Deck 2: Climate

Question 1

The long-term average pattern of weather at local,regional,or global scales is referred to as ________.

Answer 1

climate

Question 2

With increasing altitude,air density ________.

Answer 2

decreases

Question 3

Most organisms live in habitats that provide specific conditions or a(n)________ that may be very different from regional weather patterns.

Answer 3

microclimate

Question 4

The narrow region near the equator where trade winds meet is referred to as the ________.

Question 5

There is a strong positive correlation between rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and ________.

Question 6

Carbon dioxide and ________ are the major gases in the atmosphere that absorb energy from the sun.

Question 7

The amount of force exerted over a given area of surface is called atmospheric ________.

Question 8

The ________ is the temperature at which atmospheric water condenses.

Question 9

The transformation of water from a liquid to a gaseous state is referred to as ________.

Question 10

In the Southern Hemisphere,oceanic gyres circulate in a(n)________ direction.

Question 11

The absorption and re-radiation of longwave radiation by gases in the atmosphere is called the ________.

Question 12

Air masses are deflected to the ________ in the Northern Hemisphere and to the ________ in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 13

________ is the amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percentage of the saturation vapor pressure.

Question 14

Seasonality occurs on planet Earth because of its ________ with respect to the plane it travels around the Sun.

Question 15

A period of cooling that lasted from approximately the mid-14th to the mid-19th century is referred to as the ________.

Question 16

Rainfall is greater and the vegetation more dense on the windward side of a mountain range than on the leeward side,where a(n)________ is formed.

Question 17

During an El Niño event,the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean are unusually ________.

Question 18

In the Northern Hemisphere,the summer ________ occurs when solar rays fall directly on the Tropic of Cancer.

Question 19

The temperature,humidity,precipitation,wind,cloudiness,and other atmospheric conditions that occur at a specific place and time are referred to as ________.

Question 20

The winds formed between the equator and about 30 degrees of latitude,blowing from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere,are referred to as ________.

Question 21

Without the greenhouse effect,the Earth would

A)be much warmer than it currently is.
B)be much colder than it currently is.
C)have uniform temperatures and would lack seasons.
D)have constant sunlight.

Question 22

Incoming radiation exceeds outgoing radiation at or near

A)the poles.
B)the Northern Hemisphere.
C)the Southern Hemisphere.
D)the equator.

Question 23

Which of the following is a greenhouse gas?

A)nitrogen
B)carbon dioxide
C)oxygen
D)ozone

Question 24

If the Earth spun in the opposite direction what would change?

A)The equator would become as cold as the poles.
B)Air masses in the Northern Hemisphere would rotate counterclockwise.
C)Equatorial air would fall rather than rise.
D)Winter would occur in July in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 25

Which of the following occurs near the equator?

A)the Hadley cell
B)the Ferrel cell
C)the Polar cell
D)the Westerlies

Question 26

The difference between climate and weather is that

A)weather is limited to precipitation and wind.
B)climate is the long term pattern of weather.
C)climate is limited to temperature.
D)weather is a measure of climate.

Question 27

Seasonal variation in solar radiation,temperature,and day length is due to the

A)tilt of the Earth's axis.
B)greenhouse effect.
C)Coriolis effect caused by the spinning of Earth on its axis.
D)sunspot activities at the surface of the Sun.

Question 28

A scientist traveling on a boat from Alaska to Antarctica took daily measurements of atmospheric pressure.At which latitudes were the lowest pressures found?

A)polar (~90°)and subpolar (~60°)latitudes
B)subpolar (~60°)and subtropical (~30°)latitudes
C)subpolar (~60°)and tropical (~0°)latitudes
D)subtropical (~30°)and tropical (~0°)latitudes

Question 29

Between 30°-60° north latitude,wind currents typically blow from

A)west to east and are deflected toward the left.
B)east to west and are deflected toward the left.
C)west to east and are deflected toward the right.
D)east to west and are deflected toward the right.

Question 30

Only 51 percent of incoming solar radiation actually reaches Earth's surface.Most of the remaining 49 percent of incoming radiation is reflected back to space by

A)clouds and the atmosphere.
B)the ocean's surface.
C)snow and ice.
D)land.

Question 31

Solar radiation in December is greatest at

A)the equator.
B)the Tropic of Cancer.
C)90° in the Southern Hemisphere.
D)90° in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 32

Surface currents in the ocean typically

A)flow most strongly from west to east in equatorial regions.
B)are colder on the western side of continents.
C)flow counterclockwise in gyres in the Northern Hemisphere.
D)flow unimpeded from east to west just north of Antarctica.

Question 33

In the Northern Hemisphere,the shortwave radiation is highest during the

A)March equinox.
B)September equinox.
C)June solstice.
D)December solstice.

Question 34

The two major atmospheric gases that absorb energy from the Sun are

A)oxygen and nitrogen.
B)nitrogen and hydrogen.
C)hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
D)carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Question 35

The Northeast trade winds occur

A)between the equator and the north pole.
B)between the equator and 30° N.
C)between 10° N and 45° N.
D)all along the Atlantic Ocean.

