Geography 1
Approximately fifty percent of the atmosphere is compressed by gravity below an elevation of 5500 m (18,000 ft).
T
At higher temperatures, the human body tends to experience a decrease in muscle tone and urine volume.
T
Atmospheric circulation ultimately connects all places on Earth to one another.
T
Because scientific ideas are tested, they can be corrected when they are wrong.
T
Bromine is more effective at destroying ozone than are CFCs.
T
Carbon dioxide is currently increasing at the rate of 3.1% per year.
T
Earth's axis is tilted 23.5° from a perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic.
T
Earth's blue sky is a result of diffuse reflection called scattering.
T
Energy is liberated within the Sun's interior through a process known as nuclear fusion.
T
Longitude measures distances east or west of a prime meridian on Earth's surface.
T
Particulate matter has been associated with higher medical expenses.
T
Photochemistry produces ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrates (PAN), which are both damaging to plants.
T
Temperatures within the stratosphere
increase with altitude because of the absorption of ultraviolet radiation.
A parallel of latitude
is used to measure distances north or south of the equator.
The January mean temperature map shows that
isotherms trend toward the equator in the continental interiors of the Northern Hemisphere
The reaction of automobile exhaust and ultraviolet light
produces photochemical smog.
Systems methodologies are not applicable to geographic analysis.
F
According to the EPA, the direct benefits of the Clean Air Act are worth
$22 trillion.
The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales only coincide at: [°C → °F = (°C × 1.8) + 32]
-40°.
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?
27.2°C
Light travels at a speed of approximately
300,000 kilometers per second (186,333 miles per second).
Earth's average overall albedo is
31 percent.
Which of the following is false?
A GIS model does not require the use of a map.
With respect to air, water, and material resources, which of the following is true?
A leaf is an open system.
Which of the following is not true of galaxies?
A typical galaxy, such as the Milky Way, is about 5 billion miles in diameter.
The highest natural temperature on Earth (+58°C, 136°F) was recorded at
Al-Aziziyah, Libya.
Which of the following have been correlated with sunspot cycles? A) abnormally wet years B) droughts C) both A and B D) none of the above
Answer: C
A map scale of 1:24,000 means that A) one inch on the map equals 24,000 inches on the ground. B) one centimeter on the map equals 24,000 centimeters on the ground. C) one foot on the map equals 24,000 feet on Earth. D) all of the above E) none of the above
Answer: D
The scale of a map can be expressed by which of the following? A) representative fraction B) graphic scale C) written scale D) All of these are correct. E) None of these is correct.
Answer: D
Which of the following is an example of a system? A) a leaf B) a river drainage basin C) a midlatitude cyclonic storm D) All of these are examples of systems. E) None of these are examples of systems.
Answer: D
The thermosphere closely corresponds to the A) ionosphere. B) heterosphere. C) homosphere. D) exosphere. E) both A and B
Answer: E
The lowest temperature recorded on Earth to date was in
Antarctica in July.
According to Figure 2.76, at what two locations would daylight last for 12 hours for all locations on the planet?
B and D
In Figure 2.76, what position corresponds to the winter solstice for observers in the northern hemisphere? (Assume north is toward the top of the page.)
C
Which of the following statements regarding albedo is correct?
Earth's average albedo is 31 percent.
For every unit of solar energy absorbed by Earth,
Earth's radiates a unit of energy, back to space
A decline in sulfur dioxide has led to a lower pH in precipitation in the Mid-Atlantic states.
F
A map scale of 1:24,000 is considered a small scale as compared to a scale of 1:20,900,000, which is considered a large scale.
F
A meridian is 360° in length.
F
A plane intersecting all points of Earth's orbit is called the plane of the Sun.
F
During which time period would the number of daylight hours always be greater than, or equal to, the number of nighttime hours for observers in the northern hemisphere?
From the spring equinox, to the summer solstice, to the autumn equinox.
Which of the following is true regarding locations at high elevations?
Higher elevations experience lower average temperatures during both day and night.
Which of the following is true regarding future temperatures?
Human society appears to be causing short-term changes in global temperatures and temperature patterns.
Which of the following is false regarding our perception and response to temperature?
Increased appetite occurs with higher temperatures.
Relative to latitude and surface energy receipts, which of the following is true?
Insolation intensity decreases with distance from the subsolar point.
Which of the following statements is correct?
On March 21 there is equal day and night everywhere on Earth.
Relative to marine versus continental effects on temperature, Vancouver is to Wichita as
San Francisco is to Winnipeg.
Which of the following relationships is incorrect?
September equinox - subsolar point at 23.5° S latitude
Which of the following regions would have the greatest range of temperatures?
Siberia, Russia
Which of the following is false?
Surface air pressures on Venus and Earth are the same.
Acid rain with a pH comparable to that of lemon juice has fallen in the United States.
T
Air pressure decreases by 50 percent at an elevation of 5500 m (18,000 ft).
T
If a map has a standard parallel at 40° north, this means that the line of tangency for the map was at 40° north.
T
If we can see galaxies 12 billion light years away, that means that the universe must be at least 12 billion years old because that is how long it took the light from these galaxies to reach us.
T
In order for shape to be preserved on a map, the parallels and meridians must intersect at right angles.
T
More than half the air pollution in the United States is produced by automobiles.
T
Which of the following is true of nitrogen?
The nitrogen the human body needs is derived from foodnot the air.
Which of the following is true of the number of hours of daylight?
The number of hours of daylight varies depending on the latitude of the observer.
Oxygen (O2) is
a by-product of plant-leaf operations that are stimulated by light.
Geography is described as
a spatial science.
On a cloudy day, Earth's surface receives
diffuse radiation.
At all times during the year, the circle of illumination
divides Earth between equal halves of lightness and darkness.
The science that specifically studies the climate at or near Earth's surface is
microclimatology.
At night, temperatures at high elevations decrease __________ than at lower elevations because __________.
more quickly; the air is thinner and contains less heat energy
The amount of energy received above the South Pole during the southern hemisphere's summer solstice is __________ than that received above the North Pole during the northern hemisphere's summer solstice because __________.
more; Earth is closer to the Sun during the southern hemisphere's summer solstice
The auroras in the upper atmosphere are caused by
the interaction of the solar wind and atmospheric gases.
On its way to Earth, the solar wind first encounters
the magnetosphere.
Lewis Thomas, in his book The Lives of the Cell, compared Earth's atmosphere to
the membrane of a cell.
Conduction refers to
the molecule-to-molecule transfer of heat energy that diffuses through the material.
Remote sensing is
the monitoring of a distant object without physical contact.
Weather is confined to the troposphere because
the temperature of the stratosphere prevents tropospheric air from rising into it.
The solar constant is measured at
the tropopause.
The passage of shortwave and longwave energy through the atmosphere or water is an example of
transmission.
Earth's main energy inputs are
ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared radiation.
The two main portions of the solar spectrum which enter the atmosphere are
visible and infrared energy.
An increase in the amount of high altitude, thin clouds would
warm the planet in a process called cloud-greenhouse forcing.
The temperature on a cloudy night is likely to be __________ those on a clear nightall other factors being equal.
warmer; the clouds absorb heat energy and then reradiate some of it back to the ground
Earth's rotation is described as
west to east.
Temperature inversions occur
when surface temperatures are lower than warmer overlying air.
The effects of wind and temperature on the human skin is called the
wind chill factor.
The sun's declination migrates through
47°.
UTC refers to
Coordinated Universal Time.
Directly above the midlatitudes, the tropopause (-57°C) occurs at approximately:
13 km (8 mi.).
According to Figure 2.76, if the hypothetical planet requires 20 months to complete one orbit around the star, how many months after the Summer Solstice would the Sun cross the equator moving north?
15
Which of the following is an example of an intermediate map scale?
1:125,000
The earliest known maps date to __________ and were made by __________.
2,300 B.C.; the Babylonians
Of the people who die in the United States each year, roughly __________ percent were killed by air pollution.
2.0
The Clean Air Act saved about __________ lives in 1990.
200,000
According to Figure 2.76, given the tilt of the axis (20°), the Tropic of Capricorn would be located at
20° S.
The average amount of energy absorbed within the atmosphere (by atmospheric gases, dust, and clouds) totals
21 percent.
The most extreme northern and southern parallels to experience perpendicular rays of the Sun at local noon are located at
23.5° north and south.
Air pressure at 5500 m (18,000 ft.) is __________ (percent) of that at sea level.
50
Half of Earth's atmosphere lies below an elevation of __________ meters.
5500
According to Figure 2.76, given the tilt of the axis (20°), the Arctic Circle would be located at
70° N.
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?
93°F
According to Figure 2.76, at what position would daylight last for 24 hours for observers located north of the Arctic Circle?
A
Systems encountered in nature at Earth's surface, such as the soil in a floodplain, are A) open systems in terms of energy. B) closed systems in terms of energy. C) open systems in terms of matter. D) both A and C E) both B and C
Answer: D
GIS is being used to A) monitor flood hazard areas. B) plan urban development. C) analyze crime trends. D) help fight wildfires. E) All of these are uses of GIS.
