C105 - Exam 1 Questions and Answers Graded A+

C105 - Exam 1 Questions and Answers Graded A+ What is the difference between a natural disaster and a weather-related one? A natural disaster is an event with extreme destruction and unforeseen environmental damage and tragedy. It can be man-made. A weather-related disaster is damage and tragedy created by earth, wind, water, fire. List different types of natural disasters and man-related ones: Natural Disasters: Tsunami, Avalanche, Volcano, Flooding, Landslide, Earthquake Man-Related Disasters: Oil Spills, Nuclear Events, Solar Flares State the typical movement and lifetime of a tropical cyclone (hurricane): Spiraling bands that swirl towards the eye and spins counterclockwise. Has a high-heat source - longer life span, and the lifespan depends on the size of the storm and the temperature of the water. Explain the relationship between the size of an atmospheric disturbance and its typical lifetime The larger the disturbance the longer the lifespan Rank these types of radiation in order of how dangerous they are to humans: UV waves, radio waves, visible light, X-Rays 1. X-Ray 2. UV Waves 3. Visible Light 4. Radio Waves Explain the relationship between an object's temperature and the wavelengths of radiation it emits: The warmer the object, the shorter the wavelength. The cooler the object, the longer the wavelength. Explain the relationship between an object's temperature and the amount of radiation it emits: The hotter the object, the more radiation is emitted due to shorter wavelengths. The cooler the object, the less radiation is emitted due to longer wavelengths. Differentiate between UV, visible, and infrared (IR) radiation in terms of wavelength, energy, and object temperature UV: Wavelength Range = .1 - .3micrometers, most energy, warmest object Visible: Wavelength Range = .4 - .7micrometers, more energy, medium temperature IR: Wavelength Range = .7 - 10micrometers, less energy, coolest object Every object on Earth emits radiation, and objects that are _____ emit more radiation than objects that are _____. Warmer; Colder Does the Sun emit radiation at shorter or longer wavelengths than the Earth? How do you know? Shorter because the Sun is warmer than the Earth Lab tests have confirmed that ozone (O3) absorbs a significant amount of radiation in the 0.1 to 0.3 micrometer wavelength range: What type of radiation is this and why does it matter to humans? This is ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and they can be dangerous to humans because increased exposure can lead to skin cancer. Lab tests have confirmed that carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbs a significant amount of radiation in the 14 to 20 micrometer wavelength range. What type of radiation is this and why does it matter to humans? These are short radio waves, and they are not dangerous to humans. If anvil tops emit the are the coldest clouds since they are the highest up, what type of radiation is it emitting? Infrared What is the general behavior of temperature in the troposphere and stratosphere as you go up from the ground Temperature decreases with height Identify where in the clouds the least amount of radiation is emitted The coldest/highest clouds emit the least radiation Why does the South Platte River show up with such a dark color compared to the surrounding late? Water typically has a low albedo, so it will not reflect much sunlight back towards space. Define albedo and explain how it relates to satellite imagery Albedo is reflected sunlight from the Earth to the atmosphere used in visible imagery. More light means a higher albedo %. Thunderstorms and fresh snow have high albedo, while water has the least. To find a location with clear skies in a satellite image, you would look for: Dark colors on visible, warm temperatures on infrared. The three main types of clouds are: Cumulus, Stratus, and Cirrus The highest main type of cloud is the: Cirrus, it is above 23,000 feet How can you distinguish between land and clouds in satellite imagery? Clouds appear lighter than land because they have a higher albedo How would you use visible and infrared imagery to distinguish among the major cloud types? The higher clouds the colder it will appear on infrared imagery What feature infers that the storm is of hurricane strength? It has a well-defined eye Describe the structural features that are important in determining storm strength: Eye Pattern and Central Dense Overcast (CDO) - If the storm has an obvious eye, it probably is a T4.5 or greater hurricane intensity - A hurricane with CDO but no eye is typically a tropical storm or minimal strength hurricane - As CDO gets larger, so does strength of storm - The larger the temperature difference between the eye and surrounding thunderstorm clouds, the stronger the hurricane Name the four major ways in which tropical cyclones cause damage: Flash flooding, tornadoes, erosion, and storm surge The most fatalities in tropical cyclones are from: Flooding from rainfall Storm surge is: Salt water being pushed on shore due to abnormal rise in ocean level Distinguish between a hurricane watch and warning A hurricane watch is when possible conditions for a hurricane may occur within 36 hours, and a warning is when within 24 hours hurricane conditions are expected. Describe the trend in accuracy of hurricane forecasts over the last 40 years The prediction of a hurricane's location continues to improve, errors increase as projections are made at a longer time range. 40 years ago the average miss range was 440 miles in projections, now its 173 miles. Where do most tornadoes occur in hurricanes? In the right front quadrant