APES 4.5-4.9 Quiz

Which of the following is a biome found at 30° N and 30° S as seen in the diagram?

Desert

True or False. The intensity of sunlight is greatest when it is shining indirectly on a particular region of the Earth.

False

What is the "ITCZ?" Where is it located and explain why it is not a fixed position.

ITCZ is the intertropical convergence zone. The ITCZ is located between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees south. It is not a fixed position because of Earth's tilt.

Under normal conditions, warm water builds up on the surface near

Southeast Asia and Australia

These winds occur between 30oS and the equator. They blow towards the northwest

Southeast trade winds

Which of the following correctly describes the season and length of day at the Tropic of Cancer at the time of year shown in the diagram?

The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it is winter at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is less than twelve hours per day.

The axis of Earth in relation to the Sun is tilted at a 23.5 degree slant, as illustrated in the diagram below. Use the diagram below to answer the next three questions. If the diagram illustrates Earth's relative position on December 21 of a given year, which of the following statements would be correct?

The Tropic of Cancer has a shorter day and lower solar radiation intensity because there is a direct relationship between day length and radiation intensity.

The axis of Earth in relation to the Sun is tilted at a 23.5 degree slant, as illustrated in the diagram below. Use the diagram below to answer the next three questions. Which of the following areas receives the most intense solar radiation at the time of year shown in the diagram, and why?

The Tropic of Capricorn, because this latitude is nearly horizontal to incoming solar radiation.

List several differences between the northern and southern hemisphere during the summer and winter solstices. Use the diagram in your notes to help you.

The differences between the northern and southern hemisphere during the summer and winter solstices is that during the winter solstice the northern hemisphere experiences the longest day of the year, while the southern hemisphere experiences the shortest day of the year. This is also the time when summer begins in the northern hemisphere and winter begins in the southern hemisphere. During the winter solstices the northern hemisphere experiences the shortest day of the year, while the southern hemisphere experinces the longest day of the year. This is also when winter begins in the northern hemisphere and summer begins in the southern hemisphere.

Contrast the difference in trade wind strength during La Nina vs. El Nino.

The trade wind strength during La Nina becomes much stronger, resulting in wetter conditions in Australia and dryer conditions in South America. In contrast, the trade wind strength during El Nino is much weaker, causing dry conditions is Australia and wet conditions in South America.

Using your notes, list three greenhouse gases that make up our atmosphere. List some of the anthropogenic sources of each of these gases.

Three greenhouse gases that make up our atmosphere include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Anthropogenic sources of CO2 are burning fossil fuels and deforesation, anthropogenic sources of CH4 are natural gas leaks and raising livestock, and finally anthropogenic sourves of N2O are excess fertilizer production and burning fossil fuels.

Which of the following causes the air to rise high into the atmosphere in the areas labeled A, B, and C on the diagram?

Warm, moist air that is less dense than the surrounding air

Most of the breathable oxygen gas in the atmosphere is found in which layer?

troposphere

Most deserts on Earth are located near the 30° north and 30° south latitudes because humidity is lower at 30°. The best explanation for the lower humidity is that

warm air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks at 30° latitude

These winds occur between 30oN/S and 60oN/S and blow towards the east.

westerlies

The northern hemisphere is always angled toward the sun.

False

True or False The Earth's orbit is a perfect circle.

False

True or False. During El Nino years, global temperatures tend to decrease.

False

True or False. The closeness to the sun is what causes the seasons.

False

Between what latitudes can Hadley cells be found?

30 degrees N and S

Which latitude shown on the diagram above experiences 24 hours of daylight on December 21?

E

The following question(s) refer to the data table below that shows the annual anchovy (fish) catch and average sea surface temperature off the coast of Peru from 1995 through 2001.

El Nino

From your notes, list the five processes that influence global climate.

Five processes that influence global climate are earth's orbit around the sun on a tilted axis, unequal heating of the earth by the sun, atmospheric convection currents, the rotation of the earth, and ocean currents.

What are "gyres?" Contrast the direction of gyres in the northern hemisphere vs. the southern hemisphere.

Gyres are large scale patterns of water circulation. The direction of gyres in the northern hemisphere is clockwise, while the direction of gyres in the southern hemisphere is counterclockwise.

During _________ the trade winds strength is at its maximum.

La Nina

These winds occur between 30oN and the equator. They blow towards the southwest.

Northwest trade winds

These winds originate at the poles and blow westward toward 60oN or S.

Polar easterlies

Which of the following is the source of energy driving the circulation pattern labeled C in the diagram?

Solar radiation

From your notes, define "saturation point." Briefly describe what happens to the saturation point as temperature drops.

Saturation point is the maximum amount of water vapor that can be in the air at a given temperature. As the temperature drops, the saturation point decreases, and that is when precipitation occurs.

During an El Niño-Southern Oscillation event, which of the following best describes conditions in the eastern part of the tropical Pacific Ocean (e.g., near Peru and Ecuador)?

Sea Surface Temperature Rainfall High High

Based on the diagram, which of the following identifies a characteristic of the atmosphere between the stratopause and the tropopause?

The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

Which of the following best explains why City B regularly receives less precipitation than City A?

The rain shadow effect causes City B to be drier because the mountain blocks precipitation from reaching the city.

Contrast the terms "weather" and "climate."

The terms weather and climate are different as weather is the current state of the atmosphere, while climate is the average weather that occurs over a long period of time. Weather also cannot be predicted more than a few days into the future, while climate can be.

Contrast the windward and leeward sides of a rain shadow. Explain what causes the differences.

The windward side of a rain shadow is wet, humid, and cool. In comparison, the leeward side of a rain shadow is dry and hot. This difference is caused by the wind that goes over the top of a mountain range. Warmer wind from the ocean goes over the top of the mountain range, becoming cooler. Then, the cool wind goes down the mountain range and becomes warmer in the leeward side of a rain shadow.

From your notes, list the three factors that influence the unequal distribution of heat around the Earth?

Three factors that influence the unequal distribution of heat around the Earth are earth's tilt, the surface area in which sunlight is distributed, and the reflection of solar energy.

Under normal conditions, cold, nutrient rich water from deeper ocean regions moves towards the surface near central and South America. This is known as...

an upwelling

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is

nitrogen

The atmospheric region that has the lowest atmospheric pressure.

not troposphere

The following question(s) refer to the data table below that shows the annual anchovy catch and average sea surface temperature off the coast of Peru from 1995 through 2001.

reduced ocean upwelling along the coast

The atmospheric region where the protective ozone layer is located

stratosphere

All of the weather that we experience on Earth occurs in which layer?

troposphere

Based on the data in the diagrams, in which layer of the atmosphere would short wave radio signals be reflected?

thermosphere

Under normal conditions, what winds typically blow from east to west along the equator?

trade winds