Answer: E
Global Positioning System (GPS) units A) recently found that the summit of Mt. Everest is 8850 m (29,035 feet) above sea level. B) are accurate to 10 m. C) are used by the military and surveyors. D) are used in agriculture. E) All of the above are true.
Answer: E
Which of the following is not true regarding rotational velocities at different latitudes?
At 90° latitude, the rotational velocity is 1452 kmph (902 mph).
Which is true of climate change in polar regions?
Both the temperatures and the rate of temperature rise have risen.
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?
City A
The basis for defining the length of a day is the fact that
Earth rotates on its axis in 24 hours; i.e., it rotates 15° of longitude per hour.
The uneven distribution of insolation by latitude is primarily a result of
Earth's sphericity, which presents varied angles to parallel solar rays.
Which of the following is correctly matched?
Earthlongwave radiationinfrared
A written scale appears on maps as a bar graph.
F
According to Chaos theory, weather systems are insensitive to small fluctuations in air pressure.
F
Air pressure is only exerted downward.
F
All points on Earth's surface experience the subsolar point at some moment during the year.
F
As soon as the theoretical basis for ozone destruction by CFCs was worked out, political leaders in the United States immediately proposed legislation to ban the production of all CFCs.
F
Average air temperatures at higher elevations are generally higher, with smaller differences between areas of direct sunlight and shadow.
F
Based on the criteria of composition, the atmosphere is divided into two broad regions: the ionosphere and the ozonosphere.
F
Because water has a higher specific heat than land, it cools more quickly.
F
Both nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide are principally produced by automobiles.
F
Chaos theory suggests that it will be possible to predict the occurrence of storms months in advance.
F
Depletion of the ozone layer is happening principally because of natural circulation dynamics in the upper atmosphere, not chemical reactions.
F
Earth is farthest from the Sun at perihelion and closest at aphelion.
F
Earth rotates east to west, or clockwise, when viewed from above the North Pole.
F
Earth's spherical shape is not a factor with regards to seasonality.
F
Energy that is reflected from Earth's surface plays a substantial role in heating the atmosphere.
F
Engineers involved in photovoltaic research generally say that the laws of physics prevent the development of photovoltaic cells that are more efficient than the ones currently available.
F
GIS systems use satellites to find locations precisely.
F
Geography is a discipline defined by a specific body of content and subject matter rather than by an approach.
F
Given that the temperature of the thermosphere is more than 1200°C (2000°F), it would melt a spacecraft that stayed within it.
F
Hypothermia is a condition characterized by excessively high body temperature.
F
If it is July 3rd in Tokyo (139° E), it is July 4th in Los Angeles (118° W)
F
If two cities are located at the same latitude of 20° north, the shortest path between them is along the 20° parallel.
F
In third world countries, there is a pressing need for centralized energy sources, such as nuclear reactors or large-scale hydroelectric projects.
F
Insolation occurs primarily in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum.
F
Modern cartographers of this century were the first to lay out a map using grid coordinates, place north at the top of the map, and locate several thousand places on their maps.
F
Monthly mean temperatures are made by taking the average of the highest and lowest temperatures of the month. [(maximum monthly temperature + minimum monthly temperature)/2]
F
Normal rainfall has a neutral pH.
F
Observers in the southern hemisphere use the North Star (Polaris) to determine their latitude.
F
Official temperature measurements are made in black, sealed boxes placed on the ground surface in direct sunlight.
F
On a cloudy day, the downward component of scattered light is called refraction.
F
Pure science frequently involves the making of value judgments about the moral or political correctness of a fact, idea, or theory.
F
Relative to expenditures of NET R, LE refers to the amount of energy that went for turbulent sensible heat transfer.
F
Severe pollution conditions tend to develop during periods of stormy weather; i.e., during periods dominated by low pressure systems.
F
So far, the Arctic region has been free of air pollution.
F
Society's relationship to the environment is described by the geographic theme of location.
F
Temperatures are usually quite uniform and unchanging with altitude.
F
The "balance of nature" that characterizes well-functioning ecosystems occurs because of predominantly positive feedback mechanisms.
F
The Clean Air Act actually saves fewer than 1000 lives per year.
F
The Clean Air Act has not been cost effective.
F
The Sun emits streams of charged particles that are collectively referred to as the electromagnetic spectrum.
F
The Sun is directly overhead north of 23.5° north latitude twice a year.
F
The all-time highest and lowest temperatures were both recorded on the Eurasian landmass.
F
The aurora occur primarily in the exosphere.
F
The average building in the United States does not receive enough energy to heat it.
F
The coldest time of the year occurs in December at the time of the winter solstice.
F
The correct order for wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, from shortest to longest is: X-rays, infrared, radio waves, visible light, and ultraviolet.
F
The day officially changes on Earth at the prime meridian.
F
The fact that nature produces more pollution than humans do means that anthropogenic pollution is insignificant, and we need not worry about it.
F
The flow of temperature into an object raises its heat.
F
The geographic theme of place refers to absolute and relative position on Earth.
F
The normal lapse rate for temperature decreases is an average of 3°C per 1000 m.
F
The planetesimal hypothesis has no observational evidence to support it.
F
The principal gases of the homosphere (by volume) are nitrogen, helium, and argon.
F
The rougher a surface, the higher its albedo.
F
The seasons are caused by the changing amounts of energy received at Earth as a result of Earth's elliptical orbit.
F
The sky is blue because the atmosphere absorbs blue light more than other visible wavelengths.
F
The subsolar point is at the Tropic of Cancer on December 21.
F
The subsolar point migrates annually between 47° N and 47° S latitude.
F
There is as yet no scientific consensus concerning the idea that Earth is warming as a result of human activities.
F
There is no evidence for a correlation between sunspot activity and weather conditions on Earth.
F
Wind-chill index assumes a person is appropriately dressed for the weather.
F
With regards to carbon monoxide (CO), which of the following is false?
Few effects of CO on humans have been identified.
Which of the following is true?
Flat-plate solar hot water heaters were sold in newspapers and merchandise catalogs almost 100 years ago.
Which of the following is correct relative to insolation at the thermopause?
In June, the North Pole receives over 500 watts per m2 per day.
Which of the following is true regarding anthropogenic heat production in cities?
It can contribute 250 percent more heat energy in winter than is contributed by insolation.
Which of the following is true of the albedo of water?
It changes, depending upon the Sun angle.
Which of the following characterizes Earth's revolution?
It determines the timing of seasons and length of the year.
Which of the following is true of the Sun's electromagnetic spectrum?
It is capable of sustaining life on Earth even though some portions of the spectrum are actually harmful to living organisms.
Which of the following is true of Earth's orbit about the Sun?
It is elliptical.
Which is false regarding solar energy?
It is experimental, untested, and dangerous.
Which of the following is not true of ozone?
It is inert; i.e., it is chemically non-reactive.
Which of the following is false regarding sulfur dioxide (SO2)?
It is odorless.
According to the text, which of the following is true regarding the point of sunrise for a location in the northern hemisphere?
It migrates from southeast to northeast from winter to summer.
While standing at the Tropic of Cancer, Emma's shadow points north at noon (Sun time). Based on this, which of the following can be definitely concluded?
It must not be the summer solstice.
Which of the following is not true of carbon dioxide?
It occurs in large amounts in the atmosphereas one would expect given the important role it plays in life processes and in regulating the temperature of the planet.
Which of the following is true regarding the depletion of ozone in the ozonosphere?
It results from chemical reactions with chlorine that is derived from CFCs.
Which of the following is true of the thermal equator during the month of July?
It trends poleward over continents and equatorward over the oceans.
Which of the following is true of the prime meridian?
It was not established until 1884 and is centered on an observatory near London.
Which of the following statements is true?
March 21 = equal day and nights everywhere on Earth.
Which of the following is true regarding ozone depletion in Antarctica?
Maximum ozone depletion occurs during the Antarctic spring, following the development of polar stratospheric clouds in winter.
In plotting true magnetic compass readings (i.e., rhumb lines) between two points, which map projection is generally used?
Mercator projection
Which of the following is a cylindrical map projection?
Mercator projection
______ feedback acts to stabilize a system.
Negative
Which of the following is true?
Northern Hemisphere temperatures are more strongly dominated by continentality than are Southern Hemisphere temperatures.
Which of the following is false relative to the Earth-atmosphere radiation system?
Only convection transfers heat energy to the atmosphere from the surface.
Which of the following is correct?
Our Solar System formed from a large, slowly rotating, collapsing cloud of dust, and gas.
Which of the following statements about ozone is false?
Ozone in the lower atmosphere protects human health.
Insolation is the only source of energy that is ultimately responsible for heating the atmosphere and driving weather phenomena.
T
Intercepted solar energy is called insolation and is measured as the solar constant at the top of the atmosphere.
