Deck 5: Global Temperatures

Question 1

Which of the following is not true of the freezing point of water?

A) There is a single freezing point, 0°C (32°F).
B) Purity of water can influence freezing point.
C) Freezing point varies with volume and atmospheric conditions.
D) Freezing point ranges from 0°C to -40°C (32°F to -40°F).

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The best thermometer to use where temperatures drop below -39°C (-38.2°F) is

A) a barometric thermometer.
B) a mercury thermometer.
C) a bulb mounted in direct sunshine.
D) an alcohol thermometer.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

As the kinetic energy of the air increases,

A) its temperature decreases.
B) its temperature increases.
C) its temperature is unaffected.
D) its temperature may either increase or decrease depending upon the circumstances.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

On a cold, windy day, the air feels ________ because the wind ________.

A) colder; increases the cooling effect of the air.
B) warmer; mitigates against the cold temperatures.
C) colder; increases evaporative heat loss from our skin.
D) warmer; disperses clouds, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground.

Question 5

Official temperatures are measured using thermometers placed in shelters that are

A) non-ventilated and black boxes, placed at ground level.
B) placed a few feet above the ground in louvered white boxes.
C) in black boxes placed in direct sunlight for maximum insolation absorption.
D) at ground level, in direct sunlight.

Question 6

The principal controls and influences of temperature patterns include

A) Earth's tilt, rotation, revolution, and sphericity.
B) latitude, altitude, land-water heating differences, cloud cover, ocean currents, and surface conditions.
C) the distance of the Earth from the sun and sunspot activity.
D) the seasons and human activity.

Question 7

The effect of wind and temperature on the human skin is called the

A) heat index.
B) sensible heat measurement.
C) wind chill factor.
D) apparent temperature index.

Question 8

The wind-chill index

A) takes into account infrared solar radiation.
B) assumes people are wearing a basic layer of clothing.
C) uses the same variables as the heat index does.
D) does not consider whether or not a person is engaged in physical activity.

Question 9

The single most important control on temperature is

A) insolation.
B) altitude.
C) distribution of land and water.
D) latitude.

Question 10

An estimated ________ percent of all evaporation on Earth is from oceans.

A) 22
B) 37
C) 84
D) 76

Question 11

The size of one Kelvin unit is

A) twice as large as one Celsius degree.
B) the same size as one Celsius degree.
C) two times smaller than one Celsius degree.
D) the same size as one Fahrenheit degree.

Question 12

In colder temperatures, alcohol thermometers are preferred to mercury thermometers because

A) mercury freezes at -39°C (-38.2°F), whereas alcohol freezes at -120°C (-170°F).
B) alcohol thermometers are generally more accurate, especially in cold temperatures.
C) alcohol thermometers are less expensive and more easily to replace if broken in extreme temperatures.
D) mercury is poisonous and are rarely used in modern thermometers any more.

Question 13

Most countries use the ________ temperature scale.

A) Fahrenheit
B) Kelvin
C) Celsius
D) Rankine

Question 14

Temperature is

A) a form of energy.
B) heat, as perceived by humans and other living things.
C) a function of insolation and windspeed.
D) measure of the average kinetic energy of individual molecules in matter.

Question 15

-273°C (-459.4°F) is

A) the same as 273 Kelvin.
B) an average boiling temperature.
C) 0° absolute temperature.
D) not possible on any scale.

Question 16

Kinetic energy refers to

A) the energy an object possesses by virtue of its elevation above a surface.
B) the energy an object possesses because of its gravitational attraction to other objects.
C) the energy an object possesses in accordance with the law E = .
D) the energy an object possesses by virtue of its motion.

Question 17

The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales only coincide at

A) -40°.
B) -273°.
C) 0°.
D) 212°.

Question 18

________ is the general term for the outdoor temperature as it is perceived by humans.

A) Wind chill
B) Latent heat
C) Apparent temperature
D) Sensible heat

Question 19

The Celsius scale

A) is used exclusively in the United States.
B) places freezing at 0° and was formerly called centigrade.
C) was developed by the British physicist Lord Kelvin.
D) was developed by Fahrenheit, who also developed the alcohol and mercury thermometers.
E) places freezing at 32° and boiling at 212°.

Question 20

Land surface temperature (LST) is

A) measured using a ground network of at least one station per 250,000 km² across the globe.
B) often much cooler than air temperature due to vegetation cover.
C) highest in areas with high albedo and dense cloud cover.
D) a measure of the heating of the land surface and is distinct from air temperature.

Question 21

Which of the following is incorrect regarding the differences in the heating of land and water?

A) Soil has a higher specific heat than water.
B) Water has mobility and is mixed in ocean currents.
C) Water transmits through water better than soil.
D) A greater amount of evaporation occurs over oceans than over land.

