Deck 7: Global Climate Systems

Question 1

The author of the textbook describes the various climates of the world using a

A) purely genetic system.
B) purely empirical system.
C) combination of both genetic and empirical criteria.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

An area defined by characteristic, long-term weather patterns is called

A) a biome.
B) an average weather place.
C) an ecosystem.
D) a climatic region.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is $\underline {\text { not }}$ one of the six basic climate categories listed in the text?

A) Torrid
B) Tropical
C) Mesothermal
D) Desert
E) Highland

Answer 3

Torrid

Question 4

Global climate change

A) has been linked to floods, droughts, and record high temperatures.
B) in the next 50 years is expected to be greater than the last 18,000 years combined.
C) is affecting weather patterns, plant and animal distributions, and melting glaciers.
D) has increased the spread of infectious diseases.
E) all of the above

Question 5

Which is false regarding the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon?

A) It creates the largest variation in climate from year to year on a global scale.
B) It involves higher than normal pressure in the western Pacific and lower than normal pressure in the eastern Pacific, reversing the trade winds.
C) It brings rain to some areas and drought to others, but these effects are neither predictable nor consistent.
D) It is linked to droughts in India, floods in the southwestern U.S., and droughts in South Africa and Australia.
E) It is completely understood now, and can be predicted decades in advance.

Question 6

Climate is

A) the weather of a region.
B) the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
C) the long-term condition of the atmosphere.
D) a reference to temperature patterns only.

Question 7

As regards average annual precipitation, which of the following is correct?

A) The highest amounts occur throughout subtropical latitudes.
B) The drier regions are associated with the $\underline { \text { eastern } }$ portions of major landmasses.
C) The precipitation tends to increase with latitude toward the poles.
D) The highest average values occur along the equator.

Question 8

La Niña

A) is usually stronger than El Niño.
B) occurs more frequently than El Niño.
C) usually creates the opposite conditions of El Niño, and in about the same strength.
D) requires temperatures in the eastern Pacific to be below normal.

Question 9

An $\underline {\text { empirical } }$ classification is based on, among other factors, ________.

A) the interaction of air masses
B) the origin or genesis of the climate
C) the mean annual temperature and precipitation of an area
D) causative factors

Question 10

A $\underline {\text { genetic }}$ classification system can be based on, among other factors, ________.

A) the interaction of air masses
B) statistics or other data used to determine general categories
C) mean annual temperature
D) mean annual precipitation

Question 11

Based on principles discussed earlier in the course, you know that if Earth's axial tilt were to decrease from 23.5 degrees to 21.5 degrees

A) winters would become colder.
B) summers would become hotter.
C) seasonal temperatures would become less extreme.
D) temperatures would not change at all from season to season.

Question 12

Based on principles discussed earlier in the course, you know that the annual temperature range of places located in the interior of a continent is ________ those located along the coast at the same latitude.

A) greater than
B) less than
C) the same as

Question 13

In which of the following areas would the $\underline { \text { least } }$ amount of precipitation occur?

A) in areas affected by maritime air masses
B) along windward coasts
C) in low-pressure regions
D) on the leeward side of a mountain range in the interior of a continent

Question 14

Based on principles discussed earlier in the course, you know that as distance from the equator increases, seasonal variation in temperature tends to

A) increase.
B) decrease.
C) remain constant.

Question 15

"Cold and dry" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristic of

A) subtropical latitudes.
B) humid continental climates that have mild summers.
C) polar climates.
D) taiga regions that have cool summers.

Question 16

The ancient Greeks thought that the ________ zone was the best to live in.

A) torrid
B) temperate
C) frigid

Question 17

"Hot and wet" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristic of

A) rain forests in the equatorial tropics.
B) humid continental climates that have mild summers.
C) highland climates.
D) cold steppe climates.

Question 18

Which of the following lists the correct, generalized sequence of climates from the poles to the equator?