T
It is estimated that acid rain costs the United States, Canada and Europe approximately $50 billion each year.
T
Large magnetic disturbances on the Sun's surface are called sunspots and produce increased amounts of solar wind.
T
Latent heat of evaporation (LE) is the dominant expenditure of Earth's entire net radiation budget.
T
Latitude is easily determined using celestial objects whereas longitude is not easily calculated in such a manner and requires time-keeping devices.
T
Latitude is the angular distance measured north or south of the equator from the center of Earth and it describes a parallel line on the surface.
T
Maps that are intended to show spatial distributions should be based on projections that minimize area distortion, rather than shape distortion.
T
Maritime influences tend to decrease both daily and monthly temperature ranges.
T
More people died of hyperthermia in Chicago in 1995 than in all of the hurricanes that struck the United States over a twenty-year period from 1975 to 1995.
T
NET R refers to the balance of all radiationboth shortwave and longwave.
T
Nature produces more pollution than does humankind.
T
Negative feedback tends to lead a system to self-regulation.
T
Normal body temperature has been recently determined to be 36.8°C (98.2°F).
T
Ocean currents along midlatitude west coasts, even near deserts, are cool.
T
Ocean temperatures near San Francisco reached record levels prior to the 1997 El Niño.
T
On the northern hemisphere's summer solstice, the north polar region receives more total daily energy than the equator.
T
Our galaxy contains about 400 billion stars.
T
Ozone is the main ingredient of photochemical smog.
T
Photochemical smog results from the interaction of sunlight with the combustion products of automobiles.
T
Photosynthesis in a plant leaf is an example of an open-system operation.
T
Photovoltaic systems are generally cost-competitiveespecially when the environmental costs associated with fossil fuels and nuclear energy are factored into cost assessments.
T
Pollution generated in one country can cause problems in other countries.
T
Positive feedback tends to amplify or encourage response in system operations.
T
Problems with air pollution occurred as far back in time as the Roman period (2000 years ago).
T
Refraction is responsible for rainbows and mirages.
T
Rotation is Earth's motion on its axis; revolution is its motion about the Sun.
T
Scientific theories are capable of generating testing predictions.
T
Seasonality involves the variability of both daylength and the altitude of the Sun.
T
Shearing allows for the preservation of area, but results in the distortion of shape.
T
Skin damage resulting from exposure to the Sun is cumulative; i.e., the skin never completely heals from previous sunburns.
T
Snow lines generally occur at lower elevations with increasing latitude.
T
Sunspots are associated with magnetic storms.
T
Sunspots vary in a cycle from 7 to 17 years, averaging 11 years from a maximum to maximum peak.
T
The 28-ton stones assembled at Stonehenge in England were evidently used by ancients to mark seasonal changes. In other words, Stonehenge is an ancient calendar.
T
The CERES program studies the reflection and emission of radiation by clouds.
T
The Moon has an average albedo similar to asphalt and black top.
T
The Solar System, Sun, and Earth formed about 4.6 to 5 billion years ago.
T
The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by maritime influences, whereas the Northern Hemisphere is dominated by continentality.
T
The Sun and Earth formed from a collapsing cloud of dust and gas.
T
The Sun produces more gamma rays than Earth.
T
The Sun's height in the sky above the horizon is termed its altitude.
T
The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than it has ever been for the last 800,000 years.
T
The amount of the solar energy received by a given location is not really constantit varies depending upon the season and Earth's distance from the Sun.
T
The assimilation of radiation and its conversion from one form to another is termed absorption.
T
The atmosphere exerts an average force of approximately 1 kg/cm2 (14.7 lbs/in2) at sea level.
T
The average annual temperature of a location is controlled primarily by latitude.
T
The duration of dawn and twilight tends to increase with increasing latitude.
T
The electromagnetic spectrum of radiant energy travels in waves at the speed of light in all directions from the Sun.
T
The energy received in just 35 minutes at the surface of the United States exceeds the amount of energy derived from the burning of fossil fuels in a year.
T
The essential approach in geographic studies is spatial analysis.
T
The factors that comprise a system are known as variables.
T
The first major statement proposing the interaction of CFCs and stratospheric ozone was made in the 1970s.
T
The globe is the only map that accurately portrays all spatial relationships characteristic of Earth's surface.
T
The greater the albedo of a surface, the less it is heated by insolation.
T
The heterosphere has a layered structure, whereas the homosphere occurs as an even mixture of gases.
T
The higher the UV Index, the faster a person will sunburn.
T
The highest temperatures on Earth are associated with the intense heating in subtropical deserts.
T
The ionosphere resides principally within the thermosphere, and the ozonosphere resides within the stratosphere.
T
The magnetosphere deflects the solar wind toward Earth's two poles.
T
The modern atmosphere, with the amount of oxygen that exists today, developed as early as 600 million years ago.
T
The most distant galaxies yet observed are at least 10 billion light years away.
T
The normal lapse rate of temperature change is 6.4 C°/1000 m (3.5°/1000 ft).
T
The ozone layer protects Earth's surface from most of the incoming ultraviolet radiation.
T
The prime meridian and the 180th meridian are opposite halves of the same great circle.
T
The reflective quality of a surface is called its albedo and is expressed as a percentage.
T
The spread of ash fallout worldwide from the Mount Pinatubo eruptions in 1991 in the Philippines is described under the principal geographic theme of movement.
T
The uneven distribution of insolation at the thermopause is caused by Earth's curvature, with only the subsolar point receiving sunlight from directly overhead.
T
Verkhoyansk is the city with the greatest annual temperature range on Earth.
T
Water has more than one freezing point.
T
We live on a continent on a small planet, that orbits about an average star, that is located near the trailing edge of a galaxy, that is in a local group of galaxies in the Universe.
T
Weather (rain, fog, storms, etc.) occurs primarily in the troposphere.
T
When Daylight Saving Time is in effect, clocks "spring forward" one hour in the Spring (Example: 1:00 A.M. becomes 2:00 A.M.) and "fall back" one hour in the Fall (Example: 2:00 A.M. becomes 1:00 A.M.).
T
When the Sun is active, the thermosphere increases in size.
T
You would expect a tropical island to have a high degree of continentality.
T
2C=F-32 C+273=K 0K=273C
Temperature convert
Which is true of climate change in polar regions?
Temperatures have increased twice as fast as in non-polar regions.
Which of the following is not true of solar energy?
The Bush administration dramatically increased funding for sustainable energy in 2005, 2006, and again in 2007.
Which of the following is true of chlorofluorocarbons?
The CFC molecules react with ultraviolet light to release chlorine which then destroys ozone.
Which of the following is true of the daily surface energy balances for El Mirage (desert location at and Pitt Meadows (Pacific coast location at 49° N)?
The NET R for the desert surface and the moist vegetated surface are similar even though the values for individual terms in the heat balance equation may differ from one another.
Which of the following statements regarding energy is Earth's atmosphere is correct?
The sky is blue due to scattering.
Which of the following statements regarding the annual range of temperatures is correct?
The southern hemisphere has little seasonal variation in temperatures
Which of the following is not true of electromagnetic energy?
The wavelength generated is directly proportional to the temperature of the emitter; i.e., as temperature of the emitting object increases, the wavelength also increases.
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
There are more galaxies than stars in the universe.
Which of the following would be true for the net radiation balance in a midlatitude location?
There is a surplus of Net R during the summer and a deficit during the winter.
Which of the following is true regarding clouds?
They act like insulation in that they have a moderating influence on temperatures.
Which of the following is not true of sunspots?
They are brighter than the rest of the Sun's surface.
Which is true of the level of CO2 in our atmosphere?
They are currently over 386 ppm.
Which of the following is incorrectly matched?
Trondheim - continentality
The greatest annual temperature ranges are characteristic of places like
Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon.
Which of the following is not true of stars?
Very few violent physical phenomena occur in stars.
The lowest natural temperature on Earth (-89.2°C, -128.56°F) was recorded at
Vostok, Antarctica in July.
Which of the following results from convection currents?
Warmer and cooler water mix, thereby spreading heat over a greater volume.
Which of the following is true regarding the specific heat of land and water?
Water can hold more heat energy than a comparable volume of rock.
Which is not true of Earth's atmosphere?
We consider the top of the atmosphere to be 32,000 km (20,000 mi.) from Earth.
Which of the following is the most popular and widely used map prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey?
a topographic map
Which of the following would experience the least continentality?
a tropical island
The analogy of a greenhouse is
a useful, but inaccurate model since atmospheric gases do not trap, but absorb heat.
Which of the following possesses all of Earth's properties of area, shape, direction, proximity, and distance, correctly?
a world globe
The atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere are examples of
abiotic
Earth's diameter is
about 40,000 km (24,000 mi.).
On June 21, the Sun never sets at Finn's location. Based on this, it can be concluded that Finn lives
above the Arctic Circle.
-273°C (-459.4°F) is
absolute 0° temperature.
The ozonosphere is critical to life because it
absorbs most ultraviolet wavelengths.
