Deck 2: The Physical Environment

Question 1

Fish such as salmon, which are born in freshwater streams but spend most of their adult lives in the ocean, are termed

A) catadromous.
B) anadromous.
C) androgynous.
D) oscillatory.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Climatic variation occurs over which time scales?

A) Daily time scales only
B) Daily and yearly time scales only
C) Yearly and decade time scales only
D) Across daily, seasonal, and yearly time scales

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which statement about climate is false?

A) Climate usually has little effect on the rate of periodic disturbances in an area.
B) The timing of a change to the physical environment is often ecologically important.
C) Climate influences the rates of abiotic processes that affect organisms.
D) The distribution of organisms tends to reflect extremes, rather than averages, in the climates of particular locales.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Heat loss due to the exchange of kinetic energy by molecules in direct contact with one another is referred to as

A) latent heat flux.
B) convection.
C) conduction.
D) the greenhouse effect.

Question 5

Earth's surface releases _______ it receives by solar radiation. Additional energy inputs to Earth's surface occur in part from back radiation due to _______.

A) more energy than; evapotranspiration
B) more energy than; greenhouse gases
C) about the same energy as; evapotranspiration
D) less energy than; greenhouse gases

Question 6

In the absence of greenhouse gases, Earth would be about _______ than it is now.

A) 2 $\degree$ C warmer
B) 3 $\degree$ C cooler
C) 13 $\degree$ C cooler
D) 33 $\degree$ C cooler

Question 7

In equatorial regions, the sun's rays strike Earth's surface at a more _______ angle than they do toward the poles. This means that the same amount of energy is spread over a(n) _______ area in equatorial regions than in polar regions.

A) perpendicular; smaller
B) perpendicular; larger
C) acute (less than 90 $\degree$ angle); larger
D) acute (less than 90 $\degree$ angle); smaller

Question 8

Which statement about atmospheric circulation patterns is false?

A) The condensation of water vapor into clouds is a warming process.
B) Cool air can hold more water vapor than warm air can.
C) Thunderclouds potentially reach only to the boundary between the upper region of the troposphere and the bottom of the stratosphere.
D) Air cools due to expansion as it rises in the troposphere.

Question 9

Which statement best explains why atmospheric pressure declines with altitude?

A) As altitude increases, there are fewer air molecules pressing down on a given molecule of air.
B) At higher altitudes, air is cooler and thus does not move around as much as the warmer air at lower altitudes.
C) As altitude increases, air holds less moisture and thus feels lighter.
D) There is more subsidence as altitude increases.

Question 10

Which areas of Earth receive the most precipitation on average?

A) Tropics
B) Temperate zones
C) Regions near 30 $\degree$ N and S latitudes
D) Polar zones

Question 11

Refer to the figure.
What is the name of the circulation pattern indicated by the black arrow?

A) Polar cell
B) Ferrell cell
C) Dobson cell
D) Hadley cell

Question 12

Named for their importance to shipping, the trade winds blow to the _______ in the Northern Hemisphere, to the _______ in the Southern Hemisphere, and _______ the equator.

A) west; east; away from
B) east; west; toward
C) west; west; toward
D) east; west; away from

Question 13

If Earth were heated slightly more at the equator, Hadley cells should be become slightly _______ pronounced, and there would likely be slightly _______ rain at around 30°N.

A) more; more
B) less; more
C) more; less
D) less; less

Question 14

Refer to the figure.
The figure illustrates the Coriolis effect for Earth. Which of the following statements about the Coriolis effect is false?

A) The Coriolis effect has a major impact on determining global patterns of ocean currents as well as winds.
B) The Coriolis effect occurs because points on Earth close to the equator are rotating around Earth's axis more slowly than points farther from the equator.
C) If the Earth's direction of rotation was from east to west rather than west to east, the deflection would still occur, but its direction would be reversed.
D) If the Earth was a cylinder (with its length oriented north-south and rotating around a north-south axis) rather than a sphere, no east-west deflection of a north-south trajectory would occur.

Question 15

The Coriolis effect causes moving air at Earth's surface to appear to be deflected _______ in the Northern Hemisphere and _______ in the Southern Hemisphere.