A) Highland → Microthermal → Mesothermal → Dry, Arid, and Semiarid→ Tropical
B) Highland → Dry, Arid, and Semiarid → Mesothermal → Microthermal → Polar
C) Tropical → Mesothermal → Dry, Arid, and Semiarid → Microthermal → Polar
D) Polar → Microthermal → Mesothermal → Dry, Arid, and Semiarid → Tropical
E) Polar → Dry, Arid, and Semiarid → Mesothermal → Microthermal → Tropical

Question 19

The events associated with the 1997-1998 ENSO

A) did more than $80 billion in damages worldwide.
B) killed at least 30,000 people.
C) displaced 300 million people.
D) all of the above

Question 20

Based on principles discussed earlier in the course, you know that areas dominated by maritime air masses will be relatively ________, and that those dominated by cT air masses will be relatively ________.

A) wet; wet
B) wet; dry
C) dry; wet
D) dry; dry

Question 21

Which climatic region contains and feeds the greatest number of people in the world?

A) Tropical Rain Forest
B) Tropical Savanna
C) Mesothermal
D) Microthermal

Question 22

The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when

A) cold air masses dominate the region.
B) the ITCZ is not overhead.
C) the ITCZ is overhead.
D) cold ocean currents shift into the region.

Question 23

The bulk of the Amazon River drainage basin is dominated by which one of the following climate classifications?

A) Tropical Monsoon
B) Tropical Savanna
C) Tropical Rain Forest
D) Humid Subtropical, Hot Summer Climates, Moist All Year

Question 24

Los Angeles, located in a Mediterranean climate zone, is kept ________ during the summer because of the presence of ________.

A) dry; mountains along the western side of the city
B) dry; the cold California current off the coast
C) wet; the ITCZ overhead
D) wet; the warm California current off the coast

Question 25

Which of the following is false regarding Marine West Coast climates?

A) They are dominated by mP air masses.
B) The air masses in this region are unstable.
C) These climates experience very cold winters because of their high latitude (about 45 degrees to 55 degrees north).
D) The weather is quite unpredictable.

Question 26

The Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. is a moist environment because of

A) the effect of maritime air masses.
B) the presence of mountains.
C) the predominant direction the winds blow at that latitude (about 45 to 50 degrees north).
D) all of the above
E) A and B only

Question 27

The wet season monsoon of SE Asia occurs during the ________ season due to the presence of the ________ over the continent.

A) winter; subtropical high
B) winter; ITCZ
C) summer; subtropical high
D) summer; ITCZ

Question 28

The Tropical Savanna climate has

A) the ITCZ in summer and the subtropical high in winter.
B) the polar front in winter and the subtropical high in summer.
C) the ITCZ all year-round.
D) the polar front all year-round.

Question 29

Which type of vegetation grows in the Mediterranean climate?

A) taiga
B) chaparral
C) rain forest
D) boreal forest

Question 30

In terms of total land and ocean area, which of the following climate classifications is the most extensive at 36 percent percent of Earth's surface?

A) Tropical climates
B) Dry, Arid, and Semiarid climates
C) Mesothermal climates
D) Microthermal climates

Question 31

The tropical rain-forest climate receives most of its rainfall as a result of ________.

A) frontal uplift
B) orographic uplift
C) convectional uplift

Question 32

Atlanta, Georgia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Nagasaki, Japan all share long hot summers, year round rainfall, and the following climate classification.

A) Humid Continental, Hot Summer
B) Humid Subtropical, Hot Summer, Moist All Year
C) Mediterranean
D) Midlatitude Cold Steppe

Question 33

Which of the following is false regarding the tropical rain-forest climate?

A) It is influenced by the ITCZ year-round.
B) It does not experience a winter season.
C) The annual temperature range is larger than the daily temperature range.
D) Thunderstorms occur almost daily.

Question 34

Which of the following is false regarding the Mediterranean climate classification?

A) Summers are hot.
B) 70 percent of the precipitation occurs in the winter months.
C) It is also called the Midlatitude Hot Steppe climate.
D) The bulk of precipitation occurs in the winter months.

