Deck 6: The Atmosphere and the Oceans

Question 1

Earth's weather is formed primarily in the troposphere.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The annual variation in atmospheric carbon dioxide is caused primarily by seasonal photosynthesis on land in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Hurricanes form over tropical landmasses.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The leeward side of a mountain range usually has higher precipitation than the windward side.

Question 5

If the world's sea ice melted, sea level would rise.

Question 6

Intense low pressure atmospheric storms in the Western Pacific Ocean are called ________.

Question 7

The prevailing westerlies of the Northern Hemisphere are more steady in strength and direction than the trade winds.

Question 8

The greenhouse effect is caused by the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere allowing outgoing radiation to exceed incoming radiation.

Question 9

Maximum sea surface elevation along a coast occurs when storm surge coincides with high tide. This is called ________.

Question 10

In the Southern Hemisphere, the circulation of air about a low pressure system is clockwise.

Question 11

The tabular icebergs are formed from sea ice.

Question 12

The atmospheric pressure bands that circle Earth do not change very much with the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 13

In the stratosphere, temperature increases with increased elevation.

Question 14

Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation in the troposphere.

Question 15

Castle bergs are formed from the continental ice sheets of Antarctica.

Question 16

In the Northern Hemisphere, the air circulation about a high pressure cell is clockwise.

Question 17

When sea ice forms, the surface water beneath the ice becomes less dense.

Question 18

The greenhouse effect decreases the long wave radiation lost by the Earth's surface and increases the shortwave radiation lost by the atmosphere.

Question 19

Intense low pressure atmospheric storms in the Atlantic Ocean are called ________.

Question 20

In the Southern Hemisphere, the atmospheric low pressure belt centered on 60°S remains nearly continuous around the world at all seasons of the year.

Question 21

Winds are named for the direction to which they blow.

Question 22

Hurricanes commonly form at the equator.

Question 23

The annual range of temperatures will be greater closer to the ocean than at inland locations.

Question 24

The temperature of the troposphere increases with elevation.

Question 25

Clouds can either heat or cool Earth.

Question 26

A low pressure system develops over India during the wet phase of the south Asian monsoon.

Question 27

During the Indian wet monsoon, the prevailing winds blow ____ in the _____.

A) onshore; winter
B) onshore; summer
C) offshore; winter
D) offshore; summer
E) onshore; summer and winter

Question 28

Decreasing the atmospheric pressure increases the density of air.

Question 29

Increasing water vapor content decreases the density of air.

Question 30

In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, a _____ pressure cell develops over the ocean in winter and a ____ pressure cell develops in summer.

A) high; low
B) low; high
C) low; low
D) high; high
E) Either high; low or low; high can occur.

Question 31

El Niño is an oceanic and atmospheric system that moves across the central Pacific from Asia toward Peru.

Question 32

If there were no clouds, Earth would cool.

Question 33

La Niña indicates warmer than normal surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.

Question 34

Storm tides are caused by the low atmospheric pressure and winds associated with hurricanes and typhoons.

Question 35

Rain shadows develop on the leeward side of topographic barriers.

Question 36

In the Northern Hemisphere, CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere tends to decrease in the spring and early summer.

Question 37

A local shore wind controlled only by daily temperature variation between land and water will blow _____ during the night.

A) 45 degrees to the right
B) parallel to the shore
C) onshore
D) offshore
E) 45 degrees to the left

Question 38

The greenhouse effect is a product of increasing oxygen concentration in the troposphere.

Question 39

The latitudes between approximately 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south have a heating deficit over the course of a year.

Question 40

In June the ITCZ tends to shift south into the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 41

Earth's surface winds are caused by air moving from a region of ______ to a region of ________.

A) low pressure; high pressure
B) surface convergence; surface divergence
C) high pressure; low pressure
D) low elevation; high elevation
E) high elevation; low elevation

Question 42

Clouds ___________ radiation.

A) absorb shortwave
B) reflect shortwave
C) intercept longwave
D) radiate longwave
E) All of these are correct.

Question 43

Which statement(s) about El Niño is(are) true?

A) It produces warm surface water along the Peru-Ecuador coast.
B) It interrupts the southeast tradewinds and displaces the doldrums.
C) It is associated with a displacement of the jet stream.
D) It is also known as La Niña.
E) It produces warm surface water along the Peru-Ecuador coast, it interrupts the southeast tradewinds and displaces the doldrums, and it is associated with a displacement of the jet stream.

Question 44

Approximately what percentage of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the surface of the Earth?

A) 4%
B) 31%
C) 47%
D) 80%
E) 100%

Question 45

The Northern Hemisphere polar jet stream

A) lies above the boundary between the polar easterlies and the westerlies.
B) flows rapidly eastward.
C) alters the weather patterns at Earth's surface.
D) All of these are correct.
E) None of these are correct.

Question 46

A parcel of air from the South Pole moves due north along the prime meridian; its motion is independent of Earth's rotation. Over what longitude will it be found four hours later?

