List of top Atmospheric and Ocean Science Questions on Atmospheric Science

Which dimensionless number represents the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces?

For an ideal gas undergoing an isothermal process, which of the following remains constant?

The sensible heat (SH) flux at the locations P and Q are SH$_P$ and SH$_Q$, respectively. The value of $ \frac{SH_P}{SH_Q} $ is .......... (in integer).

A column of air mass extending from surface to a height of 10 km moving eastward along 30°N strikes a north-south oriented mountain range. While crossing the mountain range, the air mass acquires a relative vorticity of $ -3.65 \times 10^{-5} \, {s}^{-1} $ at the top. If the air mass maintains the same latitude and conserves potential vorticity, the height of the mountain range is ........ km. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume the angular velocity of the Earth is $ 7.3 \times 10^{-5} \, {s}^{-1} $ and initial relative vorticity is zero.]

The solar constant for the Earth is 1368 W m$^{-2}$. Consider the planet Jupiter whose mass is 320 times that of the Earth and distance from the Sun is 5.2 times that of the Earth. The solar constant for Jupiter is .......... W m$^{-2}$. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume the inverse square law for the solar radiation.]

In hot weather, a human body cools by the evaporation of sweat from its skin. The amount of water that must evaporate to cool the body by 1°C is .........% of the body mass. (Round off to two decimal places.) [Assume that latent heat of vaporization of water is $2.25 \times 10^6 \, {J kg}^{-1}$ and specific heat capacities of both human body and liquid water are $4.2 \times 10^3 \, {J K}^{-1} \, {kg}^{-1}$.]

A floating hot air balloon with volume 1000 m³ and gross mass (excluding the air in the balloon) 100 kg is in hydrostatic balance where the external air temperature is 10°C and density is 1 kg m³. The temperature of the air inside the balloon is ......... °C. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume that the gas constant for dry air is 287 J K$^{-1}$ kg$^{-1}$.]

Acceleration due to Coriolis force of a water parcel at a location P (67°E, 20°N) moving with a speed of 0.35 m/s is .......... $\times 10^{-5}$ m/s$^2$. (Round off to two decimal places)
[Assume the angular velocity of the Earth is $7.3 \times 10^{-5}$ s$^{-1}$)]

One kg of dry air at 15°C is isothermally compressed to one tenth of its initial volume. The work done on the system is .......... kJ. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume that the gas constant for dry air is $287 \times 10^5 \, {J K}^{-1} \, {kg}^{-1}$.]

Accumulated rainfall is often measured in mm. If the density of rain water is 1000 kg/m$^3$ then, one mm of rain is equal to ......... kg/m$^2$ of rain. (in integer).

The vertical (depth) profiles for three parameters P1, P2, and P3 in the northern Indian Ocean are given in the figure. The values along the x-axis are the normalized values of the parameters and the y-axis is the depth (m). Identify the parameters P1, P2, and P3 from the options given below.

The sea surface height concentric isolines ($L1$ and $L2$ in cm) and the distance between them ($dx$ in km) for three different eddies at the same latitude are given in the figure. Which one of the following orders is correct about the magnitudes of the geostrophic currents within the isolines?

A rotating weather system has a tangential velocity of $100~\mathrm{m/s}$, diameter of $1~\mathrm{km}$, and located at a latitude where the Coriolis parameter is $10^{-4}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$. Which one of the following statements is true about this weather system?

Acceleration due to Coriolis force of a water parcel at a location P (67°E, 20°N) moving with a speed of $0.35~\mathrm{m/s}$ is ____________ $\times 10^5~\mathrm{m/s^2}$. (Round off to two decimal places)
[Assume the angular velocity of the Earth is $7.3\times 10^{-5}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$.]

The solar constant for the Earth is $1368~\mathrm{W\,m^{-2}}$. Consider Jupiter with mass $=320$ times Earth and distance from the Sun $=5.2$ times Earth’s. The solar constant for Jupiter is ______________________ $\mathrm{W\,m^{-2}}$. (Round off to the nearest integer)

A column of air mass extending from surface to a height of $10~\mathrm{km}$ moving eastward along $30^\circ\mathrm{N}$ strikes a north–south oriented mountain range. While crossing the range, the air mass acquires a relative vorticity of $-3.65\times 10^{-5}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$ at the top. If the air mass remains at the same latitude and conserves potential vorticity, the height of the mountain range is $__________$ km. (Round off to the nearest integer) \textit{[Assume Earth’s angular velocity $\Omega=7.3\times10^{-5}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$ and initial relative vorticity is zero.]}

The Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Air Temperature and 10 m Wind Speed at the locations P and Q are given in the table. Assume the density of air, specific heat capacity, and sensible heat transfer coefficient are the same at both locations. The sensible heat (SH) fluxes at P and Q are $\mathrm{SH}_P$ and $\mathrm{SH}_Q$. The value of $\left(\dfrac{\mathrm{SH}_P}{\mathrm{SH}_Q}\right)$ is $__________$. (in integer)

The north-Atlantic deep-water is associated with ____________.

In the figures given below, L and H indicate low and high pressure centers, respectively; PGF, CoF and CeF indicate Pressure Gradient Force, Coriolis Force and Centrifugal Force, respectively; V is Velocity. [The arrows indicate only the directions but not the magnitudes of the forces and velocity.]

Which of the following is/are the correct representation(s) of the directions of various forces and velocity in the gradient wind balance in the northern hemisphere?

A rotating weather system has a tangential velocity of $100~\mathrm{m/s}$, diameter of $1~\mathrm{km}$, and located at a latitude where the Coriolis parameter is $10^{-4}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$. Which one of the following statements is true about this weather system?

The sea surface height concentric isolines ($L1$ and $L2$ in cm) and the distance between them ($dx$ in km) for three different eddies at the same latitude are given in the figure.

Which one of the following orders is correct about the magnitudes of the geostrophic currents within the isolines?

The zonal gradient of meridional current and the meridional gradient of zonal current is $-0.3 \times 10^{-3}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$ and $0.3 \times 10^{-3}~\mathrm{s^{-1}}$, respectively, at a location P (87°E, 15°N). Which one of the following best explains the nature of the flow?

In the figures given below, L and H indicate low and high pressure centers, respectively; PGF, CoF and CeF indicate Pressure Gradient Force, Coriolis Force and Centrifugal Force, respectively; $ V $ is Velocity. [The arrows indicate only the directions but not the magnitudes of the forces and velocity.]

Which of the following is/are the correct representation(s) of the directions of various forces and velocity in the gradient wind balance in the northern hemisphere?

Which of the following is the correct form of the mass divergence form of the continuity equation for a compressible fluid? [In the given equations, $ \rho $ is the density and $ \nabla $ the three-dimensional velocity vector of the fluid.]
[(i)] $\displaystyle \frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t} + \nabla \times (\rho \mathbf{v}) = 0$
[(ii)] $\displaystyle \frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t} + \nabla \cdot (\rho \mathbf{v}) = 0$
[(iii)] $\displaystyle \frac{\partial \mathbf{v}}{\partial t} + \rho \cdot \nabla \mathbf{v} = 0$
[(iv)] $\displaystyle \frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t} + \mathbf{v} \cdot \nabla \rho = 0$

The sensible heat (SH) flux at the locations P and Q are SH$_P$ and SH$_Q$, respectively. The value of $ \frac{SH_P}{SH_Q} $ is .......... (in integer).