Geog 3 Final

Why did the global temperature decrease from 1998 to 2012 (the "warming hiatus")?

Natural climate variability masked the effect of anthropogenic warming

The following diagram (not to scale!) shows the orientation of the Earth, Sun, and moon at different lunar phases. We will see spring tides during _______________ We will see neap tides during ____________________

1 and 5 3 and 7

____?__ boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream are much faster and narrower than __?_ boundary currents such as the California Current. Your answer is ______________

1. Western; 2. Eastern

For this question, refer to the diagram below, which shows the saturation water vapor pressure of air as a function of temperature. Consider an air parcel with a relative humidity of 50% and a temperature of 30C during the day. What is its current dew point temperature? (Hint: relative humidity= absolute water vapor pressure/ saturation water vapor pressure)

20C

Warmer temperatures cause there to be more water vapor in the air (warm air holds more water).This causes__________ , leading to a ___________feedback:

more warming; positive

The high concentration of floating debris ("garbage patch") in the eastern Pacific is primarily caused by:

All of the above A. The gyre circulation that moves in a circular manner around the Pacific Basin B. Ekman transport that pushes water toward the center of the Pacific Basin C. Slow-moving (fast-moving) currents on the eastern (western) edge of the Pacific Basin push water toward the east of the Pacific Basin

Which of the following can help explain why the ocean remains cold even on hot days in the summer:

All of the above: The ocean has a very high heat capacity, Alongshore winds can (depending on their direction) cause upwelling of cold water, Evaporation of ocean water cools the ocean down

These questions refer to the diagram below, which shows the sea-level atmospheric pressure (with isobars labeled in units of inches of Mercury; H is high pressure and L is low pressure) over the western United States on October 14, 2021. Assume that the winds are in geostrophic balance at the location marked with the white circle. Which arrow represents the direction of the pressure gradient force at the location marked with the white circle? Which arrow represents the wind direction at the location marked with the white circle? Which of the following is true of Sundowner winds in Santa Barbara?

Arrow B Arrow C Both B and C - They occur when a strong wind blows down from the mountains and They are associated with hot, dry air and increased fire danger.

The following maps show the Santa Barbara coastline and channel. Which wind scenario generates the strongest coastal downwelling?

D: left

For a southerly wind in the Northern Hemisphere (blowing from south to north), the net direction of the ocean current due to Ekman transport will be:

Eastward (west to east)

Low pressure (equator and 60oN and S) is associated with moist, rising air, which cools aloft, promoting condensation (clouds/rain).

High pressure (30oN and S, and the poles) is associated with dry, sinking air, which warms as it descends,preventing condensation (clear/dry).

These Questions refer to the following diagram, which shows the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in air measured at Mauna Loa, Hawaii for the past 60 years. Why is CO2 increasing? Why are rising CO2 levels important for the Earth's climate?

Increased burning of fossil fuels by humans CO2 in the troposphere absorbs heat emitted by the Earth's surface

The two most abundant gases in the Earth's atmosphere are

O2 and N2

Which of the following correctly orders the timescales of circulation in the atmosphere and ocean from longest (slowest circulation) to shortest (fastest circulation):

Ocean overturning circulation > ocean gyre circulation > atmospheric circulation

Which of the following is a vital part of a tsunami early warning system? Your answer is ________

Pressure sensors on the ocean floor

These questions refer to the following graph showing the sea surface salinity at Stearn's Wharf (downtown Santa Barbara) from October 23-November 6, 2021. What caused the abrupt drop in salinity on October 24? Your answer is____ If the ocean temperature remained constant, what would happen to the seawater density during the abrupt salinity drop on October 24? Your answer is ______________ Approximately how much salt is in 1 kilogram (kg) of seawater in Santa Barbara? Your answer is ____________

Rain delivering fresh water to the ocean The density would decrease 33 grams

These questions refer to the following graph showing the sea surface temperature at Stearn's Wharf (downtown Santa Barbara) from October 9-October 16, 2021. (Note: 19C = 66F, 13C = 55F). What is most likely responsible for the large drop in temperature on October 11? Your answer is ____________ What would you expect to be associated with the temperature drop on October 11? Your answer is ______________

Strong westerly winds driving coastal upwelling An increase in nutrients in the surface ocean and greater biological productivity due to more river runoff

The region below the dashed line in Diagram B is experiencing a ___ Under which situation _____ would fog and pollution be more likely to accumulate near the surface?

