Name: _________________________________________ Section/TA:__________Atmospheric Sciences 101, Autumn 2004Homework #7: Due at the beginning of lecture Thursday, 9 December 2004NOTE: No late homework will be accepted after the final exam, Monday 13 December. 1. Air mass thunderstorms versus severe thunderstorms.(a)Explain why air mass (single cell) thunderstorms are short-lived in comparisonwith squall lines and supercells.[2](b)What meteorological factors cause the highest annual frequency ofthunderstorms in the U.S. to be in Florida, but the highest annual frequency ofdamaging tornados to be over Oklahoma and Kansas? (Hint: what conditionscould cause thunderstorms that are more likely to produce tornadoes?) [2](c)What characteristic of a supercell thunderstorm leads to a higher chance oftornadoes than in air mass thunderstorms? [1] 2. Assorted hurricane facts.(a)Why do hurricanes not form within 5 degrees latitude of the equator? [1](b)Give three ways tropical cyclones are fundamentally different than midlatitudecyclones.[1.5](c)In intense hurricanes, what causes the most damage and cost to human life? [.5](d)What are the two main reasons hurricanes rapidly weaken when moving overland?[2]3. Atmospheric optics.(a)Which optical process (choose from scattering, refraction, dispersion) isresponsible for blue sky? Which two processes are responsible for rainbows?.[2](b)Explain why a mirage is more likely at midday over the Sahara desert than over atropical rain forest. [1](c)What sky/cloud conditions are conducive to the appearance of a halo around themoon? Why might such a halo portend a cold steady rainstorm? [2] 4. Air pollution.(a)Name two meteorological reasons severe ozone events are more common in LosAngeles than in Seattle.[2](b)Name at least one pollutant responsible for ‘acid rain’. Why is ‘acid rain’ moreof a problem in the Northeastern U.S. than the Pacific Northwest? [2](c)The Bush administration has declined to classify carbon dioxide as an airpollutant. Can you give one (scientific and nonpolitical) reason for and onereason against their stance?
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