ES Test #2

An air mass classified as maritime polar (mP) will most likely be... a. Moist and cold b. Dry and warm c. Moist and warm d. Dry and cold

A

An occluded front forms when... a. Two bodies of cold air collide, forcing the warm air between them to rise so that the latter is no longer in contact with the ground b. Cold, dense air pushes warmer, lower density air ahead of it such that the warmer air rises up and over the cold air c. Warm, lower density air pushes and overrides cold, dense air d. Cold arctic air penetrates into the continental interior and meets warm, humid air from the south such that the air masses move parallel to each other

A

For the following illustration of the Hydrologic Cycle, what do the yellow arrows represent? a. Evaporation b. Precipitation c. Infiltration d. Transpiration

A

The average rate at which ascending, water-saturated air cools by expansion is called the ______________. a. Moist adiabatic rate b. Normal lapse rate c. Dry adiabatic rate d. Environmental lapse rate

A

The climograph below most likely reflects a _________ climate. a. Subtropical hot desert b. Midlatitude cold desert c. Marine west coast d. Humid subtropical hot-summer

A

Which of the following statements about groundwater is FALSE? a. Groundwater only consists of subsurface water that occurs above the water table b. Groundwater occurs in the pore spaces of soil and sediment or narrow fractures in bedrock c. Groundwater is an important source of freshwater d. Groundwater can be contaminated by a variety of sources such as leaky septic tanks, landfill, and agricultural poisons

A

Climatologists attempt to predict future climate changes using __________ a. Carbon dioxide concentrations measured in ice cores dating back thousands of years b. Computer models known as General Circulation Models c. Measurements of oxygen isotopes in the fossil shells of deep-sea organisms d. Satellite images of current weather patterns

B

In order for an aquifer to be an artesian system and supply well-water to the surface without pumping, the aquifer must be _________ and ______________. a. Inclined/bounded above and below by permeable rocks b. Inclined/bounded above and below by aquicludes c. Flat/impermeable d. Permeable/occur above its pressure surface

B

In the water balance equation, actual evapotranspiration (ACTET) is equal to... a. Potential evapotranspiration (POTET) minus precipitation (PRECIP) b. Potential evapotranspiration (POTET) minus deficit (DEFIC) c. Surplus (SURPL) plus deficit (DEFIC) d. Surplus (SURPL) minus the change in soil-moisture storage (STRGE)

B

Strong thunderstorms, lightening and tornadoes are usually associated with... a. Stationary fronts b. Cumulonimbus clouds c. Stratus clouds d. Warm fronts

B

What happens to an air parcel that ascends from near the ground surface to higher altitudes? a. Air parcel expands and becomes warmer at higher altitudes b. Air parcel expands and cools at higher altitudes c. Air parcel is compressed and becomes warmer at higher altitudes d. Air parcel is compressed and becomes cooler at higher altitudes

B

What is the following illustration demonstrating? Answers: a. Adiabatic cooling b. Adiabatic heating c. Adiabatic disequilibrium d. Atmospheric advection

B

What percentage of water evaporated over land and water eventually ends up as precipitation? a. 25% b. 100% c. 50% d. 0%

B

Which of the following conditions results in a stable atmosphere? a. A rising air parcel has a lower adiabatic rate than the environmental lapse rate b. Rising air parcel has a higher adiabatic rate than the environmental lapse rate c. Rising air parcel is always warmer than the surrounding environment d. Environmental lapse rate greater than both the DAR and MAR

B

Which of the following is NOT associated with El Nino? a. Southeasterly trade winds diminish b. Increased upwelling of deep ocean water along the west coast of South America c. Fishing along the west coast of South America is poor d. Shallow equatorial currents cease flowing westward e. Warming of the equatorial Pacific

B

Which of the following tropical climates receives the LEAST amount of annual rainfall? a. Monsoon b. Savanna c. Rain forest d. All receive the same amount of annual rainfall

B

With regard to soil-moisture storage, what happens to excess moisture (known as gravitational water) that cannot be held in the soil? a. Excess moisture reacts with the soil to produce clay minerals b. Excess moisture percolates downward to the deeper groundwater zone c. All excess moisture eventually evaporates into the atmosphere d. All excess moisture is eventually utilized by plants

B

For the following figure of the water budget for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the blue curve represents precipitation, the orange curve potential evapotranspiration (POTET), and the green curve actual evapotranspiration (ACTET). During what time of year is the moisture deficit the greatest? a. January and December b. April and September c. June and July d. There is a moisture surplus, not deficit, every month of the year.

