GEOS 170A1 Exam 3

How do rain shadow deserts form?

"walls" of mountains block warm, moist air moist air forced to rise above wall. Cools and precipitates above mountain, dry air comes to shadow side of mountain

True of False: Any planet that has greenhouse gas in its atmosphere experiences global warming.

False

True or False: Evolution describes how humans evolved from chimpanzees and became a higher, more fit form of primate.

False

True or False: Humans evolved from chimpanzees, and therefore we are a higher, more evolved form of primate.

False

True or False: Nuclear energy creates more waste than almost any other type of energy produced.

False

True or False: Organisms can choose what traits they need to be the fittest, and drive natural selection because of those choices (e.g., an animal can choose to be faster, stronger, etc).

False

True or False: Seasons on Earth are caused by a variation in total distance from the Sun over the course of a year - Earth is closer to the Sun in summer and farther from the Sun in winter.

False

True or False: The ozone hole contributes significantly to global warming.

False

True or False: UV light is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

False

more extreme tilt = ________ extreme seasons

more

which two deserts are due to atmospheric circulation?

polar and latitudinal

If Earth had tilt of 0 degrees or if the axis was a different degree, would the poles be colder or warmer? Would there be seasons?

poles would be even colder, and there would be no seasonal variation

True or False: Ice ages are driven by precession of tilts (23k years), degree of tilt (41k years), and eccentricity (shape of earth's orbit, 100k years) Malankovitch cycles

true

hadley cell circulation

warm air rises at equator and cools near 30 degree latitude - cool air condenses and is dry

List the four ways humans have overcome limiting factors that would reduce the rate of population growth on this planet

1. Food --> mechanized agriculture 2. Disease --> Vaccinations, germ avoidance, medical advancements 3. Hygiene --> sewage systems, sanitation 4. Survival in inhospitable places --> heating/AC, transportation, warm clothes

1. location of polar desert 2. location of rain shadow desert 3. location of latitudinal desert 4. location of coastal desert 5. location of continental desert

1. Greenland or Antarctica 2. Tibetan Plateau (Himalayas) 3. Sonoran desert or Sahara 4. coastal Peru or SW Africa, Atacama 5. Gobi or Takla Makan

four postulates of evolution

1. variation in population 2. traits and characteristics genetically passed down 3. more born than can survive (limited resources) 4. advantageous traits that help survival are passed down

how many ozone molecules can one CFC destroy?

100,000 O3 absorbs UV, breaks, combines with another...

Which oxygen isotope is concentrated in glaciers?

16O

current global population

7 billion

Geothermal energy is good for ________ because there is lots of heat in the ground (divergent boundary) A) Iceland B) Brazil C) Australia

A

Imagine a city similar to Tucson, Arizona, where it is often sunny, there are few/no rivers that flow all year, there is no coast so no constant ocean breeze, and no active volcanoes nearby. Which would be the best type of alternative energy for a city like this to use? A) Solar B) Wind C) Geothermal D) Hydroelectric

A

Which of the following does not contribute to high birth rates? A) Religion B) Economic Stability C) Access to Education

A

Which of the following types of EMR (light) is absorbed by stratospheric ozone (i.e., the ozone layer)? A) UV light is absorbed by stratospheric ozone. B) Visible light is absorbed by stratospheric ozone. C) Infrared light is absorbed by stratospheric ozone. D) All types of EMR are absorbed by stratospheric ozone.

A

Hydroelectric is good for __________ because of the Amazon rainforest allowing streams to remain constant A) Iceland B) Brazil C) Australia

B

If a glacier is retreating A) it is melting at the toe and the whole thing is moving uphill. B) it is melting at the toe but the whole thing is still flowing downhill. C) then the ice must be moving uphill. D) it is accumulating snow at the top and at the toe, and moving uphill.

B

What type of EMR is always radiating out of the Earth's surface, into the atmosphere? A) visible B) infrared C) ultraviolet

B

Which of the following isotopes of oxygen is LESS abundant in the oceans during a glacial period (i.e., ice age)? A) Neither oxygen 16 nor oxygen 18 are less abundant in the oceans during glacials. B) Oxygen 16 C) Oxygen 18 D) Both oxygen 16 and oxygen 18 are less abundant in the oceans during glacials.

B

Which of the following statements is true? A) Ultraviolet is more energetic than visible light, so it heats up the Earth more than any other form of light. B) Even though ultraviolet is more energetic than visible and infrared, it is not involved in the warming of the planet.

B

Which two forms of light account for the majority of energy coming from the sun? A) Ultraviolet B) visible C) infrared

B and C

Which of the following could cause subtractions to a glacier to outweigh additions? A) Increasing snowfall B) Increasing melting C) Increasing temperature D) Decreasing snowfall E) Decreasing melting F) Decreasing temperature

B, C, D

In England, the peppered moth comes in two colors - white with black speckles, and totally black. Before the industrial revolution, the white speckled moths were well camouflaged on white barked trees. After the industrial revolution, soot was common in the air and coated the trees, making them black. What do you think happened to the fitness of the speckled moths? A) The white speckled moths became fitter because there were more of them to begin with. B) Both the black and the white speckled moths became fitter because both wanted to be faster to escape birds, so they got faster. C) The black moths became fitter, as they were now camouflaged on the black soot-coated trees. D) Nothing - the white speckled moths were still fittest because they were stronger.

C

Solar power is good for __________ because it is close to the equator and not densely populated - lots of open space A) Iceland B) Brazil C) Australia

C

When the northern hemisphere is experiencing summer A) days are the same length in the northern and southern hemisphere. B) days are longer in the southern hemisphere and shorter in the northern hemisphere. C) days are longer in the northern hemisphere and shorter in the southern hemisphere.

