CGI Weather & Meteorology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which pressure system is typically associated with clear, stable weather?
- Low pressure (cyclone)
- High pressure (anticyclone) (Correct answer)
- Occluded front
- Trough
Correct answer: High pressure (anticyclone)
High pressure systems cause air to sink and diverge, suppressing cloud formation and producing clear, stable weather.
Question 2: What is the dew point spread, and why is it significant to pilots?
- The difference between temperature and dew point; small spreads indicate fog or cloud formation risk (Correct answer)
- The altitude at which dew forms; higher spreads mean more turbulence
- The rate of dew point change with altitude; used for icing calculations
- The difference between high and low dew points in a frontal zone
Correct answer: The difference between temperature and dew point; small spreads indicate fog or cloud formation risk
The temperature-dew point spread indicates how close the air is to saturation; a spread of 5°F or less signals high fog or cloud risk.
Question 3: Where is wind shear most likely to be encountered near a thunderstorm?
- Only at high altitudes above the anvil
- Near the surface directly below the storm and at all altitudes within 20 NM (Correct answer)
- Only in the stratiform rain region behind the storm
- Exclusively in the anvil cloud outflow
Correct answer: Near the surface directly below the storm and at all altitudes within 20 NM
Wind shear associated with thunderstorms can occur near the surface under the storm and within approximately 20 NM of the cell at any altitude.
Question 4: What type of icing is the most hazardous to aircraft?
- Rime ice
- Clear (glaze) ice (Correct answer)
- Mixed ice
- Frost
Correct answer: Clear (glaze) ice
Clear ice is most hazardous because it forms rapidly, is heavy, adheres strongly, and is difficult to remove from airfoil surfaces.
Question 5: A pilot observes a rapidly falling barometric pressure. What does this typically indicate?
- Approaching high-pressure system with improving weather
- Approaching low-pressure system with deteriorating weather (Correct answer)
- Stable weather with little change expected
- Cooling temperatures but no precipitation
Correct answer: Approaching low-pressure system with deteriorating weather
A rapid fall in barometric pressure indicates an approaching low-pressure system, often bringing deteriorating weather and precipitation.
Question 6: What is the primary cause of convective turbulence?
- Jet stream wind shear
- Unequal surface heating causing rising thermals (Correct answer)
- Mountain wave activity
- Temperature inversions at altitude
Correct answer: Unequal surface heating causing rising thermals
Convective turbulence is caused by unequal surface heating, which generates rising columns of warm air (thermals) and surrounding downdrafts.
CGI Weather & Meteorology 2
Which pressure system is typically associated with clear, stable weather?