C

If groundwater was excessively pumped by wells over a long period of time, which of the following would most likely result? a. Hydrostatic pressure would increase as deeper water rose to fill shallower aquifers b. The water table would rise closer to the surface c. Land subsidence d. Porosity of the aquifer would increase as water in the pore spaces was replaced by air

C

The climograph below most likely reflects a ____________ climate. a. Tropical rain forest b. Tropical savanna c. Tropical monsoon d. Mediterranean

C

The figure below illustrates the formation of a _____________ Answers: a. Mid-latitude cyclone b. Hurricane c. Tornado/mesocyclone d. Derecho

C

The picture below is an example of ____________ clouds. a. Cirrus b. Nimbostratus c. Cumulus d. Cirrostratus

C

Valley fog forms when... a. Cool, dense air rises up the sides of a valley b. Warm, dry air settles in a valley c. Cool, dense air settles in a valley d. Warm, dry air rises up the sides of a valley

C

What is Relative Humidity? a. The temperature at which water vapor begins to condense b. Mass of water vapor per kilogram of dry air c. Mass of water vapor in air divided by the mass of water vapor that the air can hold d. The amount of pressure exerted by water vapor in the atmosphere

C

Which of the following has the highest porosity and would therefore make the best aquifer? a. Unfractured shale b. Silt c. Gravel d. Cemented sandstone

C

__________ is a measure of how readily groundwater flows through soil, sediment, and bedrock. a. Porosity b. Specific gravity c. Permeability d. Hydraulic gradient

C

A continental-arctic (cA) air mass that is very cold and dry would most-likely be characterized by a ___________ climate. a. Mediterranean b. Semiarid steppe c. Marine west coast d. Tundra

D

Most of the Gulf coastal region, including Houston, is characterized by a ____________ climate a. Tropical monsoon b. Humid continental c. Marine west coast d. Humid subtropical

D

The following computer models calculate future rates of global warming based on our continued use of _____________. a. Aerosols b. Groundwater c. Fertilizers d. Fossil fuels

D

What is potential evapotranspiration? a. Amount of water that would evaporate and transpire under dry (moisture deficient) conditions b. The measured outward movement of water molecules through small openings in the underside of leaves c. Net outward movement of water molecules away from land and plants as actually measured at a given location d. Amount of water that would evaporate and transpire under optimum (saturated) moisture conditions

D

What is the following figure showing? a. The warmer the air, the less water it can hold b. Daily temperature changes do not affect the amount of water that air can hold c. If the specific humidity remains constant, then rain is most likely at 3 PM in the afternoon d. The warmer the air, the lower the relative humidity

D

Where is most of the Freshwater on Earth stored? a. Streams and rivers b. Soil moisture c. Groundwater d. Ice and glaciers

D

Which of the following statements about groundwater is TRUE? a. Greater groundwater recharge will cause the water table to drop b. Lakes and swamps typically occur in areas high above the water table c. Wells are most producive when sunk into aquifers located above the water table d. Groundwater flows from areas of recharge to discharge

D

Which of the following statements regarding storm tracts is FALSE? a. Cyclonic storms and associated air masses move eastward across the North American continent b. Guided by the jet stream c. Strongest frontal activity occurs during the spring and are often associated with thunderstorms and tornadoes d. Average storm tracts shift northward into Canada during the winter and southward into the U.S. during the summer

D

With regard to the following illustration, at what stage is latent heat released and its value negative? a. Ice melts to form water b. Liquid water is vaporized into water vapor c. Water is heated from zero degrees to 100 degrees Celsius d. Water vapor condenses into liquid water

D

Which of the following statements is NOT one of the steps leading to hurricane formation? a. Slow-moving, easterly wave of low pressure within the trade wind belt moves westward across warm water of the Atlantic Ocean b. Moisture-laden air near the surface flows towards and upward along the easterly wave c. Divergence aloft acts like a chimney, pulling more moisture-laden air into the developing cyclone d. Condensation within the upward-flowing air releases latent heat that strengthens the system e. Strong wind aloft shears off the top of the developing cyclone f. Warm, humid air aloft spirals clockwise towards the developing eye and sinks within the eye of the storm

E

Most runoff on land occurs in the subsurface as groundwater. True False

False

The conditions below will result in clear skies and stagnant air. True False

False

Which of the following processes LEAST-LIKELY influence Earth's climate system? a. Biosphere b. Heat exchange between atmosphere and oceans c. Precipitation and evaporation d. Cloud cover e. Wind effects f. Ice and snow cover g. Groundwater flow

