Deck 15: Earths Climates

Question 1

Koeppen had this many primary climates in his classification system.

A)six
B)five
C)four
D)three

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The primary parameters of a climatological classification system are

A)temperature and moisture.
B)temperature and cloud cover.
C)cloud cover and winds.
D)winds and temperature.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Climate consists of all of the following,except

A)the high temperature for a given day.
B)expected atmospheric conditions.
C)long-term behavior of the atmosphere.
D)statistical properties of the atmosphere.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Climate is

A)a statistical rendering of the earth's atmosphere.
B)a historical agglomeration of weather data.
C)dependent on daily observations.
D)all of these

Question 5

Climate is defined over periods of at least ________ years.

Question 6

Care should be taken when interpreting climatological data because

A)of the smoothing techniques used in the assembling of climatological data.
B)extreme conditions do not necessarily manifest themselves all the time.
C)ease of drawing incorrect conclusions from valid data.
D)all of these

Question 7

Thornthwaite's classification system

A)is more widely used than the Koeppen classification system.
B)does not take potential evapotranspiration into account.
C)was developed through research in many parts of the world.
D)did not provide enough description of empirically derived equations.

Question 8

The text adds this climate to the primary climates of Koeppen.

A)tropical desert
B)mid-latitude rainforest
C)dry coastal
D)highland

Question 9

Thornthwaite's classification was based on

A)the principle of the water balance.
B)hydrologic characteristics.
C)effective temperatures.
D)latent heat vs. sensible heat.

Question 10

Describe the various statistical properties that help define climate.

Question 11

The most fundamental classification factor in the Koeppen system is

A)temperature.
B)precipitation.
C)vegetation.
D)latitude.

Question 12

List two problems scientists encounter as they attempt to divide the Earth into climatic zones.

Question 13

Present the important aspects of the Thornthwaite classification system and explain why it is not widely used.

Question 14

Which of the following is not a controlling factor of climate?

A)the uneven distribution of land and ocean
B)elevation
C)diurnal changes in solar radiation
D)prevailing atmospheric and oceanic circulations

Question 15

Koeppen based the boundaries between climate classes on changes in

A)type of vegetation.
B)elevation.
C)precipitation.
D)land use by humans.

Question 16

Which of the following places would have the most "continental" of climates?

A)Yakutsk, Siberia
B)New York, New York
C)Shanghai, China
D)Kinshasa, The Congo

Question 17

Climate

A)is a summary of weather conditions for a particular area.
B)delineates extended periods of atmospheric history.
C)provides normal conditions, i.e., what is expected.
D)all of these

Question 18

The current climatic normal is from which period?

A)1971-2000
B)since records began
C)1981-2010
D)the year 2011

Question 19

The statistical properties of the atmosphere of a region is that region's ________.

Question 20

The Koeppen classification system

A)was developed in the latter part of the twentieth century.
B)was revised substantially by Koeppen over a period of nearly 20 years.
C)has two broad categories of climates.
D)is not the most widely used such system.

Question 21

Which of the following primary climates is most likely to be closest to a pole?

A)dry
B)tropical
C)severe mid-latitude
D)mild mid-latitude

Question 22

A climate is classified as dry when annual precipitation is less than ________.

Question 23

The second letter of Koeppen climate subtype presents information about ________.

Question 24

Which of the following is not one of the three largest tropical wet climates of the Earth?

A)Amazon Basin of South America
B)Western Equatorial Africa
C)Island of Madagascar
D)Islands of the East Indies

Question 25

A Koeppen Climate that has an average temperature for all months greater than 18 degrees C (64 degreesF)is a ________ type of climate.

A)dry
B)Mild Mid-latitude
C)polar
D)tropical

Question 26

Climate patterns at any particular location are a reflection of

A)the general circulation.
B)localized effects.
C)latitude.
D)elevation.

Question 27

Describe the various factors used by Koeppen to develop his climate classification system,and then list the main climate groups he identified plus the one the text authors have added.

Question 28

According to the Koeppen system,an A climate is one in which

A)potential evaporation exceeds precipitation.
B)the average temperature for all months is greater than 18 degrees C.
C)the coldest month of the year has an average temperature higher than -3 degrees C, but below 18 degrees C.
D)all months have mean temperatures below 10 degrees C.

Question 29

Which of the following is true about climatic classification systems?

