atmosphere & climatology section 7 MCQ Questions & Answers Detailed Explanation

Answer: (b)

Answer: (b)

Answer: (b)

An anti-cyclone is also known as a high-pressure area -- is a large atmospheric circulation system with the wind flowing clockwise around it in the Northern Hemisphere, and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Anticyclones form from air masses cooling more than their surroundings, which causes the air to contract slightly making the air denser. Since dense air weighs more, the weight of the atmosphere overlying a location increases, causing increased surface air pressure.

The air mass cooling that results in an anticyclone forming can be caused by either conduction as the air flows over a relatively cool ocean surface, or through the loss of infrared radiation over land during the fall, winter, or spring when little sunlight is available to warm the air mass.

Answer: (d)

The temperature decreases with height in the lowest 10-20 km of the atmosphere (called the troposphere) because most of the solar radiation passes through the atmosphere with little or no effect - that radiation is absorbed by the solid Earth surface and is transferred to the air above the surface by conduction.

Answer: (b)

Answer: (d)

A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds and low temperatures. The difference between a blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind.

To be a blizzard, a snowstorm must have sustained winds or frequent gusts that are greater than or equal to 56 km/h (35 mph) with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or a quarter mile or less and must last for a prolonged period of time — typically three hours or more.