Atoc Final
To which scale do mountain/valley breeze and land/sea breeze circulations belong? * Planetary * Micro * Large * Meso * Synoptic
Meso
This coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere extends to about 80 km. * Thermosphere * Mesosphere * Troposphere * Stratosphere * Exosphere
Mesosphere
Which of the following is not considered a variable gas within Earth's atmosphere? * Nitrogen * Water Vapor * Carbon Dioxide * Ozone * Methane
Nitrogen
Tropic of Cancer latitude
23.5 degrees N
Tropic of Capricorn
23.5 degrees S
Which of the following substances has the highest specific heat? * Water * Saturated air * Mercury * Dry air * Sand
Water
During the Wisconsin Glacial Phase, sea levels were how far below those of today? A. 57m B. 1000m C. 500m D. 170m E. 70m
d
Few sunspots were observed during the Maunder Minimum, which corresponds to the peak of the ______. A. Younger Dryas event B. Gondwanan Ice Age C. Medieval Warm Period D. Little Ice Age
d
The relationship between the upward-directed buoyancy force and the downward-directed acceleration caused by gravity can be represented by which of the following? A. Second law of thermodynamics B. First law of thermodynamics C. Environmental lapse rate D. Hydrostatic equation E. Equation of state
d
The value of the unsaturated (aka 'dry') adiabatic lapse rate is approximately ________________ . A. 10ºF/km B. 6ºF/km C. 6ºC/km D. 10ºC/km
d
. Because the speed of electromagnetic radiation is constant (speed of light = c ), the wave equation (in list at top of test) says that _______. (a) Longwave radiation has low frequency (b) Shortwave radiation has low frequency (c) Longwave radiation has high frequency (d) Both (b) and (c) only are correct
a
11. The continentality of the Asian continent in the winter leads to the __________________ . A. Siberian high B. Aleutian low C. Icelandic low D. Tibetan low
a
13. Which of these are considered to be thermally direct circulations? A. Hadley and Polar Cells B. Hadley and Ferrel Cells C. Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar Cells D. Ferrel and Polar Cells
a
14. Which of the following occurs as air progresses from a ridge toward a trough? A. Upper-level convergence B. Upper-level divergence
a
15. The ITCZ rea ches its northernmost extent over ___________ . A. Asia during July B. Africa during January C. South America during July D. South America during January
a
16. True or false? Westerly winds exist in the middle latitudes in the southern hemisphere. A. True B. False
a
21. If a pilot wants to stay a t a particular pressure level (e.g., 300mb) while heading equatorward, what must they do? A. Increase altitude B. Decrease altitude C. Stay at the same altitude
a
22. For the atmosphere, se mi - permanent surface lows form over regions that are relatively ___________ whereas semi - permanent surface highs form over regions that are relativel y ___________ . (a) warm; cold (b) cold; warm
a
23. Which of these two regions has less of a diurnal and seasonal range in temperature? A. Coastal tropical deserts B. Inland sub tropical deserts
a
24. Most summer - dry climates in the U.S. midlats are found _________. A. Along the Pacific coast B. Along the Atlantic coast C. In the Rocky Mountains D. In the Great Plains
a
26. Which polar climate has the world's largest annual temperature range? A. Subarctic B. Tundra C. Ice cap
a
9. If two planets have different albedo values , yet are the same distance from the Sun, which planet would have the higher effective radiating temperature? (a) The planet with the lower albedo . (b) The planet with the higher albedo . (c) Both planets would have the same effective radiating temperature .
a
True or false? A parcel can rise even if the environment is statically stable when it is forced to rise by encountering colder air. A. True B. False
a
Which of the following is not true regarding the ITCZ? A. Cloud cover is most prominent over longitudes experiencing morning. B. It migrates seasonally. C. Air converges from both hemispheres and rises. D. It brings seasonal rainfall to regions in the S. Sahara. E. Latitudinal migration of the ITCZ is prevented over regions with cold ocean currents.