Question 22

If the temperature at the surface of Earth (at sea level) is 40°C, what is the temperature at 2000 m if the normal lapse rate is 6.4°C/1000 m?

A) 27.2°C
B) 33.6°C
C) 46.4°C
D) 52.8°C

Question 23

Imagine two hypothetical cities, both located at 12° N latitude. However, one is located near sea level, while the other at an elevation of 4,000 m (13,123 ft) above sea level. Which of the following is likely true?

A) The climate of the two cities are quite similar.
B) Annual temperatures for the city at the lower elevation are lower than those at the city at the higher elevation.
C) The city at the higher elevation has extremely cold winters (similar to those at high latitudes).
D) Though both cities are within the tropics, the city at the higher elevation has been average monthly and yearly temperatures lower than the city near sea level.

Question 24

The cool ocean currents, such as the Humboldt Current, that flow along the west coasts of continents promote ________ when conditions in these regions are warm and moist.

A) heavy rainfall
B) fog
C) thunderstorm development
D) warm, mild conditions

Question 25

The Gulf Stream

A) moves southward and moderates temperatures in eastern South America.
B) moves equatorward, warming the California coast.
C) moves northward in the western Atlantic, moderating temperatures in Iceland.
D) creates a warming effect on Japan and the Aleutians.

Question 26

During summer, cities located near the coast are ________ than those in the interior at the same latitude, while in the winter they are ________.

A) warmer; warmer
B) warmer; cooler
C) cooler; warmer
D) cooler; cooler

Question 27

6.4°C/1000 m (3.5°F/1000 ft.) refers to

A) a latitudinal lapse rate.
B) the normal lapse rate.
C) an environmental lapse rate.
D) a measure of air pressure.

Question 28

During the day, clouds ________ insolation, lowering daily maximum temperatures; at night, clouds ________ longwave energy, thereby raising minimum nighttime temperatures.

A) absorb; reflect
B) scatter; refract
C) reflect; absorb and reradiate
D) reflect; scatter

Question 29

The specific heat of land is ________ than water and, therefore, land heats more ________ than water.

A) higher; slowly
B) higher; quickly
C) lower; slowly
D) lower; quickly

Question 30

The temperature control that includes the heat capacity of a substance is

A) movement.
B) evaporation.
C) cloud cover.
D) specific heat.

Question 31

The land-water heating difference that specifically relates to opaqueness is

A) altitude.
B) specific heat.
C) transparency.
D) evaporation.

Question 32

Which of the following is true regarding the specific heat of land and water?

A) Water can hold more heat energy than a comparable volume of rock.
B) The temperature of water will rise faster than that of land when exposed to the same amount of insolation.
C) Land surfaces have a higher specific heat than water surfaces.
D) Land and water have very similar specific heat values.

Question 33

If the temperature at the surface of Earth (at sea level) is 100°F, what is the temperature at 2000 feet if the normal lapse rate is 3.5°F/1000 feet?

A) 93°F
B) 96.5°F
C) 103.5°F
D) 107°F

Question 34

In general, more moderate temperature patterns

A) are created by continentality.
B) are exemplified by Winnipeg and Wichita.
C) indicate maritime influences.
D) occur in continental interiors.

Question 35

As a result of the characteristics of water, cities located near a coast should experience a temperature range that is ________ those of cities located in the interior at the same latitude.

A) the same as
B) smaller than
C) larger than

Question 36

Which of the following is true regarding clouds?

A) They increase temperature minimums and temperature maximums.
B) They cover about 15 percent of Earth's surface at any one time.
C) They have a moderating influence on temperatures.
D) They decrease nighttime temperatures and increase daytime temperatures.

Question 37

As it pertains to differences in land-water heating, transparency

A) is greater in land than water.
B) refers to the fact that land is opaque and water is transparent.
C) produces a heat loading at the surface of water bodies.
D) produces a photic layer that normally is 2000 m (6600 ft.) deep.

Question 38

In general, as distance from the subsolar point increases, the average annual insolation ________ and the average annual temperature ________.

A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases

Question 39

Air pressure at 5500 m (18,000 ft.) is ________ (percent) of that at sea level.

A) 0
B) 10
C) 30
D) 50

Question 40

How does evaporation effect land-water heating differences?

A) Evaporation tends to increase temperatures over land.
B) Evaporation tends to lower temperatures more over water bodies than over land.
C) Evaporation tends to increase the temperature over water.
D) Evaporation affects land more than ocean surfaces.
E) Evaporation affects the temperature of land surfaces and water bodies the same amount.

Question 41

Elevation typically refers to ________ whereas altitude refers to ________.

A) the height of a point on the Earth's surface; the height above the Earth's surface
B) the height above the Earth's surface; the height of a point on the Earth's surface
C) both refer to the height above the Earth's surface
D) both refer to the height of a point on the Earth's surface

Question 42

On average, the illuminated zone in oceans is to a depth of ________, but in some oceans may be as deep as ________.

