Practice Test for Science Olympiad

From September 9-13, 2013, Boulder, Colorado picked up 14.62 inches of rain, nine times its average monthly rainfall for September. Which of the following best describes why this happened?

• a fast moving stationary front got caught in the jet stream, which was over the state of Colorad

• remnant moisture from Hurricane Patricia stalled over the state of Colorado

• the environment was unfavorable for lift, a factor that weakens severe weather development

• an upper level low pressure center was stalled over the region, blocked by a dome of high pressure over the Pacific Northwest

• the strong La Niña increased water temperatures in the central Pacific, allowing for bands of rainfall to come in through the west coast

Mammatus clouds, cellular patches of pouches that often extend from the base of a cloud, are often associated with which of the following cloud types?

• cumulonimbus

• cirrocumulus

• asperatus

• altostratus

• lenticular

The Enhanced Fujita Scale uses which of the following to determine its ratings?

• wind speed

• damage

• central pressure

• tornado size

• distance of path

When the downdraft of a thunderstorm is stronger than the updraft, which stage is the thunderstorm in?

• cumulus stage

• dissipating stage

• mature stage

• alto stage

• stratus stage

The most common form of lightning is

• a bolt from the blue

• heat lightning

• cloud to ground lightning

• intercloud lightning

• intracloud lightning

Lift can be most accurately described as

• the downdraft that causes a thunderstorm to dissipate

• the formation of hail as it gets sucked into the rain cloud

• the trigger that initiates thunderstorm formation

• the movement of cold air as it approaches a mountain

• the inverted movement of cold and warm air on humid days

Floodwaters are most destructive in which of the following landscapes?

• grassy terrain

• narrow canyons

• small hills

• rain forests

• floodwaters are equally destructive along all landscapes

(tiebreaker)

Over the past decade, hurricane prediction technology has vastly improved, allowing meteorologists to forecast hurricanes with greater accuracy. However, not all qualities of a hurricane are easy to determine. When forecasting a hurricane, which of the following aspects is often the most difficult to predict accurately?

• hurricane track

• hurricane intensity

• wind shear

• water temperatures

• dry air

The polar easterlies blow toward the

• west

• east

• north

• south

• equator

You observe a bolt of lightning and hear thunder 20 seconds later. How far away was the lightning bolt?

• 2 miles away

• 4 miles away

• 5 miles away

• 10 miles away

• 20 miles away