Deck 20: Climate

Question 1

The ____________________ is a biome that is characteristic of Arctic and high alpine regions.

Answer 1

tundra

Question 2

The ____________________ is used by climatologists throughout the world to define principle climate groups.

Answer 2

Koeppen Climate Classification

Question 3

Surface winds moving toward the equator are deflected by the Coriolis effect, so they blow from the ____ in the Northern Hemisphere.

A) southwest
B) northeast
C) east
D) west

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The fact that the center of Washington, DC, is more than 3° warmer than outlying areas demonstrates the ____________________ effect.

Question 5

____________________ grow in tropical regions where the near constant rainfall is greater than 400 centimeters per year (40 in/yr).

Question 6

The ____________________ is the high-altitude wind marking the boundary between cold polar air and the warm, moist westerly flow that originates in the subtropics.

Question 7

The biome where annual precipitation is 25-35 centimeters and grasslands predominate is called a ____________________.

Question 8

____________________ are tropical climates with distinct wet and dry seasons, relatively low annual rainfall, and is characterized by large areas of grasslands with herds of grazing animals.

Question 9

Air rises at the convergence of the prevailing westerlies and the polar easterlies, forming a low-pressure boundary zone called the ____________________.

Question 10

The ____ are steady surface winds between about 5° and 30° north and south latitude.

A) doldrums
B) prevailing westerlies
C) trade winds
D) polar easterlies

Question 11

The ____________________ are a calm, dry, and high-pressure region at about 30° north and south latitudes where steady winds are rare.

Question 12

The ____________________ biome consists of conifers that can survive extremely cold winters of the subarctic.

Question 13

____________________ are communities of plants growing in large geographic regions and characterized by a particular climate.

Question 14

The region where sailing ships were becalmed and horses transported as cargo often died of thirst and hunger is called the ____.

A) horse latitudes
B) doldrums
C) westerlies
D) easterlies

Question 15

____ is the ultimate climate source for winds and evaporation.

A) The Moon
B) The Sun
C) Earth's core
D) Radioactive decay within Earth's crust

Question 16

Surface winds that have been deflected by the Coriolis effect and that blow steadily toward the equator to blow reliably are called the ____________________.

Question 17

The ____________________ is characterized by dry summers, rainy winters, and moderate temperature that is named for a sea between Europe and Africa.

Question 18

____ deposits tell us that Antarctica was once located close to the equator.

A) Till
B) Sandstone
C) Salt
D) Coal

Question 19

A ____________________ is a climate type that is characterized by high rainfall during the wet months and a relatively short dry season.

Question 20

A low-pressure region near the equator where hot-humid air rises is called the ____________________.

Question 21

____ are communities of plants living in a large geographic area with a certain climate.

A) Biological clusters
B) Taigas
C) Koeppen zones
D) Biomes

Question 22

The polar easterlies and the prevailing westerlies converge at the ____.

A) horse latitudes
B) doldrums
C) polar front
D) poles

Question 23

A tropical ____ climate is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons with high rainfall during the wet months and relatively short dry seasons.

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

Question 24

In the Northern Hemisphere above 60° north, surface winds deflected by the Coriolis effect are known as the ____.

A) trade winds
B) prevailing westerlies
C) polar easterlies
D) horse latitudes

Question 25

The three-cell model of global wind circulation shows ____.

A) that global wind systems are generated solely by temperature differences between the equator and the poles
B) that global air flow is bordered by alternating bands of high and low pressure
C) that three low pressure regions constrain the global air flow
D) global air flow and three high-pressure regions

Question 26

The world's largest deserts lie along the ____ zones near 30° latitude.

A) Sunny
B) high-pressure
C) horse latitude
D) tropical

Question 27

In addition to temperature and precipitation, climatic zones are also classified on the basis of ____ .

A) humidity
B) landscapes such as deserts and mountains
C) vegetation
D) seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation

Question 28

The trade winds and prevailing westerlies flow apart at around ____ latitude.

A) 0°
B) 30°
C) 60°
D) 90°

Question 29

Jet streams form at boundaries between Earth's climate cells as high-altitude air ____.

A) adiabatically cools
B) is deflected by the Coriolis effect
C) mixes with storm fronts
D) collides with low-altitude air

Question 30

Cities are warmer because little surface water exists and, as a result, little ____ occurs.

A) wind
B) humidity
C) precipitation
D) evaporative cooling

Question 31

The cells of the three-cell global wind pattern model have borders that ____.

A) defined by the prevailing winds
B) deflected by the Coriolis effect
C) are not affected by surface topography
D) migrate north and south with the season

Question 32

Continental interiors where the temperature can fluctuate greatly between hot summers and cold winters are in the ____ climate zone.

A) Mediterranean
B) marine west coast
C) humid continental
D) tropical savanna

Question 33

The polar easterlies and prevailing westerlies converge at approximately ____.

