Session 3: Assessment

Assessment Questions for Session 3

Choose the best answer:

Which of the following moisture parameters will remain constant as an air parcel either expands and cools or contracts and warms, assuming the parcel never reaches saturation or mixes with the surrounding air?

a) specific humidity

b) relative humidity

c) absolute humidity
Consider a low pressure storm system located off the East Coast of the US, as pictured below. On the northwest side of the system, winds are reported to be blowing on shore with speeds averaging 15 knots (in the direction of the arrow). Choose the best description below for recording the measured wind direction on the northwest side of the system.

a) easterly

b) westerly

c) southwesterly

d) northeasterly

Imagine two moist air parcels heated simultaneously at the surface of the earth. One is located over the warm Atlantic Gulf Stream, off the East Coast of the US, while the other is located 100 kilometers inland over dry land. Assume the parcels are heated to identical temperatures. If both parcels rise to a height where a cloud begins to form, ...

a) the height of the LCL for each of the parcels should be identical because the temperatures of the parcels are identical.

b) the LCL of the parcel over the Gulf Stream should be lower because the water vapor content of the parcel over the Gulf Stream will be higher.

c) the LCL of the parcel over the Gulf Stream should be higher because the water vapor content of the parcel over the Gulf Stream will be higher, and moist air is more buoyant than dry air.

The virtual temperature (Tv) is ...

	a) always less than or equal to the actual temperature.
	b) always greater than or equal to the actual temperature.
	c) can be either equal or less than the actual temperature but is never equal to the actual temperature.

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

	a) Data collected by RADAR, SODAR, and LIDAR devices are quickly replacing balloon soundings not only because of their ability to detect atmospheric conditions at heights equivalent to balloon soundings, but also due to the great horizontal ranges they capable of sensing.
	b) While satellites are great tools for monitoring the movement of tropical storms from above the earth's surface, as well as detecting air pollutant concentrations around the globe, they are rarely ever used for collecting any other types of meteorological data.
	c) Though RADAR, SODAR, and LIDAR devices are limited to ranges of only 3-4 km in the vertical direction, they are valuable tools for monitoring quickly changing atmospheric conditions which help to predict pollutant transport and dispersion.

On to Part 1: Why We Measure the Atmosphere

To Session 3 Objectives

Developed by

	a) specific humidity
	b) relative humidity
	c) absolute humidity

	a) the height of the LCL for each of the parcels should be identical because the temperatures of the parcels are identical.
	b) the LCL of the parcel over the Gulf Stream should be lower because the water vapor content of the parcel over the Gulf Stream will be higher.
	c) the LCL of the parcel over the Gulf Stream should be higher because the water vapor content of the parcel over the Gulf Stream will be higher, and moist air is more buoyant than dry air.

	a) easterly
	b) westerly
	c) southwesterly
	d) northeasterly