NIGERIAN COLLEGE OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY, ZARIA

FLYING SCHOOL/GROUND STUDIES DEPT

SFO-3
COURSE

METEOROLOGY TEXT I

INSTRUCTIONS:

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

1.

The height and the temperature of the tropopause are respectively in the
order of
a) 8 km and - 75C over the poles
b) 16 km and -40C over the poles
c) 16 km and -75C over the equator
d) 8 km and -40C over the equator

2.

In the lower part of the stratosphere the temperature

a) increases with altitude
b) is almost constant
c) increases at first and decreases afterward
d) decreases with altitude

3.

As altitude increases, the weight of the atmosphere above you will:

a) increase with 1.5 kg/m2 per 1000 ft
b) decrease
c) remain the same
d) increase

4.

Several physical processes contribute to atmospheric warming. Which of the

following contribute the most?
a) Absorption and evaporation
b) Solar radiation and conduction
c) Absorption and vaporization
d) Convection and condensation

5.

Why is a calm and clear-sky night cooler than a cloudy night?

a) The clouds prevent radiation from the atmosphere
b) Due to contents of carbon dioxide
c) There is radiation from the clouds
d) The radiation from the earth's surface slips into space

6.

Which of the following is a common cause of ground or surface temperature

inversion?
a) The movement of colder air under warm air, or the movement of warm air
over cold air
b) Heating of the air by subsidence
c) Warm air being lifted rapidly aloft, in the vicinity of mountainous terrain
d) Terrestrial radiation on a clear night with no or very light winds

7.

Which of the following is true for the International Standard Atosphere:

a)
at mean sea level the following conditions prevail: temperature +15 0C,
pressure 1013.25 hpa, density 1225 gm/m
b)
within the troposphere the temperature decreases by 6.50C per

km
c)

the tropopause is at a height of 36,090 AGL

d)

all of the above

8.

Diurnal variation of the surface temperature will:

a)
be unaffected by a change in wind speed
b)
decrease as the wind speed increases
c)
increase as the wind speed increases
d)
be at a minimum in calm conditions

9.

Which of the following statements is true of the dew point of an air mass?
a) It can be used to estimate the air mass's relative humidity even if the air
temperature is unknown
b) It can only be equal to, or lower, than the temperature of the air mass
c) It can be used together with the air pressure to estimate the air mass's
relative humidity
d) It can be higher than the temperature of the air mass

10.

At what temperature does evaporation takes place in the earths surface?

a)
at any temperature
b)
between 950C and 1000C only
c)
at 1000C only
d)
at 00C

11.

If the temperature remains constant with an increasing altitude, then there is

a)
b)
c)
d)

12.

uniform layer
an inversion aloft
an isothermal layer
a lapse rate

Sublimation is:
a)
change from liquid to vapour
b)
change from liquid to solid
c)
change from vapour to liquid
d)
change from solid to vapour

13.
The method by which energy is transferred from one body to another by
contact is called:
a)
radiation
b)
convection
c)
conduction
d)
latent heat
14.

What
a)
b)
c)
d)

is the coldest time of the day?

1 hour before sunrise
30 minutes before sunrise
at exact moment of sunrise
30 minutes after sunrise

15.

16.

How does the height of the tropopause normally vary with latitude in the
northern hemisphere?
a) It decreases from south to north
b) It remains constant throughout the year
c) It increases from south to north
d) It remains constant from north to south
What is the approximate composition of the dry air by volume in the
troposphere?
a) 50 % oxygen, 40 % nitrogen, and the rest other gases
b) 88 % oxygen, 9 % nitrogen, and the rest other gases
c) 21 % oxygen, 78 % nitrogen, and the rest other gases
d) 10 % oxygen, 89 % nitrogen, and the rest other gases

17.

Going from the equator to the north pole, the altitude of the tropopause
a) decreases and its temperature decreases
b) decreases and its temperature increases
c) increases and its temperature increases
d) increases and its temperature decreases

18.

The percentage concentration of gases in the atmosphere is constant from

the surface of the earth to a certain altitude with the exception of:
a) Hydrogen
b) Water vapour
c) Oxygen
d) Nitrogen

19.

What effect does increase in humidity have on take-off performance

assuming pressure and temperature remains constant?
a)
shorter take-off distance; the air is less dense,
b)
longer take-off distance; the air is more dense,
c)
shorter take-off distance; the air is more dense.
d)
longer take-off distance; the air is less dense;

20.

The radiation of the sun heats

a) the water vapour in the air of the troposphere
b) the surface of the earth, which heats the air in the troposphere
c) the air in the troposphere directly
d) the air in the troposphere only directly if no clouds are present

21.

Clouds, fog or dew will always be formed when:

a) relative humidity reaches 98%
b) water vapour is present
c) water vapour condenses
d) temperature and dew point are nearly equal

22.

What is the technical term for an increase in temperature with altitude?

a) Subsidence
b) Adiabatic
c) Advection
d) Inversion

23.

The lowest assumed temperature in the International Standard Atmosphere

(ISA) is:
a) -273C
b) -100C
c) -44.7C
d) -56.5C

24.

The temperature at FL 140 is -12C. What will the temperature be at FL 110 if

the ICAO standard lapse rate is applied?
a) -9C
b) -6C
c) -18C
d) -15C

25.

An outside air temperature of -35C is measured while cruising at FL 200.

What is the temperature deviation from the ISA at this level?
a) 5C colder than ISA
b) 10C colder than ISA
c) 10C warmer than ISA
d) 5C warmer than ISA

26.

What is the vertical temperature lapse rate, up to 11 km, in the standard

ICAO atmosphere?
a) 3C per 1000 m
b) 6.5C per 1000 m
c) 2C per 1000 m
d) 4.5C per 1000 m

27.

Air density at the earths surface will be low when:

a)
pressure is high and temperature is high
b)
pressure is high and temperature is low
c)
pressure is low and temperature is low
d)
pressure is low and temperature is high

28.
At what height above ground level is air temperature measured at an
aerodrome?
a)
1 metre
b)
1.25 metres
c)
10 ft
d)
4 metres
29.

As a parcel of air warms, its ability to hold water vapour:

a) Remains unaltered
b) Decreases
c) Depends, whether the parcel is rising or not
d) Increases

30.

What does dewpoint mean?

a) The freezing level (danger of icing)
b) The temperature to which a mass of air must be cooled in order to reach
saturation
c) The temperature at which ice melts
d) The temperature at which the relative humidity and saturation vapour
pressure are the same

31.

The relative humidity of a sample air mass is 50%. How is the relative
humidity of this air mass influenced by changes of the amount of water
vapour in it?
a) It decreases with increasing water vapour
b) It is not influenced by changing water vapour
c) It increases with increasing water vapour
d) It is only influenced by temperature

32.

When a given mass of air descends, what effect will it have on relative
humidity?
a) It increases
b) It remains constant
c) It increases up to 100%, then remains stable
d) It decreases

33.

During the late afternoon an air temperature of +12C and a dew point of
+7C were measured. What temperature change must occur during the night
in order to induce saturation?
a) It must decrease to +5C
b) It must decrease to +7C
c) It must decrease by 7C
d) It must decrease to +8C

34.

Relative humidity
a) decreases if the air is cooled whilst maintaining the vapour pressure
constant
b) is higher in cool air than in warm air
c) is higher in warm air than in cool air
d) increases if the air is cooled whilst maintaining the vapour pressure
constant

35.

The difference between air temperature and dew point temperature is

popularly called the "spread". As spread increases, relative humidity:
a) increases
b) stays the same
c) decreases
d) first decreases and then increases

36.

Relative humidity depends on

a) moisture content of the air only
b) moisture content and temperature of the air
c) temperature of the air only
d) moisture content and pressure of the air

37.

A parcel of air is said to be saturated if it has a relative humidity of:

a) 100 %
b) Greater than 80 %
c) 50 %
d) Greater than 90 %

38.

In which of the following changes of state is latent heat released?

a) Solid to liquid
b) Gas to liquid
c) Liquid to gas
d) Solid to gas

39.

Density is defined as:

a)
mass per unit volume
b)
mass per unit area
c)
weight of air per unit volume
d)
volume divided by mass

40.

What
a)
b)
c)
d)

41.

Density altitude may be determined by correcting:

a)
true altitude for non standard temperature
b)
pressure altitude for nonstandard temperature
c)
indicated altitude for temperature variations.

42.

When
a)
b)
c)
d)

43.

At FL 200, the air temperature is -6C.The air density at this level is:
a) Less than the density of the ISA atmosphere at FL 200
b) Equal to the density of the ISA atmosphere at FL 200
c) Greater than the density of the ISA atmosphere at FL 200
d) Unable to be determined without knowing the QNH

is the density at sea level in the ICAO Standard Atmosphere?

1225 g/m3
12.25 g/m3
1.225 g/m3
122.5 g/m3

water vapour changes to water droplet as in shallow cumulus cloud:

Latent heat is released.
Specific heat is released.
Latent heat is absorbed.
Specific heat is absorbed.

44.

In relation to 'air density' which of the following responses are correct:

a) Cold air is less dense than warm air
b) Dry warm air is less dense than cold air
c) Air density is not influenced of air humidity
d) If the temperature is decreasing the air density will decrease

45.

Air density is mass of air per unity of volume, and is influenced by:
a) Altitude
b) Pressure, temperature and the amount of water vapour
c) Pressure, latitude and season
d) both a) and b) are correct

46.

An OAT of -20C at the 500 hPa pressure level:

a) is low
b) is high
c) is almost impossible
d) equals approximately (+/-5C) ISA

47.

An inversion is characterized by:

a) Increasing temperature with increasing altitude
b) Parts of the air mass at each level is warmer than surrounding air
c) The tendency to increase relative humidity with increasing altitude
d) Constant temperature with increasing altitude

48.

The process by which water vapour is transformed directly into ice is known
as
a) sublimation
b) supersaturation
c) supercooling
d) radiation cooling

49.

The rate of decrease of temperature with height per 1km in the International
Standard Atmosphere is:
a) variable
b) 1C
c) 6.5C
d) 0.65C

50.

Replace the missing words:

The sun radiates ___ amounts of heat energy with ____ wavelengths. The
earth radiates ___ amounts of heat energy with ___ waveleghts.
a)
large, short, smaller, long
b)
small, short, greater, long
c)
large, long, greater, long
d)
large, long, smaller, short