A) clockwise; clockwise
B) clockwise; counterclockwise
C) counterclockwise; clockwise
D) counterclockwise; counterclockwise

Question 16

Suppose Earth's rotation were somewhat faster than it is now. From the standpoint of a fixed viewer on Earth's surface, wind moving south in the Northern Hemisphere would appear to be deflected to the _______ and it would be deflected to a _______ extent than it is now.

A) east; greater
B) east; lesser
C) west; greater
D) west; lesser

Question 17

Compared with land at the same latitude, ocean waters tend to be _______ in the winter and _______ in the summer because water has a _______ heat capacity than land has.

A) warmer; colder; higher
B) colder; warmer; lower
C) warmer; warmer; higher
D) colder; colder; lower

Question 18

Refer to the figure.
The map is of an imaginary planet that is roughly the same as Earth. Like Earth, it is tilted on its axis by about 23 $\degree$ , and it rotates around a sun-like star in approximately one year. At which site would a high-pressure system be most likely to develop during the summer?

A) Site A
B) Site B
C) Site C
D) Site D

Question 19

Refer to the figure.
The map is of an imaginary planet that is roughly the same as Earth. Like Earth, it is tilted on its axis by about 23 $\degree$ , and it rotates around a sun-like star in approximately one year. At which site would a high-pressure system be most likely to develop during the winter?

A) Site A
B) Site B
C) Site C
D) Site D

Question 20

Refer to the figure.
The map is of an imaginary planet that is roughly the same as Earth. Like Earth, it is tilted on its axis by about 23 $\degree$ , and it rotates around a sun-like star in approximately one year. Which site would mostly likely have the greatest variation in temperature during the year?

A) Site A
B) Site B
C) Site C
D) Site D

Question 21

In comparison to deeper waters, surface oceanic waters are

A) colder.
B) saltier.
C) less dense.
D) Both a and b

Question 22

High productivity in the open ocean would most likely be found in

A) polar cells.
B) the South Pacific.
C) the Labrador current.
D) upwelling zones.

Question 23

Some models of climate change suggest that the Gulf Stream may become weaker as global temperature increases. Such a weakening in the Gulf Stream would most likely result in

A) warming in Seattle.
B) warming in London.
C) cooling in Seattle.
D) cooling in London.

Question 24

Which statement about oceanic currents is false?

A) Deep oceanic currents meet surface currents at zones of upwelling.
B) Because they move so slowly, oceanic currents contribute little to the exchange of heat between the tropics and the polar regions.
C) Oceanic currents can have profound effects on the climates of regions where they flow.
D) Dense downwelling currents move to the equator.

Question 25

Refer to the map.
The map shows annual seasonal temperature variation (in °C). Which region shows the greatest temperature variation?

A) Region A, in the Sahara Desert
B) Region B, in Siberia
C) Region C, in Japan
D) Region D, in Mexico

Question 26

Refer to the map.
The map shows annual seasonal temperature variation (in °C). Consider the temperature in Chicago (marked with the yellow star on the map). Suppose the average temperature in Chicago in January, the coldest month of the year, is -5 $\degree$ C. Based on the map, what should the average temperature be in July, the warmest month?

A) 10 $\degree$ C
B) 25 $\degree$ C
C) 40 $\degree$ C
D) 45 $\degree$ C

Question 27

Boston, Massachusetts, and Albany, New York, are at about the same latitude, but Albany is farther inland. Based on this, you would expect Albany to have _______ humidity and _______ variation in temperature than Boston.

A) less; more
B) less; about the same
C) more; less
D) more; more

Question 28

What is measured by the lapse rate?

A) The decline in temperature as one moves away from the equator
B) The decline in temperature as one moves up in altitude
C) The decline in atmospheric pressure as one moves up in altitude
D) The amount of water that air can hold as temperature changes

Question 29

Which continent shows precipitation patterns closest to what would be predicted based on the positions of the Hadley, Ferrell, and polar circulation cells?

A) Africa
B) Asia
C) Europe
D) North America

Question 30

Refer to the figure.
The figure illustrates the rain-shadow effect. Which of the following descriptions of what is being illustrated here is correct?