A) 60°W
B) 60°E
C) 0°
D) 40°E
E) 40°W

Question 47

The wind band between the horse latitudes and the doldrums is called the ________ in the Southern Hemisphere.

A) westerlies
B) northeast trade winds
C) southeast trade winds
D) polar easterlies
E) seasonal monsoon

Question 48

Hurricanes derive their energy from _______ pressure zones in the ______ latitudes.

A) high; tropical
B) low; tropical
C) high; mid
D) low; mid
E) None of these are correct.

Question 49

The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is

A) argon.
B) oxygen.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) water vapor.
E) nitrogen.

Question 50

The effect of ozone destruction is most severe

A) at polar latitudes.
B) at temperate latitudes.
C) at equatorial latitudes.
D) in terrestrial desert areas.
E) All of these are equally affected.

Question 51

Ozone destruction appears to be related to increasing levels of _________ in the atmosphere.

A) carbon dioxide
B) chlorine
C) sulfur
D) water vapor
E) dimethyl sulfide

Question 52

The westerlies lie between which latitudes?

A) 0 degrees and 30°N only
B) 30 degrees and 60°N only
C) 30 degrees and 60°N and S
D) 30 degrees and 60°S only
E) 0 degrees and 30°S only

Question 53

The doldrums are found

A) around the poles.
B) at 30°N and S.
C) between the trade winds and the westerlies.
D) between the northeast trade winds and the southeast trade winds.
E) at 60°N and S.

Question 54

The Coriolis effect

A) deflects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.
B) deflects to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
C) has no effect at the equator.
D) deflects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and deflects to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
E) deflects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, deflects to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, and has no effect at the equator.

Question 55

The Coriolis effect arises primarily from the

A) curvature of Earth's surface.
B) rotation of Earth around its axis.
C) rotation of Earth around the sun.
D) effect of winds high in the atmosphere.
E) motion of the oceans in their basins.

Question 56

Along the west coast of India, the prevailing wind during the winter blows ______ and produces the _______.

A) offshore; dry monsoon
B) onshore; wet monsoon
C) offshore; wet monsoon
D) onshore; dry monsoon

Question 57

Air becomes less dense and rises when

A) the air warms.
B) the water vapor content increases.
C) atmospheric pressure decreases.
D) All of these are correct.
E) None of these are correct.

Question 58

The winds that begin the polar high pressure zones are called

A) polar westerlies.
B) polar easterlies.
C) westerlies.
D) easterlies.
E) northerlies and southerlies (depending on the pole).

Question 59

A wind blowing from the northwest to the southeast is called a ______ wind.

A) northwest
B) northerly
C) southeast
D) southerly
E) east-west

Question 60

A storm tide is due to the

A) low atmospheric pressure at a storm's center.
B) strong offshore winds.
C) strong winds creating a surface flow toward the shore.
D) low atmospheric pressure at a storm's center and strong winds creating a surface flow toward the shore.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 61

The coriolis effect deflects objects in the Northern Hemisphere to the _________ relative to their direction of motion.

A) east
B) west
C) north
D) right
E) left

Question 62

The maximum actual solar radiation that reaches Earth's surface is slightly less than the solar constant because

A) Earth's axis of rotation is tilted.
B) the atmosphere absorbs some energy.
C) the atmosphere reflects some energy.
D) of the uneven distribution of continents and ocean basins.
E) the atmosphere absorbs some energy and the atmosphere reflects some energy.

Question 63

Heat energy gained at low latitudes is redistributed to higher latitudes by

A) atmospheric circulation.
B) low pressure systems.
C) ocean currents.
D) All of these are correct.
E) atmospheric circulation and ocean currents.

Question 64

The annual range of surface temperature is greater on land than at sea because

A) the specific heat of water is less than that of land.
B) the specific heat of water is greater than that of land.
C) the heat capacity of water is greater than that of land.
D) the heat capacity of water is less than that of land.
E) there is more land area in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 65

Wind belts that blow from east to west over most of the areas between 30º north and 30º south are called

A) westerlies.
B) polar easterlies.
C) trade winds.
D) horse latitudes.
E) doldrums.

Question 66

The low pressure area near the equator is known as the

A) Intertropical Convergence Zone.
B) horse latitudes.
C) polar easterlies.
D) westerlies.
E) trade winds.

Question 67

Atmospheric pressure is greatest in the

A) thermosphere.
B) mesosphere.
C) stratosphere.
D) troposphere.
E) atmosphere.

Question 68

The oceans are heated primarily from below by volcanic activity along ocean ridges.

Question 69

El Niño events are associated with

A) high pressure in the western Pacific.
B) high pressure in the eastern Pacific.
C) dry conditions in Australia and Indonesia.
D) coastal upwelling in the western Pacific.
E) descending air over Indonesia.

Question 70

On December 15th, which of the following locations will receive the highest value of solar radiation?

A) 0°
B) 30°N
C) 30°S
D) 60°N
E) 60°S

Question 71

The greatest concentration of ozone is in the

A) thermosphere.
B) mesosphere.
C) lithosphere.
D) troposphere.
E) stratosphere.