Introduction to Geography Weather and Climate.docx

Introduction to Geography Weather and Climate 1) The fuel driving the atmosphere is A) gravity. B) inertia of motion. C) solar energy. D) none of the above Answer: C 2) The amount of solar energy received at a particular place on Earth depends on A) the angle of the sun. B) the season of year. C) the length of day. D) all of the above Answer: D 3) The amount of solar energy intercepted at a particular area is A) insolation. B) angle of incidence. C) convection. D) sensible heat. Answer: A 4) On a daily basis, the sun is most intense at A) 6:00 AM. B) 12 Noon. C) 3:00 PM. D) 6:00 PM. Answer: B 5) At which angle (of incidence) will the intensity of energy striking Earth be greatest? A) 90° B) 60° C) 30° D) 0° Answer: A 6) Which area receives the most seasonal variation in incoming radiation? A) equator B) high latitudes C) low latitudes D) tropics Answer: B 7) In which zone would temperature vary more in a single day than between months? A) low latitudes B) mid-latitudes C) polar areas D) highlands Answer: A 8) During the vernal equinox, which location receives the greatest amount of insolation? A) poles B) Tropic of Cancer C) Tropic of Capricorn D) equator Answer: D 9) The axis of rotation of the Earth is inclined how many degrees away from being perpendicular to the sun's rays? A) 23.5° B) 66.5° C) 45° D) 90° Answer: A 10) At the Tropic of Cancer the sun is directly overhead at noon on the A) vernal equinox. B) summer solstice. C) autumnal equinox. D) winter solstice. Answer: B 11) In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is lowest in the sky with less radiation in the A) winter. B) spring. C) summer. D) fall. Answer: A 12) From September to March the Southern Hemisphere receives A) less radiation than the Northern Hemisphere. B) more radiation than the Northern Hemisphere. C) exactly 12 hours of daylight and darkness. D) 24 hours of daylight. Answer: B 13) At what date will 50°N receive the largest amount of daylight? A) March 21 B) June 21 C) September 22 D) December 21 Answer: B 14) Areas near oceans have ________ than areas in the interior of continents because of the great storage capacity of water. A) cooler winters, warmer summers B) warmer winters, cooler summers C) warmer winters, warmer summers D) cooler winters, cooler summers Answer: B 15) Latent heat is A) heat in storage in water and water vapor. B) detectable by sense of touch. C) heat reflected into the atmosphere. D) all of the above Answer: A 16) The energy with wavelengths between 0.4 to 0.7 microns is commonly known as A) infrared. B) radio waves. C) X-rays. D) visible light. Answer: D 17) Movement of a fluid when part of it is heated is A) convection. B) advection. C) sublimation. D) conduction. Answer: A 18) What best explains the movement of heat from tropical areas toward the poles? A) advection B) orographic fronts C) polar fronts D) specific heat Answer: A 19) Urban heat islands are a result of A) pavement and buildings storing heat during the day and releasing it at night. B) increased evapotranspiration in the city. C) greater insolation. D) all of the above Answer: A 20) Water vapor in the air condenses in response to ________ temperatures. A) warming B) cooling C) constant D) none of the above Answer: B 21) The maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold is A) relative humidity. B) saturation vapor pressure. C) latent heat. D) supersaturated. Answer: B 22) Summer thunderstorms are typically a product of A) convection. B) orographic uplift. C) frontal uplift. D) all of the above Answer: A 23) In the tropics rainfall is most likely to occur in the A) morning. B) afternoon. C) late evening. D) night. Answer: B 24) Rain shadows in mountainous areas are a result of A) convection. B) orographic uplift. C) frontal uplift. D) all of the above Answer: B 25) Regions on the rain-shadow (downwind) side of mountains (such as the Rockies and Andes) are generally A) humid continental. B) tundra. C) semi-arid. D) Mediterranean. Answer: C 26) Continental polar air masses tend to be A) cool and wet. B) cool and dry. C) warm and dry. D) warm and wet. Answer: B 27) If you were at a location that just experienced a thunderstorm with heavy downpours, what could you predict about a location 25 miles to the southwest? A) It received approximately the same rainfall. B) It received more rainfall. C) It received less rainfall. D) It is not predictable. Answer: D 28) Winds are deflected by ________, caused by the rotation of Earth. A) the Coriolis effect B) the greenhouse effect C) the Milankovitch cycles D) gyres Answer: A 29) Which climate is influenced by the ITCZ most of the year? A) humid tropical B) desert C) polar D) marine west-coast Answer: A 30) Most of the world's deserts occur in what zone? A) Intertropical Convergence Zone B) Subtropical High Pressure Zone C) Mid-latitude Low Pressure Zone D) Polar High Pressure Zones Answer: B 31) The seasonal reversal of pressure and wind over a large continent, known monsoon circulation, is characterized by A) wind blowing toward the continental interior in the summer and toward the ocean in the winter. B) wind blowing toward the poles. C) wind blowing toward the ocean in the winter and toward the continental interior in the winter. D) wind blowing toward the equator. Answer: A 32) If cold ocean currents hit the coast of a continent, it is likely that the coastal area will A) have extensive precipitation. B) be relatively arid. C) have higher levels of evaporation than with warm currents. D) both A and C Answer: B 33) How could the fact that England has a milder climate than Labrador best be explained, even though they are at similar latitudes? A) subtropical high-pressure zones B) jet stream C) Gulf Stream D) El Nio southern oscillation Answer: C 34) Off the coast of South America, as a result of a circulation change called El Nio, A) the normal warm-water flow is