When a surface assimilates radiation, the process is called
absorption.
The planets in the solar system are believed to have formed as a result of a process known as __________ which is caused by __________.
accretion; gravity
GPS units are
accurate within 10 m.
A satellite imaging system that beams electromagnetic energy at the surface and then records the energy that is reflected is classified as a(n) __________ system.
active
The thermosphere expands in size during periods when the Sun is __________ because __________.
active; the thermosphere acquires greater kinetic energy, which causes the gas molecules that comprise the thermosphere to move further apart from one another.
The time of maximum daily temperature occurs
after the time of maximum insolation, because an energy surplus accumulates in the atmosphere while the Sun is still high in the sky and reaches a peak in mid-afternoon.
A graph showing the relationship between insolation and air temperature through the course of day shows
air temperature reaches a maximum at sunset.
The reflective quality of a surface is known as its
albedo
Which of the following factors is a key strength of GIS?
all the above factors are strengths of GIS
A line of tangency (also called a standard line) is a line
along which no distortion occurs.
The best thermometer to use where temperatures drop below -39°C (-38.2°F) is
an alcohol thermometer.
Longitude is
an angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian.
A langley is
an expression of the amount of energy received per unit area (cal/ cm2).
An isoline that connects all points of the same temperature on a map is called
an isotherm.
The letters A.M. stand for
ante meridian.
A tentative label for Earth's next distinct atmosphere is the
anthropogenic atmosphere.
Our individual perception of temperature is termed
apparent temperature, or sensible temperature.
The thermopause is located
approximately 480 km (300 mi.) above Earth's surface.
Average air temperatures worldwide
are being influenced by human-induced changes in the greenhouse effect.
Official temperature measurements are taken in shelters that
are louvered, white, and at least 1.2 m (4 ft.) above the ground.
Land-water heating differences
are partially caused by waters higher specific heat
Changes in daylength and the Sun's altitude above the horizon over the course of the year
are responsible for the seasons.
Which stable (nonvariable) gas in the atmosphere is derived from the radioactive decay of potassium-40 (40K)?
argon
Photochemical smog developed with the advent of
automobiles
The single major source for photochemical reactants in the United States are
automobiles
If the Gulf Stream shifted away from Iceland and England, winter temperatures in these locations would
become cooler, thereby decreasing the average winter temperature.
Variable atmospheric components refer to
both natural and anthropogenic gases and materials.
Particulate matter
can include material in smoke.
Which gas in the atmosphere is used by plants to form sugars, is soluble in water, and makes rain naturally acidic?
carbon dioxide
Natural rainfall is often slightly acidic. The natural acidity primarily results from the interaction of water with
carbon dioxide.
Oxygen3 in the lower troposphere
causes eye, nose, and throat irritation in humans.
Studies of deterministic systems suggests that
certain phenomena, even though governed by laws of nature, may be inherently unpredictable.
The idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could produce a tornado in Texas is a notion suggested by
chaos theory.
Longitude is conveniently determined at sea using
chronometers
Which of the following statements regarding clouds and Earth's "greenhouse" is correct?
cloud-albedo forcing is caused by lower, thicker clouds.
Longwave radiation (+ LW) arriving at the surface
comes primarily from infrared energy emitted by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Three criteria used for classification of the atmosphere explained in the text are
composition, temperature, and function.
Physical transfers of energy occur through
conduction, convection, and advection
Which of the following describes the property of true shape on a map?
conformality
A vertical air current that is generated by temperature-induced density differences is an example of heat transfer by
convection.
During summer, cities located near the coast are __________ than those in the interior at the same latitude, while in the winter they are __________.
cooler; warmer
Which of the following is not a consequence of the solar wind?
creation of Earth's magnetosphere
PAN in the lower troposphere
damages and kills plant tissue but does not appear to affect people.
Based on information discussed previously in the course, you know that average temperatures in the troposphere __________ with increasing elevation because the atmosphere is heated __________.
decrease; from the bottom-up by terrestrial infrared energy
If the surface of Earth were to suddenly turn white, the temperature of the planet would __________ because __________ insolation would be absorbed.
decrease; less
Which of the following is an effect of high temperature exposure?
decreased urine volume
In general, as distance from the subsolar point increases, the average annual insolation __________ and the average annual temperature __________.
decreases; decreases
Satellite images are based on
digital data that is stored electronically and then transmitted to Earth by radio waves.
Energy that is reflected from the atmosphere
does not act to heat the atmosphere.
The wind-chill index
does not consider whether or not a person is engaged in physical activity.
Earth's magnetosphere is generated by
dynamo-like motions in Earth's interior.
The capacity to change the motion of, or to do work on, matter is the definition of
energy.
If you were preparing a map showing the distribution of world climates, which type of map projection would you want to use to allow accurate comparison of areas and regions?
equal area
The major decision in selecting a map projection in deciding between
equal area and true shape
The diameter of Earth is largest when measured around the
equator.
Which of the following describes the property of equal area on a map?
equivalence
The relationship between the insolation curve and the air temperature curve on a graph of daily surface energy
exhibits a lag of several hours between the plotted lines.
Solar cookers could replace __________ as an affordable source of energy in rural villages in third world countries.
fire wood
Dr. Rowland and Dr. Molina
first stated the photochemistry interactions of chlorofluorocarbons and O2.
The cool ocean currents that flow along the west coasts of continents promote
fog
The solar constant is the value obtained
for Earth's average distance from the Sun.
Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into
four regions: ranging from the troposphere to the thermosphere.
Which of the following has the highest albedo?
fresh snow
The sky is blue because
gasses in the atmosphere scatter blue light well.
As regards solar energy, mirrors are used to
generate steam.
The science that specifically attempts to determine Earth's shape and size by surveys and mathematical means is called
geodesy.
Which of the following is not a class of map projection?
geometrical
Which type of map scale would be appropriate to use if the map were to be enlarged by photocopying?
graphic
The temperature difference between the surface and a point 10 feet below the surface is __________ for land than for water because __________.
greater; land is opaque
The insolation received at Earth's surface is
greatest over low-latitude deserts with their cloudless skies.
The annual temperature range map in your text shows that the
greatest ranges occur in east central Siberia in Russia.
The equinox
has 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night for all locations.
The Clean Air Act
has saved the country several trillion dollars.
The Western Pacific Warm Pool
has temperatures above 30°C (86°F).
Areas with high sensible heat and high latent heat
have high temperatures and high humidity.
The outermost region of the atmosphere, based on composition, is the
heterosphere.
Which of the following statements regarding the effects of elevation on temperature is correct?
higher elevations have higher daily temperature ranges
Which of the following is not associated with urban environments?
higher relative humidity than that in surrounding rural areas
The tropopause occurs at a __________ elevation above the tropics than above the poles because __________.
higher; the troposphere is hotter in the tropics, and this causes the air to rise to greater heights
The region of the atmosphere that is so evenly mixed that it behaves as if it were a single gas is the
homosphere
The wind-blown soot, hydrocarbons, and sulfur compounds from the oil-well fires that burned in Kuwait during 1991 fall within which of the five themes?
human-Earth relationships
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography proposed by the Association of American Geographers, resource exploitation and hazard perception refer to
human-Earth relationships.
What three pollutants react in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone?
hydrocarbons, nitrogen d oxide, and carbon monoxide
During the process by which energy is produced inside of stars,
hydrogen is fused together to form helium.
According to the text, the three inorganic Earth realms are the
hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
If the amount of cloud cover increases in response to greenhouse warming, this will __________ Earth's albedo and promote __________. (For this question, assume that albedo effects dominate the temperature response.)
increase; cooling
Temperatures in the stratosphere __________ with increasing altitude because __________.
increase; ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and then reradiates it at infrared wavelengths
The annual temperature range of a location on Earth
increases with increasing latitude.
Based on information discussed earlier in the course, you know that seasonal variation in daylength __________ with increasing distance from the equator because __________.
increases; Earth's axis is titled relative to the plane of the ecliptic
Air pollution acts to __________ the albedo of cities and therefore __________ the urban heat island effect.
increases; diminishes
In general, more moderate temperature patterns
indicate maritime influences.
Sources of natural variable gases and materials include all of the following except
industrial activity.
The dominant wavelength emitted by Earth is
infrared
The carbon dioxide that is being added to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels is an example of an __________ to the atmosphere and an __________ from the lithosphere.
input; output
Which of the following is correctly matched?
insolation = shortwave radiation = UV, visible, and near infrared
Intercepted solar radiation is called
insolation.
What is the name for solar energy that is intercepted by Earth?
insolation.
The greenhouse effect
involves the absorption of longwave radiation by carbon dioxide and water vapor.
In terms of latitudinal distribution, the highest annual value for LE over land
is between 10° N and 10° S latitudes.
The high temperature in the upper thermosphere
is more a measure of kinetic energy than sensible temperature.
When water evaporates, the energy that was used to evaporate the water
is stored as latent heat in the evaporated water.
