Coast Guard Test Maritime Weather and Oceanography 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Storm surge is best defined as:
- Large waves caused by distant storms
- An abnormal rise in sea level caused by a storm's winds and low pressure (Correct answer)
- A sudden increase in wind speed over open water
- A rapidly forming offshore whirlpool
Correct answer: An abnormal rise in sea level caused by a storm's winds and low pressure
Storm surge is the abnormal rise in sea level generated by a storm's strong onshore winds and low atmospheric pressure pushing water toward and onto the coastline.
Question 2: What Beaufort scale number corresponds to hurricane-force winds?
- 10
- 11
- 12 (Correct answer)
- 13
Correct answer: 12
Beaufort force 12 corresponds to hurricane-force winds of 64 knots (73 mph) or greater, which produce phenomenally high seas and extremely dangerous conditions.
Question 3: Which NWS product provides specific forecasts for U.S. coastal and offshore marine areas?
- Surface Analysis Chart
- Tropical Weather Outlook
- Coastal Marine Forecast (Correct answer)
- Radiosonde Sounding
Correct answer: Coastal Marine Forecast
The Coastal Marine Forecast is issued by NWS and provides wind, wave, and weather information for specific coastal and nearshore zones used by mariners.
Question 4: A squall is best described as:
- A gradual wind increase over several hours
- A sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting several minutes (Correct answer)
- A persistent light and steady breeze
- A decrease in wave height following a storm
Correct answer: A sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting several minutes
A squall is a sudden, brief, violent increase in wind speed, often accompanied by rain, and typically lasts only a few minutes before subsiding.
Question 5: Marine weather warnings are issued as a 'gale warning' when sustained winds are expected to reach:
- 15–25 knots
- 25–33 knots
- 34–47 knots (Correct answer)
- 48–63 knots
Correct answer: 34–47 knots
A gale warning is issued when sustained winds of 34 to 47 knots are expected, indicating dangerous conditions for most mariners.
Question 6: The term 'fetch' in maritime meteorology refers to:
- The depth of water beneath a vessel
- The distance wind travels over open water, affecting wave generation (Correct answer)
- The rate of tidal change at a given location
- The speed of a surface ocean current
Correct answer: The distance wind travels over open water, affecting wave generation
Fetch is the unobstructed distance over which wind blows across open water; the longer the fetch, the larger and more powerful the waves that can develop.
Question 7: What is the primary cause of rip currents in coastal waters?
- Strong tidal fluctuations pulling water offshore
- Ship propeller action near inlets
- Water piling up from breaking waves and returning seaward through gaps in sandbars (Correct answer)
- Offshore wind patterns during cold fronts
Correct answer: Water piling up from breaking waves and returning seaward through gaps in sandbars
Rip currents form when water that has been pushed shoreward by waves returns seaward through gaps or breaks in sandbars, creating a fast-moving, narrow offshore current.
Coast Guard Test Maritime Weather and Oceanography 2
Storm surge is best defined as: