Meteorology 212                                                                                                          Spring, 2006

Exam 2

 

Directions:  This is an OPEN-BOOK exam.  You may use any part of your textbook or your notes. You may not talk to any other student.  Answer all parts of all four questions in the blue books.  Percentage values for each part are given in parentheses.  You have 50 minutes so budget your time.

 

 

1.    a. ( 10%) Explain why, in July, storm tracks are farther north and more numerous than they are in January using the concept of the Circumpolar vortex.  Start with the reason the Circumpolar vortex changes with the time of year.

       b. ( 8%) Explain why the Siberian High gets very weak in summer (it’s so weak that you cannot find it!).

 

 

2. ( 10%) Refer to figure 4.14 on page 76 of your text.  Notice that the precipitation pattern of North and South America are almost the reverse of each other at least in the western half of the widest part of each continent.  In North America it is wet on the west coast and dry in the middle. In South America the bulk of the west coast is extremely dry while there is a large extremely rainy area in the center.

       Explain the differences, using climatic concepts learned in this class.  Be sure you explain both the wet and dry areas.  (Note: the geography of the regions will be an important part of your answer)

 

 

3.  This question refers to the map of SST anomalies below. Anomalies are departures from the average value.  Since it was originally in color, only anomalies of one sign are shown.  But these are exactly the anomalies observed on the date of this map (the date is not shown).

       a. (  4%) What phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) does this represent?

       b. ( 6%) What weather effect(s) do you expect this situation to have on the U.S.?  

       c. ( 10%) Explain how the temperature anomalies shown link to the U.S. effects you answered for part b

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. This question refers to the hemisphere sea level pressure map for Feb 5, 2001, shown below:

 

 

 

       a. (  28%) Find and mark on the surface diagram the following (Note: not all of the following features actually existed on that day.  Find the ones that were there):       The Aleutian Low, the Icelandic Low, the Siberian High, all subtropical Highs on the map (HHH counts as one), the Monsoon Low, and the ITCZ.

 

       b. (  6%) China, India, Japan, and the Himalaya Mountains are marked on the upper air map.  Asia may or may not have its own counterparts to Alberta Clipper storms, Nor’easters, and Colorado Hooker-type storms.  On the day shown, one of those counterparts was present on both the upper air and surface maps. Which one was there and where was it located?  To answer the second part, mark the location on the upper air map with a large S for Storm.  To answer the first part, write down the type of storm in the blue book.

 

       c. ( 18%) Assess the potential for each of the three types of storms on the eastern part of the Asian continent.  Call the potential Strong, Moderate, or Weak and briefly justify your assessments based on the geography and characteristics of the circumpolar vortex in a typical winter, not just on that day (for example, if you say Nor’easter counterparts are strong, what makes them strong?)