A) 30° latitude
B) 60° longitude
C) 60° latitude
D) 0° latitude

Question 34

The urban heat island effect causes warm air rises over a city, forming a local ____ zone and causing rainfall to be higher than in the surrounding countryside.

A) high-temperature
B) high-pressure
C) low-pressure
D) rain shadow

Question 35

The ____-cell model of global wind circulation shows cells of global airflow bordered by alternating bands of high and low pressure.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 36

The ____ jet stream flows at high altitudes between the trade winds and the westerlies.

A) subtropical
B) tropical
C) polar
D) subpolar

Question 37

Descending air at the horse latitudes splits and flows over Earth's surface in two directions: ____.

A) away from the equator and away from the poles
B) northeast and southwest
C) toward the equator and toward the poles
D) counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere

Question 38

Although climate zones are defined by temperature and precipitation, you can often estimate climate types from a ____ of an area.

A) humidity measurement
B) plant specimen
C) photograph
D) geographic coordinate

Question 39

Storms commonly occur along the polar jet stream because ____.

A) it marks the boundary between cold, polar air and the warm, moist, westerly flow that originates in the subtropics
B) this is where mid-latitude cyclones form
C) polar air brings snow storms to mid-latitude
D) moisture from the oceans is brought onto the continents

Question 40

The ____ zone, which supports the taiga biome, is the northernmost portion of the humid midlatitude climate zone.

A) subtropical
B) Mediterranean
C) subarctic
D) arctic

Question 41

The local greenhouse effect in an urban heat island is caused by ____

A) air pollutants which absorb long-wave radiation (heat rays) emitted from the ground
B) water vapor that caused by greater evaporation
C) increased cloud cover
D) the conversion of fog into smog

Question 42

The climate zone associated with cool summers, warm winters, and little temperature difference year-round is called ____.

A) tropical rainforest
B) desert
C) Mediterranean
D) marine west coast

Question 43

Ocean currents moderate the temperatures at North America's west coast.

Question 44

The subtropical jet stream flows along the polar front.

Question 45

The climate zone associated with more than 400 centimeters of rain is called ____.

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

Question 46

Temperate rainforests are common along the northwest coast of America, from Oregon to Alaska.

Question 47

The direction of flow in the global wind systems are entirely controlled by the temperature difference between the equator and the poles.

Question 48

High-altitude winds from the equator continue to flow all the way to the poles because they are deflected by the Coriolis effect.

Question 49

Storm fronts pass over cities more quickly than they do over the surrounding countryside.

Question 50

Many of the world's great deserts are located in the doldrums.

Question 51

The climate type associated with rainfall of less than 25 centimeters per year is called ____.

A) tropical rainforest
B) semiarid
C) desert
D) Mediterranean

Question 52

The climate of cities is measurably different from that of the surrounding rural regions.

Question 53

The marine west coast climate is characterized by extremely high temperature differences between summer and winter.

Question 54

When geologists study the climate of a region over time, they must separate the effects of tectonic movement from global climate change.

Question 55

A tropical monsoon climate has less total precipitation and more monthly variation than a tropical savanna climate.

Question 56

The great wheat belts of the United States, Canada, and Russia all lie between 60° and 90° north latitude.

Question 57

In a Mediterranean climate, 75% or more of the annual rainfall occurs in winter.

Question 58

The Sun is the ultimate energy source for winds and evaporation.

Question 59

The boundaries between the three convection cells in each hemisphere migrate with the seasons.

Question 60

The humid continental climate is characterized by ____.

A) mild summers, moderate winters, and precipitation throughout the year
B) mild summers, moderate winters, and precipitation in summer only
C) hot summers, cold winters, and precipitation in summer only
D) hot summers, cold winters, and precipitation throughout the year

Question 61

What is the three-cell model?

Question 62

Describe the tropical climates with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Question 63

Describe the rainfall for a temperate rainforest and where they are located.

Question 64

How are Earth's major climate zones classified?

Question 65

How are the prevailing winds formed and what is their direction of flow?

Question 66

Where does the descending air from the horse latitudes flows toward what major features? What happens to the surface winds?

Question 67

Describe the wind movement for the prevailing westerlies.

Question 68

How does the subtropical jet stream flow?

Question 69

How is the polar front formed?

Question 70

Describe the tropical climates with abundant year-round rainfall.

Question 71

What is the three-cell model?

Question 72

How did the horse latitudes get its name?

Question 73

Describe the dry climates: evaporation greater than precipitation areas.

Question 74

How are climate zones defined?

Question 75

What is a tropical savanna and where are they found?

Question 76

What is a biome?

Question 77

In the Northern Hemisphere, where do the cycles and anticyclones develop and how does this impact agriculture in this hemisphere?

Question 78

What is a tropical savanna and where are they found?

Question 79

How did the horse latitudes get their name? Where on the Earth does this warm, dry air descend?

Question 80

How did the doldrums get their name?