American Meteorological Society Certification Atmospheric Dynamics

Question 1

What force causes wind to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere?

Accepted Answer

Coriolis force

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Pressure gradient force

Answer

Centrifugal force

Question 2

In geostrophic balance, which two forces are equal and opposite?

Accepted Answer

Pressure gradient force and Coriolis force

Answer

Gravity and buoyancy

Answer

Friction and Coriolis

Answer

Centrifugal force and gravity

Question 3

What is the Rossby number used to measure?

Accepted Answer

Relative importance of rotation vs. inertia in atmospheric flow

Answer

Rainfall intensity

Answer

Vertical wind shear

Answer

Humidity ratio

Question 4

Vorticity in meteorology refers to which property of atmospheric flow?

Accepted Answer

Spinning or rotating motion

Answer

Temperature gradient

Answer

Moisture content

Answer

Vertical velocity

Question 5

What does potential vorticity conservation imply for a column of air that stretches vertically?

Accepted Answer

Its relative vorticity increases

Answer

It warms adiabatically

Answer

Its absolute vorticity decreases

Answer

Its pressure increases

Question 6

Which equation describes the conservation of mass in atmospheric dynamics?

Accepted Answer

Continuity equation

Answer

Navier-Stokes equation

Answer

Hydrostatic equation

Answer

Thermodynamic energy equation