weather and climate test #2
Miami, FL recorded the following: High temperature: 32 °C Low temperature: 20 °C What is the daily temperature range?
12 °C
Which response does not help explain why cities can often become urban heat islands when compared with surrounding rural areas? A. Water tends to cool more slowly than land. B. Buildings and pavement absorb heat. C. City structures release heat. D. Industry releases waste heat. E. Anthropogenic pollutants trap heat energy.
A
Of the following, the city with the highest average of annual heating degree-days is probably:
Anchorage, AK.
Which of the following associations is INCORRECT? A. summer solstice — solar declination at the Tropic of Cancer B. vernal equinox — equal day/equal night C. autumnal equinox — shortest day of the year for the Arctic Circle D. aphelion — Earth furthest from the sun
C
Which location receives the most sun energy per unit area during the spring equinox?
Equatorial regions
What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight?
It is returned upward in the form of infrared light.
Which of the following correctly describes when the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing its warmest temperatures?
January
________ is defined as the fraction of incoming sunlight that is reflected back to space.
Planetary albedo
In which material would convection occur?
The atmosphere
How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?
The inclination of Earth's axis does not change.
In which situation is radiation the most dominant form of heat transfer?
The movement of heat from the Sun to Earth
Wind is an example of:
advection
The earth emits terrestrial radiation:
all the time
The ________ is mechanical thermometer often used in home thermostats.
bimetal strip
Which type of thermometer has a constriction (narrowed passage) in the bore of the glass tube?
maximum thermometer
Which one of the following is the MOST abundant gas in the atmosphere?
nitrogen
Summer temperatures along the California coast are cooler than along the coast of South Carolina, due to the influence of:
ocean currents
The troposphere is most likely to be thickest:
over the equator
During the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, the circle of illumination passes directly through the:
poles
The annual temperature range is quite small near the equator. This is true primarily because:
solar radiation is nearly uniform all year.
The temperature data application that could help you to predict when your corn crop will be ready to harvest is:
the growing degree day
Earth's sky is blue during the day because
the molecules in the atmosphere scatter blue wavelengths of light.
What is the December solstice?
the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun
Of the 50% of incoming solar radiation that is not absorbed by Earth's surface, how much is lost to space by reflection and scattering?
30%
Chicago, IL recorded the following temperatures in one day: High temperature: 40 °F Low temperature: 32 °F What is the daily mean temperature?
36 °F
Suppose the albedo of a planet is measured to be 40 percent. This means that:
40 percent of the Sun's energy is reflected.
Which of the following best describes the range of the visible light spectrum?
400 nm to 700 nm
Flagstaff, AZ is at 35 degrees N latitude. What is the angle of the Sun's noon rays here on March 21?
55 degrees
All of the following explain the difference between land and water temperature patterns EXCEPT: A. Land has a higher specific heat than water. B. Convective mixing helps distribute heat energy throughout a water body. C. Radiation does not penetrate as deeply in land as it does in water. D. Evaporative cooling is more common over water than over land.
A
Which of the following materials the best conductor of heat?
A filament in an incandescent light bulb
Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons? A. Earth orbits around the Sun, completing one orbit each year. B. Earth has a satellite called the Moon, which rotates around Earth C. Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane. D. Earth spins on its axis, completing one rotation each day. E. Earth's axis always points in the same direction relative to the stars.
A, C, D, E
Why does the Northern Hemisphere have warm summers? Choose all that apply. A. The Sun's rays hit the ground at a more perpendicular angle. B.Days are longer. C. The north pole is tilted toward the Sun. D. The Sun's energy is more concentrated. E. Earth is closer to the Sun in June.
A,B,C,D
How does the phase change of water from liquid to vapor generally influence the air temperature experienced in locations near water?
Air temperatures are generally cooler.
Which of the following statements is true? A. Coastal cities have warmer temperatures than inland cities during the summer. B. Coastal cities always have colder temperatures than inland cities. C. Coastal cities on the Pacific coast have warmer temperatures than inland cities during the winter. D. Coastal cities always have warmer temperatures than inland cities.
C
Which response is not an example of a significant temperature control? A. elevation B. geographic location C. Earth's distance from the Sun D. ocean currents E. cloud cover
C
Which of the following situations would lead to the highest nighttime temperatures?
Clear conditions during the day and cloudy conditions at night
In meteorological terminology, the primary difference between convection and advection is:
Convection represents vertical heat transfer and advection represents horizontal heat transfer.
Which of the following correctly describes the equinoxes?
Days and nights are equal in length in all parts of the world.
Which of the following statements about coastal and inland temperatures are correct?
During the course of the year, the lowest monthly average temperature would occur in an inland city. During the course of the year, the highest monthly average temperature would occur in an inland city.
Which location receives the most sun energy per unit area during the winter solstice?
Equatorial regions
On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth?
It reaches Earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed.
Which of the following best describes when North America is experiencing its warmest temperatures?
July
What is the source of longwave infrared radiation?
Longwave infrared radiation is emitted from Earth's surface.
When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?
March Equinox September Equinox
Which of the following statements correctly explain how radiation and cloud cover interact?
More outgoing radiation is reflected back to Earth on cloudy nights than is reflected on clear nights. More incoming radiation reaches the surface of the Earth on clear days than does on cloudy days.