A) The prevailing winds are blowing from the right side of the figure, accumulating moisture as they move up the slope, leaving the air on the right side of the mountain very dry, and then depositing the moisture as precipitation on the left side of the mountain.
B) The prevailing winds are blowing from the left side of the figure, accumulating moisture as they move up the slope, depositing the moisture at the crest of the mountain, and then leaving the air descending the slope on the right side very dry.
C) The prevailing winds are blowing from the left side of the figure, depositing moisture as the air moves up the slope and cools, leaving the air descending the slope on the right side of the figure very dry.
D) The prevailing winds are blowing from the left side of the figure, depositing moisture as the air moves up the slope and warms, leaving the air descending the slope on the right side of the figure very dry.

Question 31

Vegetation patterns affect the reflectance of solar radiation. The capacity of a land surface to reflect solar radiation is known as its

A) albedo.
B) evapotranspiration rate.
C) Hadley index.
D) lapse rate.

Question 32

Deforestation in the tropics should result in a(n) _______ in the land's ability to reflect solar energy and _______ latent heat transfer.

A) increase; increased
B) increase; decreased
C) decrease; increased
D) decrease; more variable

Question 33

Re-foresting tropical areas that have been deforested would result in a(n) _______ in the area's albedo and a(n) _______ in the area's evapotranspiration rates that should cause the area to recover from the slightly _______ regional climate that is a result of tropical deforestation.

A) decrease; increase; drier
B) decrease; increase; wetter
C) increase; decrease; drier
D) increase; decrease; wetter

Question 34

The Connecticut River valley in western New England is an area of lowlands in between hills on both its west and east sides. During the fall and winter, the river valley will most likely be cooler than the surrounding hill towns

A) when it is raining.
B) during late afternoon.
C) on windy days.
D) on clear, calm nights.

Question 35

During _______, Earth is closest to the sun. This occurs during the month of _______.

A) aphelion; January
B) aphelion; July
C) perihelion; January
D) perihelion; April

Question 36

If the tilt of Earth's axis were to decrease,

A) seasonality at the poles would increase.
B) seasonality at the poles would decrease.
C) the Intertropical Convergence Zone would move more.
D) Both a and c

Question 37

Refer to the figure.
Which statement is true?

A) Position "A" represents the June solstice, when locations in the southern hemisphere are in darkness for more hours than any other day of the year.
B) Position "B" represents the June solstice, when locations in the southern hemisphere are in darkness for more hours than any other day of the year.
C) Position "C" represents the December solstice, when locations in the southern hemisphere are in darkness for more hours than any other day of the year.
D) Position "D" represents the December solstice, when locations in the southern hemisphere are in darkness for more hours than any other day of the year.

Question 38

Refer to the figure.
Although tropical regions do not experience strong seasonality as far as temperature, they do commonly experience seasonality as far as rainfall due to a shift across the year of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). According to the figure, which of the following locations is in the southern hemisphere and why?

A) Locality A because precipitation is highest during the time of the year when it is tilted away from the sun.
B) Locality B because precipitation is highest during the time of the year when it is tilted away from the sun.
C) Locality A because precipitation is highest during the time of the year when it is tilted toward the sun.
D) Locality B because precipitation is highest during the time of the year when it is tilted toward from the sun.

Question 39

Which statement about ice is true?

A) It is less dense than liquid water.
B) It has a higher albedo than open water has.
C) Ice formation at the surface of ponds prevents warming of the waters below.
D) All of the above

Question 40

During the summer, temperatures and plankton activity in temperate lakes are highest in the _______. This is also the period of _______ lake stratification.

A) epilimnion; highest
B) epilimnion; lowest
C) thermocline; highest
D) thermocline; lowest

Question 41

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the temperature of water at different depths in a typical temperate-zone lake. Which of the following statements is true?

A) In winter, but not in summer, the coldest water is also the densest.
B) In summer, but not in winter, the coldest water is also the densest.
C) Throughout the year, the coldest water is also the densest.
D) The coldest water is in the hypolimnion, so the deepest portion of the lake freezes first.

Question 42

The mixing that occurs at fall and spring turnover replenishes _______ in the epilimnion and increases the level of _______ in the hypolimnion.

