Geog 210 Exam 1
62) Which of the numbered sections on this figure corresponds with the gamma ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum?
1
4) Approximately what proportion of the total solar radiation received by the Earth is eventually lost to space?
100%
How many degrees separate the central meridians that each time zone is based on?
15 degrees
1) Oxygen accounts for approximately ________ % of the air that surrounds us.
21.0
59) Which of the numbered sections on this figure corresponds with the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum?
4
30) On average about ________ people die each year from tornadoes, more than from any other natural phenomena except flooding and lightning strikes.
75
66) Which of these figures best illustrates the highest Sun angle at the Tropic of Cancer on the June solstice?
90 degrees
25) What does the "b" stand for in climate classification types Cfb and Dwb? ??????????
???????????????
30) If you were to look down on Earth from above the North Pole, the Earth would be seen to rotate in a clockwise direction.
False
34) Hot objects radiate less energy than cool objects.
False
40) A line of latitude is always a great circle.
False
42) During daylight saving time (DST), the Earth's rotation is slowed by 1 hour to lengthen the day by 1 hour.
False
43) The Earth's rotation is the annual journey around the Sun and gives us the calendar year.
False
44) There are three time zones in China.
False
The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs approximately on which of the following dates?
June 22
16) The city of New Orleans was badly damaged in 2005 as a result of hurricane _________.
Katrina
What forces cause the Earth to assume the shape of an oblate ellipsoid?
Outward force of the Earth's rotation
29) The phenomena known as El Nino occurs in which ocean?
Pacific
17) What is the solar constant?
The amount of solar radiation per unit area received outside the Earth's atmosphere
31) The Earth's equatorial diameter is slightly larger than the polar diameter.
True
34) Tides are the result of the Earth's rotation combined with the Moon's gravitational pull.
True
35) If the Earth was not tilted on its axis there would be no seasons whatsoever.
True
39) One hundred eighty degrees of latitude and 360 degrees of longitude geographically cover the entire Earth.
True
41) Theoretically, the Earth is divided into 24, 15-degree-wide time zones.
True
21)The Asiatic monsoon precipitation regime is characterized by _________.
a dry winter
25) Which of the following best describes the shape of the Earth?
a) a geoid
21) A sea breeze flows __________.
a) during the day from the body of water towards the adjacent land area
14) The pressure gradient force _______.
a) increases as differences in atmospheric pressure increase per unit of distance
21) As a volume of air rises, __________.
a) it expands and becomes cooler
6) What are the steppes?
a) midlatitude semiarid grasslands
10) The amount of radiation left over when all incoming and outgoing flows have been tallied is called __________.
a) net radiation
23) Imbalances in net radiation between low and high latitudes results in:
a) poleward heat transfer
19) Which of the following features does the Simpson-Safir Scale not describe with regard to hurricanes?
a) rainfall amounts
11) Which of the following precipitation regimes would experience the lowest annual precipitation total?
a) tropical desert
6) Which of the following orderings of atmospheric layers is correct as one moves from the Earth's surface through the atmosphere?
a) troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
26) The ozone layer absorbs which of the following wavelengths of radiation?
a) ultraviolet
19) Air temperature is related to moisture in that __________.
a) warm air can hold more moisture than cold air
Land/water contrasts keep:
air temperature at coastal locations more constant than at interior locations e) air temperature
Which of the following associations in the northern hemisphere is incorrect?
autumnal equinox - October 23
25) Carbon dioxide comprises _____________ % of the Earth's lower atmosphere.
b) 0.0385%
28) The time difference between the prime meridian and the International Date Line is:
b) 12 hours
13) Which of the following statements concerning land/water heating differences is correct?
b) The annual range of temperatures at a coastal location is smaller than the annual temperature range of a continental interior location
27) The sound generated by thunder is the result of which phenomena?
b) The rapid expansion of air heated by lightning
16) Surface winds converge towards __________________.
b) a cyclone
10) The greenhouse effect is the result of the atmosphere's _______ of _______ radiation emitted by the Earth.
b) absorption / longwave
13) Which of the following are the most absorptive gases of longwave infrared radiation?
