Climatology Final Study Guide

Match the following molecule symbols to the greenhouse gas 102. __ CO2 103. __ CH4 104. __ N2O 105. __ CFCl 106. __ CO A. Carbon Monoxide B. Carbon Dioxide C. Methane D. Nitrous Oxide E. Chlorofluorocarbon

102. _B_ CO2 103. _C_ CH4 104. _D_ N2O 105. _E_ CFCl 106. _A_ CO

Match each "sphere" to its description. 3. __ Atmosphere 4. __ Lithosphere 5. __ Cryosphere 6. __ Biosphere 7. __ Hydrosphere A. The region comprising frozen water in all its forms B. The part of the system that is covered by liquid water C. The thin gaseous layer surrounding Earth's surface D. The zone that corresponds most closely to where people live E. The part of the solid Earth nearest to the surface

3. _C_ Atmosphere 4. _E_ Lithosphere 5. _A_ Cryosphere 6. _D_ Biosphere 7. _B_ Hydrosphere

36. __ K↓ 37. __ K↑ 38. __ L↓ 39. __ L↑ 40. __ Q* 41. __ QE 42. __ QG 43. __ QH A. Radiant energy from the Sun to Earth C. Emitted from the atmosphere, also known as counter-radiation B. Represents net flux of latent heat D. Represents net flux of sensible heat E. Net radiation flux F. Reflected from the Earth's surface G. The only conductive flux in the list H. Emitted by Earth to the atmosphere or space

36. _A_ K↓ 37. _F_ K↑ 38. _C_ L↓ 39. _H_ L↑ 40. _E_ Q* 41. _B_ QE 42. _G_ QG 43. _D_ QH

Match the climate classifications to the following cities: 52. __ Atlanta, GA 53. ___ Chicago, IL 54. ____ Phoenix, AZ 55. ____ Fargo, ND 56. ____ Miami, FL Choices: BWh, Cfa, Dfa, Dfb, Aw

52. _Cfa_ Atlanta, GA 53. __Dfa_ Chicago, IL 54. __BWh__ Phoenix, AZ 55. __Dfb__ Fargo, ND 56. __Aw__ Miami, FL

Match each property to its description. 8. __ Normals 9. __ Frequencies 10. __ Extremes A. Average weather conditions at a place B. Used to describe the maximum and minimum expected measurements of atmospheric variables C. The rate of incidence of a particular phenomenon at a particular place over a long period of time

8. _A_ Normals 9. _C_ Frequencies 10. _B_ Extremes

Identify with of the three Milankovich Cycle factors are depicted in the following figures:

93. _the eccentricity of the Earth's Orbit changes over time _ 94. _variation in tilt of the Earth's axis_ 95. _the precision, or wobble, of Earth on its axis_

When was the period known as the Little Ice Age? A. 1450-1850 B. 1200-1550 C. 1350-1700 D. 1650-1850

A. 1450-1850

65. Which of the following climatic types is not found in the middle latitudes? A. Af B. Df C. Cf D. Dw E. Cw

A. Af

Which of the following is used to define the climate classification for Baton Rouge, which is marked by hot summers (average temperature in the warmest month is > 72 F), mild winters (average temperature in the coolest month is between 32 F and 64 F), and consistent rainfall throughout the year? _____ A. Cfa B. Cfb C. Cfc D. Cwa

A. Cfa

Sulfur dioxide and atmospheric aerosols of volcanic origin injected into the stratosphere can trigger net surface ___________. A. Cooling B. Warming C. Divergence

A. Cooling

During normal Walker circulation conditions, ______ pressure is located over South America. A. High B. Low C. Ambiguous

A. High

A seasonal reversal of wind occurring because of a see-saw in atmospheric pressure centers is termed a(n) ______. A. Monsoon B. Gyres C. Subtropical cold fronts D. ET climate

A. Monsoon

The climate of coastal Greenland (very dry and very cold) is most completely described using which combination of letters according to the Köppen Climatic Classification System? _____ A. Awh B. ET C. BSk D. Cfa

B. ET

The prime meridian runs through which city? ____ A. Washington, DC B. Greenwich, England C. Paris, France D. Tokyo, Japan E. Honolulu, Hawaii

B. Greenwich, England

Examining isotopes to date ancient objects is called: A. speed dating B. radiometric dating C. land form dating D. ENSO dating

B. radiometric dating

Active and inactive sunspot periods are separated by approximately: A. 200 years B. 500 years C. 11 years D. 1 year

C. 11 years

Scientific evidence suggests that the Earth is how old? A. 56 million years B. 100 billion years C. 4.6 billion years D. 400 million years E. 32.8 billion years

C. 4.6 billion years

What is the approximate concentration of CO2 in the current atmosphere? A. 1000 ppm B. 300 ppm C. 400 ppm D. 600 ppm

C. 400 ppm

Climatic normals are typically calculated over a ______ year period. A. 1 Year B. 3 Year C. 5 Year D. 30 Year

D. 30 Year

Which of the following is considered a secondary pollutant? A. Acid rain B. Photochemical smog C. Industrial smog D. All of these are correct.

