ATMS 103 Midterm 2 With
Complete Solution
Which direction is radar speed measured (up and down or back and forth) -
ANSWER Dopplar velocity measurement is along the line back to the radar
(back and forth)
The low reflectivity region inside the hook lies within the updraft?
a) true
b) false - ANSWER a) true
Air is rising so fast in the updraft that
-precipitation trying to fall through the region is held aloft
-cloud droplets do not have time to grow large enough to produce a radar
return
called a bounded weak echo region (BWER)
a debris ball may define the 'barb' at the end of the hook
Which of these develops as initially rotating air gets sucked into an updraft
a) tornado
b) dust devil
c) waterspout
d) steam devil
,e) all of the above - ANSWER e) all of the above
Common behavior: rotation speeds as air is drawn in toward the centerline of
an updraft (conserving angular momentum)
The Fujita scale assesses tornado intensity by estimating damage instead of
wind speeds because
a) it gives meteorologists an excuse to visit damaged sites
b) there is no practical alternative - ANSWER b) there is no practical
alternative (there is no practical way to measure the wind speed in most
tornadoes)
Waterspouts can develop if, near the surface, there is
a)An updraft above a region of horizontal wind shear
b) a downdraft above a region of horizontal wind shear
c) winds striking a curved obsticale - ANSWER a)An updraft above a region of
horizontal wind shear
Updraft near surface concentrates the spin about a vertical axis
What part of the tornado demonstrator intensifies the vortex by stretching it
upward?
a) the fans on the bottom that push the air out the vertical
b) the dry ice in the water
c) the box fan on the top - ANSWER c) the box fan on the top
Sheltering under an overpass is a bad idea because
, a) it makes it hard for you to see the storm
b) the tornados winds speed up as they are forced through the narrow
opening of the overpass
c) you could get run over by a car - ANSWER b) the tornados winds speed up
as they are forced through the narrow opening of the overpass
Which is the greatest danger in tornadoes?
a) extreme low pressure
b) being sucked up and thrown long distances
c) flying debris - ANSWER c) flying debris
The enhanced fujita scale rates tornadoes on a scale of 0 to 5 based on the
a) damage surveys
b) wind speeds
c) surface pressure in the center of the funnel - ANSWER a) damage surveys
Which way does the vortex line rotate? - ANSWER the axis about which a
paddle wheel will turn lies along (tangent to) the vortex line
Why do most US mesocyclones rotate cyclonically?
a) because of the way the horizontal winds turn and change speed with
height
b) because of the Coriolis force
c) because car drive on the right side of the road, and tiny cyclonic whirls
from when cars pass each other - ANSWER a) because of the way the
Complete Solution
Which direction is radar speed measured (up and down or back and forth) -
ANSWER Dopplar velocity measurement is along the line back to the radar
(back and forth)
The low reflectivity region inside the hook lies within the updraft?
a) true
b) false - ANSWER a) true
Air is rising so fast in the updraft that
-precipitation trying to fall through the region is held aloft
-cloud droplets do not have time to grow large enough to produce a radar
return
called a bounded weak echo region (BWER)
a debris ball may define the 'barb' at the end of the hook
Which of these develops as initially rotating air gets sucked into an updraft
a) tornado
b) dust devil
c) waterspout
d) steam devil
,e) all of the above - ANSWER e) all of the above
Common behavior: rotation speeds as air is drawn in toward the centerline of
an updraft (conserving angular momentum)
The Fujita scale assesses tornado intensity by estimating damage instead of
wind speeds because
a) it gives meteorologists an excuse to visit damaged sites
b) there is no practical alternative - ANSWER b) there is no practical
alternative (there is no practical way to measure the wind speed in most
tornadoes)
Waterspouts can develop if, near the surface, there is
a)An updraft above a region of horizontal wind shear
b) a downdraft above a region of horizontal wind shear
c) winds striking a curved obsticale - ANSWER a)An updraft above a region of
horizontal wind shear
Updraft near surface concentrates the spin about a vertical axis
What part of the tornado demonstrator intensifies the vortex by stretching it
upward?
a) the fans on the bottom that push the air out the vertical
b) the dry ice in the water
c) the box fan on the top - ANSWER c) the box fan on the top
Sheltering under an overpass is a bad idea because
, a) it makes it hard for you to see the storm
b) the tornados winds speed up as they are forced through the narrow
opening of the overpass
c) you could get run over by a car - ANSWER b) the tornados winds speed up
as they are forced through the narrow opening of the overpass
Which is the greatest danger in tornadoes?
a) extreme low pressure
b) being sucked up and thrown long distances
c) flying debris - ANSWER c) flying debris
The enhanced fujita scale rates tornadoes on a scale of 0 to 5 based on the
a) damage surveys
b) wind speeds
c) surface pressure in the center of the funnel - ANSWER a) damage surveys
Which way does the vortex line rotate? - ANSWER the axis about which a
paddle wheel will turn lies along (tangent to) the vortex line
Why do most US mesocyclones rotate cyclonically?
a) because of the way the horizontal winds turn and change speed with
height
b) because of the Coriolis force
c) because car drive on the right side of the road, and tiny cyclonic whirls
from when cars pass each other - ANSWER a) because of the way the