Temperature inversion B

relevant quantities for defining climate

Temperature • Precipitation (rain or snow) • Seasonality (seasonal changes in relevant quantities: large extremes vs. little variability) • Wind • Frequency of extreme days (freezing/extreme heat) • Frequency of cloudy/sunny days

A full moon will occur when ______

The Sun and Moon are on opposites sides of Earth

Which of these will be most affected by the Coriolis force?

The flow of air around a hurricane low pressure center.

dispersion

The long-period waves travel faster and will separate out from the shortperiod waves

Circulation is counterclockwise around high pressure in the Southern Hemisphere, and clockwise around high pressure in the Northern Hemisphere.

The triangle marks the center of a hill , around which ocean currents flow counterclockwise

The subtropical oceans (along 30N or 30S) are saltier than other oceanic basins because:

There is more evaporation than precipitation along these latitudes

These questions refer to the following diagram, which shows wave height (in feet, top plot) and wave period (in seconds, bottom plot) recorded at the East Santa Barbara buoy from Nov. 3, 2021 to Nov. 7, 2021. Time A and Time B are marked by the dashed lines. During which time were the waves at this buoy more likely to be locally-generated wind waves? Your answer is ______________ During which time were the waves traveling faster at this buoy? Your answer is _____________ How does the wave energy at time A compare to the wave energy at time B? Your answer is___________

Time A (November 4) Time B (November 5) There was approximately 4 times as much wave energy at Time B than at Time A

These questions refer to the chart below, which shows the temperature and dew point for October 7-11, 2021, in Goleta, CA. When is the relative humidity the highest? When is the specific humidity (similar to absolute water vapor pressure) the highest?

Time A, Time A

Underwater earthquakes can trigger huge ocean waves called________________ which travel at much ___________________speeds than wind-driven surface waves.

Tsunami,faster

The mechanism of ENSO Under "normal" conditions of the equatorial convective (Walker) circulation, the easterly trade winds drive the equatorial current westward, causing upwelling in the eastern equatorial pacific. This upwelling of cool waters increases heat uptake in the ECEP

Under "El Nino" conditions,the easterly trade winds slacken or reverse, allowing atmospheric convection to shift toward the east-central Pacific,reducing upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific.This reduces oceanic heat uptake in the ECEP.

In the four transect panels below (blue arrows indicate wind direction),______________shows the formation of a sea breeze in Santa Barbara (or similar coastal location). The relationship between sea level pressure (SLP) over land and ocean is____

a: down right up left SLP over land is smaller

Snow and ice have a high____________, meaning they reflect a large percentage of incoming solar radiation. The effect of this strong reflection acts to________the Earth's surface.

albedo, cool

As ocean waves approach a coastline at an angle, the wave speed will_________in shallow water, causing the waves to bend, or___________and become parallel to the shore.

decrease, refract

As warm surface waters flow northward in the North Atlantic, they become colder and saltier, eventually becoming so ____________ that they sink near Greenland, forming the deep branch of the Atlantic Meridional ________________Circulation (AMOC).

denser, overturning

Rotating vortices that often form north and south of the Gulf Stream (and other western boundary currents) are known as:

eddies

As winds blow across the surface ocean, they generate currents that turn further away from the wind direction, and get weaker with depth, forming a pattern of currents known as a(n) __________________

ekman spiral

Santa Barbara is located at 34oN, in an area of generally ___ atmospheric pressure and ____ specific humidity (similar to absolute water vapor pressure).

