OCE Ch8

5. Earth's heat budget is in thermal equilibrium at different latitudes. a. True b. False

ANSWER: False NOTES: Although the heat budget for Earth as a whole is in balance, the heat budget for its different latitudes is not.

12. Extratropical cyclones form from disturbances within one major air mass. a. True b. False

ANSWER: False NOTES: Extratropical cyclones and weather fronts form between two air masses. Tropical cyclones form from disturbances within one warm and humid air mass.

13. Extratropical cyclones form at the boundary between a Hadley cell and a Ferrel cell. a. True b. False

ANSWER: False NOTES: Extratropical cyclones form at the boundary between each hemisphere's polar cell and its Ferrel cell—the polar front.

9. The horse latitudes are located in the intertropical convergence zone. a. True b. False

ANSWER: False NOTES: The ITCZ is located near the equator, whereas, the horse latitudes are centered around 30°.

10. The westerlies are associated with Hadley cells. a. True b. False

ANSWER: False NOTES: The westerlies are surface winds of Ferrel cells centered at about 45°N and 45°S latitudes, that flow between the horse latitudes and the boundaries of the polar cells in each hemisphere.

2. Weather and climate are synonymous terms. a. True b. False

ANSWER: False NOTES: Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place; climate is the long-term statistical sum of weather in an area.

1. Earth's atmosphere and ocean are intertwined, their gases and waters freely exchanged. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True

4. Water vapor can occupy as much as 4% of the total volume of air. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: Air is never completely dry; water vapor, the gaseous form of water, can occupy as much as 4% of its volume.

7. The Coriolis effect deflects moving objects to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: In the Northern Hemisphere, this curve is to the right, or clockwise, from the expected path; in the Southern Hemisphere, it is to the left, or counterclockwise.

14. Much of the catastrophic damage done by Hurricane Katrina was caused by a storm surge arriving near high tide. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: Much of the catastrophic damage done by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005 was caused by an 8-meter (25-foot) storm surge arriving near high tide.

6. The amount of solar radiation an area receives is dependent on the angle of the energy and whether it is filtered through the atmosphere. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: Near the poles, light filters through more atmosphere and approaches the surface at a low angle, favoring reflection. By contrast, at tropical latitudes, sunlight strikes at a more nearly vertical angle, which distributes the same amount of sunlight over a much smaller area. The light passes through less atmosphere and minimizes reflection. Tropical latitudes thus receive significantly more solar energy than the polar regions, and mid-latitude areas receive more heat in summer than in winter.

15. The ITCZ does not coincide with the geographical equator; instead, it lies at the thermal equator. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: The ITCZ does not coincide with the geographical equator (0° latitude). Instead, it lies at the meteorological equator (or thermal equator), an irregular imaginary line of thermal equilibrium between the hemispheres, situated about 5° north of the geographical equator.

11. The doldrums are regions where two Hadley cells converge and experience light variable winds. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: The doldrums are where the calm equatorial surface winds of the two Hadley cells converge.

3. The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: The lower atmosphere is a nearly homogeneous mixture of gases, most plentifully nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (20.9%).

8. There are three large atmospheric circulation cells in each hemisphere that are powered by uneven solar heating and influenced by the Coriolis effect. a. True b. False

ANSWER: True NOTES: Three large atmospheric circulation cells—a Hadley cell, a Ferrel cell, and a polar cell—exist in each hemisphere. Air circulation within and between cells, powered by uneven solar heating and influenced by the Coriolis effect, generates predictable long-term patterns of winds.

39. An air mass pausing above a warm ocean surface will have what characteristics? a. Warm, humid air with zones of low pressure b. Warm, humid air with zones of high pressure c. Cold, dry air with zones of low pressure d. Cold, dry air with zones of high pressure e. Warm, dry air with zones of high pressure

ANSWER: a NOTES: Air pausing over water or land will tend to take on the characteristics of the surface below. Cold, dry land causes the mass of air above to become chilly and dry. Air above a warm ocean surface will become hot and humid. Cold, dry air masses are dense and form zones of high atmospheric pressure. Warm, humid air masses are less dense and form zones of lower atmospheric pressure.