A)Some are based on the obvious properties of temperature and precipitation.
B)Some use the frequency with which air mass types occupy various regions.
C)Some use differences in energy budget components.
D)All of these

Question 30

The second letter of the Koeppen letter code gives information about

A)the primary climate of the climate subtype.
B)the temperature characteristics of the climate subtype.
C)the precipitation characteristics of the climate subtype.
D)the latitude of the climate subtype.

Question 31

This plays the smallest role in Koeppen's classification system.

A)temperature
B)precipitation
C)vegetation
D)latitude

Question 32

Potential evaporation exceeding precipitation is the defining characteristic for this climate.

A)dry
B)tropical
C)severe mid-latitude
D)polar

Question 33

All months that have mean temperatures below 10 degrees C are what classification in the Koeppen system?

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

Question 34

The Koeppen classification system was developed in the

A)1700s.
B)mid-1800s.
C)early-1900s.
D)late-1900s.

Question 35

In the Koeppen system of climate classification,generally the first letter stands for ________ and the second letter stands for ________.

A)precipitation; temperature
B)temperature; precipitation
C)location; latitude
D)latitude; location

Question 36

The major Koeppen categories arranged themselves across the globe,with this factor being least important.

A)latitude
B)degree of continentality
C)proximity to rainforests
D)location in relation to major topographical features

Question 37

This is the only climate zone in which precipitation is the defining characteristic.

A)tropical
B)mild mid-latitude
C)severe mid-latitude
D)dry

Question 38

For each climate subtype give a one-sentence summary of precipitation and temperature characteristics.

Question 39

If the potential evaporation is more than the annual precipitation,the climate is

A)wet.
B)dry.
C)humid.
D)cold.

Question 40

The Koeppen "B" climate zone is the only one that is determined strictly by

A)temperature.
B)precipitation.
C)winds.
D)cloudiness.

Question 41

A climate that has approximately six months of dry weather and a corresponding six months of wet weather would be a(n)________ climate.

A)desert
B)Mediterranean
C)European mid-latitude
D)Monsoonal

Question 42

A vegetation type that occurs in a tropical climate and consists of grasslands and interspersed trees is the ________.

Question 43

This subclimate contains savanna.

A)tropical wet
B)tropical monsoonal
C)tropical wet and dry
D)subtropical steppe

Question 44

Regarding dry climates,it is true that

A)subtropical deserts occupy the interiors of large continents.
B)they are classified solely by precipitation amounts.
C)mid-latitude deserts often exist in the rainshadow of major mountain ranges.
D)subtropical deserts are associated with low pressure systems.

Question 45

What characteristics do the tropical climates share? What characteristics separate them?

Question 46

Tropical wet climates

A)have low humidity.
B)have relatively little vegetative diversity.
C)do not vary in monthly precipitation by more than 10 percent.
D)have a diurnal temperature range that often exceeds the annual temperature range.

Question 47

Tropical wet climates

A)are seasonally influenced by the ITCZ.
B)are found primarily between 10 and 20 degrees away from the equator.
C)usually have convectional precipitation.
D)have low humidity.

Question 48

Areas with a monsoonal climate typically

A)do not have dense forests.
B)have low species diversity.
C)are not, contrary to the climate name, subject to hurricanes.
D)have an annual period of very low rainfall.

Question 49

Subtropical deserts

A)are not affected by subsidence from Hadley circulation.
B)are usually found on the eastern portions of continents.
C)have large diurnal temperature ranges.
D)show little seasonality in rainfall.

Question 50

What is a climate that can be thought of as transition between the tropical wet and tropical dry climates?

A)monsoonal
B)tropical wet and dry
C)subtropical steppe
D)none of these

Question 51

All of the following are true about tropical climates,except

A)they often exist above 30 degrees latitude.
B)they have only minor seasonal variations in temperature.
C)they are distinguished from each other primarily by differences in precipitation seasonality.
D)their climates are substantially affected by the movement of Hadley cells.

Question 52

This climate type is known for its prodigious annual rainfall amounts.

A)monsoonal
B)tropical wet
C)humid subtropical
D)marine west coast

Question 53

Tropical wet climates are typically contained within about this many degrees latitude of the equator: ________.

Question 54

The monsoonal climate

A)occurs primarily in places with offshore winds.
B)is typical in tropical coastal areas.
C)often extends far inland.
D)is visited yearly by at least one hurricane.