a
11. What is the solar noon zenith angle on June 21 st in Boulder (lat = 40ºN)? (a) 16.5º (b) 23.5º (c) 26.5º (d) 63.5º (e) 73.5º
a and know why
18. Of the 4 options below, w hich tropical region has the small est annual range in temperature? A. Inland deserts B. Tropical wet - and - dry C. Equatorial rainforests D. Tropical monsoonal
c
20. How do areas in the Great Plains get most of their winter precipitation? A. By thunderstorms B. By orographic effects C. By fronts associated with the jet stream D. By the influence of late season hurricanes
c
24. Which process acts to increase the density of polar surface waters, enabling it to sink and form the world's oceanic bottom waters? (a) heavy rainfall (b) glacial meltoff (c) sea ice formation (d) sea ice melting
c
27. Looking at a globally - averaged profile of the ocean, _______ generally increases with depth while ______ generally decreases with depth, resulting in a stably stratified ocean. (a) temperature; salinity (b) density; salinity (c) salinity; temperature (d) salinity; density (e) temperature; density
c
28. Which is true about the current projections for tropical cyclones? A. All types of tropical cyclones will become more frequent in the future B. Weaker tropical cyclones (Cat. I - II) will become more frequent in the future C. The strongest tropical cyclones (Cat. V) will become more frequent in the future
c
30. Which one of these ice sheets is growing in modern times? (a) Greenland (b) W. Antarctica (c) E. Antarctica
c
5. As air rises adi abatically, it ________. A. expands and warms B. compresses and warms C. expands and cools D. compresses and cools
c
Winds diverge out of a surface ______ and converge into a surface ______. A. low; high B. cyclone; anticyclone C. high; low D. anticyclone; high E. cyclone; low
c
The average environmental lapse rate in the troposphere in Celsius degrees per kilometer is ___. * 6.5 * 5.0 * 3.0 * 2.8 * 8.5
6.5
Arctic Circle Latitude
66.5 degrees N
The antarctic circle latitude
66.5 degrees S
3. Which of the following is not a constant value, because it depends on the amount of moisture in the air? A. Unsaturated adiabatic lapse rate B. Saturated adiabatic lapse rate
B
. If two locations have the same average conditions, then they have the same climate. (a) True (b) False
B
3. Which layer(s) of the atmosphere warm with height on average? (a)Troposphere and mesosphere (b)Stratosphere and thermosphere (c)Troposphere and thermosphere (d)Stratosphere and mesosphere
B
5. How do Greenhouse Gases primarily warm Earth's surface? (a) By absorbing incoming shortwave radiation and re - emitting a percentage of it to the surface . (b) By absorbing outgoing longwave radiation and re - emitting a percentage of it to the surface . (c) By absorbing outgoing shortwave radiation and re - emitting a percentage of it to the surface . (d) By reflecting a percentage of outgoing longwave radiation towards the surface .
B
Scientific evidence suggests that the Earth is how old? A. 460 billion years old B. 4.6 billlion years old C. 46 million years old D. 460 million years old
B
Which of the following is true during a La Niña event? A. The trade winds cease. B. Cold water upwelling near the Americas increases. C. High pressure is strong off the coast of Australia. D. The Pacific coastline of South America receives excess precipitation. E. The Walker circulation becomes abnormally weak.
B
1. Local scales of climatology cover which range of distance? (a) 5-100km (b) 10-40km (c) 0.5-5km (d) 0.05-0.5km
C
2. The relationship between the upward - directed buoyancy force and the acceleration caused by gravity can be represented by which of the following? A. First law of thermodynamics B. Second law of thermodynamics C. Hydrostatic equation D. Equation of state E. Environmental lapse rate
C
4. Which gas is the most spatially variable in the troposphere? (a)N2 (b)O2 (c)H2O (d)CO2
C
6. Why is the Antarctic atmosphere more prone to ozone thinning than other regions on Earth? (a) Since it is cold enough there to form polar stratospheric clouds . (b) Since the polar vortex in the southern hemisphere is quite strong during . winter/ spring and prevents ozone mixing in from other regions . (c) Both (a) and (b) are key components for Antarctic ozone thinning .
C
How much of the U.S. anthropogenic greenhouse emissions come from carbon dioxide due to fossil fuel combustion? A. 2% B. 32% C. 82% D. 57% E. 100%
C
Which of the following is not a location where coastal upwelling is important? A. Off the coast of Baja California B. Off the coast of Venezuela C. Off the coast of Peru D. Off the coast of Japan E. Off the coast of Morocco
D
Why do temperatures increase with height in the stratosphere? A. Air molecules are extremely dense in the stratosphere. B. Air pressure increases with height in the stratosphere. C. Thin clouds reflect insolation. D. Vehicle exhaust adds extra molecules to the stratosphere. E. Stratospheric ozone absorbs UV radiation
E
Which of the following forces does not apply to winds in the free atmosphere? * Centrifugal force * Coriolis effect * Friction * Pressure gradient force
Friction
Which of the following is not a sphere that interacts with the atmosphere? * Lithosphere * Geosphere * Biosphere * Cryosphere * Hydrosphere
Geosphere
The _____________ is the metric unit of energy or work. * Watt * Pascal * Joule * Newton * Celsius
Joule
Which of the following layers occurs adjacent to Earth's surface? * Laminar * Transition * Roughness * Free atmosphere
Laminar
Understand test 1 key a # 16-19, 23, 28, and other questions, and test 2 questions 12, 29, 30, 31 and rest of test
Look up and understand
10. If a region light annual precipitation, it is more likely to have a water deficit if a majority of the precipitation falls in the ______. A. winter B. summer
b
14. Which statement is not correct? (a) Friction always reduces the wind speed. (b) Friction causes existing surface low - pressure centers to become even lower. (c) Friction always acts to turn the wind such that the flow has a component from higher pressure toward lower pressure.