The high temperatures in the thermosphere occur because __________.
it is in direct contact with high energy solar radiation
As the kinetic energy of the air increases,
its temperature increases.
If a surface absorbs insolation,
its temperature increases.
The amount of detail on large scale maps is __________ on than on small scale maps.
larger
On the Mercator projection, areas at high latitudes appear __________.
larger than areas of the same size located nearer to the equator
Which of the following terms links Earth's energy, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere?
latent heat of evaporation
The single most important control on temperature is
latitude
Which of the following is easily determined using the position of the Sun or stars?
latitude
The principal controls and influences of temperature patterns include
latitude, altitude, land-water heating differences, cloud cover, ocean currents, and surface conditions.
An angular distance measured north or south of the equator from the center of Earth is termed
latitude.
The mean (average) temperature of a given location on Earth is controlled primarily by its __________ whereas its temperature range is controlled primarily by its __________.
latitude; location with respect to large water bodies
How far north you live from the equator is measured as your __________, whereas an imaginary line marking all those places at that same distance north of the equator is called a __________.
latitude; parallel
The rate at which temperature decreases below the surface of water is __________ than that at which it decreases below the surface of land because __________.
less; water is transparent
Radio waves have a __________ wavelength than visible light and are therefore __________ energetic.
longer; less
Land has a __________ specific heat than water and therefore heats more __________.
lower; quickly
The Sun produces which of the following?
mainly visible light and infrared energy
Any orderly system of parallels and meridians drawn on a flat surface is called a
map projection.
The basic idea behind the planetesimal hypothesis is that
matter in a nebula experiences mutual gravitational attraction, and this results in the gradual accretion of larger and larger bodiesplanetesimals.
Stars give off electromagnetic radiation because
matter is converted into energy.
The change in the proportional size of features at high latitudes on a Mercator map occurs because
meridians are stretched apart at high latitudes.
Which layer of the atmosphere contains noctilucent clouds?
mesosphere
Noctilucent clouds consist of ice crystals that form around
meteorite dust.
On the northern hemisphere's summer solstice, the north polar region receives __________ daily insolation than areas nearer the equator because __________.
more; the Sun does not set
At CO levels of 100 ppm or less,
most humans develop a headache and can make errors on simple tests.
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography proposed by the Association of American Geographers, communication and diffusion refer to
movement.
The Gulf Stream
moves northward in the western Atlantic, moderating temperatures in Iceland.
The science of physical geography is based on the realization that
nature can best be described and understood as a set of interrelated components through which matter and energy flow.
What type of feedback maintains stability in a system; i.e., what type of feedback keeps a system functioning properly?
negative
According to the text, the ocean temperature rarely rises above 31°C (88°F) because of __________ feedback caused by __________.
negative; evaporation
The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are
nitrogen and oxygen.
Between 1970 and 1996, this pollutant saw increased emissions in the United States.
nitrogen oxides
Which of the following lists the correct sequence of gases, from most to least, in terms of percentage within the homosphere?
nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, trace gases
The three stable (i.e., nonvariable) gases in the atmosphere, in order of abundance from most to least, are
nitrogen, oxygen, argon.
Which of the following experiences the greatest continentality?
north central Asia
Of the principal map projection classes, which cannot be generated using a physical-perspective approach, i.e., an approach based on the projection of the shadow of a wire-skeleton globe onto a geometric surface?
oval
The thermosphere and the ionosphere __________ because __________.
overlap; the absorption of high energy electromagnetic radiation that generates the high temperatures in the thermosphere also ionizes the gas molecules in this region of the atmosphere
A by-product of photosynthesis is
oxygen
Which of the gases listed below has accumulated in the atmosphere as a result of biological processes?
oxygen
About half of Earth's crust consists of compounds containing
oxygen.
The main ingredient in photochemical smog is
ozone
Temperatures increase in the stratosphere because __________.
ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and then reradiates it at infrared wavelengths
Photochemical reactions produce
ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrates (PAN).
Lines of latitude run ______ to one another.
parallel
The use of aerial photographs to improve the accuracy of surface maps is called
photogrammetry
Which of the following comprise the fundamental duality in the field of geography?
physical versus human/cultural
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography, the Taj Mahal in India and Ayers Rock in Australia are best described within which of the five themes?
place
The Celsius scale
places freezing at 0° and was formerly called centigrade.
The planetesimal hypothesis pertains to the formation of the
planets.
The oblateness of Earth occurs at the
poles.
The heterosphere is the layer of the atmosphere in which the gases are __________ because of __________.
poorly mixed; the influence of gravity which causes gases of different weight to separate into layers
According to Figure 2.76, at what position does the Sun cross the planet's equator moving south, and what is the name for this position in the northern hemisphere?
position B; Autumn Equinox
The larger the denominator in a representative fraction, the __________ the scale of the map.
smaller
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.
smaller than
The larger the scale of a map, the __________ the area covered by the map and the __________ detail it provides.
smaller; more
1372 watts per square meter (2 calories per cm2 per minute) refers to the
solar constant, which is the average value of energy received at the thermopause.
Which of the following methods most governs geography?
spatial analysis
The temperature control that includes the heat capacity of a substance is
specific heat.
When light passes from space into the atmosphere, it changes __________ in a process known as __________.
speed and direction; refraction
Temperatures increase with increasing altitude in what two atmospheric layers?
stratosphere and thermosphere
What is the name of the location on the surface of Earth that receives insolation when the Sun is directly overhead? (When this occurs, the Sun's rays are perpendicular to this surface.)
subsolar point
Over the ocean, the highest annual values for latent heat of evaporation (LE) occur in the
subtropics because of the lack of cloud cover.
What two pollutants react with water to produce acid rain?
sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides
Evaporation
tends to lower temperatures more over water bodies than over land.
The Tropic of Capricorn refers to
that parallel that is 23.5° south latitude.
The meridian opposite of Earth's prime meridian (0° longitude) is called
the International Date Line.
Which of the following has the lowest albedo?
the Moon
Of all the matter in the Solar System,
the Sun captured over 99 percent.
On June 21st, the Sun's declination is at
the Tropic of Cancer.
In the surface energy budget, the term - SW represents
the albedo value of the surface.
The Sun's declination refers to
the angular distance from the equator to the latitude at which direct overhead insolation is received.
Latitude is
the angular distance measured north or south of the equator.
The Sun's altitude refers to
the angular height of the Sun above the horizon.
If an atmosphere condition delayed the emission of longwave radiation to space,
the atmosphere would warm
The sky on Venus is yellow in color. This means that
the atmospheric gases on Venus are of a different average size than those in Earth's atmosphere.
Air temperature is a measure of which of the following properties of the air?
the average energy of motion (kinetic energy) of air molecules
Net radiation (NET R) refers to
the balance of all radiation incoming and outgoing at Earth's surface.
The term "net radiation" refers to
the difference in amount of incoming and outgoing radiation.
Kinetic energy refers to
the energy an object possesses by virtue of its motion.
Astronauts deployed a solar wind measuring experiment on the Moon because
the experiment would not work if deployed at Earth's surface due to protective aspects of Earth's atmosphere.
Experiments involving pieces of aluminum foil placed on the lunar surface by the Apollo XI astronauts proved that
the experiment would not work if deployed at Earth's surface due to protective aspects of Earth's atmosphere.
What does the double-ended arrow in the figure represent?
the lag between maximum insolation and highest temperature
The lower the pH of a liquid
the more acidic it is.
The word spatial refers to
the nature and character of physical space.
The solar constant is measured at
the outer boundary of the thermosphere.
Life is possible on Earth primarily because
the ozonosphere and ionosphere shield the surface from harmful radiation.
The Tropic of Cancer refers to
the parallel that is the farthest northern location for the subsolar point during the year.
The plane of Earth's orbit about the Sun is called
the plane of the ecliptic.
An isoline that connects all points of highest mean temperature on a world map is called
the thermal equator.
When the Sun is active,
the thermopause extends farther from the surface of Earth.
The problem of air pollution was first reported during
the time of the Romans (2000 years ago).
The thermopause refers to
the top of Earth's atmosphere, some 480 km (300 mi.) above the surface.
The highest temperatures in the atmosphere occur in the __________ because __________.
thermosphere; it is in direct contact with high energy solar radiation
A magnetic disturbance on the Sun's surface is called
a sunspot.
Which of the following combinations of NET R terms would be associated with a hot, dry climate? (+ SW = insolation; - SW = albedo; LE = latent heat of evaporation)
+ SW large; - SW small; LE small
On Earth, the Sun passes directly overhead at 25° north latitude __________ times a year.
0
At sea level, the pressure of the atmosphere is about __________ kg per square centimeter, or __________ pounds per square inch.
1.0; 14.7
Rain with a pH of 3 is how many times more acidic than rain with a pH of 7?
10,000
Which of the following is true regarding acid deposition?
Acids have been causally linked to fish kills in the northeastern United States.