high, low

Incoming solar radiation has a __________ energy and_________wavelength than outgoing terrestrial radiation. On a clear, sunny day in Santa Barbara, the land surface is hotter than the ocean. Which of the following could help explain this? In full sunlight, the white lines of a parking lot are cooler than the surrounding blacktop. Which of the following is true?

higher, shorter Heat loss from evaporation is greater over the ocean than the land. The white lines have a higher albedo than the blacktop and reflect more solar radiation

The eastern and central equatorial Pacific (ECEP)

is a huge atmospheric heat sink (absorbing heat from the atmosphere).The heat sink is driven by easterly trade winds and upwelling of cool waters at the surface in the ECEP.The ECEP heat sink strengthens and weakens in a natural cycle known as ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation).

Greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere absorb __________ radiation from the Earth and reemit __________ radiation back to the surface, which ______________ the temperature of the Earth's surface.

longwave, longwave, warms

These questions refer to the following diagram showing the tides in Puget Sound, WA (along the U.S. Northwest coast) for November 7-8, 2021. What type of tides does Puget Sound, WA experience? Your answer is ____ What is the period of the tides in Puget Sound, WA? (hint: calculate crest-to-crest or trough-to- trough averages) What is the main force of these waves?

mixed semi-diurnal 12 Hours the gravitational force related to the Sun and the Moon

Most large-scale (>1000 km) winds on the Earth's surface are in geostrophic balance, which is a balance between ____________ These winds have a ______ number that is much less than 1.

pressure gradient force and Coriolis force Rossby

. Climate forcing

starts the process of climate change. Usually Qsw increases/decreases due to changes in insolation, or Qlw increases/ decreases due to changes in greenhouse gas concentration.

The ozone layer located in the________is good because it absorbs harmful UV radiation. Ozone in the_________is bad because it is a dangerous pollutant that destroys living tissue.

stratosphere, troposphere

Feedbacks

take over from there. Positive feedbacks amplify the effects of the forcing. Negative feedbacks dampen the effects of the forcing.

The gases in the Earth's atmosphere are better at absorbing _________________ Which gas ____ in the Earth's atmosphere absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation? Which gas ______ in the Earth's atmosphere absorbs the most terrestrial radiation? What _________supplies over 99% of the energy in the Earth system?

terrestrial radiation Ozone (O3) Water vapor (H2O) Radiation from the Sun

On this map of the North Pacific Ocean, the prevailing winds have been drawn in with bold arrows. On the map, which arrow represents the trade winds? your answer is ____ In the center of the gyre circulation generated by these prevailing winds, the pressure is ___________ than the surrounding area. This gyre circulation turns ___________

the tropical one higher clockwise

The Hadley circulation refers to an atmospheric circulation system primarily prevailing in _____________ Trade winds refers to a surface wind system blowing___________

the tropics, from the subtropics to tropics

The 6 diagrams below (not to scale) indicate how temperature and air pressure change with height in each layer (from A to D). Layer A is: Layer B is: Layer C is: Layer D is: The vertical temperature profile on Earth behaves as__________ The vertical air pressure profile on Earth behaves as __________

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, 1 (E), 4 (L)

The Gulf Stream transports _______________________waters into the North Atlantic, which helps explain the mild climate of England vs. the cold climate of Boston.

warm

Which of the following correctly lists these different types of waves from shortest period to longest period?

wind-generated surface waves < tsunami waves < tidal waves

Based on the diagram (that is projected on the screen), select the following seasons in the Northern Hemisphere: winter, spring, summer, and fall for their corresponding location (A, B, C, D) along the orbit. A location: B location: C location" D location: Also select the perihelion and aphelion of the Earth's orbit from the four locations. The perihelion of the Earth's orbit: The aphelion of the Earth's orbit

winter,spring,summer,fall, A locaiton, C location