AVIATION METEOROLOGY FINAL EXAM 2026/2027
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔What feature is normally associated with the cumulus stage of a thunderstorm? -
✔✔Continuous updraft
✔✔What is the signal of the beginning of the mature stage of a thunderstorm -
✔✔Precipitation beginning to fall
✔✔Thunderstorms which generally produce the most intense hazard to aircraft are -
✔✔squall line thunderstorms
✔✔If there is thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of an airport at which you plan to land,
which hazardous atmospheric phenomenon might be expected on the landing
approach? - ✔✔Wind-shear turbulence
✔✔<<up to midterm - ✔✔post midterm pre final>>
✔✔The decrease of the intensity of energy within the radar beam due to absorption or
scattering of the energy from precipitation particles - ✔✔Precipitation attenuation
✔✔In the US 80% of tornadoes are produced by - ✔✔Supercell thunderstorms
✔✔The ability of the radar to identify targets separately - ✔✔Beam resolution
✔✔Weather radar displays the target using the amount of energy returned directly back
to the radar after striking a target - ✔✔Backscattered energy
✔✔radar abnormalities that reflect lesser energy - ✔✔liquid cloud-sized particles
✔✔Select correct statement:
-Ground weather radar has less power than aircraft radar
-Aircraft radar has longer wavelength so it detect the a target behind of larger targets
better
-Ground radar has more power output which allows for better detection of low reflectivity
(small) targets in the atmosphere, such as clouds, dust, insects, etc.
-aircraft radar detect better for smaller targets. - ✔✔-Ground radar has more power
output which allows for better detection of low reflectivity (small) targets in the
atmosphere, such as clouds, dust, insects, etc.
✔✔How does the weather radar (either ground or airborne - not a doppler radar) detect
a target? - ✔✔by sensing reflective energy
, ✔✔Anomalous Progagation (AP) is? - ✔✔When ducting occurs, the radar beam will hit
the surface of the Earth, causing some of the beam's energy to backscatter.
✔✔Select true statement:
-liquid precipitation-sized particle reflectivities are weaker than liquid cloud-sized
particles.
-A radar image cannot reliably be used to determine the intensity of snowfall.
-When attenuation occurs, the radar beam will hit the surface of the Earth, causing
some of the beam's energy to backscatter.
-Larger particles have lesser reflectivity than smaller particles - ✔✔-A radar image
cannot reliably be used to determine the intensity of snowfall.
✔✔Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).(i.e.Doldrums) is located - ✔✔the vicinity of
the Equator
✔✔Southwest U.S. is dominated in summer by a subtropical high, and South East U.S
weather where convection can penetrate the weak inversion, and showers and
thunderstorms often develop in summertime. These are due to? - ✔✔subtropical high
✔✔In mid northern latitude, northeast side of island get frequent rainfall whereas
opposite side are semiarid. This is because of: - ✔✔trade winds
✔✔Select the answer which is least related to monsoon:
-This is large scale seasonal wind shift .
-During the summer, the low over central Asia draws warm, moist, and unstable
maritime air from the southwest over the continent.
-Extensive cloudiness, copious rain, and numerous thunderstorms.
-Under a subtropical high receives very little rainfall because of the persistent
temperature inversion. - ✔✔Under a subtropical high receives very little rainfall because
of the persistent temperature inversion.
✔✔Transitory Systems such as Sheer line, Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
(TUTT), Tropical Wave. West African Disturbance Line (WADL) are breeding ground
for: - ✔✔tropical cyclones
✔✔Select incorrect statement regarding tropical cyclones:
-Tropical cyclones are unlikely within 5° of the Equator because the Coriolis force is so
small
-A hurricane system must also have horizontal outflow (divergence) at high tropospheric
levels.
-As these storms move toward the mid-latitudes, they come under the influence of the
prevailing westerlies.