G

C

Monsoonal rains on the continent of India... a. Are heavy during both winter and summer b. Are heavy during both winter and summer every third year c. Are greatest during the summer d. Are greatest during the winter

D

Rising air along the ITCZ, once aloft, moves towards the poles because of... a. Earth's rotation b. Earth's magnetic field c. Gravitational pull by the moon on Earth's atmosphere d. Temperature differences between the equator and poles

D

The following satellite image shows a band of heavier rainfall that coincides with the __________ a. Subtropical highs b. Westerlies c. Polar front d. Intertropical Convergence Zone

D

What is air pressure? a. The sum of air temperature plus altitude b. A measure of the force of horizontal winds c. The sum of wind speed plus direction d. The weight of air above a given point on Earth's surface

B

What two factors will cause seawater to increase in density and therefore sink? a. Warmer temperatures and increased salinity b. Cooler temperatures and increased salinity c. Warmer temperatures and decrease in salinity d. Cooler temperatures and decrease in salinity

E

Where are the polar jet streams located? a. Between the ITCZ and subtropical highs at approximately 20 degrees north and south latitudes b. Directly above the polar highs near the north and south poles c. Directly above the gulf stream flowing northward off the east coast of North America d. Between all the major airports on Earth e. Near the subpolar low-pressure cells near 60 degrees north and south latitudes where cold and warm air masses meet

A

Which of the following LEAST LIKELY affects the circulation patterns of surface water in the oceans? a. Seawater evaporation b. Positions of continents c. Coriolis force d. Wind e. Sea-surface temperatures

D

Which of the following areas is characterized by rain throughout the year and is associated with tropical rain forests? a. Polar high-pressure cells b. High pressure cells at approximately 30 degrees north and south latitudes c. Subpolar low-pressure cells at approximately 60 degrees north and south latitudes d. Intertropical Convergence Zone near the equator

E

Which of the following forces affects the movement of air in and around high- and low-pressure areas? a. Pressure gradient force b. Coriolis force c. Gravitational force d. Friction force e. All of the above

A

Which of the following statements DOES NOT apply to trade winds? a. Utilized by ancient mariners sailing from North America to Europe b. Blow towards the southwest in the northern hemisphere and towards the northwest in the southern hemisphere c. Converge near the equator d. Associated with subtropical highs

B

Which of the following statements about deep-ocean water is FALSE? a. Originates in the North Atlantic and Antarctica b. Circulation patterns are in the form of gyres within ocean basins c. Highest in salinity compared to the other ocean layers d. Coldest of all of the ocean layers

A

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to pressure surfaces? a. Vertical surface where two contrasting air masses meet b. An undulating isobaric surface forming ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure in the upper atmosphere c. Help explain upper atmospheric circulation d. Connect points of equal atmospheric pressure

D

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the Pacific Decadal and North Atlantic oscillations? a. Occur in multiyear cycles b. Affect weather patterns and sea-surface temperatures over large areas of the globe c. Form from fluctuations in the properties of large air masses d. Occur locally over land only during the summer months

A

Which of the following statements is correct regarding Mountain-Valley breezes? a. During the day, valley air heats rapidly and rises upslope. At night, mountain air cools quicker and moves downslope into the valley. b. Valley air remains cooler than mountain air both day and night and only moves down the valley, but not upslope. c. During the day, mountain air heats faster than valley air and moves downslope to the valley. At night, valley air cools faster and rises upslope. d. Mountain air always remains cooler than valley air and flows down-slope both day and night.

B

Which of the following statements regarding the illustration below is correct? a. Values for the isobars (vertical green lines) increase towards the right such that the 1028 mb isobar is closer to the low-pressure area (L) than is the 1000 mb isobar b. Wind speeds near the high-pressure area (H) are lighter and milder than wind speeds near the low-pressure area to the right that are stronger c. Wind speeds are the same everywhere between the high- and low-pressure areas d. The blue arrows represent solar radiation, not wind direction.

C

Why are the regions, including deserts, near subtropical highs dry? a. Surface air rises, undergoes expansion, and cools b. Air aloft sinks, but surface air rises such that the two oppositely-moving air masses converge in mid-air c. Air aloft sinks downward, undergoes compression, and heats up d. Surface air rises and carries moisture to higher altitudes