b) carbon dioxide and methane
5) The temperature at which a parcel of air becomes saturated and condensation begins is called the _______.
b) dew point
3) Cold fronts compared to warm fronts are __________________.
b) faster moving, with more intense rainfall
23) The temperature regime that experiences the coldest annual temperature is the _______.
b) ice sheet
8) Overall, net radiation is greatest at _____________ latitudes and smallest at ______________ latitudes.
b) low / high
23) Which of the following may be used to reduce the damage of frosts?
b) oil-burning heaters
26) In equatorial regions, slight convergence and uplift can trigger precipitation because _____.
b) the atmosphere contains large amounts of moisture
22) The lower solar angles characteristic of high-latitude locations lead to lower levels of insolation because:
b) the solar radiation is spread over a larger unit area
32) When looking at a weather map of isobars, where would you find the highest wind speed ___________.
b) where the isobars are closer together
26) One degree of latitude is approximately how many kilometers in distance?
c) 111
14) Which of the following conditions is most likely to lead to the development of tornadoes?
c) Cold front lifts a warm front, leading to turbulence
13) Which of the following statements describes the global paths of tropical cyclones.
c) From east to west in both the northern and southern hemispheres
10) Which of the following precipitation regimes generally has a dry summer?
c) Mediterranean
28) Which of the following atmospheric conditions is most likely to lead to the accumulation of smog?
c) Temperature inversion
19) Which of the following is a consequence of the Sun's relatively higher temperature compared to that of the Earth?
c) The Earth emits longwave rather than shortwave radiation
21) Which of the following locations would receive the most incoming solar radiation at noon during the spring equinox?
c) The Equator
22) Which of the following is true about the rotation of the Moon?
c) The Moon rotates so that one side is always hidden from the Earth
35) An increase in latitude results in:
c) a decrease in annual net temperatures
12) Which of the following surfaces would likely have the highest albedo?
c) an area covered by snow
09) Wind circulation around a low pressure cell is ______________________.
c) clockwise inward in the southern hemisphere
30) All bodies in space:
c) emit electromagnetic radiation
6) Which of the following is the correct order from greatest volume to least volume of gases in the troposphere?
c) nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide
24) The largest hole in the ozone layer is found
c) over Antarctica
1) Which of the following variables are most important in defining the climate of a region?
c) rainfall/precipitation and temperature
31) Which of the following types of vegetation is associated with dry midlatitude climates?
c) short grass prairie
7) Warm fronts compared to cold fronts are __________.
c) slower moving, with less intense rainfall
7) Which of the following temperature regimes would be likely to have the largest annual temperature range?
c) subarctic continental
07) The direct transition from solid ice to gaseous water vapor is known as _______.
c) sublimation
11) During a temperature inversion _______.
c) temperatures increase as one ascends through the lower atmosphere
37) Which air mass is not part of the low-latitude climates?
cP
08) Which of the following air masses is associated with tropical deserts?
cT
15) Currently, which of the following gases contributes the most toward the greenhouse effect?
carbon dioxide
Passengers traveling by air from Tokyo to San Francisco hear the pilot announce that the plane is about to cross the International Date Line. Their watches at that moment indicate that the correct local time is 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Upon crossing the date line they should _______.
change their watches to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday
The boundary between the half of the Earth in sunlight and the half of the Earth in darkness is the __________.
circle of illumination
4) Which of the following types of cloud is found at the highest altitudes?
cirrus
43) In the eye of a tropical cyclone, conditions are ______________.
clear and calm
At the moment of the perihelion, the Earth's position in its orbit is________________.
closest to the Sun
Which of the following is not one of the major factors influencing surface temperature?
cloudiness
28) When cold air invades warm air which type of front will occur?
cold
14) The emission of longwave radiation by the atmosphere towards the Earth's surface is termed:
counterradiation
24) If it is 1 p.m. in Miami, Florida, what time is it in Seattle, Washington?
d) 10 a.m.
