Deck 20: World Climates and Global Climate Change

Question 1

Which of the following is a part of the earth system that could be significantly impacted by climate and climate change?

A)deposition of sedimentary rocks
B)igneous intrusions
C)formation of volcanic islands
D)development of metamorphic minerals
E)none of the above

Answer 1

A

Question 2

For more than 70 years,the best-known and most used climate classification system has been the ________ classification.

A)Klingel
B)Köppen
C)Smith
D)Hutton
E)Saffir

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The major difference in vegetation between the different humid tropical (A)regions is that ________.

A)wet tropical regions have rain forests,and tropical wet and dry regions have grasslands
B)wet tropical regions have grasslands,and tropical wet and dry regions have rain forests
C)wet tropical regions have grasslands,and tropical wet and dry regions have brush and succulents
D)wet tropical regions have brush and succulents,and tropical wet and dry regions have grasslands
E)wet tropical regions have rain forests,and tropical wet and dry regions have brush and succulents

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Temperature and precipitation are the most important elements in describing a climate because ________.

A)they are the major indicators of what is happening in the atmosphere
B)they are the elements that have the greatest impact on humans
C)they are the elements that have the greatest impact on the hydrosphere
D)they are the major indicators of what is happening in the biosphere
E)they are what controls our climate

Question 5

Climates where evaporation exceeds precipitation are called ________ climates.

A)humid tropical
B)dry
C)humid middle-latitude
D)polar
E)highland

Question 6

The major difference between a wet tropical region and a tropical wet and dry region is ________.

A)temperature
B)pressure
C)precipitation
D)wind direction
E)elevation

Question 7

Which of the following is not used to establish the boundary between dry and humid climates in the Köppen system?

A)Average Annual Temperature
B)Average Annual Evaporation
C)Average Annual Precipitation
D)Seasonal Distribution of Precipitation

Question 8

A dry climate is defined as ________.

A)a climate where the temperature is over 25°C
B)one where the rainfall is less than 10 cm per year
C)one were the evaporation exceeds the precipitation
D)a climate where wind is the dominate form of erosion
E)all of the above

Question 9

Köppen believed that the distribution of ________ was an excellent expression of the totality of climate.

A)solar energy
B)sedimentary rocks
C)ocean basins
D)tsunami
E)natural vegetation

Question 10

The climate in which temperatures average 25°C or more each month and total precipitation for the year is high is the ________ climate.

A)marine west coast
B)humid subtropics
C)humid continental
D)wet tropics
E)highland

Question 11

The wet tropics are limited to areas ________.

A)where the trade winds bring moisture
B)below 1000 meters of elevation
C)that have mountainous regions of forest
D)where the humidity averages more than 70%
E)where the temperature is always above 35°C

Question 12

The Köppen classification system for climate is widely used because _______.

A)it is easy to use,and it covers the most affluent parts of the world,including Europe,the U.S.and north Africa
B)it is easy to use,and it covers the most populated areas of the earth and the oceans
C)it uses easily obtained data,and the system is relatively unambiguous
D)it uses easily obtained data and can cover a large area with a single classification
E)it is a highly evolved classification system that has been carefully refined and improved over more than a century so that it meets the complex needs of a modern society

Question 13

Why do humid tropical regions have only small variations in temperature throughout the year?

A)The constant humidity maintains a relatively uniform temperature.
B)The canopy of trees in the rain forest shade the ground and reflect light all the time.
C)The winds associated with these systems rapidly redistribute the heat.
D)The location of this climatic region is limited to an area where the solar radiation does not vary significantly.
E)The cloud cover and rain do not allow the temperatures to rise or fall significantly.

Question 14

Winterless climates with all months having a mean temperature above 18°C are known as ________ climates.

A)humid tropical
B)dry
C)polar
D)humid middle-latitude

Question 15

Of the 5 major groups in the Köppen classification system,which letter below indicates the classification that is based primarily on precipitation?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E

Question 16

The most luxuriant vegetation found in any climatic realm is the ________.

A)tundra
B)mid-latitude forest
C)taiga
D)tropical rain forest
E)savannah

Question 17

Which of the following is not part of the climate system?

A)cryosphere
B)biosphere
C)hydrosphere
D)gyrosphere
E)geosphere

Question 18

Low latitude dry climates are found primarily ________.

A)near the equator.
B)near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
C)between the equator and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
D)near 35° north and south latitudes.
E)near 45° north and south latitudes.

Question 19

The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn were identified by the ancient Greeks as the ________.

A)edges of the world
B)center of areas that were the hottest on earth
C)center of areas that were moderate temperature on earth
D)center of areas that were both hot and wet
E)boundaries between the moderate and hot areas on earth

Question 20

Af and Am climates form a discontinuous belt astride the ________.

A)Tropic of Capricorn
B)equator
C)Tropic of Cancer
D)Arctic Circle
E)Prime Meridian

Question 21

Why are humid middle-latitude climates with severe winters not found in the Southern Hemisphere?

A)It is too warm in the Southern Hemisphere to have severe winters.
B)Mountains block the flow of moist air in the Southern Hemisphere.
C)The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by warm winds.
D)The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by oceans.
E)Coastal regions in the Southern Hemisphere are mostly volcanic.