b
20. The specific heat capacity of liquid water is four times that of soil, yet the heat capacity per square meter at the ocean surface was derived in class as ~100 times that of the land surface. Which statement below is NOT accurate regarding this large difference between ocean and land heat capacities at the surface (a) The sun's radiation is only absorbed at a very thin surface lay er of land, while the sun's radiation is absorbed over a much deeper layer in the ocean. (b) The land surface, whether it is comprised of sand, dry soil, moist soil, or grass always has a lower albedo than oceanic water. (c) The atmospheric temperature warms the s urface layer of both the land and ocean; however in the ocean, waves and wind actively mix this warm surface layer with cooler water below.
b
22. The tropics, as a whole, stand out considering all the regional climate zones of the world by having a _____________. A. s maller diurnal cycle than a seasonal cycle in temperature B. s mall er seasonal cycle than a diurnal cycle in temperature C. small seasonal cycle of precipitation
b
27. The subpolar lows of the Northern Hemisphere are strongest during __________________ . A. NH summer B. NH winter
b
29. Volcanoes have produced impacts on the global climate in the last 100 years by __________ . (a) emitting more CO 2 annually than fossil fuel burning does (b) periodic and short - term (2-5yr) cooling of the climate via stratospheric aerosol loading (c)Both (a) and (b) are correct
b
4. When the atmosphere is saturated _______. A. there is more evaporation from then condensation on liquid drops B. there is equal evaporation from, and condensation on, liquid drops C. there is more condensation on then evaporation from liquid drops
b
6. Which one of these instruments measures evapotranspiration by measuring the combined weight of soil, vegetation, and water within the instrument? A. A flux tower that uses eddy covariance methods B. A lysimeter C. An evaporation pan D. A sling psychrometer
b
7. Shortwave radiant energy that is scattered downward to the surface is known as ___________ . A. Counter - radiation B. Diffuse radiation C. Substrate radiation D. Direct radiation
b
An environmental lapse rate of 8ºC/km is considered a(n) __________________________ situation. A. unstable for saturated and unsaturated air parcels B. conditionally unstable C. stable for saturated and unsaturated air parcels D. neutral for saturated and unsaturated air parcels
b
During a temperature inversion, the ELR (environmental lapse rate) is ________. A. Positive B. Negative C. Zero
b
If a geostrophic wind heading south encounters turbulence (friction) near the surface in the NH, which way will it turn? Hint: it is no longer in geostrophic balance A. It will stay moving south and slow down B. It will turn to the east and slow down C. It will turn to the west and slow down D. It will turn and head north very slowly E. It will stay moving south and speed up
b
Of all the gases emitted by volcanoes, the one that produces the most significant climatic signal (in non-geologic time) is A. carbon dioxide. B. sulfur dioxide C. nitrous oxides. D. water vapor. E. oxygen
b
One would expect a thicker (i.e., taller) planetary boundary layer in the _____________ ? A. early morning (5-7am) B.Afternoon (2-4pm) C.late-night (11pm or so
b
Which of the following is an absolute dating technique? A. Dating by cross-cutting relationships B. Radiometric dating C. Palynology D. Dating by glacial erratics E. Examining ice cores
b
if the dewpoint of a room stays constant, yet the air in the room warms considerably, then the relative humidity of the room will _____. A. stay the same B. decrease C. increase
b
8. If a blackbody emits 400 W/m 2 , then what is its peak frequency of emission ? (a) 5 μ m (b) 10 μ m (c) 20 μ m (d) 50 μ m
b and know why
The subtropical jet is formed primarily due to the
conservation of angular momentum
10. Which does not help promote a large daily temperature range? (a) Clear skies (b) Dry air (c) Calm winds (d) A nearby ocean
d
12. The largest seasonal temperature ranges on Earth are found ___________. (a) At the extreme poles (b) In tropical coastal regions (c) In the Saharan desert (d) In continental upper midlatitude areas (e) In Equatorial rainforests
d
13. Divergence aloft in the upper half of the tr oposphere is normally associated with which of the following? (a) high - pressure development and divergence at the surface . (b) high - pressure development and convergence at the surface . (c) low - pressure development and divergence at the surface . (d) low - pressure developmen t and convergence at the surface .
