Question 1
Question
What is a characteristic of the troposphere?
Answer
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It contains all the moisture of the atmosphere
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There is an overall decrease of temperature with an increase of altitude
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The average altitude of the top of the troposphere is about 6 miles
Question 2
Question
What is the primary cause of all changes in the Earth's weather?
Answer
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Variations of solar energy at the Earth's surface
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Changes in air pressure over the Earth's surface
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Movement of air masses from moist areas to dry areas
Question 3
Question
What characterizes a ground-based inversion?
Question 4
Question
What feature is associated with a temperature inversion?
Answer
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A stable layer of air
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An unstable layer of air
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Air mass thunderstorms
Question 5
Question
When does minimum temperature normally occur during a 24-hour period?
Question 6
Question
Which area or areas of the Northern Hemisphere experience a generally east to west movement of weather systems?
Answer
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Artic only
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Artic and subtropical
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Subtropical only
Question 7
Question
At lower levels of the atmosphere, friction causes the wind to flow across isobars into a low because the friction:
Answer
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Decreases windspeed and Coriolis force
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Decreases pressure gradient force
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Creates air turbulence and raises atmospheric pressure
Question 8
Question
Which type wind flows down slope becoming warmer and dryer?
Answer
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Land breeze
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Valley wind
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Katabatic wind
Question 9
Question
What is a feature of air movement in a high pressure area?
Answer
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Ascending from the surface high to lower pressure at higher altitudes
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Descending to the surface and then outward
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Moving outward from the high at high altitudes and into the high at the surface
Question 10
Question
Where is the usual location of a thermal low?
Question 11
Question
Freezing rain encountered during a climb is normally evidence that:
Answer
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A climb can be made to a higher altitude without encountering more than light icing
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A layer of warmer air exists above
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Ice pellets at higher altitudes have changed to rain in the warmer air below
Question 12
Question
What temperature condition is indicated if precipitation in the form of wet snow occurs during flight?
Answer
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The temperature is above freezing at flight altitude
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The temperature is above freezing at higher altitudes
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There is an inversion with colder air below
Question 13
Question
What term describes an elongated area of low pressure?
Answer
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Trough
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Ridge
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Hurricane or typhon
Question 14
Question
What is an important characteristic of wind shear?
Answer
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It is primarily associated with the lateral vortices generated by thunderstorms
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It usually exist only in the vicinity of thunderstorms, but may be found near a strong temperature inversion
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It may be associated with either a wind shift or a wind speed gradient at any level in the atmosphere
Question 15
Question
What information from the control tower is indicated by the following transmission?
"SOUTH BOUNDARY WIND ONE SIX ZERO AT TWO FIVE, WEST BOUNDARY WIND TWO FOUR ZERO AT THREE FIVE"
Answer
-
A downburst is located at the center of the airport
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Wake turbulence exists on the west side of the active runway
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There is a possibility of wind shear over or near the airport
Question 16
Question
Where is a common location for an inversion?
Question 17
Question
What condition produces the most frequent type of ground or surface based temperature inversion?
Answer
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The movement of colder air under warm air or the movement of warm air over cold air
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Widespread sinking of air within a thick layer aloft resulting in heating by compression
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Terrestrial radiation on a clear, relatively calm night
Question 18
Question
Which term applies when the temperature of the air changes by compression or expansion with no heat added or removed?
Answer
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Katabatic
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Advection
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Adiabatic
Question 19
Question
What is the approximate rate unsaturated air will cool flowing upslope?
Answer
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3 degrees per 1,000 feet
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2 degrees per 1,000 feet
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4 degrees per 1,000 feet
Question 20
Question
Isobars on a surface weather chart represent lines of equal pressure:
Question 21
Question
At which location does Coriolis force have the least effect on wind direction?
Answer
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At the poles
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Middle latitudes
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At the equator
Question 22
Question
How does Coriolis force affect wind direction in the Southern Hemisphere?
Answer
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Causes clockwise rotation around a low
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Causes wind to flow out of a low toward a high
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Has exactly the same effect as in the Northern Hemisphere
Question 23
Question
Which conditions result in the formation of frost?
Answer
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The temperature of the collecting surface is at or below freezing and small droplets of moisture are falling
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Dew collects on the surface and then freezes because the surface temperature is lower than the air temperature
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Temperature of the collecting surface is below the dewpoint and the dewpoint is also below freezing
Question 24
Question
When will frost most likely form on aircraft surfaces?
Answer
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On clear nights with stable air and light winds
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On overcast nights with freezing drizzle precipitation
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On clear night with convective action and a small temperature / dewpoint spread
Question 25
Question
What is indicated about an air mass if the temperature remains unchanged or decreases slightly as altitude is increase?
