FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

Marine Weather Trivia Quiz

The world's oceans experience some unique and interesting weather. This quiz covers phenomena observed and procedures followed by ships and coastal communities.

A multiple-choice quiz by wjames. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
wjames

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
364,091

Updated
Aug 16 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2191

Last 3 plays: hellobion (8/10), colbymanram (7/10), Guest 184 (0/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which wind scale, developed in the early 1800s, originally categorized wind by the effect it would have on the sails of a frigate? Hint

Saffir

Saffir-Simpson

Simpson

Beaufort

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which alliterative phrase describes fog formed when cold wind blows over warm water? Hint

Sea Smoke

Maritime Miasmas

Water Wisps

Ocean Obscurity

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Which place, where the Labrador Current meets the Gulf Stream, is the foggiest place on Earth? Hint

Grand Banks

Doldrums

North Sea

Sargasso Sea

4. The dangerous semicircle of a cyclone at sea is the right side, where the speed of movement of the storm adds to the wind speed. What is the left half of the cyclone called, where the speed of movement of the storm is subtracted from the wind speed? Hint

Safe Semicircle

Happy Hemisphere

Eye of the Storm

Navigable Semicircle

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. What is a tornado that forms over water called? Hint

Supercell

Tornado

Waterspout

Sea Cyclone

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Bands of high pressure and calm winds occur at approximately 30 degrees North and South latitude. What is the popular name for these zones? Hint

Intertropical Convergence Zone

Doldrums

Horse Latitudes

Sargasso Sea

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Sailors rely on one particular weather instrument at sea which has a scale in either inches, millimeters of mercury or millibars. What is this instrument, also known as "the Glass"? Hint

Hygrometer

Thermometer

Barometer

Anemometer

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Often seen on TV as coastal storms approach, storm warning flags indicate the strength of winds forecast for the area. Which flag(s) indicate the approach of a hurricane? Hint

One red triangular pennant

One square flag, red with a black square center

Two square flags, red with black square centers

Two red triangular pennants

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Storms at sea outside the tropics that show rapidly falling barometric pressure, of 1 mB per hour or more, are sometimes referred to as what explosive term? Hint

Warheads

Dynamite

Bomb

Nukes

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. "SST" is an important weather forecasting observation made by ships at sea. What is "SST"? Hint

Seawater Salinity Titration

Standard Sea Turbidity

Ship's Sailing Time

Sea Surface Temperature

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Most Recent Scores

Nov 12 2024 : hellobion: 8/10
Nov 09 2024 : colbymanram: 7/10
Oct 25 2024 : Guest 184: 0/10
Oct 23 2024 : bakeryfarm: 4/10
Oct 23 2024 : rossian: 7/10
Oct 20 2024 : Guest 136: 7/10
Sep 30 2024 : Guest 74: 3/10
Sep 29 2024 : BigTriviaDawg: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which wind scale, developed in the early 1800s, originally categorized wind by the effect it would have on the sails of a frigate?

Answer: Beaufort

The Beaufort Scale originally had 13 categories ranging from "sufficient to give bare steerage" to "that which no sail can withstand". As sail gave way to steam, the scale categories changed to describe how the sea behaves - from "calm" to "huge waves".

2. Which alliterative phrase describes fog formed when cold wind blows over warm water?

Answer: Sea Smoke

Sea smoke is also known as steam fog. If the air is cold enough, sea smoke can cause hoarfrost on ships' structures.

3. Which place, where the Labrador Current meets the Gulf Stream, is the foggiest place on Earth?

Answer: Grand Banks

The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a convergence of many forces of nature and man: the warm Gulf Stream meets the cold Labrador current, producing dense fog and rich feeding grounds for fish and fishermen.

Answer: Navigable Semicircle

Ships in the navigable semicircle generally try to make best speed and keep the wind on their starboard quarter, which should get them out of the path of the storm as quickly as possible. Those caught in the dangerous semicircle generally put the wind on their starboard bow, a much rougher and slower ride.

5. What is a tornado that forms over water called?

Answer: Waterspout

A waterspout is a strong columnar vortex of wind and water droplets. Tornadic water spouts are associated with thunderstorms at sea and are relatively rare. The most common form is non-tornadic, spawned from dark, flat-bottomed cumulus clouds.

6. Bands of high pressure and calm winds occur at approximately 30 degrees North and South latitude. What is the popular name for these zones?

Answer: Horse Latitudes

The etymology of "horse latitudes" to describe these warm and calm zones is uncertain. A popular but unproven explanation is that ships became becalmed here and had to jettison their cargoes of horses when water and food ran low.

7. Sailors rely on one particular weather instrument at sea which has a scale in either inches, millimeters of mercury or millibars. What is this instrument, also known as "the Glass"?

Answer: Barometer

The barometer measures atmospheric pressure and gives the best indication of changing weather. Savvy sailors will keep an eye on "the Glass" to detect approaching low-pressure storms and high-pressure calmer areas.

8. Often seen on TV as coastal storms approach, storm warning flags indicate the strength of winds forecast for the area. Which flag(s) indicate the approach of a hurricane?

Answer: Two square flags, red with black square centers

The more flags, the stronger the wind: a hurricane (winds of 64 knots or over) is indicated by two red square flags. A single red pennant indicates a small craft advisory (wind 22-33 knots), two pennants a gale warning (34-47 knots) and one red square flag is a storm (48-63 knots).

9. Storms at sea outside the tropics that show rapidly falling barometric pressure, of 1 mB per hour or more, are sometimes referred to as what explosive term?

Answer: Bomb

"Bombs" are extra-tropical cyclones that rapidly strengthen, as shown by rapidly falling barometric pressure. In December 1986, a "bomb" formed off Iceland that was equivalent to a Category 5 tropical hurricane.

10. "SST" is an important weather forecasting observation made by ships at sea. What is "SST"?

Answer: Sea Surface Temperature

Since oceans cover most of the Earth, the sea surface temperature is an important factor in determining local and global weather. "Surface" usually means the top 20 meters of the ocean, where ships can measure temperature directly.

Source: Author wjames

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.