d
15. At a given wind speed, the Coriolis force will be largest at _________. (a) The equator (b) 20ºN (c) 45ºN (d) 90ºN
d
19. In the tropics, large migrations of large animals (e.g., wildebeests & gazelles) typically are associated with which climate zone? A. Inland deserts B. Coastal deserts C. Tropical rainforests D. Tropical wet - and - dry E. Tropical monsoonal
d
21. Western boundary currents surrounding the subtropical gy r es are always ________ currents and are always ___ ____ than eastern boundary currents. (a) cold; slower (b) cold; faster (c) warm; slower (d) warm; faster
d
25. Subtropical gyres rotate ________ in both hemispheres. (a) clockwise (b) counterclockwise (c) cyclonically (d) anticyclonically
d
According to the equation of state for an ideal gas, pressure is related to which of the following? A. Temperature B. Density C. Gravity D. Temperature and density E. Temperature and gravity F. Density and gravity
d
What is the definition of a pluvial lake? A. A lake whose bottom has been scoured by a glacier B. A lake that formed during the last ice age as a result of a glacier C. A former saltwater lake filled with freshwater by a glacier D. A lake that existed at a greater size in the past E. A lake that has recently formed as glacial waters melt
d
Which of the following is the most important carbon dioxide sink, on human time scales? A. Glacial meltwater B. Biosphere C. Lithification of sedimentary rocks D. Oceans E. Soil
d
Which one of these instruments measures evapotranspiration by measuring the combined weight of soil, vegetation, and water within the instrument? A. A National Weather Service Class 1 evaporation pan B. A flux tower that uses eddy covariance methods C. A sling psychrometer D. A lysimeter
d
Why does lifting surface air tend to produce clouds? A. Because air that is lifted encounters higher pressures, which literally squishes the water vapor into liquid B. Because air that is lifted gets more water vapor from the upper atmosphere as it is lifted, which increases vapor pressure and leads to clouds C. Because air that is lifted becomes positively charged as it rubs other molecules en route, and this attracts negatively charged water vapor D. Because air that is lifted is forced to cool due to expansion, and may reach its dew point as a result
d
1. The solar declination is 0 degrees on which of the following days? A. Northern hemisphere summer solstice B. Sou thern hemisphere summer solstice C. January 3 D. July 3 E. The equinoxes
e
17. What weaknesses does Köppen's ve getation - based climate classification scheme have? A. None, its perfect B. Vegetation is less dynamic than the climate that forces it C. The fact that 'H' describes all highland areas, which have vast climate differences depending on locales D. The fa ct that vegetation distribution is also a function of soil type E. (B), (C), and (D) are all correct
e
25. In what ways does the low - level nocturnal jet contribute to severe thunderstorms in the Great Plains? A. This jet increases wind shear by giving a strong wind from the north at night B. This jet increases wind shear by giving a strong wind from the south at night C. This jet provides copious amounts of low - level moisture D. A and C are correct only E. B and C are correct only
e
26. Around subtropical gyres, eastern boundary currents are always _________ than western boundary currents. (a) slower (b) wider (c) shallower (d) colder (e) all of the above
e
8. The largest flux within the global hydrologic cycle occurs from which of the following? A. Precipitation over land B. Evapotranspiration over land C. Wind advection D. Precipitation over ocean E. Evaporation over ocean
e
9. The process of bringing the soil moisture storage to its field capacity is termed _____________ . A. surplus B. soil moisture withdrawal C. permeability D. percolation E. recharge
e
Which of the following is included in the definition of attenuation? A. Scattering B. Refraction C. Absorption D. Scattering and refraction E. Scattering and absorption
e
The absorption of energy radiated by Earth and reemission of some portion of that energy back downward to Earth is known as the ___. * greenhouse effect * Oort cloud * Keeling curve * jet stream * Faraday effect
greenhouse effect
the polar front jet is formed primarily due to
low to mid level temperature gradients .
The amount of force applied to a given surface area is known as _____ . * density * volume * specific heat * sensible energy * pressure
pressure