Question 55

This climate group occupies a greater percentage of the earth's surface than any other climate group.

A)polar
B)topical
C)severe mid-latitude
D)dry

Question 56

The only area in the continental United States that comes close to having a monsoonal climate is

A)Florida.
B)Louisiana.
C)east Texas coast.
D)Arizona.

Question 57

The main distinguishing factor between the three tropical climate types is

A)latitude.
B)elevation.
C)temperature.
D)seasonal behavior of rainfall.

Question 58

The savanna

A)is found in dry climates.
B)consists primarily of scrub cover, with occasional patches of grass.
C)occurs at mid-latitudes.
D)is regulated in part by recurrent fires.

Question 59

Tropical wet and dry climates

A)usually cluster near the equator.
B)owe much of the seasonal changes in precipitation to the shifting of the Hadley cell.
C)can suffer from floods, but not drought.
D)have little variability in precipitation from year to year.

Question 60

What is a climograph and how is it used in the study of climate?

Question 61

A dry climate is based on the amount of ________ and the amount of ________.

A)winds; cloudiness
B)rainfall; winds
C)fog; solar radiation
D)rainfall; potential evapotranspiration

Question 62

Mediterranean climates are characterized by all of the following,except

A)dry summers.
B)wet winters.
C)location along or near a coast.
D)an average annual rainfall that rarely exceeds 30 inches.

Question 63

Compare and contrast the reasons for formation and the precipitation and temperature characteristics of subtropical deserts and mid-latitude deserts.

Question 64

Denver,Colorado,has this type of climate: ________.

Question 65

When considering mid-latitude climates,the term "mild" refers to

A)pleasant summers.
B)lots of timely rainfall.
C)lack of extreme cold and snow cover in the winter.
D)lack of severe storms.

Question 66

Humid subtropical climates

A)occur in the lower latitudes of western North America.
B)often have convectional thundershowers in summer.
C)typically receive nearly all of their rainfall in winter.
D)are often influenced by cold or cool ocean currents.

Question 67

The highlighted areas have

A)mild midlatitude climates.
B)desert climates.
C)Mediterranean climates.
D)polar climates.

Question 68

Distinguish mid-latitude steppe from mid-latitude desert and describe where the two exist in the United States.

Question 69

Where in the U.S.would we find a Mediterranean climate?

A)south Florida
B)Texas coast
C)southern California
D)none of these

Question 70

The marine west coast environment

A)is restricted to west coasts of continents.
B)typically occurs at the same latitude as Mediterranean climates, or perhaps just to the equator side.
C)is too mild for snow.
D)has mild summers.

Question 71

This is the driest region on Earth.

A)the Sahara Desert of North Africa
B)the Atacama Desert of Chile
C)the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the southwestern United States
D)the Middle East

Question 72

This climate is the result of high temperatures and extreme continentality: ________.

Question 73

This climate type has produced the world's highest temperatures.

A)tropical wet/dry
B)mid-latitude desert
C)Mediterranean
D)subtropical desert

Question 74

The Great Plains region is best classified as

A)severe mid-latitude humid continental.
B)mild mid-latitude humid subtropical.
C)severe mid-latitude subarctic.
D)mid-latitude steppe.

Question 75

Mid-latitude deserts

A)have mild winters.
B)are found in only one small area in the United States.
C)are most extensive in Asia.
D)are cooler than subtropical deserts.

Question 76

Since semi-deserts contain a lot of short grasses,they are also referred to as ________.

Question 77

Subtropical steppe

A)has very high summer temperatures.
B)has small daily temperature changes.
C)has little variation in annual rainfall.
D)that is located near the equator is more likely to see the occasional visit from a mid-latitude cyclone than subtropical steppe located closer to the poles.

Question 78

This is an example of a ________ climate.

A)subarctic
B)polar
C)humid subtropical
D)Mediterranean

Question 79

Midlatitude deserts and semideserts usually occur to the ________ of major topographic barriers.

A)north
B)south
C)east
D)west

Question 80

The precipitation in Mediterranean climates

A)decreases with latitude.
B)comes primarily from local convection over heated surfaces.
C)is confined to winter in large part because of the nearby presence of subtropical high pressure systems in summer.
D)is affected very little by mid-latitude cyclones.