Deck 3: Solar Energy and Atmospheric Heating

Question 1

Insolation is ____.

A)incoming solar radiation
B)a condition in which the sun's rays are at 90o
C)the spectrum of visible light
D)the maximum angle of the sun at noon

Answer 1

A

Question 2

An analemma is used to:

A)plot the movement of Earth around the sun
B)determine the amount of incoming solar radiation
C)estimate the circumference of Earth
D)show the declination of the sun throughout the year

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The constant plane in which Earth travels in its orbit around the sun is called the plane of the ____.

A)equinox
B)inclination
C)ecliptic
D)declination

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The "Land of the Midnight Sun" can occur ____.

A)north of the Arctic Circle
B)south of the Antarctic Circle
C)north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle
D)at the poles only

Question 5

Which of the following is the SECOND most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

A)nitrogen
B)oxygen
C)argon
D)ozone

Question 6

The ____ of water helps cool the atmosphere.

A)evaporation
B)condensation
C)conduction
D)freezing

Question 7

Solar radiation is considered ____ radiation.

A)long wave
B)unstable wave
C)short wave
D)stable wave

Question 8

Surface air, after being heated by conduction and radiation, ____.

A)expands in volume and increases in density
B)expands in volume and decreases in density
C)decreases in volume and increases in density
D)decreases in volume and decreases in density

Question 9

On September 22, the length of daylight in the Southern Hemisphere ____.

A)is increasing
B)is decreasing
C)has reached its maximum
D)has reached its minimum

Question 10

The latitude at which the noon sun is directly overhead is known as the sun's ____.

A)declination
B)insolation
C)perihelion
D)analemma

Question 11

Which statement is true of an equinox?

A)The hours of daylight and darkness are exactly the same all over Earth.
B)Daylight is longer than darkness over the Northern Hemisphere.
C)Darkness is longer than daylight over the Northern Hemisphere.
D)The hours of daylight and darkness in each hemisphere vary according to the local season.

Question 12

What is the longest day of the year in Australia?

A)June 21
B)January 3
C)December 21
D)March 21

Question 13

On June 21, which of the following locations has the longest day?

A)Omaha, Nebraska (41°N)
B)Murmansk, Russia (69°N)
C)Montevideo, Uruguay (35°S)
D)Kontiala, Mali (12.5°N)

Question 14

On December 21, the vertical rays of the sun strike the ____.

A)Arctic Circle
B)Tropic of Capricorn
C)Tropic of Cancer
D)Antarctic Circle

Question 15

The term aerosols refers to ____.

A)nitrogen molecules suspended in the atmosphere
B)ozone gas in the atmosphere
C)particulates or liquids suspended in the atmosphere
D)carbon dioxide or water vapor in the atmosphere

Question 16

The amount of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface is dependent on ____.

A)the intensity of radiation only
B)the duration of radiation only
C)both intensity and duration of radiation
D)the distance from the sun to the Earth

Question 17

The most important mechanism by which the Earth system receives its energy is ____.

A)radiation
B)conduction
C)convection
D)advection

Question 18

Minimum insolation occurs in the middle latitude zone of the Southern Hemisphere on ____.

A)March 21
B)June 21
C)September 22
D)December 21

Question 19

How much less solar radiation is received at 30oN latitude than at the equator?

A)87%
B)50%
C)25%
D)13%

Question 20

The sun's vertical rays strike the Tropic of Cancer on ____.

A)December 21
B)June 21
C)September 22
D)March 21

Question 21

Closely spaced isotherms indicate ____.

A)a steep temperature gradient
B)a gentle temperature gradient
C)a steep pressure gradient
D)a gentle pressure gradient

Question 22

If the ozone in the atmosphere were to be destroyed, which of the following effects would you most expect to occur?

A)The thermal structure of the atmosphere would remain the same.
B)More shortwave radiation would penetrate the atmosphere.
C)There would be a decrease in the receipt of ultraviolet radiation at the surface.
D)More longwave radiation would penetrate the atmosphere.

Question 23

Insolation is dependent on latitude.

Question 24

A given isotherm in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter ____.

A)bends equator-ward over the continents
B)bends equator-ward over both the oceans and the continents
C)bends pole-ward over the continents
D)bends equator-ward over the oceans

Question 25

What two reasons best describe why the tropics get so hot during their summer solstices?

A)The intensity of the sun's rays are intense, and the close proximity to the equator
B)The proximity to regions of warm ocean water, and the long day
C)The long day, and the intensity of the sun's rays
D)The proximity to regions of warm ocean water, and the proximity to the equator

Question 26

What process of heat transfer is displayed by boiling water?

A)radiation
B)convection
C)conduction
D)advection

Question 27

Ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to rotate:

A)clockwise
B)counterclockwise
C)in an ocean eddy route
D)around the North American Drift

Question 28

What is the form of energy most related to the change of state of water?

A)potential
B)kinetic
C)latent
D)chemical

Question 29

What accounts for much of the vertical transfer of heat within the atmosphere?

A)radiation
B)conduction
C)advection
D)convection

Question 30

Which layer of the atmosphere is farthest from Earth's surface?

A)thermosphere
B)mesosphere
C)stratosphere
D)troposphere

Question 31

What is the most important control of temperature variations involved in weather and climate?

A)longitude
B)latitude
C)elevation
D)humidity

Question 32

In general, the environmental lapse rate ____.

A)is a constant
B)can vary because of atmospheric conditions
C)is of little importance to our weather
D)is constant

Question 33

Which of the following gases accounts for about 78 percent of the atmosphere's mass?

A)water vapor
B)nitrogen
C)ozone
D)carbon dioxide

Question 34

If you hold the end of an iron rod over a fire, your hand will become warm because of heat being transferred by ____.

A)convection
B)advection
C)conduction
D)radiation

Question 35

The maximum annual temperature tends to occur ____.

A)at the time of maximum receipt of solar radiation
B)at the time of maximum sunspot activity
C)a month or so before the receipt of maximum solar radiation
D)a month or so after the receipt of maximum solar radiation

Question 36

If air expands, but its energy content remains the same, its temperature will ____.

A)increase
B)decrease
C)rise and level off
D)stay the same

Question 37

The high annual receipt of solar radiation at Earth's surface in the subtropical desert regions is due to:

A)the high reflectivity of sand and desert soils
B)low carbon dioxide concentration in arid areas
C)the short path of the solar beam through the atmosphere at these latitudes
D)low amounts of clouds

Question 38

As compared with interior locations at the same latitude, coastal locations have, on the average, ____.

A)higher annual ranges of air temperature
B)lower winter air temperatures
C)a tendency for cooler summers and milder winters
D)lower relative humidity of the air

Question 39

The percentage of solar radiation reflected from a surface is known as ____.

A)regression
B)refraction
C)albedo
D)absorption

Question 40

As the temperature of a body increases, it will radiate energy at ____ wavelengths.

A)erratic
B)longer
C)shorter
D)latent

Question 41

Continental locations attain their maximum temperature later in the summer than do marine locations, due to the differential rates at which land and water are heated.

Question 42

The albedo of water is highest when the sun is directly overhead.

Question 43

The sun can be found directly overhead at 40°N or S latitude.

Question 44

Ozone gas in our troposphere is a toxic pollutant.

Question 45

Water vapor, like carbon dioxide, plays a major role in the insulating action of the atmosphere.

Question 46

June 21 is an equinox date.

Question 47

The more oblique the angle of insolation striking Earth, the greater the intensity of energy per unit area.

Question 48

The solstice occurs only once a year.

Question 49

Earth intercepts nearly all of the radiation emitted by the sun.

Question 50

The ozone layer is within the stratosphere.

Question 51

The Antarctic Circle lies at 66½°S latitude.

Question 52

The albedo of snow is generally low, while that of an evergreen forest is relatively high.

Question 53

The troposphere varies in depth with latitude.

Question 54

The Tropic of Capricorn is an imaginary line at 23½°N latitude.

Question 55

Increasing greenhouse gases in our atmosphere will cause global temperature to drop.

Question 56

Lines of equal temperature value drawn on a map are called isotemps.

Question 57

The latitude at which the sun is directly overhead is known as the sun's declination.

Question 58

Both the annual and the daily ranges of temperature are larger in continental locations than in marine locations.

Question 59

Neglecting the influence of the atmosphere, a place receives its greatest insolation one or two hours after solar noon.

Question 60

Ninety-seven percent of the air in the atmosphere is concentrated in the first 25 km.

Question 61

The _______________ marks the northernmost migration of the sun's vertical rays.

Question 62

Long-term average weather conditions help to determine the _______________ of an area.

Question 63

The vertical transfer of heat through the movement of air is known as _______________.

Question 64

Aurora occur in the _______________.

Question 65

_______________ is the process by which plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to make carbohydrates.

Question 66

The most abundant gas in Earth's lower atmosphere is _______________.

Question 67

The normal lapse rate averages to about _______________.

Question 68

What is the difference between a "particulate" and an "aerosol"?

Question 69

Photosynthesis is a process by which nitrogen enters the atmosphere.

Question 70

A(n) _______________ is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1.0 gram of water 1.0 degree Celsius.

Question 71

The term for the two days of the year when the circle of illumination crosses the equator at right angles to provide 12 hours of daylight everywhere on Earth is _______________.

Question 72

The tropopause separates the troposphere from the _______________.

Question 73

The conversion of water from its liquid state to its vapor state is called _______________.

Question 74

_______________ is/are the transfer agent(s) of advection.

Question 75

During the _______________ solstice, the Arctic Circle experiences 24 hours of darkness.

Question 76

The summer solstice falls on _______________ (name of month/number of day).

Question 77

The imaginary circle drawn around Earth 23½° from the North Pole is called the _______________.

Question 78

Earth emits (gives off) _______________ radiation.

Question 79

Insolation is an abbreviation for _______________.

Question 80

_______________ refers to the condition of atmospheric elements at a given time and for a specific location.