Question 35

The largest percentage of Earth's population lives within the

A) Tropical climates.
B) Dry, Arid, and Semiarid climates.
C) Mesothermal climates.
D) Microthermal climates.

Question 36

Which of the following is false regarding the tropical rain-forest ecosystem?

A) The soils are nutrient-poor.
B) Very little light reaches the forest floor.
C) Organic matter decomposes very rapidly.
D) Low-growing vegetation is dense on the forest floor.

Question 37

Which of the following is true of microthermal climates?

A) They have a small seasonal temperature range, hence the term microthermal.
B) Because of the latitude at which they occur, these climates occupy the largest land area of any climate.
C) In the Southern Hemisphere, these climates develop only in highland regions.
D) All of the subtypes of this climate have a uniform annual precipitation regime.

Question 38

Mediterranean dry-summer climates

A) experience dry conditions in summer due to the subtropical high overhead.
B) experience wet conditions in winter due to the ITCZ overhead.
C) are bordered poleward by steppe climates.
D) experience wet conditions in summer due to the ITCZ overhead.

Question 39

Which of the following is false regarding the Humid Continental, Hot Summer climate region?

A) It has mild winters.
B) Most of the precipitation occurs in summer.
C) It is influenced by maritime air masses in summer.
D) It is one of the regions that experiences significant frontal activity because of the interaction of conflicting air masses in winter.
E) It is dominated by cP air masses in winter.

Question 40

The humid subtropical climate receives ________ precipitation during the summer and ________ precipitation in winter.

A) convectional; frontal
B) frontal; convectional
C) orographic; frontal
D) convectional; ITCZ

Question 41

According to global climate change predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), temperatures by the year AD 2100 will be

A) from 1.1C (2.0F) to 6.4C (11.5F) degrees higher.
B) about the same as the 1950 to 1980 period.
C) 4.5C degrees lower than the 1950 to 1980 period.
D) warmer-and by the same amount at the equator as in the polar regions.

Question 42

Global climate change

A) has been dominated by global warming.
B) includes shifting climate zones.
C) is linked to rising sea levels.
D) is evidenced by melting glaciers worldwide.
E) all of the above

Question 43

Which of the following is false regarding tundra climates?

A) They are a type of Polar climate.
B) There is no true summer in this region.
C) Precipitation is in excess of a very small potential evapotranspiration.
D) The land is under continuous snow cover from 8 to 10 months.
E) Spruce, fir and larch trees survive in this climate zone.

Question 44

Many of the desert regions of the southwestern U.S. have developed as a result of

A) their interior position within the continent.
B) the presence of mountains to the west of their location.
C) their location within a low-pressure zone.
D) all of the above
E) A and B only

Question 45

If precipitation is more than 1/2 of the potential evapotranspiration, but not equal to it, the climate is

A) Tropical Savanna.
B) Desert.
C) Mediterranean.
D) Steppe.

Question 46

Greenhouse gases act to ________ temperatures by ________ thermal infrared radiation.

A) increase; trapping
B) increase; reflecting
C) decrease; blocking
D) decrease; trapping

Question 47

Which climate is characterized by the largest change in monthly average temperatures, i.e., the greatest change in temperatures from one month to the next?

A) boreal forest
B) tundra
C) ice cap
D) dry-midlatitude

Question 48

Which of the following is not related to the 98th meridian in the United States?

A) It corresponds closely to the 51 cm (20 in) isohyet of mean annual precipitation.
B) Tall grass prairies occur to the east of it, and short grass prairies to the west.
C) The area bordering this meridian was originally dominated by native grasses growing in a deep-sod cover.
D) The land is drier to the east of the meridian, and wetter to the west.
E) Corn, wheat, and soybean production occur in this area.

