Quiz 3 WX 201
On what date is the Sun the most intense in the Northern Hemisphere? - July 15 - December 21 - June 21 - March 20 - September 22
June 21
In a hilly region, the best place to plant crops that are sensitive to low temperatures is - on the valley floor. - near streams and rivers. - along the hillsides. - on the top of the highest hill. - in any dry location.
along the hillsides.
The daily minimum temperature is usually observed - several hours before sunrise. - around sunrise. - several hours after sunrise. - near midnight. - at the time of sunset.
around sunrise.
Because air temperatures normally decrease with increasing height, trees found on the cooler north-facing side of mountains are often those that usually grow - near the Arctic circle. - in arid climates. - near the equator. - at lower elevations. - at higher elevations.
at higher elevations.
The greatest variation in daily temperature usually occurs - at the top of a high-rise apartment complex. - about 5 feet above the ground. - on top of a mountain. - at the ground. - at the level where thermals stop rising.
at the ground.
Ideal conditions for a strong radiation inversion are a - cloudy, calm, moist, winter night. - clear, calm, moist, summer night. - clear, calm, dry, winter night. - cloudy, windy, moist, summer night. - clear, windy, dry, summer night.
clear, calm, dry, winter night.
Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5°with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. If the amount of tilt were increased to 40°, we would expect in middle latitudes - hotter summers and colder winters than at present. - cooler summers and milder winters than at present. - hotter summers and milder winters than at present. - no appreciable change from present conditions. - cooler summers and colder winters than at present.
hotter summers and colder winters than at present.
At what time during a 24-hour day would a radiation temperature inversion best be developed? - near sunrise - at noon - between 3 and 5 p.m. when the air temperature reaches a maximum - at sunset - toward the end of the morning
near sunrise
At any given time, ____ of Earth is illuminated by the Sun. - one-fourth - one-half - one-third - two-thirds - three quarters
one-half
The lag in daily temperature refers to the time lag between the - minimum and maximum temperature for a day. - time of minimum temperature and the time of maximum solar radiation. - sunrise and sunset. - time of maximum solar radiation and the time of maximum temperature. - minimum and maximum solar energy received at the surface for a given day.
time of maximum solar radiation and the time of maximum temperature.
The Sun is directly overhead at Mexico City (latitude 19°N) - once a year. - twice a year. - every month. - never. - four times a year.
twice a year.
The most important reason why summers in the Southern Hemisphere are not warmer than summers in the Northern Hemisphere is that - Earth is farther from the Sun in July. - Earth is closer to the Sun in January. - over 80 percent of the Southern Hemisphere is covered with water. - the Sun's energy is less intense in the Southern Hemisphere. - ice from Antarctica prevents it from getting very hot.
over 80 percent of the Southern Hemisphere is covered with water.
On a clear, calm night, the ground and air above cool mainly by which process? - conduction - convection - reflection - evaporation - radiation
radiation
For maximum winter warmth, in the Northern Hemisphere, large windows in a house should face - north. - south. - west. - any direction. - east.
south
In the northern hemisphere, a solar panel should be placed on the side of the roof facing - west. - east. - south. - north. - any of these directions.
south
If tonight's temperature is going to drop into the middle 20s (°F) and a fairly stiff wind is predicted, probably the best way to protect an orchard against a hard freeze is to (assume that cost is not a factor) - put orchard heaters to work. - pray for clouds. - use helicopters. - sprinkle the crops with water. - use wind machines.
sprinkle the crops with water.
Our seasons are caused by - the angle at which sunlight reaches Earth. - the proximity to the poles. - the constellation of Earth, Sun, and Moon. - differences in altitude. - the amount of cloud cover during the different parts of the year.
the angle at which sunlight reaches Earth.
In clear weather, the air next to the ground is usually ____ than the air above during the night and ____ than the air above during the day. - colder; warmer - colder; less humid - warmer; colder - hotter; more humid - warmer; warmer
colder; warmer
Longer days are generally associated with - large daily temperature variations. - colder daily temperatures. - less insolation. - more insolation. - more heating degree days.
more insolation.
Over Earth as a whole, one would expect to observe the smallest variation in temperature from day to day and from month to month - in the center of a large land mass. - at the North Pole. - along the Pacific coast of North America. - high in the mountains in the middle of a continent. - on a small island near the equator.
on a small island near the equator.
One would expect the lowest temperatures to be found next to the ground on a - clear, damp, windy night. - clear, dry, windy night. - rainy night. - cloudy night. - clear, dry, calm night.
clear, dry, calm night.
In the Northern Hemisphere, which day has the fewest hours of daylight? - vernal equinox - winter solstice - summer solstice - autumnal equinox - spring solstice
winter solstice
Which latitude below would experience the fewest hours of daylight on December 22nd? - 60°N - 0°(Equator) - 20°N - 60°S - 20°S
60°N
Which of the following latitudes is closer to Earth's axis? - 0°N - 15°N - 90°N - 60°N - 40°N
90°N
When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ____ and ____ in the Southern Hemisphere. - March; spring - January; summer - July; winter - July; summer - January; winter
January; summer
Although the polar regions radiate away more heat energy than they receive by insolation in the course of a year, they are prevented from becoming progressively colder each year by the - circulation of heat by the atmosphere and oceans. - the insulating properties of snow. - conduction of heat through the interior of Earth. - release of latent heat to the atmosphere when polar ice melts. - concentration of Earth's magnetic field lines at the poles.
circulation of heat by the atmosphere and oceans.
During the afternoon, the greatest temperature difference between surface air and the air several meters above occurs on a - clear, calm afternoon. - cloudy, windy afternoon. - cloudy, calm afternoon. - cold, windy afternoon. - clear, windy afternoon.
clear, calm afternoon.
On the summer solstice, the highest position of the noonday Sun is located - near the equator. - near the South Pole. - in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. - in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. - near the North Pole.
in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
Suppose yesterday morning you noticed ice crystals (frost) on the grass, yet the minimum temperature reported in the newspaper was only 35°F. The most likely reason for this apparent discrepancy is that - temperature readings are taken in instrument shelters more than 5 feet above the ground. - the newspaper reported the wrong temperature. - the thermometer was read incorrectly. - the thermometer was read before the minimum temperature was reached for that day. - the thermometer was in error.
temperature readings are taken in instrument shelters more than 5 feet above the ground.
An important reason for the large daily temperature range over deserts is - free convection cells are unable to form above the hot desert ground. - the ozone content of desert air is very low. - dry air is a very poor heat conductor. - there is little water vapor in the air to absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation. - the light-colored sand radiates heat very rapidly at night.
there is little water vapor in the air to absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation.