GEOL 117 Module 4
clockwise
A high-pressure system in the northern hemisphere will rotate in a _________ direction.
three
A tropical cyclone with a wind speed of 190 km/hr. would be classified as Category ________ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensity.
wet and warm
A tropical maritime air mass is likely to be:
cool, dry
A zone of high atmospheric pressure results when there is relatively __________ air aloft.
thermohaline flow
Deep ocean current movement is also known as __________.
converging surface currents
Downwelling can result from __________.
a tropical cyclone in Hawaii or Tahiti
During a strong El Niño event, the news media might be expected to cover __________.
the antarctic circle experiences no direct sunlight
During the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice, __________.
re-radiation of solar energy from Earth's surface back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation
Earth's atmosphere is heated primarily by __________.
23.5
Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of ________.
cold, dry sinking air in the polar high regions produces little precipitation
Earth's polar regions (above 60° latitude) are classified as deserts because __________.
the ocean water does not get warm enough to supply the needed heat energy for hurricanes
Hurricanes frequently make landfall on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but rarely, if ever, occur on the Pacific coast. The primary reason for the rarity of west coast hurricanes is that __________.
The sun is directly overhead at Tropic of Cancer and Winter solstice the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. The Arctic circle has no direct solar radiation during Northern Hemisphere winter as well as the Antarctic Circle. There isn't direct solar radiation during these times.
In 200-300 words, please describe how the Sun, along the Arctic Circle, would appear during the summer solstice? During the winter solstice?
Due to the sun in the equatorial region there is intense heating. The air therefore, expands and rises as convection current causing a low pressure to develop here. There is high-pressure areas at each pole because the temperatures are always extremely low. The cold descending air gives rise to high pressures over the Poles.
In a short essay (200-500 words), please describe why there are high-pressure areas at each pole and a low-pressure belt in the equatorial region?
decrease with increasing altitude above earths surface
In the troposphere, air temperatures generally:
Somali/Southwest Monsoon
Indian Ocean currents that are generated by seasonal changes in weather patterns are the __________ and __________ Currents.
The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid
Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: In 1900, at least 6000 people in and around Galveston, Texas, were killed in the most deadly natural disaster in the US history BECAUSE the hurricane's storm surge completely submerged the island.
equatorial
Light and variable winds, warm and humid conditions, and frequent rainfall are characteristic of __________ oceanic climate zones.
An increase in Earth's tilt would cause colder winters and warmer summers.
Of the following statements about the tilt of Earth's axis, which one is true? Select only one answer.
the rotation of earth
The Coriolis effect is caused by __________.
velocity
The Coriolis effect is due to changes in the ________ of Earth with latitude.
summer solstice
The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer, during the:
warm moist, upward
The air in the centermost of the eye of the hurricane is ________ air moving ________.
inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
The doldrums refer to the same region as the:
greater
The intensity of solar radiation received at lower latitudes (near the equator) compared to higher latitudes (near the poles) is:
west wind drift
The largest of the great ocean surface currents is the __________.
western pacific
The majority of the world's tropical cyclones are formed in the waters north of the equator in the ________ Ocean.
albedo
The percentage of solar radiation reflected from the surface of Earth back into space is known as the __________.
saffir-simpson scale
The strength of a hurricane is ranked from 1 to 5 on the:
latent heat of condensation
The strength of a hurricane stems from water's:
the insulating nature of the ice itself
The thickness of sea ice is limited primarily by __________.
trade winds
The wind belt(s) with strong, reliable, generally easterly winds is (are) the:
80
To produce a surface current of 1.6 knots in the open ocean, a steady wind of _____ knots would be required.
false
True or False? Climate and weather refer to the same thing.
false
True or False? Snow has a lower albedo than a tree canopy.
false
True or False? The arctic is becoming dominated by older, thicker ice as a result of climate change?
western boundary currents
Warm core rings and cold core rings are associated with __________.
Earth's surface is heated unevenly by the Sun
Weather (short-term conditions of air temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure) occurs because __________.
more
When the sun is lower in the sky, closer to the horizon _____ solar energy is reflected off of large bodies of water.
tropical
Which of the following climatic regions exists at the following location: Latitude: 20°N Longitude: 180°W? Note - you may need to reference your text.
Carbon dioxide
Which of the following is a 'greenhouse gas' that composes less than 1% of the atmosphere?
(START) Slush, Pancake Ice, Ice Floes, Sea Ice (FINISH)
Which of the following is the correct order of formation of sea ice as it forms directly from seawater?
warm moist air
Which of the following parcels of air would have the lowest density?
the vast amounts of latent heat as water evaporates and condenses
Which of the following powers tropical cyclones?
