39. Hurricane windsa. weaken rapidly once the system makes landfall.b. typically cause extensive property damage thousands of kilometers inland.c. are usually stronger than the winds in a violent torna­do.d. strengthen as the system moves from over the ocean to over land.e. None of the above is correct.40. As a hurricane tracks from sea to land,a. surface winds weaken and shift toward the eye.b. surface winds weaken and rains end abruptly.c. the threat of tornadoes ends.d. surface winds shift toward high pressure.e. None of the above is correct.41. As a hurricane tracks inland, itsa. winds diminish.b. central pressure rises.c. rains continue and may be heavy.d. horizontal pressure gradient weakens.e. All of the above are correct.42. The highest wind speeds in a hurricane occura. between spiral bands.b. in the spiral cloud bands.c. in the eye wall.d. in the eye.43. The following condition(s) would inhibit development of tropi­cal storms and hurricanes over the tropical eastern Atlan­tic:a. subsidence of air on the eastern flank of the Bermuda-Azores highb. strong vertical wind shearc. low vapor pressure in the middle troposphered. unusually low sea-surface temperaturese. Any of the above is correct.44. Overall, category 5 hurricanes are __________category 2 and 3 hurricanes.a. less destructive thanb. much more common thanc. more frequent thand. much less frequent than45. Each year the United States experiences ___________ hurricanes than tornadoes.a. moreb. far fewer46. By convention, major hurricanes rate ______ or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale.a. 1b. 2c. 3d. 4e. 547. The hurricane threat to the Southeast United States is serious becausea. most residents have never experienced a hurricane.b. of rapid population growth in coastal areas.c. of the vulnerability of low-lying coastal areas to a storm surge.d. All of the above are correct.e. None of the above is correct.48. The most hurricane-prone location in the United States isa. New England.b. Florida.c. Chicago, IL.d. San Diego, CA.e. Tucson, AZ.49. When a hurricane threatens low-lying coastal areas, the most prudent strategy for residents is toa. seek shelter in the basement.b. purchase flood insurance and wait out the storm at home.c. hide under a sturdy table or bench.d. evacuate to an inland shelter.e. ride out the storm on a boat.50. Project STORMFURY was ______ in developing an effective technique to reduce the intensity of hurricanes.a. successfulb. unsuccessful