exam 4 questions
wind turbines and solar panels make less than __ of world energy
0.7%
Which of the following is associated with the longer recurrence interval?
Bigger floods (more water/greater discharge)
This trace gas which is important for the biosphere is present in the Earth's atmosphere at concentrations around 0.04%:
Carbon dioxide CO2
Flatter valley-bottom areas which tend to be underwater during times of relatively high discharge are called:
Drainage divides
How does water flow velocity affect the size of particles which a stream can move?
Faster water can move larger particles
In mountainous areas, stream channels tend to follow:
Narrow V-shaped valleys
The most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is:
Nitrogen N2
second most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is:
Oxygen O2
This gas is considered a pollutant at ground level, but where concentrated in the stratosphere it provides an important shield against UV light from the Sun.
Ozone O3
Which of the following happen more frequently?
Smaller floods with less water / lower discharge
Which of the following has the greater annual probability?
Smaller floods with less water / lower discharge
From the headwaters region to the downstream end of a river system, what happens to the average slope or gradient of the stream channels:
The gradient gets shallower the farther downstream
Which of the following can help people to better protect themselves from severe weather? (choose all that apply)
Tornado shelters, Hurricane evacuations, Stronger and more resilient buildings, Buildings raised up to avoid flooding and storm surge, Emergency planning and preparations, Weather forecasting, Avoiding housing and business development in the most hazardous places
This gas varies greatly in atmospheric concentration, reaching a maximum of about 4% by volume when humidity is high, and also contributes to the formation of clouds and precipitation:
Water vapor H2O
Low elevation areas near the ocean tend to be part of which of the following three general parts of river systems:
Zone where deposition is dominant
Higher elevation, more rugged landscapes tend to be part of which of the following three general parts of river systems:
Zone where erosion is dominant
The "100-year" flood has an annual probability which can be described as:
a 1 in 100 chance or 1% odds each year
The southern hemisphere experiences summer during which time of the year?
about December 21 to March 20
For a tropical storm to be classified as a category 5 hurricane, how strong do the average winds have to be?
at least 250 km/hr
Sediment particles which are transported by streams via sliding or rolling along the stream bottom are referred to as:
bedload
The coarsest particles which a stream can move tend to be transported as:
bedload
When people drain or cover over wetland areas, this typically results in:
bigger floods happening more often (e.g. the old 100-year flood might become the new 20-30 year flood)
When people transform forest into urban areas, this typically results in:
bigger floods happening more often (e.g. the old 100-year flood might become the new 20-30 year flood)
Common engineering approaches used to reduce flooding risks by controlling flood waters include:
building flood control dams and reservoirs to store excess water, building levees along river channels to contain the river water, making river channels wider, deeper, and straighter in high-risk areas such as through towns built along rivers, building bypass channels or artificial cutoffs so that excess water has another place to go
Which three of the following gases are most effective at absorbing long wave radiation:
carbon dioxide CO2, Methane CH4, water vapor H2O
When a warm front passes through an area, weather typically: (choose all that apply)
changes from warmer to colder &, has a period of clouds and light to moderate precipitation
A boundary between two air masses in which a cold air mass moves into an area that previously had a warm air mass is called:
cold front
Which of the following tends to produce a narrower and more intense zone of clouds and precipitation?
cold front
Where a stream meanders and forms a curving channel, areas on the outside of bends which tend to have faster water flow and erosion of the stream bank are called:
cut banks
Times of heavy rainfall typically cause stream discharge to:
decrease
Atmospheric pressure ________ with increasing altitude
decreases
Within the troposphere, atmospheric temperature typically _______ with altitude
decreases
Where rivers or streams flow into a larger body of water like a lake or ocean, the water movement slows down resulting in deposition of sediment that creates:
deltas
Soluble material such as traces of salts can be invisibly transported by streams as:
dissolved load
Drainage basins or watersheds are separated from each other by areas of higher topography called
drainage divides
Near the equator, surface winds on average tend to go:
easy to west
Approaches to reducing flood risks by leaving rivers and floodplains in a more natural state or by making structures more resistant to the effects of flooding include:
elevating houses up on poles so that the main living area is higher than expected flood levels & land-use planning to reduce the amount of building and development on flood plains
True or False: The "100-year flood" is the largest flood possible.
false
The chance or likelihood that a flood of a particular size could happen in a particular year is called:
flood probability
In lowland areas, stream channels tend to be flow within broad flat areas called:
floodplains
Which of the following types of natural hazards tends to produce the greatest impacts on people and result in the greatest costs?
floods
Which of the following locations tends to have the greatest occurrence of hurricane landfall?
great plains
Which two of the following locations tends to have the greatest occurrence of tornadoes?