A) 20 m (66 ft); 30 m (100 ft)
B) 100 m (330 ft); 500 m (1,640 ft)
C) 60 m (200 ft); 300 m (1,000 ft)
D) 30 m (100 ft); 900 m (3,000 ft)

Question 43

Which of the following is true regarding locations at high elevations?

A) Higher elevations experience higher temperatures during the day because they are closer to the Sun.
B) Higher elevations experience lower average temperatures during both day and night.
C) The density of air increases with increasing elevation.
D) Temperatures at night, and in the shadows, are greater at higher elevations.

Question 44

The land surface cools off more rapidly at night than water does because

A) the energy is stored in a shallow layer near the surface of the land, and so it can be radiated away faster.
B) the amount of energy stored in the water column is less than that stored in land.
C) heat is transferred to deeper depths on land via conduction.
D) There is more ocean than land, so more ocean is being heated than land.

Question 45

Trondheim, Norway is located at approximately 63° N. Despite its high latitude, it has a relatively moderate annual temperature regime. What likely accounts for this moderation?

A) Trondheim's high degree of continentality.
B) Trondheim's maritime location.
C) The urban heat island of Trondheim.
D) Thick cloud cover in Trondheim traps in longwave radiation.

Question 46

Within the troposphere, temperatures and density________ with increasing altitude above the Earth's surface.

A) both increase
B) decrease and increase, respectively
C) both decrease
D) increase and decrease, respectively

Question 47

Which of the following U.S. cities would experience the least continentality?

A) Las Vegas, Nevada
B) Oklahoma City, OK
C) Seattle, Washington
D) Boise, ID

Question 48

From 1982 through 2010, average annual sea-surface temperature (SST)

A) followed an opposite trend of air temperature and decreased.
B) increased until 1993, then slightly decreased.
C) steadily increased.
D) remained fairly constant.

Question 49

Relative to latitude and surface energy receipts, which of the following is true?

A) Insolation intensity increases with distance from the subsolar point.
B) Daylength decreases with increasing latitude in summer.
C) Insolation intensity decreases with distance from the subsolar point.
D) Seasonal effects increase toward the equator.

Question 50

Both City A and City B are located at the same latitude and the same amount of cloud cover. City A has a mean annual temperature of 27°C and a temperature range of 22°C. City B has a mean annual temperature of 26°C and a temperature range of 14°C. Which city is located in the interior of the continent?

A) City A
B) City B
C) Both City A and B are located in the interior
D) Neither City A or B are located in the interior

Question 51

In July, the thermal equator

A) trends equatorward over continents and poleward over the oceans.
B) trends poleward over continents and equatorward over the oceans.
C) assumes an orientation that closely parallels that of the equator.
D) is apparently random and has yet to be adequately explained.

Question 52

San Francisco, CA and Wichita, KS are located at approximately the same latitude. Which of the following is true?

A) San Francisco's average monthly temperature peak occurs later than that of Wichita.
B) Maximum average temperatures are higher year-round in Wichita.
C) San Francisco experiences more days below the freezing point than Wichita.
D) San Francisco is more influenced by continentality than Wichita.

Question 53

Salvador, Brazil is located at 13° S (and at an elevation of 9 m). Based on its latitudinal position, which of the following likely best describes its temperature?

A) Seasonal variations of temperature are most pronounced in the summer.
B) Temperatures can range from -10°C (14°F) in the winter to 21°C (70°F) in the summer.
C) Cool and mild temperatures predominate throughout the year.
D) The temperature is consistently high throughout the year.
E) Summers are exceptionally hot, but winters are typically quite mild.

Question 54

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

A) San Francisco - marine
B) Trondheim - continentality
C) Verkhoyansk - continentality
D) Wichita - continentality

Question 55

The thermal equator

A) corresponds with the geographic equator.
B) trends into the interior of landmasses.
C) is highest over ocean basins.
D) remains in the same location throughout the year.

Question 56

The temperature on a cloudy night is likely to be ________ the temperature on a clear night-all other factors being equal.

A) warmer than
B) colder than
C) the same as

Question 57

Imagine a profile of soil going to a depth of approximately 10 ft. On a sunny day, the soil at a depth of 5ft will be ________ the soil at the surface because ________.

A) warmer; soil is a good conductor of heat
B) cooler; land is opaque preventing heating at depths
C) warmer; geothermal processes heat the deeper soils
D) cooler; plate movement mixes the soils and dissipates the heat

Question 58

________ refers to the greater range between maximum and minimum temperatures that occurs in inland areas distant from large bodies of water.

A) The maritime effect
B) Specific heat
C) Heat dome
D) Continentality

Question 59

An isoline that connects all points of highest mean temperature on a world map is called

A) an isobar.
B) the highest mean temperature isoline.
C) the thermal equator.
D) min/max line.
E) the temperature range line.