18. Which gas comprises 20.9% of Earth's atmosphere? a. oxygen b. helium c. argon d. nitrogen e. Methane

ANSWER: a NOTES: The lower atmosphere is a nearly homogeneous mixture of gases, most plentifully nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (20.9%).

34. If you are traveling west by sea across the Atlantic Ocean, which area will get you to your destination faster? a. Near the 15°N and 15°S latitudes within the trade winds of the Hadley cells b. Near the 45°N and 45°S latitudes within the surface winds of the Ferrel cells c. Near the 30°N and 30°S latitudes within the surface winds at the intersection of Hadley and Ferrel cells d. Near the 45°N and 45°S latitudes within the trade winds of the Hadley cells e. Near the 15°N and 15°S latitudes within the surface winds of the Ferrel cells

ANSWER: a NOTES: The persistent trade winds, or easterlies, centered at about 15°N and 15°S latitudes are the surface winds of the Hadley cells as they move from the horse latitudes to the doldrums. The east winds within this corridor would provide faster travel for a ship traveling to the west.

27. Which area receives the least amount of solar energy on Earth? a. polar regions b. mid-latitudes c. tropical regions d. temperate regions e. equatorial regions

ANSWER: a NOTES: Tropical latitudes thus receive significantly more solar energy than the polar regions, and mid-latitude areas receive more heat in summer than in winter.

23. What may occur if air parcels containing water vapor in the atmosphere experience cooling? a. compaction b. precipitation c. compression d. convection e. Turbulence

ANSWER: b NOTES: If rising and cooling continue, the droplets may coalesce into raindrops or snowflakes. The atmosphere will then lose water as precipitation, liquid or solid water that falls from the air to Earth's surface.

36. Sea breezes occur during the ____ and land breezes occur during the ____. a. evening; morning b. morning; evening c. summer; winter d. winter; summer e. spring; fall

ANSWER: b NOTES: Land breezes and sea breezes are small, daily mini-monsoons. Morning sunlight falls on land and adjacent sea, warming both. The temperature of the water doesn't rise as much as the temperature of the land, however. The warmer inland rocks transfer heat to the air, which expands and rises, creating a zone of low atmospheric pressure over the land. Cooler air from over the sea then moves toward land; this is the sea breeze. The situation reverses after sunset, with land losing heat to space and falling rapidly in temperature. After a while, the air over the still-warm ocean will be warmer than the air over the cooling land. This air will then rise, and the breeze direction will reverse, becoming a land breeze.

28. The amount of solar heat received equals the amount of solar heat lost in what region? a. northern polar regions b. mid-latitudes c. tropical regions d. southern polar regions e. equatorial latitudes

ANSWER: b NOTES: Polar latitudes lose more heat to space than they gain, and tropical latitudes gain more heat than they lose. Only at about 38°N and 38°S latitudes does the amount of radiation received equal the amount lost. Since the area of heat gained (orange area) equals the area of heat lost (blue areas), Earth's total heat budget is balanced over time.

41. Tropical cyclones form in which conditions? a. At the boundary between circulation cells b. Within a single great mass of warm, humid, rotating air c. At the boundary between air masses of different density d. At the boundary between a polar cell and its Ferrel cell e. At the intersection of two frontal boundaries

ANSWER: b NOTES: Tropical cyclones form from disturbances within one warm and humid air mass.

16. Water evaporated from the ocean surface is moved by ____. a. cold fronts b. wind c. precipitation d. climate e. Condensation

ANSWER: b NOTES: Water evaporated from the ocean surface and moved by wind, the mass movement of air, helps minimize worldwide extremes of surface temperature; through rain, it provides moisture for agriculture.