D. All of these are correct

The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is A. carbon dioxide. B. oxygen. C. ozone. D. nitrogen.

D. Nitrogen

The last three decades are the warmest on record over the past: A. 50 years B. 500 years C. 1000 years D. 1400 years E. All of the above are technically true but D is the best answer.

E. All of the above are technically true but D is the best answer

The amount of force applied to a given surface area is known as ____. A. density. B. volume. C. specific heat. D. sensible energy. E. pressure.

E. Pressure

In which atmospheric layer does most of our weather occur? ____ A. Stratosphere B. Mesosphere D. Biosphere E. Troposphere

E. Troposphere

Which of the following are sinks of atmospheric CO2? A. Sedimentary rock B. Oceans C. Soils D. Vegetation E. All of these

E. all of these

Match the primary climate classification code to the correct primary climate classification type: ___ Mesothermal ___ Arid ___ Tropical ___ Microthermal ___ Polar Choices: A, B, C, D, E, Highland

__C_ Mesothermal __B_ Arid __A_ Tropical __D_ Microthermal __E_ Polar

Match the greenhouse gas with its description. 107. __ Carbon dioxide 108. __ Carbon monoxide 109. __ Fluorocarbons 110. __ Methane 111. __ Nitrous oxide 112. __ Water vapor A. Can influence chemical cycles in the atmosphere that affect the concentrations of other greenhouse gases. B. Released to the atmosphere primarily through anaerobic decomposition C. The most abundant greenhouse gas D. The second most abundant greenhouse gas E. A non-natural, minor greenhouse gas that is miniscule in concentration and released to the atmosphere primarily through the combustion of fossil fuels and industrial and agricultural activities. F. Miniscule in concentration but extremely efficient absorbers of terrestrial energy and emitted to the atmosphere by industrial activities

107. _D_ Carbon dioxide 108. _A_ Carbon monoxide 109. _F_ Fluorocarbons 110. _B_ Methane 111. _E_ Nitrous oxide 112. _C_ Water vapor

Match the primary pollutant with its description. 126. __ Sulfur dioxide 127. __ Carbon monoxide 128. __ PM10 129. __ PM2.5 130. __ Lead 131. __ Nitrogen oxides A. Tends to destroy plant hormones, stunting growth and reducing reproduction rates B. Erodes objects that come in contact with it, such as building stone, tombstones, and lungs C. Also known as "fine particles" D. Particulates of larger diameters E. Can cause numerous brain and neurological disorders known as plumbism and has been known to harm fish and wildlife F. May hinder the ability of hemoglobin to deliver oxygen to body organs and tissues

126. _A_ Sulfur dioxide 127. _F_ Carbon monoxide 128. _D_ PM10 129. _C_ PM2.5 130. _E_ Lead 131. _B_ Nitrogen oxides

Match the following climate controls with their descriptions below: 24. __ Continentality 25. __ Latitude 26. __ Earth-Sun relationships 27. __ Circulation 28. __ Topography A. Angle north or south of the equator. B. Distance from large bodies of water. C. Comprises properties of Earth's orbit and the relationship to seasons. D. General flow from high to low pressure. E. Elevation, surface roughness, and other influences of landforms.

24. _B_ Continentality 25. _A_ Latitude 26. _C_ Earth-Sun relationships 27. _D_ Circulation 28. _E_ Topography

Match the following tropical climate descriptions with their codes: __ Warm all year with little change from month to month, equal lengths of dry and wet seasons __ Warm all year with little change from month to month, short dry season and longer wet season __ Warm all year with little change from month to month, wet all year Choices: Af, Am, Aw

48. _Aw_ Warm all year with little change from month to month, equal lengths of dry and wet seasons 49. _Am_ Warm all year with little change from month to month, short dry season and longer wet season 50. _Af_ Warm all year with little change from month to month, wet all year