Question 26
Question
Which process causes adiabatic cooling?
Answer
-
Expansion of air as it raises
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Movement of air over a colder surface
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Release of latent heat during the vaporization process
Question 27
Question
When saturated air moves downhill, its temperature increases:
Answer
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At a faster than dry air because of the release of latent heat
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At a slower rate than dry air because vaporization uses heat
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At a slower rate than dry air because condensation releases heat
Question 28
Question
Which condition is present when a local parcel of air is stable?
Answer
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The parcel of air resists convection
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The parcel of air cannot be forced uphill
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As the parcel of air moves upward, its temperature becomes warmer than the surrounding air
Question 29
Question
Convective clouds which penetrate a stratus layer can produce which threat to instrument flight?
Answer
-
Freezing rain
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Clear air turbulence
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Embedded thunderstorms
Question 30
Question
Which type clouds are indicative of very strong turbulence?
Answer
-
Nimbostratus
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Standing lenticular
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Cirruscumulus
Question 31
Question
Which event usually occurs after an aircraft passes through a front into the colder air?
Answer
-
Temperature / dewpoint spread decreases
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Wind direction shifts to the left
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Atmospheric pressure increases
Question 32
Question
What minimum thickness of cloud layer is indicated if precipitation is reported as light or greater intensity?
Question 33
Question
Which condition produces weather on the lee side of a large lake?
Answer
-
Warm air flowing over a colder lake may produce fog
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Cold air flowing over a warmer lake may produce advection fog
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Warm air flowing over a cool lake may produce rain showers
Question 34
Question
Which weather phenomenon signals the beginning of the mature stage of a thunderstorm?
Answer
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The appearance of an anvil top
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The start of rain at the surface
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Growth rate of the cloud is at its maximum
Question 35
Question
During the life cycle of a thunderstorm, which stage is characterized predominately by downdrafts?
Answer
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Cumulus
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Dissipating
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Mature
Question 36
Question
What feature is normally associated with the cumulus stage of a thunderstrom?
Question 37
Question
What is indicated by the term "embedded thunderstorm?
Answer
-
Severe thunderstorms are embedded in a squall line
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Thunderstorms are predicted to develop in a stable air mass
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Thunderstorms are obscured by other types of clouds
Question 38
Question
Where do squall lines most often develop?
Question 39
Question
Where can the maximum hazard zone caused by wind shear associated with a thunderstorm be found?
Answer
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In front of the thunderstorm cell (anvil side) and on the southwest side of the cell
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Ahead of the roll cloud or gust front and directly under the anvil cloud
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On all sides and directly under the thunderstorm cell
Question 40
Question
Atmospheric pressure changes due to a thunderstorm will be at the lowest value:
Answer
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During the downdraft and heavy rain showers
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When the thunderstorm is approaching
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Immediately after the rain showers have stopped
Question 41
Question
Why are downdrafts in a mature thunderstorm hazardous?
Answer
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Downdrafts are kept cool by cold rain which tends to accelerate the downward velocity
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Downdrafts converge toward a central location under the storm after striking the surface
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Downdrafts become warmer than the surrounding air and reverse into an updraft before reaching the surace
Question 42
Question
When advection fog has developed, what may tend to dissipate or lift the fog into low stratus clouds?
Question 43
Question
How are haze layers cleared or dispersed?
Answer
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By convective mixing in cool night air
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By wind or the movement of air
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By evaporation similar to the clearing of fog
Question 44
Question
Which type cloud is associated with violent turbulence and a tendency toward the production of funnel clouds?
Answer
-
Cumulonimbus mamma
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Standing lenticular
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Stratocumulus
Question 45
Question
When flying over the top of a severe thunderstorm, the cloud should be overflown by at least:
Question 46
Question
Which weather condition is an example of a nonfrontal instability band?
Answer
-
Squall line
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Advective fog
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Frontogenesis
Question 47
Question
Under what conditions would clear air turbulence (CAT) most likely be encountered?
Answer
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When constant pressure charts show 20-knot isotachs less than 60 NM apart
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When constant pressure charts show 60-knot isotachs less than 20 NM apart
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When a sharp trough is moving at a speed less than 20 knots
Question 48
Question
In comparison to an approach in a moderate headwind, which is an indication of a possible wind shear due to a decreasing headwind when descending on the glide slope?
Question 49
Question
What condition is necessary for the formation of structural icing in flight?
Answer
-
Supercooled water drops
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Water vapor
-
Visible water
Question 50
Question
Which type precipitation is an indication that supercooled water is present?
Answer
-
Wet snow
-
Freezing rain
-
Ice pellets