A) nutrients; sediments
B) nutrients; oxygen
C) oxygen; nutrients
D) oxygen; biological activity

Question 43

On what time scale does the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occur?

A) Daily
B) Monthly
C) Seasonal
D) Between 2 and 10 years

Question 44

El Niño events are associated with

A) greatly increased upwelling in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
B) much reduced or absent upwelling in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
C) flooding in Indonesia and parts of Australia.
D) droughts in the southeastern United States.

Question 45

Which phenomenon is a major cause of the periodic glacial advances and retreats that have occurred over the last two million years?

A) The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
B) El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
C) Periodic changes of Earth's orbit from more circular to more elliptical
D) Changes in the rate of continental drift

Question 46

When Earth's orbit becomes more circular (i.e., compared with a more elliptical orbit), the distance between Earth and the sun at aphelion _______. This change leads to a(n) _______ in the intensity of solar radiation at aphelion, and thus _______ seasonality.

A) increases; increase; increases
B) increases; increase; decreases
C) decreases; increase; increases
D) decreases; increase; decreases

Question 47

Which statement about the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is false?

A) It is a major driver of salmon populations in the Pacific.
B) It is an oscillation of sea surface temperature and atmospheric pressure.
C) Its cycles typically do not last as long as those of ENSO and other similar oscillations.
D) Evidence that it has occurred over many centuries has been gathered from tree ring data.

Question 48

The pH of a sample of water that had 10 times the concentration of H⁺ ions as a sample with a pH of 5.8 would be

A) 3.8.
B) 4.8.
C) 6.8.
D) 15.8.

Question 49

In which aquatic ecosystems are oxygen concentrations in the water usually highest?

A) Rapidly running rivers
B) Deep lakes
C) Slowly running rivers
D) Deep oceans

Question 50

In recent years, major episodes of very cold weather have sometimes been highlighted by non-scientists as evidence that the climate is not really warming. What fundamental misunderstanding does this illustrate and how does this relate to the challenge in detecting the Pacific Decadal Oscillation?

Question 51

If the Earth rotated around its axis from east to west rather than west to east, what major consequences would this have had for the standard routes traversed by sailing ships traveling between Europe or Africa and the Americas prior to the 20^th century?

Question 52

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows seasonal temperature variation expressed as the difference in average monthly temperature between the warmest and coldest months (in ℃). San Francisco and Cincinnati are located at similar latitudes in North America. Based on the figure, which of these two cities experiences less temperature differential between winter and summer? Explain why.

Question 53

Refer to the figure.


-You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). Do you think the planet is tilted on its axis? Describe how the data supports your hypothesis.

Question 54

Refer to the figure.


- You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). Create a hypothesis about the shape of the planet's orbit, and describe how the data supports your hypothesis.

Question 55

Refer to the figure.


- You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). Do you think that the planet's atmosphere contains greenhouse gases? Why or why not?

Question 56

Refer to the figure.


-You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). If plants from Earth's temperate deciduous forests could grow on this new planet, during which season(s) would they most likely show the most active growth? What other information would be required to determine probable growth patterns?

Question 57

Refer to the figure.


-You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). Based on what you have inferred from the data in the figure, sketch a new figure of the hypothetical orbit of this planet around its sun. Sketch the planet at four different positions during its orbit around its sun (at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00, relative to the sun). Label the seasons (A or B) at each of these four locations.

Question 58

Refer to the figures.


- You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). Based on your sketch of the planet at four different positions during its orbit around its sun (the second figure) and the data sent back by the probe, how many growing seasons would the planet have during one complete orbit of its sun?

Question 59

Refer to the figure.


- You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can about the planet's basic characteristics. The figure illustrates data collected by the probe at the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season A and season B). The average daily temperature of the probe during season A is about 19°C while the average temperature of the same location in season B is 2°C. Imagine instead that the averages recorded were 40°C in season A and -20°C in season B. List three characteristics of the planet that, if they were different, could cause these more extreme seasonal differences. Justify your answers.

