exam 4 questions

wind turbines and solar panels make less than __ of world energy

0.7%

Which of the following is associated with the longer recurrence interval?

Bigger floods (more water/greater discharge)

This trace gas which is important for the biosphere is present in the Earth's atmosphere at concentrations around 0.04%:

Carbon dioxide CO2

Flatter valley-bottom areas which tend to be underwater during times of relatively high discharge are called:

Drainage divides

How does water flow velocity affect the size of particles which a stream can move?

Faster water can move larger particles

In mountainous areas, stream channels tend to follow:

Narrow V-shaped valleys

The most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is:

Nitrogen N2

second most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is:

Oxygen O2

This gas is considered a pollutant at ground level, but where concentrated in the stratosphere it provides an important shield against UV light from the Sun.

Ozone O3

Which of the following happen more frequently?

Smaller floods with less water / lower discharge

Which of the following has the greater annual probability?

Smaller floods with less water / lower discharge

From the headwaters region to the downstream end of a river system, what happens to the average slope or gradient of the stream channels:

The gradient gets shallower the farther downstream

Which of the following can help people to better protect themselves from severe weather? (choose all that apply)

Tornado shelters, Hurricane evacuations, Stronger and more resilient buildings, Buildings raised up to avoid flooding and storm surge, Emergency planning and preparations, Weather forecasting, Avoiding housing and business development in the most hazardous places

This gas varies greatly in atmospheric concentration, reaching a maximum of about 4% by volume when humidity is high, and also contributes to the formation of clouds and precipitation:

Water vapor H2O

Low elevation areas near the ocean tend to be part of which of the following three general parts of river systems:

Zone where deposition is dominant

Higher elevation, more rugged landscapes tend to be part of which of the following three general parts of river systems:

Zone where erosion is dominant

The "100-year" flood has an annual probability which can be described as:

a 1 in 100 chance or 1% odds each year

The southern hemisphere experiences summer during which time of the year?

about December 21 to March 20

For a tropical storm to be classified as a category 5 hurricane, how strong do the average winds have to be?

at least 250 km/hr

Sediment particles which are transported by streams via sliding or rolling along the stream bottom are referred to as:

bedload

The coarsest particles which a stream can move tend to be transported as:

bedload

When people drain or cover over wetland areas, this typically results in:

bigger floods happening more often (e.g. the old 100-year flood might become the new 20-30 year flood)

When people transform forest into urban areas, this typically results in:

bigger floods happening more often (e.g. the old 100-year flood might become the new 20-30 year flood)

Common engineering approaches used to reduce flooding risks by controlling flood waters include:

building flood control dams and reservoirs to store excess water, building levees along river channels to contain the river water, making river channels wider, deeper, and straighter in high-risk areas such as through towns built along rivers, building bypass channels or artificial cutoffs so that excess water has another place to go

Which three of the following gases are most effective at absorbing long wave radiation:

carbon dioxide CO2, Methane CH4, water vapor H2O

When a warm front passes through an area, weather typically: (choose all that apply)

changes from warmer to colder &, has a period of clouds and light to moderate precipitation

A boundary between two air masses in which a cold air mass moves into an area that previously had a warm air mass is called:

cold front

Which of the following tends to produce a narrower and more intense zone of clouds and precipitation?

cold front

Where a stream meanders and forms a curving channel, areas on the outside of bends which tend to have faster water flow and erosion of the stream bank are called:

cut banks

Times of heavy rainfall typically cause stream discharge to:

decrease

Atmospheric pressure ________ with increasing altitude

decreases

Within the troposphere, atmospheric temperature typically _______ with altitude

decreases

Where rivers or streams flow into a larger body of water like a lake or ocean, the water movement slows down resulting in deposition of sediment that creates:

deltas

Soluble material such as traces of salts can be invisibly transported by streams as:

dissolved load

Drainage basins or watersheds are separated from each other by areas of higher topography called

drainage divides

Near the equator, surface winds on average tend to go:

easy to west

Approaches to reducing flood risks by leaving rivers and floodplains in a more natural state or by making structures more resistant to the effects of flooding include:

elevating houses up on poles so that the main living area is higher than expected flood levels & land-use planning to reduce the amount of building and development on flood plains

True or False: The "100-year flood" is the largest flood possible.

false

The chance or likelihood that a flood of a particular size could happen in a particular year is called:

flood probability

In lowland areas, stream channels tend to be flow within broad flat areas called:

floodplains

Which of the following types of natural hazards tends to produce the greatest impacts on people and result in the greatest costs?

floods

Which of the following locations tends to have the greatest occurrence of hurricane landfall?

great plains

Which two of the following locations tends to have the greatest occurrence of tornadoes?

