American Meteorological Society Certification Atmospheric Dynamics 2

Question 1

What is the thermal wind relationship?

Accepted Answer

Vertical wind shear is related to horizontal temperature gradients

Answer

Wind speed at the surface equals wind speed aloft

Answer

Temperature increases with height in the stratosphere

Answer

Wind direction rotates clockwise with height in all situations

Question 2

Which flow regime is characterized by a small Rossby number and quasi-geostrophic balance?

Accepted Answer

Synoptic-scale flow

Answer

Microscale turbulence

Answer

Thunderstorm updrafts

Answer

Sea breezes

Question 3

What does divergence in the upper atmosphere typically indicate at the surface?

Accepted Answer

Surface low pressure and rising motion

Answer

Surface high pressure

Answer

No surface weather

Answer

Stable air mass

Question 4

What is the primary driving mechanism for the jet stream?

Accepted Answer

Horizontal temperature gradients in the troposphere

Answer

Ocean currents

Answer

Stratospheric ozone heating

Answer

Surface friction

Question 5

In ageostrophic wind theory, what causes air to deviate from pure geostrophic flow?

Accepted Answer

Acceleration, friction, and curvature effects

Answer

Constant pressure gradient

Answer

Constant Coriolis parameter

Answer

No temperature gradients

Question 6

The omega equation in quasi-geostrophic theory diagnoses which atmospheric variable?

Accepted Answer

Vertical motion (pressure velocity)

Answer

Surface temperature

Answer

Specific humidity

Answer

Potential vorticity