Match the following air mass descriptions with their air mass code (NOT a climate classification code): 59. ____ cool, ocean air 60. __ cool, continental air 61. ____ warm, ocean air 62. ____ warm, continental air 63. ____ tropical air 64. ____ very cold, very dry air Choices: cP, cT, A, mP, mT, E

59. __mP__ cool, ocean air 60. _cT_ cool, continental air 61. __mT__ warm, ocean air 62. __cT__ warm, continental air 63. __E__ tropical air 64. __A__ very cold, very dry air

Match the name of the period with its time frame. 76. __ Precambrian 77. __ Phanerozoic 78. __ Cenozoic 79. __ Quaternary 80. __ Pleistocene 81. __ Holocene A. 540 million years ago to present B. 4.6 billion years ago to 540 million years ago C. 1.8 million years ago to 10,000 years ago D. 10,000 years ago to present E. 66 million years ago to present F. 1.8 million years ago to present

76. _B_ Precambrian 77. _A_ Phanerozoic 78. _E_ Cenozoic 79. _F_ Quaternary 80. _C_ Pleistocene 81. _D_ Holocene

Match the example of climatic variability with the best variability type discussed in class. You can use the same type more than once. 85. __ Glacials and Interglacials 86. __ Cooling after the Eocene 55 million years ago 87. __ ENSO 88. __ Sunspot forcing 89. __ Volcanic forcing 90. __ Global warming 91. __ Fast warming that occurs at the end of a glacial period A. Random B. Periodic C. Temporal Trend D. Step Change

85. _B_ Glacials and Interglacials 86. _C_ Cooling after the Eocene 55 million years ago 87. _B_ ENSO 88. _B_ Sunspot forcing 89. _A_ Volcanic forcing 90. _C_ Global warming 91. _D_ Fast warming that occurs at the end of a glacial period

Match the field of study to the following past climate proxies: 98. __ Fossils 99. __ Pollen / Spores 100. __ Tree Rings A. Palynology B. Paleontology C. Dendroclimatology

98. _B_ Fossils 99. _A_ Pollen / Spores 100. _C_ Tree Rings

A source of atmospheric CO2 will ____ it into the atmosphere, whereas a sink of atmospheric CO2 will ___ from the atmosphere. _____ A. introduce, remove B. remove, introduce C. remove, remove D. introduce, introduce

A. Introduce, remove

Which of the following is not considered a variable gas within Earth's atmosphere? ____ A. Nitrogen B. Water vapor C. Carbon dioxide D. Ozone E. Methane

A. Nitrogen

Air begins to move due to which force? _____ A. Pressure gradient force B. Coriolis effect C. Centrifugal force D. Friction E. Hydrostatic equilibrium

A. Pressure gradient force

Which of the following substances has the highest specific heat? ____ A. Water B. Saturated air C. Mercury D. Dry air E. Sand

A. Water

The main purpose of climate classification is to simplify complex processes by _____: A. maximizing within-group variability of variables while minimizing between-group variability B. minimizing within-group variability of variables while maximizing between-group variability C. minimizing within-group variability of variables while minimizing between-group variability D. maximizing within-group variability of variables while maximizing between-group variability

A. maximizing within-group variability of variables while minimizing between-group variability

Lee cyclogenesis is a process associated with an area downwind of mountain ranges in the midlatitudes where _____ cyclones develop than usual: A. more B. less C. the same amount of

A. more

According to the book, Louisiana ranks #____ in the nation for combined coal, petroleum, and natural gas emissions per capita. A. 10 B. 2 C. 50 D. 25

B. 2

What is the approximate pre-industrial concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere? A. 1000 ppm B. 300 ppm C. 400 ppm D. 600 ppm

B. 300 ppm

Which of the following is true during a La Niña event? A. The trade winds cease. B. Cold water upwelling near the Americas increases. C. High pressure is strong off the coast of Australia. D. The Pacific coastline of South America receives excess precipitation. E. The Walker circulation becomes abnormally weak.

B. Cold water upwelling near the Americas increases

During a temperature inversion, the environmental lapse rate is ________. A. positive. B. negative. C. strongly positive.

B. Negative

Of all the gases emitted by volcanoes, the one that produces the most significant climatic signal is A. carbon dioxide. B. sulfur dioxide. C. nitrous oxides. D. water vapor.

B. Sulfur Dioxide

Which of the following is false concerning Earth-Sun relationships? ____ A. The Earth's orbit is elliptically shaped. B. The Earth is tilted at an angle of 90 degrees. C. The Earth rotates about its axis once per 24 hours. D. The Earth's axis points in the same direction as it orbits the Sun.

