NIFE WEATHER Exam Questions and Answers With Verified Solutions 2025
What are the percentages of gases in pure, dry air? - ✔✔78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases
What percent is water vapor in the atmosphere? - ✔✔0-5% by volume
What is the troposphere? - ✔✔Layer adjacent to the Earth's surface
Where does all weather occur? - ✔✔Troposphere
In the troposhpere, what happens to the temperature with an increase in altitude? - ✔✔Temperature
decreases
What are the winds like in the troposphere? - ✔✔Winds are light near the Earths surface and increase
with altitude
Where is the troposphere? (height) - ✔✔Average height of 36000 MSL
What is the moisture content in the troposphere? - ✔✔Large amounts of moisture and condensation
Is the troposphere higher in the summer or in the winter? - ✔✔Higher in the summer. Think that the air
is heating up and rising the troposphere
What is the tropopause? - ✔✔Transition zone between the troposphere and stratosphere
What happens to temperature with an increase in altitude in the tropopause? Decrease? - ✔✔Constant
Constant
,Where do the strongest winds occur? - ✔✔In the tropopause
What is atmospheric pressure? What is atmospheric pressure also known as? - ✔✔Pressure exerted on
a surface by the atmosphere due to the weight of the column of air directly above that surface
As altitude increases, what happens to pressure? - ✔✔Decreases always
What are the two standard units of pressure? - ✔✔Inches of mercury (in-Hg)
Millibars (mb)
What is station pressure? - ✔✔Atmospheric pressure measured directly at an airfield
Which is greater, station pressure or sea level pressure? - ✔✔Station pressure...... stations wont be in
the sea
What is Sea Level Pressure? - ✔✔Pressure that would be measured if the station was at MSL
How do stations report pressure regardless of location? - ✔✔In Sea Level Pressure
What is Atmospheric circulation? - ✔✔Earth is constantly heated and cooled as it rotates. This causes
ascending and descending air
What are the two ways atmospheric circulation moves air? - ✔✔Ascending and descending currents
What causes Atmospheric circulation? - ✔✔Wind trying to go from high pressure to low pressure. Due
to the Coriolis Force
What are Pressure Gradients? - ✔✔Spacing of isobars that represent a change in pressure over a
horizontal distance.
, When is a Pressure Gradient Force (PGF) strong? - ✔✔When isobars are close together
What is the initiating force for all winds? - ✔✔Pressure Gradient Force
What pressure gradient force is associated with slower winds? - ✔✔Wide spaced PGF
What is standard atmosphere? - ✔✔Standard day at sea level conditions
29.92 in-Hg
15 C
What is Lapse rate? - ✔✔Decrease in atmospheric temperature with increasing altitude
What is the average temperature lapse rate? - ✔✔2C/1000ft
What is an isothermal lapse rate? - ✔✔Temperature is the same at different altitudes
What is an air mass? - ✔✔Large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture conditions in a
horizontal plane
How are Air masses named? - ✔✔According to their location, moisture content and temperature
relative to the ground
What is Dew Point Temperature? - ✔✔Temperature at which saturation occurs
What is dew point? - ✔✔direct indication of how much moisture is in the air
What is dew point depression? - ✔✔Difference between the air temperature and the dew point
temperature
What are the percentages of gases in pure, dry air? - ✔✔78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases
What percent is water vapor in the atmosphere? - ✔✔0-5% by volume
What is the troposphere? - ✔✔Layer adjacent to the Earth's surface
Where does all weather occur? - ✔✔Troposphere
In the troposhpere, what happens to the temperature with an increase in altitude? - ✔✔Temperature
decreases
What are the winds like in the troposphere? - ✔✔Winds are light near the Earths surface and increase
with altitude
Where is the troposphere? (height) - ✔✔Average height of 36000 MSL
What is the moisture content in the troposphere? - ✔✔Large amounts of moisture and condensation
Is the troposphere higher in the summer or in the winter? - ✔✔Higher in the summer. Think that the air
is heating up and rising the troposphere
What is the tropopause? - ✔✔Transition zone between the troposphere and stratosphere
What happens to temperature with an increase in altitude in the tropopause? Decrease? - ✔✔Constant
Constant
,Where do the strongest winds occur? - ✔✔In the tropopause
What is atmospheric pressure? What is atmospheric pressure also known as? - ✔✔Pressure exerted on
a surface by the atmosphere due to the weight of the column of air directly above that surface
As altitude increases, what happens to pressure? - ✔✔Decreases always
What are the two standard units of pressure? - ✔✔Inches of mercury (in-Hg)
Millibars (mb)
What is station pressure? - ✔✔Atmospheric pressure measured directly at an airfield
Which is greater, station pressure or sea level pressure? - ✔✔Station pressure...... stations wont be in
the sea
What is Sea Level Pressure? - ✔✔Pressure that would be measured if the station was at MSL
How do stations report pressure regardless of location? - ✔✔In Sea Level Pressure
What is Atmospheric circulation? - ✔✔Earth is constantly heated and cooled as it rotates. This causes
ascending and descending air
What are the two ways atmospheric circulation moves air? - ✔✔Ascending and descending currents
What causes Atmospheric circulation? - ✔✔Wind trying to go from high pressure to low pressure. Due
to the Coriolis Force
What are Pressure Gradients? - ✔✔Spacing of isobars that represent a change in pressure over a
horizontal distance.
, When is a Pressure Gradient Force (PGF) strong? - ✔✔When isobars are close together
What is the initiating force for all winds? - ✔✔Pressure Gradient Force
What pressure gradient force is associated with slower winds? - ✔✔Wide spaced PGF
What is standard atmosphere? - ✔✔Standard day at sea level conditions
29.92 in-Hg
15 C
What is Lapse rate? - ✔✔Decrease in atmospheric temperature with increasing altitude
What is the average temperature lapse rate? - ✔✔2C/1000ft
What is an isothermal lapse rate? - ✔✔Temperature is the same at different altitudes
What is an air mass? - ✔✔Large body of air with uniform temperature and moisture conditions in a
horizontal plane
How are Air masses named? - ✔✔According to their location, moisture content and temperature
relative to the ground
What is Dew Point Temperature? - ✔✔Temperature at which saturation occurs
What is dew point? - ✔✔direct indication of how much moisture is in the air
What is dew point depression? - ✔✔Difference between the air temperature and the dew point
temperature