Which contour on an Ocean Prediction Center...

Question 1 of 31048fy_heal_CREATE_q183_2027

Which contour on an Ocean Prediction Center 500 millibar map is used to identify the likely path of surface storms?

Question 1 of 31048

Which contour on an Ocean Prediction Center 500 millibar map is used to identify the likely path of surface storms?

🔍 Key Concepts

• 500 millibar (500 mb) maps show CONSTANT PRESSURE surfaces, not constant height surfaces • On upper-air charts, contours are labeled in dekameters (tens of meters) and represent height of that pressure surface • Mid-latitude surface storms usually move along the strongest westerlies / jet stream, which follow a particular contour value on the 500 mb chart

💭 Think About

• Which answer choice uses the correct unit commonly seen on 500 mb height charts from the Ocean Prediction Center? • Think about what is being contoured on a 500 mb map: is it pressure, height, or something else—and in what units? • Which of these numerical values and units would make sense for the height of the 500 mb surface in the mid-latitudes where most ocean storms track?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm that 500 mb charts are labeled in geopotential height, not in inches of mercury or yards • Remember that dekameter means 10 meters; ask yourself what a typical 500 mb height value (in meters) is in mid-latitudes • Eliminate any answers that mix the right number with the wrong unit for a 500 mb height contour