Question 22

Polar regions receive nearly continuous sunlight in the summer months so why doesn't the mean temperature during those months get above 10°C?

A)In the summer,the winds blow from the cold oceans and keep the temperatures low.
B)The sun is too low in the sky to be an effective heat source.
C)The sun's energy has to heat the frozen atmosphere in order to reach the land and that takes all summer.
D)The reflection of the sun's energy (albedo)by the ice and snow prevents the area from warming.
E)The ozone layer has thinned significantly over the polar regions and this prevents heat from being trapped near the surface in those areas.

Question 23

The humid subtropical climate dominates the ________ United States.

A)central
B)southeastern
C)western
D)northeastern
E)southwestern

Question 24

Low latitude dry regions tend to ________.

A)have high cirrus clouds
B)be cloud free
C)have stratocumulus clouds
D)have high winds due to downward plunging air masses

Question 25

The ________ climates are land-controlled climates,the result of broad continents in the middle latitudes.

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E

Question 26

The two types of dry (B)climates are desert and ________.

A)tundra
B)taiga
C)steppe
D)highland

Question 27

The ________ west coast climate is situated on the western (windward)side of continents from about 40 to 65 degrees north and south latitude.

A)Mediterranean
B)marine
C)humid
D)continental
E)subtropical

Question 28

The western U.S.climate is different from the western European climate because ________.

A)the U.S.is significantly closer to the equator than Europe
B)the western U.S.has mountains near the coast and Europe does not
C)the winds that dominate the weather in the U.S.come from the west but in Europe they come from the southeast
D)the water along the coast of Europe is warmer than the water along the western coast of the U.S.
E)the water along the western coast of the U.S.is warmer than the water along the coast of Europe

Question 29

Midlatitude deserts and steppes form because ________.

A)subsiding air masses are associated with high pressure
B)rising air masses are associated with low pressure
C)they form at middle latitudes everywhere
D)they are in the interiors of continents
E)they are in high mountains

Question 30

Polar climates get most of their precipitation in the ________.

A)winter
B)spring
C)summer
D)fall
E)It is uniform throughout the year.

Question 31

Almost ________ of Australia is desert.

A)10%
B)20%
C)30%
D)40%
E)50%

Question 32

The subarctic climate is often referred to as ________.

A)the polar express
B)the taiga climate
C)frozen land
D)steppes
E)tundra

Question 33

The leeward sides of mountains are typically dry and are often arid enough to be referred to as ________.

A)rain shadow deserts
B)steppes
C)a Mediterranean climate
D)taigas
E)tundra

Question 34

Humid middle-latitude climates with mild winters tend to have less precipitation in the summer than during the rest of the year because ________.

A)oceanic subtropical highs migrate poleward during the summer.
B)oceanic subtropical highs migrate toward the equator during the summer.
C)higher temperatures in those regions carry the moist air higher into the atmosphere.
D)higher temperatures in those regions result in more precipitation over the oceans and less over the land.

Question 35

Coastal Alaska and Norway are in the ________ group of climates.

A)humid tropical climates
B)dry
C)humid middle-latitude,mild winters
D)humid middle-latitude,severe winters
E)polar

Question 36

The low latitude dry regions coincide with ________.

A)the subtropical high pressure belts
B)the subtropical low pressure belts
C)the polar low pressure belt
D)the polar high pressure belt
E)the gulf stream

Question 37

In a climatological sense,dryness is a function of both annual rainfall and ________.

A)altitude
B)solar radiation
C)wind direction
D)slope
E)evaporation

Question 38

The ________ climate is located on the eastern sides of continents,in the 25- to 40-degree latitude range.

A)dry-summer subtropical
B)humid continental
C)humid subtropical
D)Mediterranean
E)marine west coast

Question 39

The name ________ climate is often used as a synonym for the dry-summer subtropical climate.

A)Australian
B)Indian
C)Mediterranean
D)African
E)European

Question 40

The ________ sides of mountains are often wet.

A)leeward
B)sunny
C)windward
D)steep
E)southern

Question 41

How do aerosols influence climate?

A)They produce acid rain.
B)They increase the albedo.
C)They reflect solar radiation back into space.
D)They absorb long wavelength earth radiation.
E)All of the above

Question 42

Where are Polar Climates most well developed?

A)Alaska and Greenland
B)Antarctica and Alaska
C)Iceland and Antarctica
D)Iceland and Alaska
E)Antarctica and Greenland

Question 43

In the past approximately 100 years,global temperatures have ________.

A)increased by nearly 5°C
B)decreased by nearly 5°C
C)decreased by nearly 1°C
D)increased by nearly 1°C
E)not changed significantly

Question 44

If sea ice melts,this would affect the climate by ________.

A)increasing the moisture in the atmosphere
B)reducing the amount of solar energy absorbed at the surface
C)increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed at the surface
D)decreasing the moisture in the atmosphere
E)increasing albedo

Question 45

The combustion of ________ has added great quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

A)fossil fuels
B)wood
C)paper
D)oxygen
E)none of the above

Question 46

Seasonal variations in CO2 recorded at Mauna Loa Observatory are related to ________.