C

Which of the following best describes what greenhouse gases do? A) Allow more UV light to hit the Earth, warming Earth's surface. B) Trap heat from the sun, warming Earth's surface. C) Absorb infrared (heat) and re-emit it, warming Earth's atmosphere. D) Absorb visible light and re-emit it, warming Earth's atmosphere.

C

Which of the following locations will have cold water off the coast, as a result of ocean surface currents and where they came from prior to reaching the location? A) The eastern coast of the southern U.S. (Atlantic Ocean) B) The eastern coast of Brazil (Atlantic Ocean) C) The western coast of Chile in South America (Pacific Ocean)

C

Which of the following statements about the greenhouse effect is NOT true? A) If Earth had a steady amount of greenhouse gas in its atmosphere then it would not experience global warming. B) The greenhouse effect keeps Earth at a comfortable global average temperature of 60 deg F, while without a greenhouse effect Earth would have an average global temperature of 0 deg F. C) The greenhouse effect traps heat from the Sun in Earth's atmosphere - more energy comes in from the Sun than escapes out to space, causing the Earth to warm up. D) The greenhouse effect would happen on Earth regardless of human activity.

C

Which of these forms of EMR is absorbed by greenhouse gases? A) ultraviolet B) visible C) infrared

C

what destroys stratospheric ozone?

CFC's

A glacier is A) a thick mass of ice that forms over land or sea and doesn't move. B) a thick mass of ice that forms over the ocean and shows evidence of past or present flow. C) a thick mass of ice that forms over land or sea. D) a thick mass of ice that forms over land and shows evidence of past or present flow.

D

Ocean surface currents move in circular patterns we call gyres. Which way do gyres move in the northern and southern hemispheres? A) Clockwise in both hemispheres. B) Counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in the southern hemisphere. C) Counter clockwise in both hemispheres. D) Clockwise in the northern hemisphere, counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

D

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas? A) Water vapor (H2O) B) Methane (CH4) C) Carbon dioxide (CO2) D) Oxygen (O2)

D

Which of the following is the best estimation we have for Earth's carrying capacity? A) 1 billion B) 5 billion C) 9 billion D) 10-13 billion

D

in which of the following locations is population increasing at the highest rate? A) The U.S. B) China C) India D) Africa E) The Middle East

D

Global population is no longer increasing. True False

False

Venus has an atmosphere made up of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have not been observed to change. Does Venus have a greenhouse effect? Does Venus have global warming?

Greenhouse effect: Yes Global warming: No

How do salinity and temperature influence whether water will rise or sink?

Salinity: -salty sinks. Salinity increases due to evaporation and formation of ice. Temperature: - warm water rises, cold sinks (density). Warm water at ocean surface, cold water in deep ocean.

Do you think the light given off by Earth's surface will easily travel back through the atmosphere to space or will it be absorbed by molecules in the atmosphere?

The light given off by Earth's surface will be absorbed by molecules in the atmosphere. Visible light heats the surface, and the heat that radiates back into the atmosphere is absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gases. It takes a long time to get back to space.

The things that cause change in populations (e.g., mutations, migration, genetic drift) happen by chance, while evolutionary changes happen over time, in response to these changes. True False

True

True or False: Evolution happens because of variety in species that can create advantageous traits that make certain organisms "fitter" for their environment, and they pass on those traits to their offspring. Over time, those traits will become more prevalent in a population.

True

True or False: Most UV (ultraviolet) light doesn't make it into the troposphere because it is absorbed in the stratosphere by naturally occurring ozone.

True

True or False: Natural selection happens in individuals; evolution happens in populations.

True

True or False: Oceans absorb and store a lot of heat near the equator, and move that heat toward the poles via ocean currents, keeping Earth cooler than it would be without ocean circulation.

True

True or False: The total amount of energy coming in from the Sun is equal to the total amount of energy going back out to space.

True

True or False: The ratio of 16O to 18O is constant, but ratios can change depending on temperature conditions

True when warm: ratio is small (1:5) due to melting, the VALUE of the ratio decreases because there is more 16 when cold: ratio Is large (1:1) 16 is stuck in ice outside of ocean, so VALUE of ratio increases

True or False: If Earth warms up and ice sheets melt, the ratio of 18O/16O in the oceans decreases

True (1:1) --> (1:5)

are humans a geologic boundary?

Yes, we are creating something in the record that shows we were here - plastic - buildings

Select any/all of the following that allowed humans to overcome limiting factors and experience population growth like that of an R-selected species. A) Access to education B) Medical advancements such as vaccines. C) Sanitation/sewage systems D) Reduction of religious practices E) Agricultural technologies F) The ability to keep warm/cool in harsh environments.

a,b,c,e,f

How do coastal deserts form?

cold ocean currents are dry and cannot absorb moisture

if greenhouse gases are increasing, _____________ _____________ will occur. when the ___________ ___________ is increased, that leads to global warming

greenhouse effect

If Earth had no tilt, would the equator be hotter, cooler, or the same?

hotter and no seasons

what two types of light does the sun mostly give off?

infrared and visible

How do continental deserts form?

isolation from oceans and moisture

what two types of deserts could Arizona be considered?

latitudinal (32 degrees) and rain shadow (Cali Mtns)

If the Antarctic ice sheet melted, what would happen to the ratio of 18O to 16O in the oceans?

the ratio would decrease because 16O would make its way back to the oceans

Which direction do objects deflect in the southern hemisphere?

to the left (counter-clockwise motion, same as ocean gyres)

Which direction do objects deflect in the northern hemisphere?

to the right (clockwise motion, same as ocean gyres)

natural selection

traits that aid in survival are selected and passed down to offspring