great plains and gulf coast and florida

Which of the following locations tends to have the greatest occurrence of intense thunderstorms?

gulf coast and florida

Areas near the equator tend to have which type of climate zone?

humid tropical

Flooding of coastal areas with several feet of sea water is commonly one of the most devastating effects of:

hurricane or typhoon

This type of storm tends to form over warm ocean waters which provide heat energy and moisture which power the storm. They occur where favorable conditions allow a tropical depression to gain intensity.

hurricane or typhoon

Within the stratosphere, atmospheric temperature typically ________ with altitude

increases

All other factors being equal, river systems with larger drainage basins tend to have discharge which is _____ than rivers with smaller drainage basins

larger

Over the course of a day, any specific location receives ____ total sunlight and solar energy during winter than it does during summer.

less

Heat energy when transmitted in the form of light is considered to be:

long wave radiation

In the context of climate and the heating of the Earth's atmosphere, most sunlight reaching the Earth's surface is considered:

long wave radiation

During winter, the angle of the sun is _____ compared to summer

lower in the sky

A stream which has a channel which winds back and forth in a curving pattern is called a:

meandering stream

During southern hemisphere summer, the south pole receives ____ sunlight than the north pole.

more

Which of the following gases makes up about 78% of the Earth's atmosphere:

nitrogen N2

When the discharge of a stream becomes too great for all of it to fit into the stream channel, and the water level rises and spills out beyond the channel, the stream is said to be having a:

outburst

Where a stream meanders and forms a curving channel, accumulations of sediment on the inside of bends form and are called:

point bars

Which of the following tend to contribute to wetter climates:

predominantly rising air, up wind sides of mountain ranges, closer to oceans or major lakes

Compared to the average stream, streams in areas where there tends to be less infiltration and more runoff typically:

receive more water runoff and increase in discharge faster when heavy rains occur

When people clear forests and build roads, housing developments, and shopping malls, streams in those areas will typically:

receive more water runoff and increase in discharge faster when heavy rains occur

The average number of years in between floods of a particular size is called:

recurrence interval

When air Is forced to travel over a major mountain range, this results in the rain shadow effect. As a result, areas on the down wind or leeward side of the mountains tend to have

relatively dry climates

Near the equator, air on average is more likely to:

rise

In the context of climate and the heating of the Earth's atmosphere, visible light is considered:

short wave radiation

Infrared light is considered to be:

short wave radiation

When sunlight reaches the Earth's surface, is absorbed, and warms the surface, some of that energy is re-radiated as:

short wave radiation

During winter, days are _____ compared to summer days

shorter

Near about 30 degrees latitude, both north and south, air on average is more likely to:

sink

In which layer of the atmosphere contains elevated concentrations of ozone, commonly referred to as the "ozone layer?"

stratosphere

When the northern hemisphere is having winter, the southern hemisphere is having:

summer

Sediment particles transported by being continuously carried by flowing water make up which form of stream transport?

suspended load

The finest particles carried by a stream tend to be transported as:

suspended oosd

Stream capacity refers to:

the amount of sediment which a stream can transport

Stream competence refers to:

the largest size of particles which a stream can transport

Heavy rains which can last for days over large areas and therefore produce extensive flooding is commonly one of the damaging effects of:

thunderstorm

This type of storm tends to form over land during conditions which result in rising warm, moist air. This leads to cloud formation and potentially strong winds, lightning, hail, and heavy rainfall.

thunderstorm

This type of severe weather involves a relatively narrow, funnel-shaped pattern of high-speed rotating winds.

tornado

relatively narrow track of damage due to powerful winds tends to characterize:

tornado

Which of the following can cause damages via strong winds? (choose all that apply)

tornado, hurricane (or typhoon) and thunderstorm

Smaller side streams which flow into and therefore contribute water to larger rivers are called:

tributaries

In which layer of the atmosphere do most weather and storms occur?

troposphere

Solar energy trapped by the atmospheric greenhouse effect primarily warms which layer of the Earth's atmosphere?

troposphere

Which of the following is the layer of the atmosphere which is closest to the Earth's surface?

troposphere

True or False: It is possible for "100-year" floods to happen on the same river in two consecutive years (i.e. two times in two years).

true

The amount of stream flow or discharge is measured in units of:

volume/time such as cubic meters per second

A boundary between two air masses in which a warm air mass moves into an area that previously had a cold air mass is called:

warm front

At latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees, both north and south, surface winds on average tend to go:

west to east

2 lowest cost for new electric power generation

wind and solar

When the Earth's axis of rotation is oriented so that the north pole is tilted away from the sun, the northern hemisphere has which season?

winter

When the Earth's axis of rotation is oriented so that the south pole is tilted away from the sun, the southern hemisphere has which season?

winter