Physical Geo midterm

Winds do not blow straight from high to low pressure regions in most of the world because of the _______________________.

Coriolis effect.

prolonged soil moisture deficit occurs

Drought occurs when ____.

One forested region that can be drier than a tropical desert is a ____________________ climate.

Dwd

Arctic circle

Global Climate Change temperature increases are higher (on average) at the...

a short intense growing season

Humid Continental climates (Dfa, Dwa, Dfb, and Dwb) have

is more easily released to space than most other gases.

Hydrogen (H2)

Climates of type A concentrate along the ____.

ITCZ

altitude and latitude

In general, surface temperatures decrease with increasing

cold air holds little water vapor

Polar climates are drier because

Winds blowing from the northern oceanic high pressure cell in the Pacific produce consistent surface winds moving towards the

SW to the equator.

above 22 celsius

The Cfa climates have a warmest month

future human greenhouse gas production rates

The most uncertainty in global climate change models is due to

are dry in the summer

Type Cs climates ____.

negative feedback loop

Unlike the ice-allbedo feedback, the CO2-weathering feedback loop is a ____.

The Cfa climates have a warmest month

above 22 Celsius

In general, surface temperatures decrease with increasing

altitude

During an inversion, most of the smog collects

below the inversion.

In the summer, air in the Tropic of Cancer over land will acquire ____ air mass characteristics

cT

Hurricanes die in _____________________and ______________________ zones.

continental and marine polar

Leeward flanks of a mountain with precipitation will be ____________________ and ______________________ than windward flanks.

drier and warmer

The land-sea breeze effect produces a sea breeze

during the day due to increased heating air over land.

Acid rain is caused by

emissions from fossil fuel use

Human induced global climate change includes

fossil fuel consumption ranching (cattle production) land reclamation (using wetlands) deforestation cattle production rice production

Tropical deforestation...

increases global climate change , increases atmospheric pollution, decreases species diversity

The polar jet stream is affected and deflected by Rossby waves, which are generated by __________________, ______________________, ______________________.

land-sea temp gradients, earth topography, equator to pole temp gradient.

Vaporization of water results in

latent heat gain in water vapor

Air with the greatest latent heat is _________________ air.

mT

Hurricanes form in regions of ___________________ air.

mT

The component of the atmosphere with the lowest average concentration is

methane

O2 content in the atmosphere has increased due to

photosynthesis

Ozone absorbs ____________________ radiation, and is naturally concentrated in the stratosphere.

ultraviolet

Saturated air warmer than surrounding dry air around it is

unstable

Continental air masses are _________________________ than maritime air masses at the same latitude.

warmer in the summer

The atmospheric constituent with the shortest residence time is

water vapor (H2O)

The troposphere is from...

0 to ~15 km, and cools with increasing elevation

"A" climates have avg temps in the coolest month warmer than ________________________ celsius.

18 degrees

A climactic normal is a _____________ year average.

30

1 and 2 times

Climates of type BS occur when potential evapotranspiration is ____ actual evapotranspiration

Sources of natural climate change include

changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide , volcanism, slow orbital shifts, meteor strikes

Water turning into vapor from plants and surfaces such as soil is called _________________________

evapotranspiration

A cold front will more likely have a __________________, ____________________ rain band.

narrow, heavy

Unlike the ice-allbedo feedback, the CO2-weathering feedback loop is a ____.

negative feedback loop

The maximum release of water from soil and plant surfaces when the availability of surface water is not a limiting factor is called ____.

potential evapotranspiration

Mid-latitude (mesothermal) year-round rainfall, hot summer climates are labeled as

Cfa

The coriolis effect causes moving air to veer

counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.

A warm front more likely has a ________________,_________________ rain band.

wide, moderate

Semi-permanent high pressure cells that develop over the oceans are centered closest to

30 North and South.

The ozone hole, which decreases UV absorption and increases skin cancer risk is caused by

Carbonated fluorocarbons.

wet in the summer, dry in the winter

The Cw climates have one month colder than 18 Celsius on average AND are

Climate measures the _______________________________________________ of weather.

average values and average variations

Air moves _____________________________ in the northern hemisphere.

clockwise out of high pressure cells

Polar climates are drier because

cold air holds little water vapor

Cloud droplets in fog in santa cruz generally requires

condensation nuclei

Convectional precipitation requires saturation and

cooling of air

Geostrophic winds at high altitudes are parallel to the isobars because the _______________________________ forces balance out.

coriolis effect and pressure gradient

A fully developed hurricane has well developed __________________, ____________________, and __________________.

eye wall, rain bands, outward spiraling high-level winds

Permafrost is caused by...

freezing water below the soil surface

The Mediterranean region experiences rain in the winter because

the high pressure cell shifts to the south.

The Cw climates have one month colder than 18 Celsius on average AND are

wet in the summer, dry in the winter

The winter monsoon is dry because of

high pressure in Central Asia.