Question 49

The coldest climate on Earth, outside of either polar region, is the

A) Humid Subtropical Hot to Warm Summer, Dry Winter.
B) Humid Continental Warm Summer.
C) Ice Cap and Ice Sheet.
D) Subarctic.

Question 50

In which climate region does corn, soybean, hog and cattle production dominate?

A) Mediterranean
B) Tropical Monsoon
C) Humid Continental Warm Summer
D) Low-Latitude Hot Steppe
E) Humid Subtropical Hot Summer

Question 51

If precipitation is $\underline {\text { less than }}$ 1/2 potential evapotranspiration, the climate is

A) tropical rain forest.
B) desert.
C) tropical savanna.
D) steppe.

Question 52

The most extensive climate types over land, dominating 35 percent of Earth's land area, are ________ climates.

A) tropical
B) dry arid and semiarid
C) mesothermal
D) microthermal

Question 53

Which is false regarding global warming?

A) There is a surprising lack of correlation between CO₂ levels and temperatures.
B) The last two decades have been the warmest ever recorded.
C) The warmest year ever recorded was 2005, followed by 2007, and 1998.
D) The rate at which global temperatures are rising is higher than anywhere else in the entire measured temperature record.
E) Earth is warmer than any time in the last 120,000 years.

Question 54

Duluth, Minnesota, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia are within which climate classification?

A) Humid Continental Warm Summer
B) Marine West Coast Climate
C) Tundra Climate
D) Humid Subtropical Hot to Warm Summer, Dry Winter

Question 55

Which of the following is true of an Ice Cap and Ice Sheet climate?

A) Its warmest month averages above 10 degrees C (50 degrees F).
B) It is generally called the tundra.
C) Its warmest month averages below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F).
D) Its warmest month averages above 0 degrees C (32 degrees F).

Question 56

Potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation in all parts of which climate type?

A) tropical savanna
B) Mediterranean
C) all dry, arid, and semiarid climates
D) polar

Question 57

The moderating effects of the ocean on nearby polar climates is reflected in the

A) Tundra climate classification.
B) Ice Cap and Ice Sheet climate classification.
C) Subarctic climate classification.
D) Polar Marine climate classification.

Question 58

Which type of plants grow in desert climates?

A) taiga
B) boreal forests
C) xerophytic
D) chaparral

Question 59

The Low-Latitude Hot Desert climates occur

A) in the tropics and subtropics.
B) in midlatitude rainshadow positions.
C) in polar regions.
D) along the midlatitude, west coasts of continents.

Question 60

Bluefield, West Virginia is within which climate classification?

A) Marine West Coast
B) Humid Subtropical Hot Summer, Moist All Year
C) Highland
D) Humid Continental Hot Summer

Question 61

Which is false regarding the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports?

A) They state that global temperatures are expected to continue to rise under all climate models.
B) They show the lack of scientific agreement about whether the climate is changing.
C) They state that glacial ice is melting worldwide, and river and lake ice is melting sooner in the spring.
D) They include new and stronger evidence that most of global warming is human caused.
E) The Fourth Assessment Report was authored by 450 lead authors, 800 contributing authors, and 2500 scientific expert reviewers.

Question 62

The gas that is thought to be responsible for more than half of the anthropogenic warming of the atmosphere is

A) methane.
B) water vapor.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) CFCs.

Question 63

Which of the following is true regarding the concentration of CO₂ in the lower atmosphere?

A) It is higher than any time in the last 800,000 years.
B) It has stabilized.
C) It is presently at 350 ppm.
D) It is unrelated to the replacement rate for harvested and cleared forests.

Question 64

Which of the following is a predicted consequence of the greenhouse effect?

A) flooding of low-lying coastal areas
B) spread of tropical diseases to regions now unaffected by them
C) change in species composition of forest ecosystems
D) change in international trade relationships-especially those pertaining to food
E) all of the above

Question 65

Which of these statements is/are true regarding carbon dioxide?