31) Which of the following is not one of the four important thermal differences between land and ocean surfaces?
d) Dry soil has a higher heat capacity than water
33) The hottest month for interior locations in the Northern Hemisphere is ______ while the coldest month is __________.
d) July / January
20) What is the usual season for hurricanes in the North Atlantic?
d) June through November
18) Which of the following statements concerning the urban heat island is correct?
d) Park areas in a city can reduce the effect of the urban heat island
6) In high pressure systems ______________________.
d) air subsides and diverges at the surface
34) In the southern hemisphere, a counterclockwise rotating and descending air mass would be called ____________.
d) an anticyclone
27) Wind speed is measured by a/an _____ whereas wind direction is measured by a/an ______ .
d) anemometer / vane
5) Which of the following is a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide?
d) burning of fossil fuels
17) Which of the following conditions is associated with the eye of a hurricane?
d) descending air warming adiabatically
8) Which of the following weather systems are associated with anticyclonic conditions?
d) few clouds with no rain
36) The equatorial temperature regime is known ______.
d) for being uniformly warm year-round
20) In an anticyclone, also called a __________-pressure cell, air __________.
d) high / diverges away from the center
15) In the North Atlantic, the peak of hurricane season occurs during _______.
d) late autumn
2) Which of the following pairs of factors are most influential in the annual cycle of air temperatures experienced at a weather station?
d) latitude and coastal-continental location 3) Wet climates associated with equatorial regions are the result of ___________.
4) Boreal forest climates are identified by which of the following characteristics?
d) low precipitation with a summer maximum
8) Which of the following pressure systems has a wind circulation pattern that is clockwise, downward, and outward?
d) northern hemisphere high
26) Which of the following is not characteristic of a thunderstorm?
d) small raindrops
12) The name given to the apparent deflecting influence of the Earth's rotation on moving objects such as wind and ocean currents is called _______.
d) the Coriolis effect
31) As you increase in altitude, barometric pressure _________________.
decreases
12) During adiabatic cooling as air rises, what stage has the parcel of air reached at the lifting condensation level?
dew point
14) Which of the following can help create a historical record of temperature?
e) all of these
2) In addition to thermometers, what other instruments and equipment are commonly found at a weather station?
e) all of these
21) Atmospheric aerosols may be derived from which of the following?
e) all of these
8) Which of the following has the shortest wavelength?
e) gamma radiation
21) Which of the following is not one of the primary factors that contribute to a storm surge?
e) high pressure
33) Wind can be described as the horizontal movement of air near the surface from ____________ to ____________.
e) high pressure, low pressure
3) Wet climates associated with equatorial regions are the result of ___________.
e) low atmospheric pressures
31) The term "albedo" refers to:
e) the amount of electromagnetic radiation reflected by a body
Which of the following associations in the southern hemisphere is incorrect?
e) vernal equinox - March 21
At the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere:
equal amounts of solar radiation reach both hemispheres
32) A warm front is a front where cold air moves into a region of warm air.
false
35) Hurricanes in the Atlantic always move westward pushed by the trade winds and then curve south and southwest.
false
40) Locations near oceans experience a wider range of air temperatures than locations in continental interiors.
false
40) The apparent deflection of the Coriolis force is to the left in the northern hemisphere and to the right in the southern hemisphere.
false
41) Coastal stations show a larger annual variation in temperature, while the variation is smaller for stations in continental interiors.
false
43) Dry air always has a higher dew point temperature than moist air.
false
43) The warming effect of vegetation is the result of transpiring leaves and their interception of solar radiation.
false
45) Ozone in the stratosphere is harmful as it acts as an air pollutant.
false
50) Low-latitude rainforests possess a lower diversity of plants and animals compared to higher-latitude forests.
false
55) During an El Niño event, upwelling along the Peruvian coast is strengthened.
false
55) Nighttime air temperatures tend to be lower at low elevations because there are fewer air molecules to absorb outgoing longwave radiation.
false
62) The ice sheet climate type experiences no true summer but a short, mild season with temperatures above freezing.
false
At a given latitude, temperatures tend to increase with elevation in the troposphere.
false
Urban locations always experience an urban heat island effect.
false
At the moment of the aphelion, the Earth's position in its orbit is:
farthest from the Sun
33) If a cloud forms close to the ground it is called __________.