Question 60

A leak from an oil pipeline is flowing into an Alaskan lake that is approximately 1 km wide and 20 m deep. When oil spills into a body of water, much of it floats on top but some can adhere to tiny particles in the water column and be carried into deeper water.
During which season(s) would the oil most likely remain on the surface and be easiest to clean up? Why? During which season would you expect the most oil to move into deeper water? Why?

Question 61

A leak from an oil pipeline is flowing into an Alaskan lake that is approximately 1 km wide and 20 m deep. When oil spills into a body of water, much of it floats on top but some can adhere to tiny particles in the water column and be carried into deeper water. Suppose the oil leak occurs during early summer. The oil impacts not only the lake but also the surrounding vegetation, causing trees, bushes, and other plants to die off over the course of the summer. What effect would this have on the local albedo and evapotranspiration around the lake? Would you expect the lake to heat up more or less than it would during normal years? Which layer of the lake would be most affected?

Question 62

Which of the following statements about climate is false?

A) Climate controls where organisms live, their geographic distribution, and how they function.
B) Climate is a short-term description of outdoor conditions that we experience daily.
C) Climate can vary over time.
D) There can be seasonal variation in climate.

Question 63

Climate's control of the geographic distribution of organisms is influenced by _______ more than _______.

A) extreme conditions; average conditions
B) weather; climate
C) average conditions; extreme conditions
D) fire; floods

Question 64

Sensible heat flux includes convection and

A) conduction.
B) evapotranspiration.
C) upwelling.
D) continental drift.

Question 65

Cool air is _______ dense than warm air; as air cools, it _______.

A) more; rises
B) more; sinks
C) less; rises
D) less; sinks

Question 66

During January, in which location would you expect a strong high-pressure system to develop?

A) In the United States, around Colorado
B) In the Atlantic Ocean, near Bermuda
C) In South America, around the equator
D) In South Africa

Question 67

High-pressure systems typically form over the Atlantic Ocean during the summer. If such systems did not form as often, _______ would become _______.

A) South Carolina; wetter
B) Toronto; wetter
C) South Carolina; drier
D) Paris; wetter

Question 68

The greatest seasonal variation of temperature is most likely to be seen over

A) oceans at low latitudes.
B) land at low latitudes.
C) land near oceans at low latitudes.
D) land in the middle of a continent at high latitudes.

Question 69

It is _______ in mountains and highlands when compared to lowlands because _______.

A) colder; there are more air molecules to absorb the infrared energy from the sun.
B) warmer; mountains are closer to the sun.
C) colder; there are fewer air molecules to absorb the infrared energy radiating from the Earth's surface.
D) about the same temperature; Earth loses heat to the atmosphere equally across elevations.

Question 70

The side of a mountain range that faces into the prevailing winds is called the _______ side. This usually receives _______ precipitation than the other side of the mountain.

A) leeward; more
B) leeward; less
C) starboard; less
D) windward; more

Question 71

Snow is white, and thus has a _______ albedo than bare ground. If global warming decreases snow cover, the resulting change in albedo is likely to _______ further warming.

A) higher; enhance
B) higher; mitigate
C) lower; mitigate
D) lower; enhance

Question 72

If perihelion were in July instead of January, seasonality would _______ in the Northern Hemisphere and _______ in the Southern hemisphere.

A) increase; decrease
B) increase; increase
C) decrease; increase
D) decrease; decrease

Question 73

If liquid water froze at the same temperature at which it is most dense,

A) the surface of temperate-region lakes would tend to freeze before deeper regions.
B) deeper regions of temperate-region lakes would tend to freeze before the surface.
C) no thermocline would form in the summer in temperate-region lakes.
D) the epilimnion would freeze first in temperate-region lakes.

Question 74

Over the last century, which cycle has had the greatest effect on cycles of salmon production in the North Pacific?

A) El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
B) Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
C) Sunspot activity cycle
D) Lunar cycle

Question 75

Suppose water sample A has a pH of 4.3. The pH of a sample of water that has 10 times a lower concentration of H⁺ ions as sample A would be

A) 3.3.
B) 3.8.
C) 5.3.
D) 14.3.

Question 76

In wetland sediments, the physiological functioning of organisms is most likely to be negatively affected by _______ conditions.

A) anoxic
B) anadromous
C) alkaline
D) photic