The highest temperature recorded on Earth to date was in
Africa
Which of the following statements regarding the march of the seasons is correct?
All locations on Earth receive 12 hours of daylight on the equinoxes.
Which of the following statements regarding temperature is correct?
Almost every country uses the Celsius scale
Air consists of A) a mixture of gases that behaves as if it were a single gas. B) gases that are not well mixed. C) oxygen only. D) all of the above.
Answer: A
High latitudes receive less energy than the equatorial regions because A) the orientation of Earth's surface relative to the Sun's rays diminishes the intensity of solar radiation at high latitudes. B) the Sun's rays must pass through more atmosphere at higher latitudes. C) both A and B D) none of the aboveeach latitude receives the same amount of energy at the surface
Answer: C
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 land is less than that stored in the water column. C) all of the above are true. D) None of the aboveland does not cool off more rapidly than water at night.
Answer: C
Because of the type of distortion that occurs on a Mercator map, which of the following must be true? A) The map scale changes from one part of the map to another. B) One inch near the equator does not cover the same amount of distance as one inch near the poles. C) One square inch near the equator does not cover the same amount of area as one square inch near the poles. D) All of the above are true. E) None of the above are truethere is no distortion in a Mercator projection.
Answer: D
Chaos theory A) shows that the order seen in nature is the result of chaos. B) looks at non-linear and unpredictable behavior of systems. C) proves that all events are random. D) A and B E) B and C
Answer: D
Mirages (such as the appearance of "water" on a dry, hot road) are caused by A) differences in the air temperature of layers near the surface. B) differences in the air density of layers near the surface. C) refraction. D) all of the above. E) B and C only.
Answer: D
Official temperatures are measured using thermometers placed in shelters that are A) louvered and white. B) placed a few feet above the ground. C) placed in the shade. D) all of the above. E) none of the above.
Answer: D
The Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 affected the atmosphere in which of the following ways? A) The atmospheric albedo increased. B) An increase occurred in the amount of energy absorbed in the atmosphere. C) A worldwide decrease in surface temperatures occurred in the two years after the eruption. D) All of these were effects of the eruption. E) None of these effects occurred.
Answer: D
The highest annual values for latent heat of evaporation (LE) on land occur in the tropics because A) there is a net annual energy surplus there. B) rainfall makes water available for evaporation from soils. C) the dark color of forests (as opposed to sandy soils) results in the absorption of heat energy by vegetation. D) all of the above are true. E) B and C are true.
Answer: D
The highest maximum temperatures recorded on Earth occur in interior deserts during July because A) insolation is greater than at other latitudes. B) the skies are cloudless. C) little evaporation occurs to supply moisture to the atmosphere. D) all of the above are true. E) B and C are true.
Answer: D
When water evaporates from a surface, which of the following occurs? A) Energy is stored within the water. B) Energy is removed from the surface. C) The surface is cooled. D) All of the above occur.
Answer: D
Which of the following accurately describes Earth's distance from the Sun? A) The Earth-Sun distance averages 150 million kilometers (93 million miles). B) It takes light an average of 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel from the Sun to Earth. C) Earth is closer to the Sun in January (perihelion) and farther away in July (aphelion). D) All of these are correct.
Answer: D
Which of the following can cause tropospheric air to rise into the stratosphere? A) turbulence associated with the jet streams B) hurricanes C) volcanic eruptions D) all of the above E) none of the aboveit is impossible for this to happen
Answer: D
Which of the following can serve as passive solar energy collectors? A) brick walls B) water containers C) concrete D) A, B, and C E) None of the above.
Answer: D
Which of the following is a capability of a geographic information system (GIS)? A) data storage B) data manipulation and analysis C) map production with overlays of different information layers D) all of the above E) A and B only
Answer: D
Which of the following is a consequence of acid rain? A) the dying of forests B) damage to aquatic ecosystems (rivers and lakes) C) changes in soil chemistry D) All of the above. E) A and B only.
Answer: D
Which of the following is true about the Milky Way galaxy in which we live? A) It is a spiral-shaped galaxy. B) It is one of millions of galaxies in the universe. C) It contains approximately 400 billion stars. D) All of the above are true. E) Only A and B are true
Answer: D
Which of the following is true of chlorofluorocarbons? A) They have been used as propellants in spray cans. B) They are used in refrigeration systems. C) They are used to make foam products. D) All of the above are true. E) B and C only
Answer: D
Which of the following is true of insolation? A) It is the only energy input driving Earth's atmospheric system. B) It consists of diffuse radiation. C) It consists of direct radiation. D) All of the above are true. E) None of the above are true.
Answer: D
Which of the following is true of the mesosphere? A) It contains clouds that are visible at night. B) Windstorms involving wind velocities in excess of 320 kmph (200 mph) occur in this layer. C) It is the coldest layer of the atmosphere. D) All of the above are true. E) None of the above are true.
Answer: D
Which of the following is true? A) It takes light about 100,000 years to cross our galaxy. B) If you could see the most distant parts of our universe, you would be looking at least ten billion years back in time. C) Because of the distances to the stars, it is impossible to see stars "in the present." Each is seen at a different point in time in the past. D) All of the above are true. E) None of the above are true.
Answer: D
Which of the following results from radiation imbalances at different latitudes? A) hurricanes B) global winds C) ocean currents D) A, B, and C E) none of the above
Answer: D
Auroras A) have been seen as far south as Jamaica. B) are created by solar wind interacting with the magnetosphere. C) are related to sunspot activity. D) are an important component of Earth's energy budget. E) A, B, and C only
Answer: E
Consider the continent of Greenland, which is located at high latitudes and is covered to a depth of thousands of feet by glaciers. Given these facts, which of the following is true regarding its energy budget? A) The + SW (insolation) term is large. B) The - SW (albedo) term is large. C) The + LW (incoming longwave infrared energy) term is small. D) both A and B E) both B and C
Answer: E
Increased levels of ultraviolet light at Earth's surface A) pose a threat of skin cancer to all races. B) are related to an increasing rate of skin cancer. C) have been identified as causing damage to oceanic life forms. D) are tied to the general reduction in stratospheric ozone. E) All of these are correct.
Answer: E
Our atmosphere acts like the membrane of a cell because it A) protects the delicate inner workings (life on Earth). B) blocks all inputs to Earth. C) blocks inputs very selectively. D) A and B. E) A and C.
Answer: E
The Clean Air Act A) has cost $523 billion to implement. B) has saved roughly $22.2 trillion. C) has been repeatedly threatened by congress. D) saved 206,000 lives in 1990 alone. E) All of the above are true.
Answer: E
The oxides of sulfur and nitrogen A) lead to the formation of airborne sulfuric and nitric acid. B) form acids that are deposited in both dry and wet forms. C) are produced by industry and transportation. D) are causing major environmental problems in Europe and Asia. E) All of these choices are true.
Answer: E
The people of La Paz, Bolivia can grow wheat and barely at an elevation of 4103 m (13,461 ft.) because A) the air is thicker than normal at their location and it therefore traps more heat energymaking the climate much warmer than would be expected based on its location. B) La Paz is located fairly close to the equator. C) daylength does not vary much at La Paz and this provides relatively uniform temperatures throughout the year. D) all of the above are true. E) B and C are true.
Answer: E
Which of the following are affected by the loss of ozone? A) crop yields B) phytoplankton populations C) immune systems D) eye tissues E) All of these are correct.
Answer: E
Which of the following can lead to a temperature inversion? A) air drainage into mountain valleys B) radiative cooling of the ground at night C) a lowering of the stratosphere during periods of low Sun activity D) all of the above E) A and B only
Answer: E
Which of the following can we expect more of in an urban environment compared with a nearby area A) less snow B) more precipitation C) less radiation D) higher year-round temperatures E) all the above
Answer: E
Which of the following is an advantage of a geographic information system? A) production of specialized maps suited to the needs of specific users B) rapid production of maps based on continuously updated information C) analysis of spatial information D) creation of data overlays showing the spatial relationships between two or more variables E) all of the above
Answer: E
Which of the following is false? A) The IPCC's AR4 states that warming of the climate system is unequivocal. B) Twelve of the last 13 years, 1995--2007, rank among the warmest years in instrumental records stretching back to 1850. C) By the end of the 21st century, large portions of Earth's surface may experience climates not found at present. D) The Arctic is now experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on Earth. E) All of the above are true.
Answer: E
Which of the following is true of the stratospheric ozone? A) The most severe loss of ozone occurred during 2006. B) UV radiation at Ushuaia, Argentina increased 236%. C) The "ozone hole" is now three times larger than the United States D) Ozone depletion is also occurring over the Arctic. E) All of the above true
Answer: E
Which of the following results from the anthropogenic production of ozone in the lower atmosphere? A) oxidation of paint B) premature aging of rubber C) premature aging of paper D) damage to plants E) all of the above
Answer: E
Which is true of the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere? A) The level of CO2 is currently over 386 ppm. B) The level of CO2 has been increasing at the rate of 3.1% per year since 2000. C) The level of CO2 increased at the rate of 1.1% per year from 1990 to 1999. D) The level of CO2 is higher than at any time in the past 800,000 years. E) They are all true
Answer:E
Which of the following is not true?
