STAAR Review - Hurricane Development

Hurricanes form over the oceans due to which of the following processes?

• Converging ocean currents create a slight bulge in the ocean water.
• Gravitational attraction of the Moon creates extreme tides that begin to rotate.
• Thermal energy absorbed by ocean water creates large low-pressure areas.
• Clouds from both poles move toward the Equator and collide.

What is the source of thermal energy that heats our planet’s atmosphere?

• The Moon
• Earth's core
• Fossil fuels
• The Sun

A system of low pressure with rotating clouds was forming over an ocean. Which weather event will likely result?

• Monsoon
• Hurricane
• Blizzard
• Tornado

Winds in the atmosphere are created as a result of which of the following?

• Uneven heating of the air in the atmosphere
• Collisions of the air particles in the atmosphere
• Gravitational attraction from the Moon
• Movement of high level clouds made of icy crystals

Which of the following statements best explains why the oceans have a large impact on the weather over the continents?

• Most of the biodiversity on Earth is found in the oceans.
• Oceans store and transfer large amounts of the Sun’s energy.
• Ocean water contains salts and other dissolved minerals.
• The fluid nature of the ocean allows it to change location.