A) CO₂ levels are now 33% higher than before the Industrial Revolution.
B) The total amount is greater than any time in the last 800,000 years.
C) The rate of increase is increasing.
D) The U.S. produced 24% of global carbon dioxide.
E) They are all true.

Question 66

The warmest years in the history of weather instruments were

A) recorded during the period 1910 to 1921.
B) recorded during the last two decades.
C) observed in the 1880s and 1890s.
D) recorded in the first half of this century.

Question 67

General circulation models (GCMs) of the atmosphere

A) produce very specific results as to time and place.
B) are now in operation at over a dozen places in the United States.
C) are based on statistical three-dimensional boxes that characterize portions of the atmosphere and ocean in terms of climate-related variables.
D) are essentially unrelated to mathematical models originally established for forecasting weather.

Question 68

Which of the following is $\underline {\text { not } }$ a consequence of a potential global warming over the next century?

A) Poleward climate region shift of 150-550 km (90 -350 mi.).
B) An average of 30% of forests will undergo major species shifts.
C) Tropical diseases will spread to the subtropics and midlatitudes.
D) High latitude ice fields will gradual increase in thickness and area.
E) Sea level rise of .18-.59 m (7.1-23.2 in.).

Question 69

Which of the following is false regarding carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

A) The present concentration is higher than any time in the last 800,000 years.
B) It is a radiatively active gas.
C) It is the only greenhouse gas.
D) The rate of increase is increasing.

Question 70

Greenhouse gasses act to increase temperatures by absorbing and releasing

A) shortwave energy travelling from Earth into space.
B) shortwave energy from entering Earth's energy system.
C) longwave energy travelling from Earth into space.
D) longwave energy from entering Earth's energy system.

Question 71

Which of the following is false relative to a rise in sea level?

A) About 25 percent of the rising level is due to thermal expansion.
B) Concern is focused on the contribution from the melting of already floating ice.
C) The largest contributor to the sea level rise is the melting of ice on land.
D) Sea level has risen an estimated 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) this century.

Question 72

Climatic regions are characterized by distinctive weather patterns.

Question 73

The climate of an area can be classified in different ways depending upon the criteria used to define it.

Question 74

Which is false regarding the Kyoto protocol?

A) Canada, the European Union, and Australia have promised to cut carbon emissions by 6% - 8%.
B) European carbon emissions could be reduced to less than half the 1990 levels with a negative cost.
C) The U.S. could reach the Kyoto carbon reduction goals and save $7 to $34 billion.
D) The U.S. National Research Council shares President Bush's feeling that "the science is 'incomplete' on global climate change."
E) It calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 5.2% lower than 1990 levels.

Question 75

Climates are usually stable over several human generations, but usually change over longer time periods (thousands to millions of years).

Question 76

Which of these statements is/are true regarding carbon dioxide?

A) CO₂ levels are now 31% higher than before the Industrial Revolution.
B) The rate of increase is greater than any time in the last 20,000 years, while the total amount is greater than any time in the last 420,000 years.
C) It is responsible for 64% of global warming.
D) Global emissions in 2000 were 400% greater than in 1950, and the U.S. produced 24% of that total.
E) They are all true.

Question 77

Climate change over the next 50 years may be greater than that experienced during the last 18,000 years, i.e., since the peak of the last ice age.

Question 78

The condition of the atmosphere at any given time and place is called climate.

Question 79

Which of the following is false relative to a rise in sea level?

A) The rate of increase is increasing.
B) Concern is focused on the contribution from the melting of already floating ice.
C) The largest contributor to the sea level rise is the melting of ice on land.
D) Sea level rise of 1 m would displace 130 million people.

Question 80

Which of the following is false regarding the Kyoto protocol?

A) They agreed to a reduction of carbon dioxide and other radiatively active gas emissions.
B) There was a recognition that human activities are forcing a greenhouse warming.
C) The United States, as the largest single producer of excessive CO₂, signed the initial agreement.
D) The agreement recognized the importance of governmental policies on energy conservation and fossil fuel use patterns.