A)temperature
B)vegetation
C)winds
D)storms
E)humidity

Question 47

The overall effect of aerosols is to ________.

A)warm the planet
B)cool the planet
C)increase ocean temperatures
D)increase CO2
E)decrease CO2

Question 48

The magnitude of a temperature increase due to greenhouse warming will probably be smallest in the ________.

A)polar regions
B)lower middle-latitudes
C)higher middle-latitudes
D)subtropics
E)tropics

Question 49

Sea level change will have its greatest impact on coastal areas that are ________.

A)active continental margins like California and Chile
B)volcanic islands like Hawaii
C)subduction zones like Japan
D)passive continental margins like the eastern U.S.and southern India
E)all of the above

Question 50

Which of the following is not a trace gas?

A)CH4
B)N2O
C)C2N
D)CFCs

Question 51

Sea level change is ________.

A)steady
B)accelerating
C)decelerating
D)not occurring

Question 52

General circulation models are based on the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry,and they are designed to ________.

A)measure urban heat islands and identify where changes need to be made in a community
B)predict the weather over periods of weeks and months
C)determine whether places are going to experience bad hurricane seasons or droughts during the next year
D)model climate behavior over decades
E)mimic the history of weather on earth for the last ice age

Question 53

Any change in the air's ________ content could alter temperatures in the lower atmosphere.

A)nitrogen
B)acid
C)oxygen
D)carbon dioxide
E)smoke

Question 54

Which of the following might not be considered a natural cause of climate change?

A)explosive volcanic eruptions
B)changes in atmospheric ozone
C)plate tectonics
D)changes in the earth's orbit
E)variations in solar radiation

Question 55

Aerosols are ________ in terms of global change due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

A)a positive feedback mechanism
B)a negative feedback mechanism
C)neither a positive nor a negative feedback mechanism
D)an absorber
E)a reflector

Question 56

Climate-feedback mechanisms ________.

A)enhance climate models
B)complicate climate models
C)support climate models
D)disagree with climate models
E)have nothing to do with climate models

Question 57

Compared to places at lower elevations,highland climates are usually cooler and ________.

A)less changeable
B)wetter
C)sunny
D)dryer
E)none of the above

Question 58

Carbon dioxide is an important influence on climate because ________.

A)it passes incoming short wavelength solar radiation,but it absorbs some longer wavelength outgoing earth radiation
B)it absorbs incoming short wavelength solar radiation,but it passes some longer wavelength outgoing earth radiation
C)it passes incoming long wavelength solar radiation,but it absorbs short wavelength outgoing earth radiation
D)it absorbs incoming long wavelength solar radiation,but it passes short wavelength outgoing earth radiation
E)None of the above is correct.

Question 59

Records indicate that sea level has ________ since 1870.

A)risen by 2.5 meters
B)risen by 25 centimeters
C)not changed
D)decreased by 25 centimeters
E)decreased by 2.5 meters

Question 60

Highland climates usually experience ________ compared to the adjacent lowlands.

A)higher winds
B)smaller temperature and precipitation variations
C)similar patterns of change
D)faster and larger changes
E)slower but larger changes

Question 61

Köppen believed that the distribution of solar radiation was an excellent expression of the totality of climate.

Question 62

The southeastern United States is a good example of a humid subtropical climate.

Question 63

A semiarid climate represents a transition zone that surrounds a desert and separates it from the bordering humid climates.

Question 64

Climate models indicate that ________ is(are)one of the strongest indications of global warming.

A)retreating glaciers in Alaska
B)loss of sea ice in the Arctic
C)the hole in the ozone in Australia
D)melting of Antarctica
E)El Niño

Question 65

The two main types of A climates are wet tropical climates and tropical wet and dry climates.

Question 66

The climate system involves only Earth's atmosphere and solid surface.

Question 67

The largest stretch of continuous forests on Earth coincides with a subarctic climate.

Question 68

A savanna is a tropical grassland with scattered drought-tolerant trees.

Question 69

The windward sides of mountains are often wet.

Question 70

Altitude and precipitation are the two most important elements in a climatic description.

Question 71

The tundra climate is a treeless climate found almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 72

The hydrosphere refers to the snow and ice that exist at Earth's surface.

Question 73

Global warming appears to be thawing the permafrost as indicated by ________.

A)disappearing lakes in the Arctic
B)houses sinking into the ground in Alaska
C)increased surface waters in the Arctic
D)all of the above

Question 74

Four of the major climate groups are defined on the basis of temperature characteristics.

Question 75

Earth's middle-latitude deserts exist principally because of their positions in the deep interiors of large landmasses,far removed from the oceans.

Question 76

carbon dioxide ozone nitrous oxide methane

Question 77

lithosphere atmosphere hydrosphere biosphere

Question 78

desert steppe subarctic rain shadow

Question 79

Annual temperature ranges are high throughout a humid continental climate.

Question 80

The dry-summer subtropical climate is the only humid climate that has a strong winter rainfall maximum.