35. Patterns of wind circulation that change with the season are called ____. a. trade winds b. westerlies c. monsoons d. easterlies e. Doldrums

ANSWER: c NOTES: A monsoon is a pattern of wind circulation that changes with the season. Areas subject to monsoons generally have wet summers and dry winters.

38. Where are extratropical cyclones typically found? a. Hadley cells b. doldrums c. Ferrel cells d. ITCZ e. The Equator

ANSWER: c NOTES: Extratropical cyclones form at the boundary between each hemisphere's polar cell and its Ferrel cell—the polar front. These great storms occur mainly in the winter hemisphere when temperature and density differences across the polar front are most pronounced.

25. What type of radiation leaves Earth as outgoing waves? a. visible radiation b. ultraviolet radiation c. infrared radiation d. microwave radiation e. gamma radiation

ANSWER: c NOTES: Heat leaves Earth as infrared (long-wave) radiation.

17. Most weather occurs in which of the following atmospheric layers? a. mesosphere b. exosphere c. troposphere d. thermosphere e. Stratosphere

ANSWER: c NOTES: Most weather occurs in the unsettled troposphere, the layer nearest Earth's surface that contains most of the atmosphere's mass.

22. As air rises in the atmosphere it ____ and ____. a. compresses; warms b. expands; warms c. expands; cools d. compresses; cools e. warms; precipitates

ANSWER: c NOTES: Near Earth's surface, air is packed densely by its own weight. Air lifted from near sea level to a higher altitude is subjected to less pressure and will expand and become cooler when it expands.

29. What is responsible for the Coriolis effect? a. uneven solar radiation b. convection currents c. earth's rotation d. angle of the sun e. Earth's tilt

ANSWER: c NOTES: The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving air or water (or any moving object that has mass) away from its initial course as a result of the rotation of Earth on its axis.

42. Which statement characterizes Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclones? a. They turn clockwise. b. They form in areas of high pressure. c. Moist surface winds spiral in toward the center of the storm and rising winds exit from the storm at high altitudes. d. The greatest destruction from wind and storm surge will occur to the west of its center. e. They form over cool ocean temperatures.

ANSWER: c NOTES: The internal structure of a mature Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclone, or hurricane, indicates moist surface winds that spiral in toward the center of the storm and rising winds that exit from the storm at high altitudes. Circulation occurs around a calm central eye.

32. What is true of the intertropical convergence zone? a. It coincides with the geographical equator. b. It is the result of the convergence of a Hadley cell and Ferrel cell. c. It is subject to seasonal variations. d. It coincides with areas of strong winds. e. It coincides with the horse latitudes.

ANSWER: c NOTES: The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) changes with season. It tends to be slightly farther north in the northern summer and more towards the equator during the northern winter.

20. What is the approximate residence time of water vapor in the lower atmosphere? a. 1 hour b. 1 day c. 10 days d. 100 days e. 1000 days

ANSWER: c NOTES: The residence time of water vapor in the lower atmosphere is about 10 days.

43. What is the typical life span of a tropical cyclone? a. 1 to 3 hours b. 1 to 3 days c. 5 to 10 days d. 3 weeks e. 6 weeks

ANSWER: c NOTES: Tropical cyclones last from 3 hours to 3 weeks; most have lives of 5 to 10 days.

44. Cyclones are rare in what ocean? a. North Atlantic Ocean b. Western Pacific Ocean c. Indian Ocean d. South Atlantic Ocean e. Northern Pacific Ocean

ANSWER: d

30. The atmospheric circulation cells in the tropics are ____ cells and those in the mid-latitudes are ____ cells. a. Hadley; polar b. Ferrel; polar c. Ferrel; Hadley d. Hadley; Ferrel e. equatorial; subtropical

ANSWER: d NOTES: Atmospheric circulation cells at the tropics are called Hadley cells and at mid-latitudes they are Ferrel cells.