Areas in the midlatitudes (36°-55°) experience an annual net energy balance.
If you went for a walk on a hot beach, you could cool your feet off substantially by digging them into the sand.
T
Which of the following statements is correct?
Polar regions have warmed much more rapidly than the middle and lower latitudes
Which of the following is true relative to net radiation at the thermopause?
Positive values in lower latitudes and negative values toward the poles.
Which of the following is true?
Seventy-five percent of the atmosphere occurs below 10,700 m (35,105 ft).
According to the principle of Rayleigh scattering, which of the following is true?
Small molecules scatter short wavelengths of light more than long wavelengths.
In winter, isotherms over the interior of Northern Hemisphere continents trend equatorward.
T
"Longitude" is the name of an angle, and "meridian" is the name of an imaginary line that connects all points along the same longitude.
T
A 12 inch-diameter globe has a smaller scale than a 33 inch globe.
T
A Landsat or weather satellite image is an example of passive remote sensing.
T
A circular surface area, when drawn on a map designed to preserve area, might appear as an oval.
T
A daily temperature curve exhibits a lag of about three hours relative to an insolation curve.
T
A gnomonic light source is located at the center of a globe.
T
A great circle route is the shortest distance between any two points on Earth's surface.
T
A model is essentially a simplification of natural systems.
T
A picture taken with film in a camera is an example of passive remote sensing.
T
A standard parallel is a line of tangency.
T
According to Chaos theory, seemingly random, unpredictable events can occur in a deterministic universe.
T
Air pollution can easily cross national boundaries.
T
Air pressure is produced through the motion, size, and number of air molecules.
T
Air temperature is an indication of the average kinetic energy of individual molecules within the atmosphere.
T
All parallels are 360° in length.
T
All places on Earth receive the same period of day and night on March 21.
T
Areas that display a degree of uniformity are called regions.
T
As the distance from a line of tangency increases, the amount of distortion on a map also increases.
T
At the speed of light, Earth is an average of only 8 minutes and 20 seconds from the Sun.
T
Auroras in the upper atmosphere are stimulated by streams of charged (ionized) particles emitted by the Sun.
T
By the end of the 21st century, large portions of Earth's surface may experience climates not found at present.
T
Captain Kittenger came close to the speed of sound during his record-breaking sky dive.
T
Clocks that operated without a pendulum had to be invented before longitude at sea could be calculated.
T
Clouds moderate temperatures producing lower daily maximums and higher nightly minimums.
T
Coordinated Universal Time is the present name for world standard time.
T
Cylindrical map projections, such as the Mercator, have a rectangular grid; i.e., parallels and meridians cross at right angles.
T
Earth is at perihelion in early January when it is closest to the Sun.
T
GIS systems can create dynamic maps.
T
Geographers consider maps to be "tools."
T
Heat energy flows from objects that are hot to those that are cold.
T
High latitudes have a higher albedo in winter than do low latitudes.
T
Which of the following is false?
The Sun is by far the largest star in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Which of the following is true?
The Sun produces energy through fusion processes.
Which of the following is not responsible for the urban heating effect?
The albedo of urban environments is substantially higher than that of natural landscapes.
Which of the following is false?
The amount of Human-produced heat is not significant in New York City.
Which of the following is not true of the ozone hole?
The amount of ozone depletion is greatest over the northern polar regions.
Which is not true of air pollution?
The average gas mileage of U.S. cars and trucks improved from 2001 to 2002.
Which of the following is true regarding Earth's axis?
The axis is tilted 23.5° from a perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic.
Which of the following is true of the relationship between sunspots and certain cyclic weather effects?
The correlation between the two phenomena is interesting, but a direct link remains unconfirmed.
Which of the following is false regarding the Clean Air Act?
The costs of implementation have been much greater then the benefits.
On the average, which of the following is true regarding the distribution of shortwave and longwave energy at Earth's surface by latitude?
The distribution shows an imbalance of net radiation from equator to poles.
Which of the following is true regarding dawn and twilight?
The duration of both increases with increasing latitude.
Which of the following is correct regarding lapse rates in the troposphere?
The environmental lapse rate refers to the actual lapse rate at any particular time and may differ substantially from the normal lapse rate.
Which of the following statements regarding the seasons is incorrect?
The five factors that give rise to the seasons are revolution, rotation, tilt, axial parallelism, and sphericity.
Which of the following is true of gases in the heterosphere?
The hydrogen and helium occur at the top of the heterosphere, and the nitrogen and oxygen at the bottom.
Which of the following is true regarding daylength?
The people living at 40° N or S latitude experience about six-hours difference in daylength from winter to summer.
Which of the following is true regarding La Paz or Concepción, Bolivia?
The people of La Paz, despite their altitude of 4103 m (13,461 ft.), are able to grow wheat and barley.
Which of the following is true of the ionosphere?
The region principally absorbs gamma rays, X-rays, and interacts with the solar wind.
A scale of 1:20,900,000 is regarded as
a scale appropriate for a world globe.
Which one of the following cities experiences temperatures of 32.2°C (90°F) or higher at least 65 days each year?
Wichita, Kansas
The longest days of the year in the Southern Hemisphere are experienced during the Northern Hemisphere's
Winter solstice.
Which of the following sequences is arranged in order from shorter wavelength to longer wavelength?
X-rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared
A great circle is
a circle of circumference whose center coincides with the center of Earth.
An isoline denoting all points at the same elevation is called
a contour line.
On which one of the following projections do great circle routes appear as straight lines?
a gnomonic projection
Earth's equator is an example of
a great circle.
If you wanted a map with a lot of detail of a small area you would want a
a large scale map.
A scale of 1:24,000 is regarded as
a large scale.
The flattened structure of the Milky Way is revealed by
a narrow band of hazy light that stretches across the night sky.
Earth and the Sun formed specifically from
a nebula of dust and gases.
6.4°C/1000 m (3.5°F/1000 ft.) refers to
a normal lapse rate.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is
a reddish-brown, choking gas that is damaging to respiratory tracts.
The solar wind consists principally of
positively charged hydrogen nuclei and free electrons.
The letters P.M. stand for
post meridian.
Industrial smog is
principally associated with coal-burning industries.
Which of the following is an example of an active remote sensing device?
radar
Passive remote sensing platforms include all but
radarsat-1
Our planet and our lives are powered by
radiant energy from the Sun.
While in orbit above Earth's atmosphere, the Space Shuttle often opens its cargo bay doors in order to reflect energy and thereby prevent the shuttle from over-heating. The energy that must be dealt with in this manner is transferred from the Sun to the shuttle by
radiative heat transfer.
The warmest years in the history of weather instruments were
recorded during 12 of the last 13 years (1995-2007).
Transparency
refers to the fact that land is opaque and water is transparent.
The albedo of a surface is a measure of which of the following processes?
reflection
Which of the following is related to Earth's albedo?
reflection
When light passes from one medium to another,
refraction occursa process that is important to the formation of rainbows.
Because of the process known as __________ the Sun appears above the horizon __________ it has actually risen.
refraction; before
In the lower atmosphere, H2SO4 is
related to the problem of acid deposition.
As reported by the National Weather Service, the heat index
relates temperature and relative humidity.
Which of the following climatic factors decreases as a result of urbanization?
relative humudity
Nitrogen (N2) is
relatively inert, with cycling in the environment keyed to the activity of bacteria.
Carbon monoxide is potentially dangerous because it
replaces oxygen on red blood cells.
The sky (lower tropopause) appears blue in color because of
scattering.
Which of the following cannot be attributed to the effects of Earth's rotation?
seasons
Air temperature is a measure of the presence of which of the following?
sensible heat
The principal expenditures of NET R from a moist, nonvegetated surface are
sensible heat transfer, latent heat of evaporation, and ground heating.
The amount of heat energy present in any substance is expressed as its
sensible heat.
In order to preserve area at high latitudes on a map, __________ must be used, and this requires that meridians and parallels __________.
shearing; not cross at right angles
The dominant wavelength of energy emitted by the Sun is
shorter than that emitted by Earth.
A planimetric map
shows horizontal positions of various features such as boundaries and land uses.
The Earth atmosphere energy budget
shows net surpluses at the equator and net deficits at the poles.
The graph of insolation and air temperature
shows that the temperature peak lags the insolation by several hours.
The longest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere are experienced during the
time that the Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer.
The percentages of various gases in the atmosphere indicate that the composition of the atmosphere is controlled
to a significant extent by biological processes occurring on Earth.
The temperature control that specifically relates to opaqueness is
transparency.
Temperatures decrease with increasing altitude in what two atmospheric layers?
troposphere and mesosphere
The atmospheric portion of the biosphere occurs in the
troposphere.