B. The Earth is tilted at an angle of 90 degrees.

In the northern hemisphere, air flows _____ around a cyclone. A. clockwise B. counterclockwise C. left to right D. right to left

B. counterclockwise

Surface winds diverge out of a(n) ______ and converge into a(n) ______. A. low, high B. high, low

B. high, low

What type of variability would one consider global warming to be? A. random B. long-term C. periodic

B. long-term

Which of the following forces does not apply to winds in the free atmosphere (i.e., far above the surface)? ____ A. Centrifugal force B. Coriolis effect C. Friction D. Pressure gradient force

C. Friction

What range of wavelengths do both CO2 and H2O absorb? A. UV-Radiation (10 nm to 400 nm) B. Shortwave IR (750 nm to 4 μm) C. Longwave IR (4 μm - 15 μm) D. Microwaves (1 mm - 1 m)

C. Longwave IR (4 μm - 15 μm)

The continentality of the Asian continent in the summer leads to the _____. A. Siberian low. B. Icelandic low. C. Siberian high. D. Aleutian low.

C. Siberian high

Which of the following is not true of the three-cell atmospheric circulation model? _____ A. A low-pressure zone is located at the equator. B. A high-pressure zone is located at each pole. C. Surface winds in the midlatitudes of the northern hemisphere are called the midlatitude easterlies D. Air rising from the ITCZ eventually subsides around 30 N and S.

C. Surface winds in the midlatitudes of the northern hemisphere are called the midlatitude easterlies.

Which of the following regions has the highest potential evapotranspiration? A. Southern Africa B. Southern South America C. Western Sahara D. North American Great Lakes E. Northern Asia

C. Western Sahara

The largest net source of global methane emissions come from: A. Termites B. Landfills C. Wetlands D. Animals

C. Wetlands

The climate of interior portions of Asia are highly influenced by _____________. A. Sunsports B. Volcanic eruptions C. continentality D. lee cyclogenesis

C. continentality

Earth's planetary albedo is which of the following values? A. 75% B. 45% C. 25% D. 30% E. 10%

D. 30%

What is the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere projected to be in 2050? A. 1000 ppm B. 300 ppm C. 400 ppm D. 600 ppm

D. 600 ppm

When was the period known as the Medieval Warm Period? A. 100 - 500 B. 1950 - 2000 C. 1900 - 1950 D. 900 - 1300

D. 900-1300

Which of the following choices is not an example of a climate phenomenon? ____ A. Mean annual temperature range B. Record low and high temperatures C. Frequency of hurricane landfalls D. Afternoon downpour

D. Afternoon downpour

Which of the following is considered a primary pollutant? A. Sulfur Dioxide B. Carbon Monoxide C. Lead D. All of these are correct

D. All of these are correct

If a cyclone with a cold and warm front attached passed to the south of your location, which of the following would you experience? _____ A. The warm sector B. The cold front C. Southwesterly winds D. Easterly winds

D. Easterly winds

Isobars are ____. A. units of density. B. lines of equal temperature. C. a measure of kinetic energy. D. lines of equal pressure. E. units of force.

D. Lines of equal pressure

Which of the following is not a location where coastal upwelling is important? A. Off the coast of Baja California B. Off the coast of Venezuela C. Off the coast of Peru D. Off the coast of Japan E. Off the coast of Morocco

D. Off the coast of Japan

The Maunder Minimum is a period of low: A. ENSO activity B. Eccentricity C. Circulation D. sunspot activity

D. Sunspot activity

The dryness experienced on the leeward side of a mountain, after the moisture and precipitation is left on the windward side (more specific than the orographic effect), is known as the ______ effect. A. Coriolis B. Butterfly C. Milankovitch D. rain shadow

D. rain shadow

The boundary between mT air moving into cP or A air in the context of a midlatitude cyclone is known as the ____. A. geopotential height. B. outflow boundary. C. cold front. D. warm front.

D. warm front

True or False. Cities are generally cooler than the surrounding countryside.

False

True or false? Individual carbon dioxide molecules are more effective absorbers of radiation than methane molecules.

False

A balance between these two forces keeps our atmosphere in hydrostatic balance. ____ A. Evil and Good B. Soviet Russia and the West C. Coriolis and Pressure Gradient Force (PGF) D. Gravity and Pressure Gradient Force (PGF)

d. Gravity and Pressure Gradient Force (PGF)