American Meteorological Society Certification Synoptic Meteorology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does a negatively tilted trough indicate on upper-level charts?
- Weakening system and subsidence
- Amplifying system and enhanced severe weather potential (Correct answer)
- Tropical moisture surge
- High-pressure building
Correct answer: Amplifying system and enhanced severe weather potential
A negatively tilted trough (tilting SW to NE) indicates an amplifying system with increased cyclogenesis and severe weather potential.
Question 2: Which layer in the atmosphere separates the troposphere from the stratosphere?
- Mesopause
- Tropopause (Correct answer)
- Stratopause
- Thermopause
Correct answer: Tropopause
The tropopause is the boundary where temperature stops decreasing with height and marks the top of the troposphere.
Question 3: In synoptic analysis, what does 'vorticity advection' describe?
- Horizontal transport of spin by the wind (Correct answer)
- Vertical transport of heat
- Moisture flux convergence
- Surface pressure tendency
Correct answer: Horizontal transport of spin by the wind
Vorticity advection refers to the horizontal transport of vorticity by the wind field, which drives vertical motion.
Question 4: What meteorological tool provides vertical profiles of temperature, humidity, and wind at a specific location?
- Radiosonde sounding (Correct answer)
- Surface ASOS station
- Radar reflectivity
- Satellite IR imagery
Correct answer: Radiosonde sounding
Radiosondes are balloon-borne instruments that measure atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind through the troposphere.
Question 5: The 850 hPa temperature field is commonly used to diagnose what in winter forecasting?
- Jet stream position
- Precipitation type (rain vs. snow boundary) (Correct answer)
- Tropopause height
- Stratospheric intrusions
Correct answer: Precipitation type (rain vs. snow boundary)
The 850 hPa (~1500 m) temperature is used to distinguish rain/snow boundaries, with approximately 0°C as a key threshold.
Question 6: A Rex block pattern in the upper atmosphere consists of what configuration?
- Two troughs of equal amplitude
- A high to the north with a low to the south blocking zonal flow (Correct answer)
- A split jet stream with equal branches
- An omega block at 500 hPa
Correct answer: A high to the north with a low to the south blocking zonal flow
A Rex block features an upper-level high poleward of an upper-level low, interrupting the zonal (west-to-east) flow.
American Meteorological Society Certification Synoptic Meteorology 2
What does a negatively tilted trough indicate on upper-level charts?