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.

Accepted Answer

Anadromous fish are those that are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean for their adult lives, and return to freshwater to spawn. Salmon are a classic example of anadromous fish.

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

Accepted Answer

Climatic variation occurs across multiple time scales, including daily, seasonal, and yearly, as climate encompasses short-term weather patterns and long-term trends.

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.

Accepted Answer

Climate significantly affects the rate of periodic disturbances, such as storms, fires, and droughts, in an area.

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.

Accepted Answer

Conduction is the process of heat transfer through direct contact between molecules, where kinetic energy is exchanged.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Earth's surface releases _______ it receives by...

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

Accepted Answer

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, keeping Earth's surface warmer. Without them, Earth would be about 33°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

Accepted Answer

In equatorial regions, the sun's rays strike Earth's surface at a more perpendicular angle, meaning the energy is concentrated over a smaller area compared to the poles.

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement about atmospheric circulation patterns is...

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.

Accepted Answer

Atmospheric pressure declines with altitude because there are fewer air molecules above a given surface as altitude increases, resulting in less weight and pressure exerted by the air.

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

Accepted Answer

The tropics receive the most precipitation on average due to the warm temperatures and high humidity, which lead to frequent and intense rainfall, especially in areas near the equator.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 What is the...

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

Accepted Answer

In the Northern Hemisphere, trade winds blow from the northeast to the southwest, effectively moving towards the west. In the Southern Hemisphere, they blow from the southeast to the northwest, also moving towards the west. Both converge towards the equator.

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

Accepted Answer

If the equator is heated more, Hadley cells would become more pronounced, leading to stronger rising air and more intense convection at the equator. This would result in more descending air at around 30°N, causing drier conditions and less rain.

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 The figure illustrates...

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

Accepted Answer

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes moving air to deflect to the right, which appears as a clockwise motion. In the Southern Hemisphere, it deflects to the left, appearing as a counterclockwise motion.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose Earth's rotation were somewhat faster than...

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

Accepted Answer

Ocean waters are warmer in the winter and colder in the summer compared to land because water has a higher heat capacity, meaning it can absorb and store more heat without changing temperature as quickly as land.

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 The map is...

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 The map is...

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.
 The map is...

Quiz 2: The Physical Environment

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

Climatic variation occurs over which time scales?

Which statement about climate is false?

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

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

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

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.

Which statement about atmospheric circulation patterns is false?

Which statement best explains why atmospheric pressure declines with altitude?

Which areas of Earth receive the most precipitation on average?

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.