Deck 7: Climate Classification: Tropical, Arid, and Mesothermal Climate Regions

Question 1

The potential evapotranspiration of a location is controlled primarily by ____.

A)total annual precipitation
B)temperature
C)vegetative cover
D)precipitation intensity

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following represents a tropical rainforest climate region?

A)Atacama
B)Amazon Basin
C)Bangladesh
D)North Africa

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Xerophytic vegetation is most likely to be found in which of the following climate regions?

A)tropical rainforest
B)tropical savanna
C)steppe
D)desert

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Tropical rainforests consist primarily of ____.

A)grasses
B)broad-leaf evergreen trees
C)xerophytic vegetation
D)shrubs

Question 5

In which climate does a shift in wind direction serve as the most important controlling factor?

A)tropical monsoon
B)tropical steppe
C)tropical savanna
D)tropical rainforest

Question 6

Middle-latitude deserts are caused primarily by ____.

A)subtropical highs
B)orographic barriers
C)cold ocean currents
D)polar highs

Question 7

Summer onshore movement of air related to the shifting of the ITCZ occurs in which climate?

A)Tropical savanna
B)Tropical monsoon
C)Mediterranean
D)Tropical rainforest

Question 8

What is the primary means of plotting the nature of the climate (i.e., the mean monthly temperature and precipitation) at any location on earth?

A)weather vane
B)moisture index
C)climograph
D)water budget

Question 9

The marine west coast climate always borders ____.

A)tropical savanna climate regions
B)tropical rainforest climate regions
C)polar climate regions
D)Mediterranean climate regions

Question 10

The two weather elements used most often as indicators of climate are ____.

A)pressure and precipitation
B)wind and pressure
C)precipitation and temperature
D)temperature and cloud cover

Question 11

Which continent has the greatest proportion of arid and semi-arid climates?

A)Africa
B)South America
C)Asia
D)Australia

Question 12

What type of vegetation would you find in a steppe region?

A)hardwood forest
B)rainforest
C)short grasses
D)no vegetation at all

Question 13

In the Af climates, ____.

A)only winter months receive more than 2.4 inches of precipitation
B)only summer months receive more than 2.4 inches of precipitation
C)all months receive more than 2.4 inches of precipitation
D)total annual rainfall must exceed 71.6 inches

Question 14

The rainfall of the tropical savanna climate is most likely to be ____.

A)concentrated in the low sun period
B)less reliable than that of the tropical wet climates
C)over 100 inches (40 cm) a year
D)largely orographic in origin

Question 15

The climate type in which precipitation is less than half the potential evapotranspiration is ____.

A)desert
B)steppe
C)tropical savanna
D)tropical monsoon

Question 16

The desert found in West Pakistan and northwestern India is called the ____.

A)Thar
B)Sahara
C)Atacama
D)Namib

Question 17

Low-latitude steppes with low-sun rainfall will probably be located ____.

A)on the equatorward margins of the deserts
B)on the poleward margins of the tropical wet climate
C)on the poleward sides of the tropical deserts near the Mediterranean climate
D)in coastal locations near cool ocean currents

Question 18

The Thornthwaite system of climate analysis is most successfully applied in ____.

A)northwestern Europe
B)central China
C)eastern and Midwestern United States
D)central and western Russia

Question 19

Heavy precipitation in the humid tropical climates is due to ____.

A)warm, humid air and unstable conditions along the ITCZ
B)convectional uplift
C)cool polar air along the ITCZ
D)low pressure cells along the ITCZ

Question 20

Torrid, Temperate, and Frigid are classifications of ____.

A)the Köppen system
B)the Thornthwaite system
C)Asia-specific weather systems
D)the ancient Greeks

Question 21

Sclerophyllous vegetation is common in which climate region?

A)Tropical rainforest
B)Humid subtropical
C)Mediterranean
D)Marine west coast

Question 22

Forest clearing in a tropical rainforest ____.

A)encourages arboreal animal life
B)leads to decomposition of forest litter
C)revitalizes the fertility of the soil
D)interrupts nutrient cycling between the vegetation and the soil

Question 23

The ____ climates occupy the largest area of Earth.

A)tropical (A)
B)arid (B)
C)mesothermal (C)
D)polar (E)

Question 24

Earth's major terrestrial ecosystems are called ____.

A)biomes
B)deserts
C)tropical rainforests
D)climates

Question 25

At what latitudes is the annual temperature range lowest?

A)tropical
B)subtropical
C)mid-latitudes
D)polar

Question 26

On a climograph, precipitation data are shown as ____.

A)a line graph
B)a bar graph
C)a horizontal wave
D)dashed horizontal line

Question 27

Precipitation in desert areas is almost always ____.

A)caused by cyclonic activity
B)associated with the high sun season
C)infrequent, unreliable, and intense
D)caused by orographic lifting of cT air masses

Question 28

What capital letter does the Köppen system use to identify a tropical climate?

A)E
B)H
C)D
D)A

Question 29

In the tropical savanna climate, most of the rain falls ____.

A)in the low-sun season
B)throughout the year
C)in the high-sun season
D)due to orographic uplift

Question 30

What are the cloudiest, foggiest, rainiest, and stormiest climates in the world?

A)Mediterranean climates
B)tropical rainforest climates
C)marine west coast climates
D)steppe climates

Question 31

In the Köppen classification, the letter ______ is used to designate year-round precipitation.

A)f
B)w
C)s
D)y

Question 32

Except for minor areas in Australia, the humid subtropical, winter drought climates are largely confined to Asia because of ____.