Question 36

Why is the ocean off the coast of Florida warmer than it is off the coast of Western Mexico?

A)Florida is closer to the equator.
B)Mean precipitation is higher in Mexico.
C)Wind patterns are clockwise in the Atlantic.
D)Ocean currents are coming from the tropics rather than the poles.

Question 37

Where is temperature variation the greatest?

A)at the poles
B)in the temperate regions
C)in the tropical regions
D)at the equator

Question 38

What might be an accurate albedo measure of the surface of a glacier?

A)0)1
B)9)0
C)0
D)0)9

Question 39

Of the following areas on Earth's surface,which area moves fastest and has the greatest linear velocity?

A)North Pole (90° north)
B)Tropic of Cancer (23.5° north)
C)Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° south)
D)Equator (0°)

Question 40

The systematic patterns of water movement are known as

A)circulations.
B)currents.
C)gyres.
D)trade winds.

Question 41

Most of the solar radiation arriving at the Earth's surface is reflected out to space.

Question 42

If the current trend continues,what do you predict the temperature anomaly will be in 2025?

A)0
B)0)6
C)-0.5
D)-0.2

Question 43

Solar radiation is more direct in tropical latitudes than in temperate latitudes.

Question 44

A hotter object emits longer wavelengths than a cooler object.

Question 45

Why do beaches often have less extreme temperature variation than inland areas?

A)The ocean moderates the temperatures.
B)The sand absorbs and loses heat less efficiently.
C)The ocean waves reduce wind.
D)Air temperatures vary with latitudes.

Question 46

As air rises over a mountain,it

A)cools and tends to lose moisture in the form of precipitation.
B)cools and tends to gain moisture without precipitating.
C)warms and tends to lose moisture in the form of precipitation.
D)warms and tends to gain moisture without precipitating.

Question 47

Which side of the mountain receives the most precipitation?

A)leeward side
B)Eastern side
C)Western side
D)windward side

Question 48

In contrast with north-facing slopes,south-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere are characterized by

A)a lower rate of evaporation.
B)greater soil moisture.
C)lower air temperatures.
D)more vigorous growth of mosses.

Question 49

Daylight in the Southern Hemisphere is longest during the winter solstice in December.

Question 50

In the vicinity of 30° north and 30° south,air typically

A)rises,cools,and precipitates.
B)descends,warms,and precipitates.
C)rises,cools,and is dry.
D)descends,warms,and is dry.

Question 51

If the vapor pressure is 1 kPa,what would be the approximate dew point?

A)25°C
B)10°C
C)18°C
D)1°C

Question 52

Relative humidity is the

A)amount of pressure at a given temperature at which water transforms from a liquid to a gaseous state.
B)amount of pressure that water vapor exerts independent of the pressure of dry air.
C)temperature at which saturation vapor pressure is achieved.
D)amount of water vapor in the air relative to the saturation vapor pressure.

Question 53

Weakening of trade winds results in

A)flooding in Peru.
B)flooding in Indonesia.
C)reduced convection.
D)cooler ocean temperatures in Peru.

Question 54

Some variation in the solar radiation striking the Earth's surface is linked to ________ activity.

A)sunspot
B)El Niño
C)La Niña
D)glacial

Question 55

The transformation of water from a liquid state to a gaseous state is known as

A)condensation.
B)evaporation.
C)saturation.
D)solidification.

Question 56

During winter in the Northern Hemisphere,the Intertropical Convergence Zone

A)sits directly over the equator.
B)is shifted into the northern latitudes.
C)is shifted into the southern latitudes.
D)does not exist.

Question 57

What causes shifts in the dry and wet seasons of the tropics?

A)Hadley cells
B)saturation VP
C)ITCZ
D)the equatorial low

Question 58

Atmospheric pressure increases with altitude.

Question 59

________ is considered a primary influence on microclimate.

A)Aspect
B)Soil temperature
C)Rainfall
D)Vegetation

Question 60

Precipitation is generally greater

A)in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere.
B)in coastal areas than in interior areas.
C)at the equator than at 30° of latitude.
D)on the leeward side of mountains than on the windward side.

Question 61

Rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere is greater than rainfall in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 62

Oceanic gyres circulate in a counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 63

Precipitation on a tropical island is greatest during June to August and lowest during January to April.This island must be located south of the equator.

Question 64

Cold air can hold more water than warm air.

Question 65

Masses of air and water are deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 66

Surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean are warmer during El Niño conditions than during La Niña conditions.

Question 67

Dry air cools more rapidly than moist air.

Question 68

Precipitation is higher in tropical regions than in temperate and polar regions.

Question 69

The saturation vapor pressure of air increases with temperature.

Question 70

In the vicinity of the equator,air warmed by solar radiation rises.

Question 71

In temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere,north-facing slopes are less humid than south-facing slopes.

Question 72

Vegetation is usually more dense and vigorous on the windward side of mountains than on the leeward side.