great plains and gulf coast and florida
Which of the following locations tends to have the greatest occurrence of intense thunderstorms?
gulf coast and florida
Areas near the equator tend to have which type of climate zone?
humid tropical
Flooding of coastal areas with several feet of sea water is commonly one of the most devastating effects of:
hurricane or typhoon
This type of storm tends to form over warm ocean waters which provide heat energy and moisture which power the storm. They occur where favorable conditions allow a tropical depression to gain intensity.
hurricane or typhoon
Within the stratosphere, atmospheric temperature typically ________ with altitude
increases
All other factors being equal, river systems with larger drainage basins tend to have discharge which is _____ than rivers with smaller drainage basins
larger
Over the course of a day, any specific location receives ____ total sunlight and solar energy during winter than it does during summer.
less
Heat energy when transmitted in the form of light is considered to be:
long wave radiation
In the context of climate and the heating of the Earth's atmosphere, most sunlight reaching the Earth's surface is considered:
long wave radiation
During winter, the angle of the sun is _____ compared to summer
lower in the sky
A stream which has a channel which winds back and forth in a curving pattern is called a:
meandering stream
During southern hemisphere summer, the south pole receives ____ sunlight than the north pole.
more
Which of the following gases makes up about 78% of the Earth's atmosphere:
nitrogen N2
When the discharge of a stream becomes too great for all of it to fit into the stream channel, and the water level rises and spills out beyond the channel, the stream is said to be having a:
outburst
Where a stream meanders and forms a curving channel, accumulations of sediment on the inside of bends form and are called:
point bars
Which of the following tend to contribute to wetter climates:
predominantly rising air, up wind sides of mountain ranges, closer to oceans or major lakes
Compared to the average stream, streams in areas where there tends to be less infiltration and more runoff typically:
receive more water runoff and increase in discharge faster when heavy rains occur
When people clear forests and build roads, housing developments, and shopping malls, streams in those areas will typically:
receive more water runoff and increase in discharge faster when heavy rains occur
The average number of years in between floods of a particular size is called:
recurrence interval
When air Is forced to travel over a major mountain range, this results in the rain shadow effect. As a result, areas on the down wind or leeward side of the mountains tend to have
relatively dry climates
Near the equator, air on average is more likely to:
rise
In the context of climate and the heating of the Earth's atmosphere, visible light is considered:
short wave radiation
Infrared light is considered to be:
short wave radiation
When sunlight reaches the Earth's surface, is absorbed, and warms the surface, some of that energy is re-radiated as:
short wave radiation
During winter, days are _____ compared to summer days
shorter
Near about 30 degrees latitude, both north and south, air on average is more likely to:
sink
In which layer of the atmosphere contains elevated concentrations of ozone, commonly referred to as the "ozone layer?"
stratosphere
When the northern hemisphere is having winter, the southern hemisphere is having:
summer
Sediment particles transported by being continuously carried by flowing water make up which form of stream transport?
suspended load
The finest particles carried by a stream tend to be transported as:
suspended oosd
Stream capacity refers to:
the amount of sediment which a stream can transport
Stream competence refers to:
the largest size of particles which a stream can transport
Heavy rains which can last for days over large areas and therefore produce extensive flooding is commonly one of the damaging effects of:
thunderstorm
This type of storm tends to form over land during conditions which result in rising warm, moist air. This leads to cloud formation and potentially strong winds, lightning, hail, and heavy rainfall.
thunderstorm
This type of severe weather involves a relatively narrow, funnel-shaped pattern of high-speed rotating winds.
tornado
relatively narrow track of damage due to powerful winds tends to characterize:
tornado
Which of the following can cause damages via strong winds? (choose all that apply)
tornado, hurricane (or typhoon) and thunderstorm
Smaller side streams which flow into and therefore contribute water to larger rivers are called:
tributaries
In which layer of the atmosphere do most weather and storms occur?
troposphere
Solar energy trapped by the atmospheric greenhouse effect primarily warms which layer of the Earth's atmosphere?
troposphere
Which of the following is the layer of the atmosphere which is closest to the Earth's surface?
troposphere
True or False: It is possible for "100-year" floods to happen on the same river in two consecutive years (i.e. two times in two years).
true
The amount of stream flow or discharge is measured in units of:
volume/time such as cubic meters per second
A boundary between two air masses in which a warm air mass moves into an area that previously had a cold air mass is called:
warm front
At latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees, both north and south, surface winds on average tend to go:
west to east
2 lowest cost for new electric power generation
wind and solar
When the Earth's axis of rotation is oriented so that the north pole is tilted away from the sun, the northern hemisphere has which season?
winter
When the Earth's axis of rotation is oriented so that the south pole is tilted away from the sun, the southern hemisphere has which season?
winter