often replaced by cool waters. B) the normal cool-water flow is replaced by warm waters. C) the fisheries off the coast increase in productivity. D) no effect has been observed. Answer: B 35) La Niña A) always lasts for the same period of time as the previous El Niño. B) only affects the Northern Hemisphere. C) can lead to drought in the southern United States. D) has nothing to do with ocean temperatures and circulation. Answer: C 36) When climbing a mountain, what would you predict about temperatures? A) The temperature will drop about 3°F for every 1000 feet climbed. B) The temperature will drop about 5°F for every 1000 feet climbed. C) The temperature will be the same as the temperature at the base of the mountain. D) The temperature will begin to drop above 5000 feet. Answer: A Page Ref: 61 37) Where would higher levels of evapotranspiration occur on an average? A) tropics B) mid-latitudes C) polar regions D) continental interiors Answer: A Page Ref: 64 38) Which of the following are considered in climate mapping? A) weather patterns over several years B) vegetation C) terrain D) all of the above Answer: D Page Ref: 64 39) What climate region is designated as humid and tropical? A) A B) B C) C D) D Answer: A Page Ref: 66 40) In the low latitudes the temperature is not likely to go below ________°C. A) 20 B) 35 C) 50 D) 65 Answer: A Page Ref: 68 41) On the islands of the Tropical Pacific (e.g., Philippines) which climate would you expect to find? A) humid continental B) humid tropical C) tundra D) semiarid Answer: B Page Ref: 67 42) Most of the world's tropical rainforests lie within A) 10°N and 10°S. B) 30°N and 60°N. C) 30°S and 60°S. D) 60°S and 80°S. Answer: A Page Ref: 66 43) Potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation in A) dry lands. B) the tropics. C) continental climates. D) all of the above Answer: A Page Ref: 69 44) If you are told you are in a BWh climate, in which of the following locations might you be? A) Poland B) Sahara Desert C) Florida D) Iceland Answer: B Page Ref: 69 45) Which side of China, South America, the United States, and Australia, has the driest climate? A) North B) South C) East D) West Answer: D Page Ref: 69 46) Humid subtropical climates cluster on the ________ side of continents between 25° and 40°. A) north B) south C) east D) west Answer: C Page Ref: 71 47) In the Southeastern United States, which climate is dominant? A) AW B) BS C) Cfa D) Dwc Answer: C Page Ref: 71 48) Marine west-coast climates A) have mild climates with a small annual temperature range. B) have plentiful moisture year round. C) can be found in places like Kodiak, Alaska. D) all of the above Answer: D Page Ref: 72 49) Which of the following climates would you expect to find in coastal southern California? A) humid tropical B) desert C) humid continental D) Mediterranean Answer: D Page Ref: 73 50) Boreal forest climates are associated with A) subarctic climates. B) Mediterranean climates. C) tundras. D) all of the above Answer: A Page Ref: 75 51) Permafrost occurs in what kind of climates? A) Dfa B) Csa C) ET D) Aw Answer: C Page Ref: 76 52) Climate over the past 3 million years has A) stayed the same. B) become progressively cooler. C) become progressively warmer. D) shifted between warm and cool periods. Answer: D Page Ref: 78 53) Which gas, contributed in part by burning fossil fuels, is used by scientists as an indicator of future global warming? A) CO2 B) nitrogen C) oxygen D) hydrogen Answer: A Page Ref: 80 54) During the twentieth century, the Earth's atmospheric temperature increased by about ________ degrees Celsius. A) .3 B) 1 C) 2 D) 3 Answer: B Page Ref: 80 55) As distance from the equator increases, the difference between winter and summer amounts of solar radiation increases. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 39 56) On a sunny day water heats up more quickly than land, and at night the water cools down more quickly than land. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 42 57) Water vapor plays a significant role in the greenhouse effect. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 44 58) When water vapor condenses in the atmosphere, sensible heat is absorbed and converted to latent heat. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 44 59) Precipitation occurs because air is warmed adiabatically as it rises. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 47 60) The Intertropical Convergence Zone is a low-pressure zone generally located near the equator. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 54 61) El Nio is a shift in the circulation in the Pacific Ocean that occurs every year in December. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 57 62) A front is a boundary between two different types of air, such as warm air and cold air. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 49 63) When warm air advances into cooler air, a warm front is formed. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 49 64) Precipitation associated with cold fronts is usually more intense and localized than precipitation from warm fronts. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 51 65) La Nia usually causes a drought in Southeast Asia. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 57 66) Hurricanes are weakest over oceans during the winter. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 57 67) Temperature is usually measured 20 meters above the ground in a sealed container. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 61 68) Most of the rainfall in seasonally-humid tropical climate comes from passing cold fronts. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 68 69) Desert climates do not occur in coastal areas. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 69 70) Mediterranean climates are generally found on the west coasts of continents. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 73 71) Mediterranean climates have the least rainfall in the season when potential evapotranspiration (POTET) is the highest. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 73 72) Climatic variations during the Quaternary Period had very little effect on Earth's environments outside the areas covered with glacial ice. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 78 73) Periods of increasing glacier mass would likely be accompanied by decreasing ocean levels. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 79 74) Volcanic eruptions are a cause of global warming. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 80 75) Unusual weather events seem to have increased in frequency over the last few decades. Answer: TRUE Page Ref: 82 76) Extreme weather should be less frequent and less intense over the next century. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 82 77) Scientists who study climate change are about evenly divided on whether or not the Earth's atmosphere is getting warmer. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 82 78) Global warming will likely lead to less intense hurricanes. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 82 79) Global warming will result in a worldwide decrease in precipitation. Answer: FALSE Page Ref: 82 80) Define "climate." Answer: Weather, especially temperature and precipitation, averaged over a period of years. Page Ref: 38 81) Indicate the approximate date or dates at which the noonday sun is seen directly overhead at the following latitudes: 23.5°S ___________________________ 0° ___________________________ 23°N ___________________________ Answer: Dec. 21; Mar 21 and Sept. 22; June 21. Page Ref: 39 82) Describe the greenhouse effect in terms of radiant energy exchanges. Answer: Shortwave energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere, is absorbed by Earth's surface, and is re-radiated as longwave energy, which is absorbed by the atmosphere, thus warming it. Page Ref: 43 83) On an average annual basis the tropics receive more radiation from the sun than they send back as longwave radiation, and high-latitude areas send out more longwave radiation than they receive as shortwave radiation from the sun. How is this possible? Answer: Excess heat absorbed in the tropics is advected in the atmosphere and ocean currents to high latitudes where it is radiated to space. Page Ref: 43 84) What causes the precipitation shifts of seasonally humid tropical climates? Answer: When the ITCZ moves from one hemisphere to the next it brings maximum precipitation with it. Page Ref: 68 85) Draw a diagram of a mid-latitude cyclone, showing the warm front, cold front, center of low pressure, and major areas of precipitation. Answer: Page Ref: 51 86) Why do hurricanes develop mostly over ocean areas, and usually in late summer and early autumn? Answer: They develop over ocean areas because they depend on latent heat as a major source of energy; latent heat is most plentiful in late summer and early autumn when the ocean is warmest. Page Ref: 57-58 87) Explain how precipitation is usually measured. Answer: It usually measured by collecting rain or snow in a cylindrical container that is marked in millimeters or hundredths of an inch. Page Ref: 63 88) In climate classification and mapping, what is the advantage of defining climate types based on vegetation? Answer: Vegetation is influenced by climate, so differences in vegetation can be used as indicators of climate type where weather data are lacking. Page Ref: 64 89) During what months of the year does the rainy season occur in a seasonally humid tropical climate in the Southern Hemisphere? Answer: During the high-sun period: December-February. Page Ref: 68 90) In the Köppen climate classification, humid climates are grouped according to temperature, but dry climates are identified by a combination of temperature and precipitation information. Why are both types of data needed to identify dry climates? Answer: Because dry climates are define in terms of the amount of moisture needed to support vegetation, which is higher in warm climates than in cool climates. Page Ref: 69 91) Consider a Mediterranean climate in the Northern Hemisphere. In what months does the rainy season occur? Why does rainfall occur mostly at this time of year and not at other times? Answer: The rainy season is in the winter (December-February) because during this season the mid-latitude low dominates, while in the summer the subtropical high dominates this climate. Page Ref: 73 92) D climates occur exclusively in the ________ Hemisphere. Answer: Northern Page Ref: 74 93) Identify two different geologic processes that may cause climatic change. Answer: Plate tectonics changes the distribution of land and water, influencing circulation. Volcanic eruptions eject dust and sulfur oxides into the atmosphere, causing temporary cooling. Page Ref: 79-80 94) Discuss the role of latent heat exchange in energy movements at the global scale. Page Ref: 44 95) Describe the mechanisms that cause precipitation. Page Ref: 47-52 96) Describe the climate where you live, including seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation. Interpret these patterns in terms of solar radiation inputs and atmospheric circulation. Page Ref: 64 97) Describe the weather you would experience with the passage of a mid-latitude cyclone. Page Ref: 51 98) Describe the major features of the Köppen Climate Classification. Page Ref: 64-65 99) If you were to classify Earth's climates in terms of their suitability for human habitation, what characteristics of climate do you think would be most important? How would such a climate map differ from the Köppen map? Page Ref: 64-65 100) Explain global warming, its causes, and its consequences. Page Ref: 80-81 101) Describe the major hypotheses regarding astronomic, geologic, and human causes of climate change. Which ones do you favor, and why? Page Ref: 80