Climate Change Final
How many weather-related disasters with costs in excess of $1 billion occurred in the United States between 2004 and 2016?
102
If the maximum temperature for a particular day is 26°C and the minimum temperature is 14°C, the daily mean would be:
20°C.
Earth's current angle of inclination is:
23.5°
Refer to the chart above of 2010 monthly mean temperatures for the state of Idaho. Based on this data, what was the annual temperature range for Idaho in 2010?
38.6°F
Refer to the chart above of 2010 monthly mean temperatures for the state of Idaho. Based on these data, what was the annual mean temperature for Idaho in 2010?
45.1°F
Flagstaff, AZ is at 35 degrees N latitude. What is the angle of the Sun's noon rays here on March 21?
55 degrees
Consider the isotherm map of the United States shown above. Which of the following is the best realistic estimate of the current temperature at the spot marked by an X?
75°F
If the maximum temperature on a particular day is 30°F and the minimum temperature is 21°F, then the daily temperature range is:
9°F.
Which month is most likely to be the HOTTEST in the northern hemisphere?
August
Which of the following correctly describes the equinoxes?
Days and nights are equal in length in all parts of the world.
The world record high temperature (134oF) was recorded at:
Death Valley, California.
The minimum temperature usually occurs near sunrise because
Earth experiences a net loss of radiation until then.
Which of the following would be true if Earth did not have an inclined axis?
Earth would not have seasons.
Which of the following statements is an expression of climate?
February is the wettest month in Los Angeles, CA, with an average rainfall of 3.92 inches.
How is the annual mean temperature calculated?
It is the average of all 12 monthly mean temperatures.
The first day of the climatological season of summer is:
June 1.
At 45 degrees S latitude, the angle of the noon Sun is lowest and the length of daylight is shortest on:
June 21.
New York City has its greatest length of daylight on:
June 21.
The Tropic of Cancer experiences vertical sun rays on:
June 21.
The length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator on:
June 21.
The longest period of daylight of the year in the United States occurs on:
June 21.
All of the following explain the difference between land and water temperature patterns EXCEPT:
Land has a higher specific heat than water.
The spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on approximately:
March 21.
Earth is closest to the Sun during:
Northern hemisphere winter.
Why are average monthly temperatures cooler in Quito, Ecuador than Guayaquil, Ecuador
Quito is at a higher elevation.
Which of the following is an example of an interface?
The formation of the Grand Canyon as running water erodes, transports, and deposits rock.
Consider the isotherm map of the United States shown above. Which of the following statements best describes the area between Las Vegas, NV, and Palm Springs, CA?
This area exhibits one of the greatest temperature gradients on the map.
This country has the greatest variety of weather in the world
United States
What would happen on Earth if the Sun were "turned off" and ceased to provide heat for the Earth?
Winds and ocean currents would stop.
In the process of scientific inquiry, a theory is best defined as:
a hypothesis that has been extensively tested and is generally accepted by the scientific community.
An interacting group of parts that is fueled by energy and works to accomplish the movement of matter or energy is called:
a system.
A primary reason for drawing isotherms on a map of temperature values is to allow:
a visualization of temperature distribution.
The common boundary where different parts of a system interact is called:
an interface.
Which one of the following is not a term used to designate one of the "spheres" of the earth's environment?
aquasphere
At what time of year is the earth's axis not tilted either toward or away from the Sun?
autumnal equinox
Which of the following associations is INCORRECT?
autumnal equinox — shortest day of the year for the Arctic Circle
The BEST definition of the term climate is:
average weather over a long period of time.
In which sphere would we find insects, plants, humans, and bacteria?
biosphere
Which of the following outlines the steps of the scientific method in the correct order?
collect data; develop hypothesis; test hypothesis; accept/modify/reject hypothesis
An isotherm on a map:
connects points of equal temperature.
Low sun angles result in reduced solar energy because:
energy is spread over a larger area.
The majority of the water outside of the oceans is in the form of:
glacial ice.
The most important source of the free oxygen in our atmosphere is:
green plants that carry on photosynthesis.
The Earth subsystem that represents the circulation of Earth's water throughout the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere is know as the
hydrologic cycle.
Which of the following spheres is composed exclusively of water?
hydrosphere
An energy surplus in the atmosphere from solar radiation occurs:
in the early afternoon.
The earth system:
includes parts that affect one another.
Temperatures at the Earth's surface tend to DECREASE when solar radiation:
is less than Earth's longwave radiation.
The term meteorology:
is the study of the atmosphere and its related weather systems.
The energy associated with motion is called:
kinetic energy.
Earth's rocky outer layer is known as the
lithosphere
Soil belongs to which of the earth's spheres?
lithosphere
The daily maximum temperature occurs at the time:
near noon
Which one of the following is the MOST abundant gas in the atmosphere?
nitrogen
Which two gases make up a combined total of 99% of clean, dry air in the homosphere?
nitrogen and oxygen
Air may best be described as:
one of four basic substances that composes all things.
Early in January the earth is closer to the Sun than at any other time of year. This position is termed:
perihelion.
During the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, the circle of illumination passes directly through the:
poles.
What kind of energy does gravity give to hailstones suspended in a thunderstorm?
potential energy
The primary function of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is to:
provide satellite data about precipitation in the low latitudes, over both land and water.
Over the course of this year, the tilt of Earth's polar axis will:
remain constant at 23.5 degrees.
The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C is called:
specific heat.
Which of the following is a measurement of the average kinetic energy possessed by the atoms or molecules in a substance?
temperature
The ________ is defined as the amount of temperature change per unit of distance.
temperature gradient
The basic elements of weather and climate include all of the following, except:
the chemical composition of the air.
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.
The lag of the maximum is exhibited when:
the highest levels of solar radiation are not received until late afternoon.
The lag of extreme temperatures with respect to minimum or maximum values of solar radiation is due to:
the influence of the total radiation balance
The primary cause of Earth's seasons is:
tilt of Earth's rotation axis, which causes sun angles and daylight length to vary
A primary difference between the concepts of weather and climate is the:
time period involved.
During natural processes, heat transfer is always from:
warmer to cooler substances.
Overnight temperatures are warmer when the air is humid because
water vapor is a good absorber of incoming shortwave radiation, causing more energy to be stored during the day.
Which of the following associations is CORRECT?
water — high specific heat
Earth's perihelion:
would not exist if the earth's orbit were circular.