GRG 301K Exam 1 University of
Texas at Austin Questions With
Complete Solutions
what is meteorology? - ANSWER:study of the Earth's atmosphere
T or F? weather forecasting is a subset of meteorology - ANSWER:True
why is meteorology a non-perfect science? - ANSWER:- a non perfect science because it's always
changing
what is weather? - ANSWER:the current state of the atmosphere
what is climate? - ANSWER:collective state of the Earth's atmosphere over a long (30 years) period of
time
what defines an atmosphere? - ANSWER:gasses that surround the Earth and other planets
weather is produced approximately _______ miles up - ANSWER:4-10
T or F? composition of the atmosphere is constant from place to place and time to time - ANSWER:false.
composition is NOT constant
Aristotle - ANSWER:- 340 BC
- father of meteorology
- wrote Meteorologica (a document on weather and how we observe clouds in the atmosphere)
,- Largely incorrect; technology corrected him
- mostly theoretical/basic ideas
- developed the first writings and documents of weather
what does a thermometer measure? who invented the first thermometer? - ANSWER:- measures
temperature
- invented by Galileo (1593)
how does a thermometer work? how is the thermometer maximum/minimum measured? - ANSWER:-
expansion and contraction of liquid on an indexed scale
- maximum measured with mercury
- minimum measured with alcohol
what does a barometer measure? who invented the first barometer? - ANSWER:- measures pressure
- invented by Torricelli (1643)
what does a hygrometer measure? who invented the first hygrometer? - ANSWER:- measures moisture
- invented by Davinci (1660)
why are the 1600's significant? - ANSWER:time of many many advancements in meteorological
technology
what does an anemometer measure? who invented the first anemometer (4 cup anemometer)? -
ANSWER:- measures wind speed
- invented by Robinson (1864)
when was the telegraph invented and why is it significant to weather? - ANSWER:- invented 1843
- first long distance communication
- Changed the world by giving us the ability to communicate more; made spreading information about
weather to different areas possible
, who developed the air mass frontal theory and when did the U.S begin to use it? - ANSWER:- developed
by Norwegians 1920's
- not used in US until 1940's
what are the 8 elements of weather? - ANSWER:1. air temperature - hotness or coldness of the air
dependent on motion of molecules
2. humidity - the moisture in the air
3. clouds
4. precipitation- snow, rainfall, what a weather radar detects
5. wind direction
6. wind speed - gusts of air molecules
7. visibility - the ability to see in the sky depending on the weather
8. air pressure - weight of air
automated systems make this element decreasingly important - ANSWER:visibility
the most abstract element of weather - ANSWER:air pressure
T or F? the wind direction is always stated as where the wind is coming FROM - ANSWER:true
what are clouds called "mother nature's signature"? - ANSWER:- tell us a lot about what is going on in
the atmosphere
when were upper air balloons (rawinsonde or radiosonde) developed and what were they used for? -
ANSWER:- invented 1940's
- Used in WWII to enable accurate action planning in the air
- first time people needed to calculate atmospheric conditions ABOVE surface
- measures upper atmospheric conditions and transmits to the ground via radio waves
Texas at Austin Questions With
Complete Solutions
what is meteorology? - ANSWER:study of the Earth's atmosphere
T or F? weather forecasting is a subset of meteorology - ANSWER:True
why is meteorology a non-perfect science? - ANSWER:- a non perfect science because it's always
changing
what is weather? - ANSWER:the current state of the atmosphere
what is climate? - ANSWER:collective state of the Earth's atmosphere over a long (30 years) period of
time
what defines an atmosphere? - ANSWER:gasses that surround the Earth and other planets
weather is produced approximately _______ miles up - ANSWER:4-10
T or F? composition of the atmosphere is constant from place to place and time to time - ANSWER:false.
composition is NOT constant
Aristotle - ANSWER:- 340 BC
- father of meteorology
- wrote Meteorologica (a document on weather and how we observe clouds in the atmosphere)
,- Largely incorrect; technology corrected him
- mostly theoretical/basic ideas
- developed the first writings and documents of weather
what does a thermometer measure? who invented the first thermometer? - ANSWER:- measures
temperature
- invented by Galileo (1593)
how does a thermometer work? how is the thermometer maximum/minimum measured? - ANSWER:-
expansion and contraction of liquid on an indexed scale
- maximum measured with mercury
- minimum measured with alcohol
what does a barometer measure? who invented the first barometer? - ANSWER:- measures pressure
- invented by Torricelli (1643)
what does a hygrometer measure? who invented the first hygrometer? - ANSWER:- measures moisture
- invented by Davinci (1660)
why are the 1600's significant? - ANSWER:time of many many advancements in meteorological
technology
what does an anemometer measure? who invented the first anemometer (4 cup anemometer)? -
ANSWER:- measures wind speed
- invented by Robinson (1864)
when was the telegraph invented and why is it significant to weather? - ANSWER:- invented 1843
- first long distance communication
- Changed the world by giving us the ability to communicate more; made spreading information about
weather to different areas possible
, who developed the air mass frontal theory and when did the U.S begin to use it? - ANSWER:- developed
by Norwegians 1920's
- not used in US until 1940's
what are the 8 elements of weather? - ANSWER:1. air temperature - hotness or coldness of the air
dependent on motion of molecules
2. humidity - the moisture in the air
3. clouds
4. precipitation- snow, rainfall, what a weather radar detects
5. wind direction
6. wind speed - gusts of air molecules
7. visibility - the ability to see in the sky depending on the weather
8. air pressure - weight of air
automated systems make this element decreasingly important - ANSWER:visibility
the most abstract element of weather - ANSWER:air pressure
T or F? the wind direction is always stated as where the wind is coming FROM - ANSWER:true
what are clouds called "mother nature's signature"? - ANSWER:- tell us a lot about what is going on in
the atmosphere
when were upper air balloons (rawinsonde or radiosonde) developed and what were they used for? -
ANSWER:- invented 1940's
- Used in WWII to enable accurate action planning in the air
- first time people needed to calculate atmospheric conditions ABOVE surface
- measures upper atmospheric conditions and transmits to the ground via radio waves
