earth's systems, solar radiation, El Niño and La Niña

Very cold climates occur at Earth's North and South Poles because the polar regions:

receive low angle insolation

The major cause of monsoon rains in India and Southeast Asia is seasonal

shifts in the prevailing wind belts in the Indian Ocean

Which event followed a massive volcanic eruption and led to the cooling of global temperatures?

the addition of ash particles (particulates) into the atmosphere

Which single factor generally has the greatest effect on the climate of an area on the Earth's surface?

the distance from the Equator

Which natural event temporarily slows or reverses surface ocean currents in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean, causing a disruption of normal weather patterns?

volcanic eruptions

Surface ocean water temperatures in the east allow the thunderstorms that normally occur at the equator in the western Pacific to move eastward. A strong El Niño is often associated with wet winters along the northwestern coast of South America and in the southeastern United States, and drier weather patterns in Southeast Asia (Indonesia) and Australia. The northeastern United States usually has warmer and drier winters in an El Niño year. During an El Niño year, winter climatic conditions in Massachusetts will most likely be

warmer and drier.

During an El Niño event, the South Equatorial Current reverses direction and flows over the top of the northern portions of the Peru Current, causing

warmer surface ocean waters along the northwest coast of South America

Global warming and the Greenhouse Effect are most likely occurring due to an increase in

increased carbon dioxide and methane gases in the atmosphere

The three necessary components for thunderstorm formation include

lifting mechanism, warm fronts, moisture

Compared to land surface temperature changes, water surface temperature changes occur

more slowly because water has a higher specific heat

Pollutants such as iron oxide and sulfur dioxide are most likely to be removed from the atmosphere by

precipitation

Which surface ocean current transports warm water to higher latitudes?

Gulf Stream

What is the best explanation for these two statements: *Some mountains located near the Earth's Equator have snow-covered peaks. *Icecaps exist at the Earth's poles.

High elevation and high latitude have a similar effect on climate.

The climates of densely populated industrial areas tend to be warmer than similarly located sparsely populated rural areas.m From this observation, what can be inferred about the human influence on local climate?

The local climate in densely populated areas can be degraded by human activities such as burning fossil fuels.

Equal areas of which surface will have the lowest albedo and absorb the most insolation?

blacktop parking lot

The development of El Niño conditions over this region of the Pacific Ocean has caused

changes in worldwide precipitation patterns

Which change would cause a decrease in the amount of insolation absorbed at Earth's surface?

a decrease in atmospheric transparency

Large volcanic eruptions sometimes send dust and ash into the stratosphere. After these eruptions, global air temperatures are often:

cooler than normal because the atmosphere is less transparent

What is the usual surface wind pattern around the eye of Northern hemisphere hurricanes ?

counter clockwise and inward

Which factor most likely causes two cities at the same elevation and latitude to have different yearly average temperature ranges?

distance from a large body of water