A)the cool currents paralleling the coasts
B)the barrier effect of the Himalayas
C)Asia's marked winter concentration of precipitation
D)the strong monsoonal development of the continent

Question 33

Woody shrubs (called chaparral or maquis) and widely spaced, stunted trees with occasional patches of bunchgrass are the dominant vegetation types in:

A)tropical rainforest and tropical savanna borders
B)humid continental climates
C)desert climates
D)Mediterranean climates

Question 34

The largest area of D climates is found in ____.

A)Asia
B)North America
C)Antarctica
D)South America

Question 35

The ____ classification system determines moisture availability at the subregional scale.

A)Köppen
B)climate
C)Thornthwaite
D)precipitation

Question 36

The daily temperature range is greatest in a:

A)rainforest
B)savanna
C)monsoon
D)desert

Question 37

The dry season of the tropical savanna climates in the Northern Hemisphere is associated with ____.

A)the northward shift of the sun and the southward shift of the ITCZ
B)the northward shift of the sun and the northward shift of the ITCZ
C)the southward shift of the sun and the southward shift of the ITCZ
D)the southward shift of the sun and the northward shift of the ITCZ

Question 38

There are _________ major climate categories within the simplified version of Köppen's climate classification system.

A)two
B)four
C)six
D)eight

Question 39

The Campos of Brazil is an example of a _______________ climate region.

A)tropical savanna
B)tropical monsoon
C)desert
D)steppe

Question 40

Which of the following characteristics is associated with all humid subtropical climates?

A)locations on the west coasts of continents in the middle latitudes
B)pronounced winter maximum of precipitation
C)warmest month at least 10 degrees Celsius
D)a sufficiently durable snow cover to markedly affect winter temperatures

Question 41

Tropical savanna climate regions are usually not well suited to agriculture.

Question 42

The subtropical high pressure cells of both hemispheres play a major role in the location of the world's deserts.

Question 43

Although climate greatly influences the natural vegetation of a region, it has little impact upon the soils of a region.

Question 44

Which climate type lies poleward from Mediterranean climates?

A)savanna
B)marine west coast
C)humid continental, mild summer
D)steppe

Question 45

Precipitation in the humid subtropical summers is primarily ____.

A)cyclonic
B)convectional
C)orographic
D)frontal

Question 46

B climates contain rainforests.

Question 47

Tropical climates have no months with temperatures below 18°C (64°F).

Question 48

Arid climates (B) are not found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 49

Steppe soils are usually low in organic matter.

Question 50

The transition from one climate region to another on Earth's surface is usually abrupt and easily recognized.

Question 51

Humid subtropical climate regions have a pronounced dry season.

Question 52

Köppen considered winds, cloud cover, and precipitation intensity in his classification system.

Question 53

In its natural condition, the grassland steppe of North America supported high densities of grazing animals.

Question 54

A tropical monsoon climate is more similar to a tropical savanna climate than to a tropical rainforest climate.

Question 55

The humid subtropical climates are generally bordered by:

A)tropical savanna climates on their equatorward sides
B)humid continental, mild summer climates on their poleward sides
C)oceans on their western margins
D)steppe climates on their eastern margins

Question 56

The world's most extensive regions of arid climate are ____.

A)centered on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
B)centered on the equator
C)between 30o and 40o North and South latitude
D)centered on the poles

Question 57

What is the climate type found in most of the southeast United States?

A)humid subtropical, year-round precipitation
B)marine east coast, year-round precipitation
C)humid subtropical, winter drought
D)marine east coast, winter drought

Question 58

On a world map of climate regions, the lines that separate the regions mark locations of abrupt changes in temperature or precipitation conditions.

Question 59

Deciduous refers to vegetation that drops leaves during dry or cold periods.

Question 60

Regions of any one particular climate type most often occupy similar locations on Earth's surface in respect to latitude and continental position.

Question 61

Warm, dry summers and mild, moist winters is a brief description of a(n) ____________________ climate.

Question 62

To maintain agricultural productivity in deserts, farmers should use ____________________ to both provide water and flush the soil.

Question 63

The locations and distributions of Earth's climate regions are based first on the patterns produced by ____________________ relationships.

Question 64

In an Am climate, the m stands for ____________________.

Question 65

Tall grasses with a few scattered trees describe a(n) ____________________ climate or type of vegetation biome.

Question 66

In all mesothermal climates, the annual precipitation exceeds the annual potential evapotranspiration.

Question 67

____________________ is a dense tangle of vines and smaller trees that develops where direct sunlight reaches the ground in a tropical rainforest.

Question 68

Plants adapted to extreme drought conditions are termed ____________________.

Question 69

A(n) ____________________ is an area with recognizably similar internal characteristics that are distinct from those of other areas.

Question 70

In a typical climograph, a continuous line connects average monthly values to produce an annual ____________________ curve.

Question 71

On a global scale, generalizations, simplifications, and compromises are necessary in order to distinguish between climate types and regions in a classification system.

Question 72

Weather and climate are essentially the same thing.

Question 73

The most widely used climate classification based on temperature and precipitation patterns is the ____________________ system.

Question 74

The latitudinal belts of the D climates either become broader or are replaced entirely by the ____________________ climates toward the interior of most continents.

Question 75

Climate regions are separated on the Köppen climate classification map as an abrupt line.In reality, these are really ____________________.

Question 76

A(n) ____________________ climate is predominant along the equator,.

Question 77

E climates are polar climates.

Question 78

During the summer, Mediterranean climates are under the influence of the subpolar low pressure system.

Question 79

An almost continuous stretch of desert beginning in northern Africa and ending in the Asian nations of Pakistan and India includes the Sahara, the ____________________ Desert, and the Thar Desert.

Question 80

We associate the concept of potential evapotranspiration with the Köppen climate classification system.