weather and climate

Which of the following could be a measure of relative humidity?

100%

Which of the following would be considered a micro-climate?

A cave

Adiabatic cooling results from which of the following characteristics of the atmosphere?

As altitude increases, air pressure decreases

Which statement best explains why sweating cools a person's body?

As sweat evaporates, it absorbs heat from the body.

How does adiabatic cooling result in the formation of clouds over mountains?

As winds blow moist air up the mountain, the air expands and its temperature decreases to the dew point.

Which statement best explains how a major volcanic eruption can change climate?

Ash in the atmosphere can block sunlight, decreasing temperatures on Earth for several years.

What data would most help scientists classify a region into a major climate category?

Average monthly precipitation amounts and average monthly temperatures

How would a significant increase in temperature affect the sea level?

Cause an increase in sea level.

How is climate different from weather?

Climate describes conditions over the long term.

Which of the following processes releases latent heat?

Condensation

Which statement best describes how La Nina can affect global weather conditions?

Cool surface currents in the Pacific cool the air directly above the ocean, changing atmospheric circulation patterns.

How does incoming solar radiation cause winds on Earth?

Different parts of Earth receive different amounts of solar energy. Therefore, air tends to rise more in some places and to sink more in others. We experience this movement of air as wind.

What is the primary cause of wind?

Differential heating of earths atmosphere

What is the primary cause of the Coriolis effect?

Earth's rotation

Which answer does NOT explain why scientists and engineers around the world are working to develop alternative energy technologies to replace fossil fuel burning plants and engines?

Global warming will make the planet a warm, safe, and agriculturally proficient place for humans.

If the air temperature in a region is 20 C, and a fog is forming, what is the dew point in the region?

Greater than 20 C

The warming of the atmosphere due to the absorption of radiant energy from Earth's surface by atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and methane is a description of what process?

Greenhouse effect

Which of the following directly helps to hold heat energy in Earth's atmosphere?

Greenhouse gases

A student notices long, wispy clouds in the sky. Which inference is the student most justified in making?

High winds are blowing the upper atmosphere

In which of the following regions are global winds more likely than local winds to affect climate?

In the open ocean

Which of the following is most likely the cause of global climate change?

Increases carbon dioxide emissions

Which statement best describes how the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is most likely affecting Earth?

It is decreasing the volume of ice worldwide, it is increasing average temperatures in the oceans, and it is increasing average temperatures in the atmosphere.

How would a significant rise in average global ocean water temperature most likely affect sea level?

It would increase global sea level

Which answer best explains how the position and shape of a jet stream affects weather?

Large dips in the jet stream cause air masses to mix, resulting in severe weather.

Where would you likely find higher temperatures?

Lower latitude

If the sun were able to heat Earth's atmosphere uniformly, would all winds on Earth stop?

No. Differences in local geography would still produce local winds.

A student describes the weather on Earth today as rainy. Is the student using the term weather appropriately?

No. Weather refers to a particular place; at any moment on Earth, some places are experiencing rain.

Does an unusually cold day in summer indicate that a region's climate has changed?

No; climate describes long-term average conditions.

Which of the following does not cause or otherwise affect winds on Earth?

Ocean currents

A student learns that a large thunderstorm is moving over tropical waters toward land; the student tells people that a hurricane is coming. IS the student's warning correct?

Probably not. A hurricane is not a single storm but a system of powerful storms rotating around a well-organized center.

What is the likely explanation for why coastal areas typically have cooler summers and warmer winters than areas far from oceans have?

Proximity to oceans

Which of the following technologies would be most useful for predicting the direction of a thunderstorm?

Radar

Besides water vapor, which of the following is usually necessary for cloud formation?

Small particles in the atmosphere on which the water vapor may condense.

Which of the following does not result from condensation?

Snow

Which description best states the difference between snow and hail?

Snow consists of ice crystals that form directly from the deposition of water vapor. Hail consists of irregular ice pellets that grow layer by layer as they circulate through the atmosphere.

How does ground-level ozone differ from stratospheric ozone?

Stratospheric ozone protects human health, whereas ground-level ozone harms human health.

Warm summers and cool winters describes which type of climate?

Temperate

Why are temperatures on Mars too cold for humans to survive there?

The Martian atmosphere is very thin, and it does not have enough greenhouse gases to keep temperatures high enough to support human life.

Which statement best describes how solar radiation warms the atmosphere?

The atmosphere directly absorbs some of the solar radiation that reaches Earth, Earth's surface reflects some solar radiation back into the atmosphere, and Earth's surface absorbs some solar radiation and re-radiates it back into the atmosphere.

Which statement best describes how a cool ocean current will most likely affect the climate of nearby land?

The nearby land will likely be cooler because heat from the atmosphere transfers to the ocean water.

Which statement best describes how conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean change during La Nina?

The surface current become unusually cool

Which statement best describes how conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean change during El Nino?

The surface currents become unusually warm

What do water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and ozone have in common?

They are all greenhouse gases

Which of the following would not be part of a weather description?

Tide height

Which of the following activities most likely contributes to global warming?

Traveling in gasoline-powered vehicles

Which best describes the general relationship between the width of tree rings and the average weather conditions during the year the ring formed?

Wider rings form in wetter, warmer years

What is the primary cause of Earth's current trend toward global warming?

an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Why is water vapor considered a greenhouse gas?

because it absorbs radiant energy from Earth's surface

Clouds composed mainly of ice particles are usually located

in the upper troposhpere

Which of the following data would be most helpful in assessing the climate of a region?

the average monthly temperature and precipitation over the course of a year

Which answer is the best definition of weather?

the state of the troposphere at a particular place and time

Which of the following processes has the greatest effect on Earth's weather?

the water cycle

A warm ocean current will most likely make the climate of nearby land

warmer and wetter