Weather and Climate Exam 1 Study Guide

Summer temperatures along the California coast are cooler than along the coast of South Carolina,due to the influence of:

ocean currents.

An air parcel rises over a mountain and cools adiabatically. Which lifting mechanism has acted on this parcel?

orographic lifting

This atmospheric component absorbs damaging ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

ozone

The earth receives energy from the Sun by:

radiation

A primary reason for drawing isotherms on a map of temperature values is to allow:

recognition of temperature patterns.

Over the course of this year, the tilt of Earth's polar axis will:

remain constant at 23.5 degrees.

The annual temperature range is quite small near the equator. This is true primarily because:

solar radiation is nearly uniform all year.

Saturation is best defined as:

the point when water molecules completely stop evaporating from a water surface.

The primary cause of Earth's seasons is:

tilt of Earth's rotation axis, which causes sun angles and daylight length to vary.

Adiabatic processes are only important for air:

which is rising or sinking.

A place located along a windward coast:

will probably have cooler summer temperatures than an inland place at the same latitude.

The ozone layer is found in the:

Stratosphere

Relative humidity depends on the water vapor present in the air and the:

air temperature.

Locations on Earth which have the largest annual temperature change from summer to winter are often:

at high latitudes.

The majority of the water outside of the oceans is in the form of

glacial ice

The absorption of longwave radiation by certain gases in the lower atmosphere is responsible for:

greenhouse effect.

The buoyancy of a rising air parcel is greatly affected by:

heat released if water vapor condenses.

The heat released when water vapor condenses to form a cloud or when liquid droplets freeze in a cloud:

helps the cloud to rise higher.

An instrument used to measure relative humidity is called a:

hygrometer.

Which of the following factors would have the net effect of making a place warmer in the summer?

in the middle of a landmass

The capacity of the air to hold water vapor:

increases with an increase in temperature.

The term meteorology:

is the study of the atmosphere and its related weather systems.

The wavelengths emitted by the earth are:

longer than those emitted by the Sun.

Relative humidity indicates the:

nearness to saturation for the air.

Which of the following gases does not absorb any portion of incoming solar radiation?

nitrogen

The 90 degrees angle rays strike the Tropic of Cancer on:

June 21

The longest day of the year in the United States occurs on:

June 21

Which of the following is NOT a valid explanation of the urban heat island effect?

Urban areas generally have a higher albedo than surrounding rural areas.

An isotherm on a map:

connects points of equal temperature.

The vertical motions that occur when the air is unstable are termed:

convection.

These two conditions, working together, will make the atmosphere the most unstable.

cool the surface and warm the air aloft

How is the daily maximum temperature affected by the presence of clouds?

cooler

During a clear, relatively calm day, the relative humidity will tend to ________ from sunrise to early afternoon.

decrease

The temperature of rising air parcels ________ as they move upward.

decreases

The most important cause of temperature variations is:

differences in receipt of solar radiation.

Objects with higher temperatures:

emit more shortwave radiation than cooler objects do.

The change in the actual air temperature as you go up into the atmosphere is called:

environmental lapse rate.

During the process of adiabatic cooling, the temperature decreases because the air has:

expanded to a larger volume.

A convergence of winds near the surface is associated with cloud production because it:

forces the air to rise.

Of the following choices, the surface with the HIGHEST albedo is:

fresh snow

The boiling point of water occurs at:

100°C

The amount of water vapor in the air (by volume) usually does not exceed:

4 percent.

Consider the isotherm map of the United States shown above. Which of the following is the best realistic estimate of the current temperature at the spot marked by an X?

75°F

About what percent of Earth's water can be found in the oceans?

97%

Which of the following correctly describes the equinoxes?

Days and nights are equal in length in all parts of the world.

How is the annual mean temperature calculated?

It is the average of all 12 monthly mean temperatures.

The annual temperature range at most latitudes in the southern hemisphere is much smaller than in the northern hemisphere. Why?

There is more area covered by water in the southern hemisphere.

A poleward moving (northward moving in the Northern Hemisphere) ocean current is:

a warm current.

Clouds play an important role in the earth's energy budget because they:

absorb longwave radiation and re-radiate it towards the surface. reflect solar energy. Both A and C

As liquid water is evaporated into the atmosphere, heat energy is:

absorbed by the surrounding air.

The atmosphere is highly ________ with respect to solar radiation.

absorptive

The atmosphere is strongly ________ with respect to terrestrial radiation.

absorptive

Which of the following would not be associated with stable atmospheric conditions?

afternoon thunderstorms

The stability of the air layer close to the earth's surface can vary markedly. Much of this variation is caused by:

changes in heating or cooling of the surface.

An inversion represents an extremely stable atmosphere because a parcel of air that rises into aninversion will eventually become ________ and ________ dense than the air surrounding it.

colder, more

Which of the following outlines the steps of the scientific method in the correct order?

collect data; develop hypothesis; test hypothesis; accept/modify/reject hypothesis

As the temperature of air is reduced to its dew point, which of these is most likely to occur?

condensation

Which of the following requires the GREATEST RELEASE of latent heat energy into the atmosphere?

condensation of 1 gram of water

The primary purpose served by surface ocean currents is to:

transfer heat and equalize the imbalance of energy between the poles and the equator.

Which of the following describes the role played by the water cycle in determining the earth's heat budget?

transfers heat from surface to atmosphere

The type of energy that is responsible for sunburn is:

ultraviolet energy

Evaporation is a process which tends to keep temperatures cooler where it occurs. This is because the atmosphere:

uses energy to change the phase of water instead of increasing air temperature.

Which one of the following gases has the greatest effect on weather?

water vapor

Overnight temperatures are warmer when the air is humid because:

water vapor is a good absorber of incoming shortwave radiation, causing more energy to be stored during the day.

Which of the following associations is CORRECT?

water-high specific heat