Sensible heat transfer (H) refers to energy transfer between the air and the surface by
turbulent eddies, convection, and conduction.
Based on composition, the atmosphere is divided into
two broad classifications: homosphere and heterosphere.
Based on function, the atmosphere has
two functional areas that absorb radiation from the Sun.
Which two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect because of their ability to absorb infrared energy?
water vapor and carbon dioxide
A scale given as "one centimeter to one kilometer" is an example of a
written scale.
Areas located above __________ latitude experience 24 hours of daylight for six months of the year and 24 hours of night for six months of the year.
66.5°
If it is 10:00 A.M. in Miami, Florida (Eastern time zone), what time is it in Los Angeles, California, located 3 time zones to the west in the Pacific Time zone?
7 A.M.
The individual who first determined the circumference of Earth did so using which of the following? A) geometry B) a water well C) the shadow of an obelisk D) all of the above E) A and B only
Answer: D
The scientific method is described by which of the following? A) The application of common sense. B) A relation to procedures developed by Sir Isaac Newton. C) The development of hypotheses for testing and prediction. D) All of these are correct. E) None of these is correct.
Answer: D
Which of the following is correctly matched? A) equilibrium; balance of inputs and outputs B) steady state equilibrium; small fluctuations about an average condition C) dynamic equilibrium; small fluctuations about an average condition that changes gradually over time D) All of the above are correctly matched
Answer: D
Which of the following is true of models? A) They are abstract representations of the world. B) They are idealized representations of the world. C) They are simplified representations of the world. D) All of the above are true. E) A and B only
Answer: D
Which of the following is true of scientific theories? A) They are based on several hypotheses. B) They are broad in scope because they unify several known facts about the world. C) They are based on natural laws (such as those pertaining to gravity, relativity, atomic theory, etc.) D) all of the above
Answer: D
The practice of setting time ahead or behind during the year, out of coordination with the Sun, is termed
Daylight Saving Time.
Which of the following is true of the length (as measured in kilometers) of a degree of latitude?
It is constant at all latitudes.
If it is 10:00 PM on July 3rd at 30° west, what date and time is it at 15° east?
July 4th; 1 A.M.
Who made a significant, early contribution to cartography by adding a grid and orienting the map with north at the top? He also divided the circumference of Earth into 360°, with each degree comprising 60 minutes, and each minute comprising 60 seconds.
Ptolemyin the second century A.D.
Which of the following statements about Earth is correct?
The equatorial diameter is 42 km (26 mi.) greater than the polar diameter.
Which of the following statements is true regarding Daylight Saving Time (DST)?
The length of the day is not changed.
If a clock on a ship indicates that it is 2:00 P.M. in its home port, while another clock on the ship indicates that it is 12:00 noon at the ship's present location, what is the difference in longitude between the ship's position and its home port?
The ship is 30° west of its home port.
Which of the following is true regarding the 0° prime meridian?
There was no way of determining this meridian at sea until as late as AD 1760.
Which of the following is not true of meridians?
They are lines that run in an east-west direction.
Which is not true of geographers?
They are not really scientists.
Which of the following best describes the field of physical geography?
Understanding how Earth processes interact to produce the phenomena observed in nature.
Which of the following most accurately characterizes the goal of geography?
Understanding why a particular place has unique characteristics.
If City A is located west of City B, the time at City A is __________ than that at City B because Earth rotates from __________ when viewed from above the North Pole.
earlier; west to east(i.e., counterclockwise)
If Earth warmed up, and more snow fell because of more water vapor in the atmosphere, and that snow then reduced Earth's temperature, which increased snow cover, then the initial increase in snow fall would be __________ feed back, while the continued increase in snow fall would be __________ feed back.
negative; positive
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography proposed by the Association of American Geographers, unique tangible and intangible aspects of a site refers to
place.
The increase in meltponds in Arctic regions is an example of
positive feedback, because the melt ponds absorb more solar energy than the ice did.
If you were standing at 60° north latitude you would be within which latitudinal geographic zone?
subarctic
If you were standing at 20° north latitude you would be within which latitudinal geographic zone?
subtropical
If you began a trip at 60° west, 20° north and traveled 120° farther west and 50° south, your new position would be
the International Dateline at 30° south latitude.
The inductive method of reasoning used by Earth scientists to discern patterns in nature involves reasoning from
the specific to the general.
The key idea behind the scientific method is
the testing of ideas through controlled observations and experiments.
Time is now precisely measured with primary standard clocks that are based on
the vibration of cesium atoms.
As we burn fossil fuels and release carbon dioxide, the temperature of our planet and the oceans will increase. When the oceans warm they will release more carbon dioxide, further warming the planet and oceans. If this occurs rapidly and causes a sudden rise in temperature, a(n) __________ has been crossed and that the planet has moved into a state of __________.
threshold; disequilibrium
Geography" literally means
to write (about) Earth.
Travelers flying west from Los Angeles (118° W) to Tokyo (139° E) will cross the __________ and, as a result, they will __________ when crossing this meridian.
International Dateline; lose a day (Example: Saturday becomes Sunday.)
Which of the following is true of the biosphere?
It extends from the floor of the oceans to 8 km (5 mi.) into the atmosphere.
Which of the following is true of the biosphere?
Life processes generally are shaped by the abiotic spheres.
Which of the following is true of the prime meridian just prior to the year 1884?
Most countries were already using the Greenwich meridian for their marine maps.
Which of the following statements regarding the development of models by scientists is not true?
Most scientists believe that any system can eventually be modeled with 100 percent accuracy. Thus, models can be perfect representations of reality.
Which of the following is incorrect?
New resources and matter are being added to Earth's systems all the time.
A value for Earth's circumference was first calculated by
a librarian at Alexandria named Eratosthenes.
Standard time zones
are 15° wide because Earth rotates through that distance in one hour.
Living systems are considered
biotic.
Isaac Newton reasoned that Earth was not perfectly spherical because of
centrifugal force created by Earth's more rapid rotation at the equator.
A non-rechargeable battery can best be described as a/an __________ energy system and a/an __________ material system.
closed; closed
The part of geography that embodies map making is known as
geodesy.
The main methodology governing geographic inquiry
involves spatial analysis.
Geography
is derived from geo and graphein; literally, "to write Earth."
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography, your home address is best described within which of the five themes?
location
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography proposed by the Association of American Geographers, latitude and longitude refer to
location.
An angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian from the center of Earth is termed
longitude
A line connecting all points along the same longitudinal angle is called a
meridian
If a system responds to a change in input by moving further away from its equilibrium condition, what type of feedback has occurred?
positive
If the human population keeps growing rapidly, there could be a rapid shift from there being enough food to large scale food shortages and starvation. The point at which this change occurs is a(n) __________.
threshold
Around the Grand Canyon the predators of deer were largely exterminated by people. The deer population grew rapidly as a result of the lack of predators until the deer exhausted their food supply. This led to a massive die-off (known as a population crash) and hundreds of deer died of starvation. The point at which the food supply no longer supported the large deer population can best be considered a
threshold.
The difference in Sun time between two places located 30° in longitude apart from one another is
two hours.
Geography is not
unscientific.
The realization that Earth was a sphere
was first made by Pythagoras, 580-500 B.C.
If an observer determines that the North Star (Polaris) is located 30° above the horizon, then the observer is located at __________.
30° north latitude
If a storm causes more sediment (dirt) to flow into a river than the river can carry, the sediment will be deposited in the channel. This will make the channel narrower than it was originally. However, as the channel's width decreases, the river's velocity will increase, and this will eventually cause the newly deposited sediment to be eroded. As a result, the original width of the river, as well as normal flow velocities, will be reestablished. In this example, the width of the river channel and the processes controlling it can be considered an example of A) steady-state equilibrium. B) positive feedback. C) negative feedback. D) both A and B E) both A and C
Answer: E
Which of the following terms characterizes the discipline of geography? A) eclectic B) holistic C) unscientific D) A, B, and C. E) A and B only.
Answer: E
Which of the following is the most strongly supported by experimental and observational evidence?
theory
Which of the following best describes the condition of steady-state equilibrium?
System inputs and outputs fluctuate around a stable average so the system does not move far from its average condition.
If we burn fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide and warm the atmosphere, as the oceans warm they will release more carbon dioxide, which warms the atmosphere. This is an example of __________ feedback. If the increased atmospheric carbon dioxide causes increased plant growth which removes carbon dioxide and cools the atmosphere, this is an example of __________ feedback.
positive; negative
If increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to further increases in temperature by promoting the release of even more carbon dioxide from the oceans, this means that __________ feedback has occurred and that the planet is __________.
positive; out of equilibrium
Relative to the fundamental themes of geography proposed by the Association of American Geographers, areas that display uniform characteristics refer to
regions.
System analysis, the analytical technique used by modern geographers, was developed by
scientists who were studying energy and temperature; i.e., thermodynamics.
The letters A.M. and P.M. refer to the time at which
the Sun is directly overhead at noon.