fog
9) Which of the following components of the hydrologic cycle comprises the greatest volume of water on Earth?
groundwater
18) Precipitation formed by the accumulation of ice layers on ice pellets is called _______.
hail
10) The largest portion of freshwater today is located in _______.
ice sheets and glaciers
Surface air temperature is generally measured at 4 ft. above the ground because
inaccurate readings might occur if placed too close to the ground
Insolation is __________.
incoming solar radiation
7) Which of the following has the longest wavelength?
infrared radiation
19) Maps to show the distribution of precipitation use lines that connect locations with equal precipitation called _______.
isohyets
Lines connecting locations having the same temperature are referred to as:
isotherms
27) Which of the following air masses are considered to have the warmest and moistest conditions?
mE
5) An air mass that forms over warm oceans from an equatorial region would be designated by which of the following symbols?
mE
6) An air mass that forms over a mid-latitude ocean would be designated by which of the following symbols?
mP
11) Which of following constant gases accounts for the largest proportion of the air that surrounds us?
nitrogen
35) What type of precipitation mechanism is in effect when air is forced up and over mountains and precipitation is produced?
orographic
27) Ozone forms from the free atoms of which gas?
oxygen
32) Which of the following types of vegetation is associated with Mediterranean climates?
sclerophylls
In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox occurs on or around:
september 23
17) If ice crystals fall from clouds through an underlying air layer that is below freezing, which of the following forms of precipitation would result?
snow
The point on the Earth's surface where the Sun is directly overhead is:
subsolar point
When do regions north of the Arctic Circle experience 24 hours of daylight?
summer solstice
The meridian at 0 degrees is:
the prime meridian
31) Jet streams contribute to the movement of air masses from one region to another.
true
37) Atmospheric pressure is produced by the weight of a column of air above a unit area of the Earth's surface.
true
37) Water vapor usually makes up less than 1% of the Earth's atmosphere.
true
38) Radiation can be scattered in multiple directions, which leads to diffuse radiation and diffuse reflection.
true
39) Surface temperatures are warmer over a surface with a low albedo compared to those above a surface with a high albedo.
true
39) Winds are designated according to the compass point from which winds come. For example, a wind from the north is called a north wind.
true
40) The presence of clouds can greatly decrease the amount of incoming solar radiation.
true
42) At night there is no incoming solar radiation to Earth, yet the Earth's surface continues to emit outgoing radiation.
true
42) Colder regions generally have lower precipitation than warmer regions.
true
42) Hailstones are formed by the accumulation of ice layers on ice pellets.
true
42) Surfaces in urban areas generally absorb more insolation than those in rural areas.
true
43) The isolines on a map describing average precipitation are referred to as isohyets.
true
46) Highland climates at low latitudes are normally cooler and wetter than the surrounding lower-altitude climates.
true
46) Large atmospheric pollution particles are removed by the force of gravity in a process called fallout.
true
47) Large land masses located in the subarctic and arctic zones develop centers of low temperatures related to the high albedos of snow cover.
true
47) Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air.
true
50) The largest cause of air pollution is transportation.
true
51) The jet stream takes place at high altitudes and produces very high wind speeds.
true
51) The range between maximum and minimum temperatures increases with elevation.
true
53) Land breezes flow from land to water during the night.
true
54) The Coriolis effect results from the rotation of the Earth about its axis.
true
56) Local terrain can be responsible for the influence of "local winds."
true
57) The Mediterranean climate is characterized by vegetation such as sclerophylls.
true
63) Boreal forests are characterized by needleleaf trees.
true
64) Permafrost may be found in tundra regions and in a wide bordering area of the boreal forest climate.
true
65) Orographic precipitation occurs on mountainous coasts exposed to moist trade winds or frequent cyclonic storms.
true
66) A steppe is a vast expanse of semiarid grassland.
true
18) What are hurricanes known as in the western Pacific region?
typhoon
18) At what wavelength does the Sun emit most of its energy?
visible
02) Precipitation totals are normally greatest on the _____________ of mountain ranges.
windward slopes