Question 60

Lines on a temperature map connecting points of equal temperature is called an

A) isobar.
B) isohyet.
C) isotherm.
D) isobath.

Question 61

Present carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are higher now than any time in the last 800,000 years.

Question 62

The region with the highest average ocean temperatures in the world are

A) in the Western Pacific Warm Pool in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
B) along the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic.
C) east of the Humboldt Current long South America's Pacific Coast.
D) near the Benguela Current in the South Atlantic.

Question 63

As reported by the National Weather Service, the heat index

A) relates temperature and relative humidity.
B) combines air pressure and temperature in a comfort index.
C) gives you an indication of the effect of wind on the skin.
D) is generally reported during critical winter months.

Question 64

Official temperature measurements are made in dark-colored, sealed boxes placed at ground-level in direct sunlight.

Question 65

San Francisco, CA and Wichita, KS are located at approximately the same latitude. Which of the following is true?

A) San Francisco experiences several months with average temperatures below the freezing point.
B) Annual temperature ranges in Wichita are greater than those in San Francisco.
C) Summer temperatures in San Francisco far exceed those of Wichita.
D) Minimum average temperatures in Wichita are consistently lowers than those in San Francisco.
E) On average, December temperatures in San Francisco tend to be lower than those in Wichita.

Question 66

________ is a prolonged period of abnormally high temperatures, usually in association with humid weather.

A) A temperature anomaly
B) Sensible heat
C) Apparent temperature
D) A heat wave

Question 67

On cold, windy days, the air feels cooler due to evaporative heat loss from skin.

Question 68

To date, the warmest summer on record in the U.S. occurred in

A) 1974.
B) 1838.
C) 2012
D) 2001.

Question 69

Global temperatures are

A) rising at a rate of 0.17 C° (0.3 F° ) per decade.
B) higher than any time in the last 800,000 years.
C) increasing at a decreasing rate.
D) increasing by 3% per year.

Question 70

Which of the following is true regarding climate change?

A) Climates have varied over the last 2 millions years and are, in essence, always changing.
B) Few professional scientific organizations support actions to mitigate climate change.
C) There is no scientific consensus on human-forced climate patterns.
D) The current witnessed climatic changes are within this natural climatic variability.

Question 71

Which of the following is true?

A) Northern Hemisphere temperatures are more strongly dominated by continentality than are Southern Hemisphere temperatures.
B) Southern Hemisphere temperatures are more strongly dominated by continentality than are Northern Hemisphere temperatures.
C) The Northern and Southern hemispheres are dominated equally by maritime influences.
D) The Northern and Southern hemispheres are dominated equally by continentality.

Question 72

Which of the following is not true about heat stress?

A) Heat stress poses little threat to human health.
B) Heat stress can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions.
C) Heat stress can results in cramps, exhaustion, and even heat stroke.
D) The National Weather Service reports a heat index to gauge the human body's probable reaction to the combined effects of temperature and relative humidity.

Question 73

Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the gas, liquid, or solid molecules.

Question 74

Global average air temperatures worldwide

A) have appeared to stabilize after a century of increase.
B) are at present demonstrating no apparent trend one way or another.
C) are being influenced by human-induced changes in the greenhouse effect.
D) are generally lower than 20 years ago.

Question 75

The flow of temperature into an object raises its heat.

Question 76

Which is true for global annual temperature ranges?

A) The lowest ranges occur over continental interiors in the Northern Hemisphere.
B) The greatest ranges occur in the subtropics over the oceans.
C) The greatest ranges occur over the continental masses in the Southern Hemisphere.
D) The greatest ranges occur in east central Siberia in Russia.

Question 77

If the Gulf Stream shifted away from Iceland and England, winter temperatures in these locations would

A) become cooler, thereby decreasing the average winter temperature.
B) become warmer, thereby increasing the average winter temperature.
C) remain the same.
D) It is impossible to say what would happen to the winter temperatures.

Question 78

In January, the thermal equator

A) trends southward into the interior of South America and Africa.
B) trends northward over all ocean basins.
C) peaks in the interior of Eurasia.
D) is not influenced by continentality.

Question 79

Based on the maps, which of the following is true?

A) The 1970s had the greatest degree of temperature anomalies.
B) The greatest temperature anomalies of the 1980s accorded in the North Atlantic Ocean.
C) There were no significant temperature anomalies in the 1990s.
D) The 2000s showed widespread temperature anomalies worldwide.

Question 80

According to the U.S. National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, which of the following is not a predicted outcome for each Celsius degree increase in global temperature?

A) 5% to 15% increase in crop yields (as currently grown)
B) 3% to 10% increase in rainfall during heaviest precipitation events
C) 25% decrease in Arctic summer sea ice
D) 200% to 400% increase in area burned by wildfire