-On land, warm air flowing into the storm gradually weakens it. - ✔✔On land, warm air
flowing into the storm gradually weakens it
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔What feature is normally associated with the cumulus stage of a thunderstorm? -
✔✔Continuous updraft
✔✔What is the signal of the beginning of the mature stage of a thunderstorm -
✔✔Precipitation beginning to fall
✔✔Thunderstorms which generally produce the most intense hazard to aircraft are -
✔✔squall line thunderstorms
✔✔If there is thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of an airport at which you plan to land,
which hazardous atmospheric phenomenon might be expected on the landing
approach? - ✔✔Wind-shear turbulence
✔✔<<up to midterm - ✔✔post midterm pre final>>
✔✔The decrease of the intensity of energy within the radar beam due to absorption or
scattering of the energy from precipitation particles - ✔✔Precipitation attenuation
✔✔In the US 80% of tornadoes are produced by - ✔✔Supercell thunderstorms
✔✔The ability of the radar to identify targets separately - ✔✔Beam resolution
✔✔Weather radar displays the target using the amount of energy returned directly back
to the radar after striking a target - ✔✔Backscattered energy
✔✔radar abnormalities that reflect lesser energy - ✔✔liquid cloud-sized particles
✔✔Select correct statement:
-Ground weather radar has less power than aircraft radar
-Aircraft radar has longer wavelength so it detect the a target behind of larger targets
better
-Ground radar has more power output which allows for better detection of low reflectivity
(small) targets in the atmosphere, such as clouds, dust, insects, etc.
-aircraft radar detect better for smaller targets. - ✔✔-Ground radar has more power
output which allows for better detection of low reflectivity (small) targets in the
atmosphere, such as clouds, dust, insects, etc.
✔✔How does the weather radar (either ground or airborne - not a doppler radar) detect
a target? - ✔✔by sensing reflective energy
, ✔✔Anomalous Progagation (AP) is? - ✔✔When ducting occurs, the radar beam will hit
the surface of the Earth, causing some of the beam's energy to backscatter.
✔✔Select true statement:
-liquid precipitation-sized particle reflectivities are weaker than liquid cloud-sized
particles.
-A radar image cannot reliably be used to determine the intensity of snowfall.
-When attenuation occurs, the radar beam will hit the surface of the Earth, causing
some of the beam's energy to backscatter.
-Larger particles have lesser reflectivity than smaller particles - ✔✔-A radar image
cannot reliably be used to determine the intensity of snowfall.
✔✔Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).(i.e.Doldrums) is located - ✔✔the vicinity of
the Equator
✔✔Southwest U.S. is dominated in summer by a subtropical high, and South East U.S
weather where convection can penetrate the weak inversion, and showers and
thunderstorms often develop in summertime. These are due to? - ✔✔subtropical high
✔✔In mid northern latitude, northeast side of island get frequent rainfall whereas
opposite side are semiarid. This is because of: - ✔✔trade winds
✔✔Select the answer which is least related to monsoon:
-This is large scale seasonal wind shift .
-During the summer, the low over central Asia draws warm, moist, and unstable
maritime air from the southwest over the continent.
-Extensive cloudiness, copious rain, and numerous thunderstorms.
-Under a subtropical high receives very little rainfall because of the persistent
temperature inversion. - ✔✔Under a subtropical high receives very little rainfall because
of the persistent temperature inversion.
✔✔Transitory Systems such as Sheer line, Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
(TUTT), Tropical Wave. West African Disturbance Line (WADL) are breeding ground
for: - ✔✔tropical cyclones
✔✔Select incorrect statement regarding tropical cyclones:
-Tropical cyclones are unlikely within 5° of the Equator because the Coriolis force is so
small
-A hurricane system must also have horizontal outflow (divergence) at high tropospheric
levels.
-As these storms move toward the mid-latitudes, they come under the influence of the
prevailing westerlies.
-On land, warm air flowing into the storm gradually weakens it. - ✔✔On land, warm air
flowing into the storm gradually weakens it