21. Why is humid air less dense than dry air? a. Molecular movement of water vapor occupies less space than dry air. b. Molecular movement of water vapor occupies more space than dry air. c. Water vapor molecules are more compressed than dry air molecules. d. Molecules of water vapor have less mass than the displaced nitrogen and oxygen. e. Molecules of water vapor have more mass than the displaced nitrogen and oxygen.

ANSWER: d NOTES: Contrary to what we might guess, humid air is less dense than dry air at the same temperature—because molecules of water vapor have less mass than the nitrogen and oxygen molecules that the water vapor displaces.

45. What type of storm was Superstorm Sandy? a. A tropical disturbance b. An extratropical cyclone c. A hurricane d. A nor'easter and a tropical storm e. A hurricane and an extratropical cyclone

ANSWER: d NOTES: Superstorm Sandy was the result of a rare and violent collision between a classic nor'easter (a frontal storm) and a tropical storm (Hurricane Sandy).

19. Water leaves the atmosphere through which process? a. evaporation b. expansion c. compression d. condensation e. Vaporization

ANSWER: d NOTES: Water leaves the atmosphere by condensing into dew, rain, or snow.

37. El Niño and La Niña events occur in the _____and the _____are affected a. Pacific Ocean; westerlies b. Atlantic Ocean; easterlies c. Atlantic Ocean; westerlies d. Atlantic Ocean; doldrums e. Pacific Ocean; trade winds

ANSWER: e NOTES: During El Niño and La Niña events a reversal in the distribution of atmospheric pressure between the eastern and western Pacific causes the trade winds to weaken or reverse. The trade winds normally drag huge quantities of water westward along the ocean's surface near the equator, but without the winds, these equatorial currents crawl to a stop.

24. Which component of Earth's heat budgetaccounts for more than half of the incoming solar radiation on an average day? a. cloud reflection b. water and land reflection c. cloud absorption d. water vapor and dust absorption e. water and land absorption

ANSWER: e NOTES: On an average day, about half of the solar energy arriving at the upper atmosphere is absorbed at Earth's surface. Light (short-wave) energy absorbed at the surface is converted into heat.

26. The solar heating of Earth varies with ____ and ____. a. seasons; longitude b. longitude; latitude c. winds; convection d. winds; reflection e. seasons; latitude

ANSWER: e NOTES: Solar heating of Earth depends on seasons and latitude. These factors direct the amount of energy received and the amount of surface area effected.

31. The doldrums are an area of ____. a. strong erratic winds b. wind divergence c. descending air currents d. high atmospheric pressure e. wind convergence

ANSWER: e NOTES: The calm equatorial areas where the surface winds of the two Hadley cells converge are called the doldrums. The area experiences sultry air and variable breezes. Scientists who study the atmosphere call this area the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) to reflect the influence of wind convergence on conditions near the equator. Strong heating in the ITCZ causes surface air to expand and rise.

33. The intersection of Hadley and Ferrel cells can best be described as ____. a. rising, expanding air movements b. high precipitation c. low atmospheric pressure d. high surface winds e. sinking, compressing, and heating air movements

ANSWER: e NOTES: The great deserts of both hemispheres, dry bands centered around 30° latitude, mark the intersection of the Hadley and Ferrel cells. Air falls toward Earth's surface in these areas, causing compressional heating. Because evaporation is higher than precipitation in these areas, ocean-surface salinity tends to be highest at these latitudes. At sea, these areas of high atmospheric pressure and little surface wind are called the subtropical high, or horse latitudes.

40. What type of storm is the principle cause of weather in the mid-latitude regions? a. extratropical cyclones b. single air mass disturbances c. air mass divergences d. cyclones e. frontal storms

ANSWER: e NOTES: When cold air advances and does the lifting, a cold front occurs. A warm front happens when warm air is blown on top of the retreating edge of cold air. The wind and precipitation associated with these fronts are sometimes referred to as frontal storms. They are the principal cause of weather in the mid-latitude regions.