Weather Folklore

What's Up? A Tour of the Atmosphere

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which is the coldest layer of the atmosphere?

A.		The troposphere
B.		The tropopause
C.		The mesosphere
D.		The ozone layer

MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. Imagine a column of air, one inch by one inch across, extending from Denver, Colorado, to the very top of the atmosphere. How much does all the air in that column weigh?

A.		Less than a pound
B.		About 12 pounds
C.		14.7 pounds
D.		About 12 tons

MULTIPLE CHOICE
3. What is the dew point?

A.		The temperature at which water vapor in an air mass will condense
B.		The temperature at which relative humidity reaches 80 percent
C.		Dew point is the same as relative humidity
D.		The temperature at which air evaporates

MULTIPLE CHOICE
4. What percentage of Earth’s water is in the atmosphere -- either in the form of water vapor, clouds, or precipitation -- at any given time?

A.		98 percent
B.		32 percent
C.		2 percent
D.		Less than 1 percent

Twists and Turns

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. If you put a Venera-style thermometer on the surface of Venus and then checked it 24 hours later, which of the following temperatures would the thermometer most likely report?

A.		-90 degrees
B.		90 degrees
C.		900 degrees
D.		None. The thermometer would be broken.

MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. The Coriolis effect and pressure gradient force are the two main influences on the direction of wind. What’s the third factor in this meteorological tug-of-war?

A.		The planet Venus
B.		Friction
C.		Water vapor
D.		Earth’s distance from the Sun

MULTIPLE CHOICE
3. In the Northern Hemisphere, if you stand outside facing the wind, high pressure will be:

A.		To your right
B.		To your left
C.		Directly overhead
D.		Behind you.

MULTIPLE CHOICE
4. What is the tilt of the Earth’s axis?

A.		29.92 inches
B.		23.5 degrees
C.		The cause of the seasons
D.		Both B and C

TRUE FALSE
5. Water always spins down a sink drain counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

	True
	False

Weather Folklore

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. “Bees never get caught in the rain” because:

A.		They detect a drop in air pressure and stay in their hives.
B.		Cirrostratus clouds decrease polarized light.
C.		Clouds moving in ahead of a storm increase polarized light.
D.		Bees are waterproof.

MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. If a cricket chirps only 10 times in 14 seconds, the temperature is probably close to:

A.		24 degrees Fahrenheit
B.		40 degrees Fahrenheit
C.		50 degrees Fahrenheit
D.		54 degrees Fahrenheit

MULTIPLE CHOICE
3. “Dog days” refer to:

A.		The ancient Egyptian belief that the star Sirius adds to the Sun’s warmth in August.
B.		Dogs running and turning corners, chasing scents as air pressure drops before a summer storm.
C.		Dogs being lazy on a hot, humid summer day.
D.		Both B and C.

MULTIPLE CHOICE
4. The “year without a summer” in 1816 was probably caused by:

A.		A volcanic eruption in Indonesia
B.		A volcanic eruption in the Philippines
C.		Volcanic ash and dust high in the atmosphere, blocking sunlight.
D.		Both A and C

MULTIPLE CHOICE
5. A halo around the moon...

A.		Is caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals
B.		Is caused by pollutions such as CFCs in the stratosphere
C.		Is caused by light shining through cirrostratus clouds
D.		Does not occur; halos only appear around the sun
E.		Both A and C
6. Cows lie down before it rains...

A.		Because the lower air pressure makes them feel light-headed
B.		To avoid being struck by lightening
C.		Because increasing humidity strengthens scents and odors in hay and grasses, making them tastier
D.		For the same reason they lie down during and after the rain: they're tired