What happens to most of the incoming solar energy on Earth?
Most incoming solar energy is absorbed by Earth's land and water surfaces.
what is Conduction?
Movement of heat through a solid
what is Radiation?
Movement of heat through space or air
what is Convection?
Movement of heat via the movement of particles
Which of the following locations is experiencing fall during April?
New Zealand
Earth is closest to the Sun during:
Northern Hemisphere winter
When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night?
September Equinox March Equinox
During which of the following times does Buenos Aires, Argentina receive the same number of hours of sunlight as New York City, USA?
Spring equinox fall equinox
When do the Sun's rays hit the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes at the highest angle?
Summer solstice
What causes it to be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer in the northern hemisphere?
Summer temperatures are warmer because more sun energy per unit area is received during this time.
The specific heat of water is high; what does this mean?
Water must gain or lose large amounts of energy in order for its temperature to change.
During which of the following times does the North Pole receive no hours of sunlight?
Winter solstice
A poleward moving (northward moving in the Northern Hemisphere) ocean current is:
a warm current.
If you move from Los Angeles, CA (at sea level) to Denver, CO (a mile above sea level), the average summer temperature will ______ and the average winter temperature will ______.
decrease; decrease
If you move from the equator to a location in the mid-latitudes, the wintertime average temperature will _____, and the temperature range will _____.
decrease; increase
Low sun angles result in reduced solar energy because:
energy is spread over a larger area.
Which of the following absorbs most incoming solar radiation?
forest
Of the following choices, the surface with the HIGHEST albedo is:
fresh snow.
Which of the following types of radiation have the shortest wavelengths?
gamma waves
Condensation is a phase change from _______ to _______, which _______ the surrounding air.
gas; liquid; warms
Light-colored surfaces __________ than dark-colored surfaces.
have a higher albedo
Most of the radiation emitted by the earth and its atmosphere is in the category of:
infrared
The greenhouse effect raises Earth's surface temperature (from what it would be otherwise) because the infrared light radiated by Earth's surface __________.
is temporarily absorbed by greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions
At 45 degrees S latitude, the angle of the noon Sun is lowest and the length of daylight is shortest on:
june 21
The length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator on:
june 21
The two types of heat recognized by meteorologists are:
latent heat and sensible heat.
The wavelengths emitted by the earth are:
longer than those emitted by the sun
The earth receives energy from the Sun by:
radiation
The longest wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum are:
radio
Which of the following types of radiation have the longest wavelengths?
radio waves
While sitting outside at a picnic, you and your family start discussing how hot it is outside and plan to take a dip in the lake to cool off. What type of heat have you experienced in order to make this statement?
sensible heat
What is the fundamental energy balance for Earth?
shortwave radiation in = infrared radiation out
An increase in carbon dioxide _____ the greenhouse effect and _____ the absorption of radiation emitted from Earth's surface.
strengthens; increases
The primary factor which determines what type and how much radiation an object emits is its:
temperature
If an imbalance occurs between incoming and outgoing energy at the earth's surface:
temperatures either increase or decrease.
More solar radiation is absorbed by Earth's surface than by __________.
the atmosphere
Daily and seasonal temperature cycles depend primarily on:
the combined effects of solar and terrestrial radiation.
The annual range of temperature may be described as:
the difference between the average temperatures of the warmest and coldest months.
Most of the solar energy absorbed by planet Earth and its atmosphere is absorbed by:
the earths surface
In which of the following locations would you be most likely to find a yearly net radiation surplus?
the equator
What is the June solstice?
the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly toward the Sun
The annual temperature range at most latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere is much smaller than that in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason for this is that:
there is a greater percentage of water surface in the Southern Hemisphere.
The heterosphere and ionosphere both coincide with the:
thermosphere.
The primary cause of Earth's seasons is:
tilt of Earth's rotation axis, which causes sun angles and daylight length to vary.
The primary purpose served by surface ocean currents is to:
transfer heat and equalize the imbalance of energy between the poles and the equator.
Which of the following describes the role played by the water cycle in determining the earth's heat budget?
transfers heat from surface to atmosphere
The type of energy that is responsible for sunburn is:
ultraviolet energy.
The daily maximum temperature occurs at the time:
when outgoing radiation equals incoming
Earth's perihelion:
would not exist if the earth's orbit were circular.
Greenhouse gases _____.
absorb and emit longwave radiation
Clouds play an important role in the earth's energy budget because they:
absorb longwave radiation and re-radiate it towards the surface and reflect solar energy.
The atmosphere is heated primarily by:
absorption of Earth's longwave radiation
What is the term for the total radiation that is reflected by a surface?
albedo
Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?
at the equator
When is the warmest part of a typical day?
3 PM
Earth's current angle of inclination is:
23.5°.
Thinking about how net radiation works, which of the following values do you think would be closest to the overall average annual net radiation for the entire planet?
0 watts per square meter
Why does the Northern Hemisphere have more positive values for net radiation in July as compared to the Southern Hemisphere in July?
The Northern Hemisphere receives more sunlight in July
On a day with complete cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward Earth?
The clouds reflect some of it back to space, and some still reaches the surface.
What is the 'atmospheric window'?
The range of infrared wavelengths that can most easily escape Earth's atmosphere.
The transfer of heat through matter by molecular collisions is called:
conduction