Final Exam Study Guide ESC 105

When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ___ and ___ in the Southern Hemisphere

January and Summer

When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ___ and ___ in the Southern Hemisphere.

January and Summer

The earth is farthest from the sun in

July

On which date would the sun's rays be closest to being perpendicular to the earth's surface in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere?

June 21

In the middle latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, the day with the shortest number of daylight hours occurs around

June 22

the gases surrounding the Earths surface held there by force of gravity

atmosphere

Why is it possible to see phytoplankton from satellites in space?

because at times the phytoplankton are abundant and in dense concentrations

the full rage of light energy (electromagnetic radiation) emitted by the sun

electromagnetic spectrum

The sun will pass directly overhead at noon in Key West, Florida (latitude 24.5° N)

never.

The Sun radiates energy at ______ wavelengths than the Earth.

shorter

Collectively, ultraviolet and visible light are called

shortwave radiation

The quasi-biennial oscillation is a pattern of:

solar activity that takes about 2 years to complete its cycle

A ____ usually indicates clearing weather or fair weather.

steadily rising pressure

Which of the following is the poorest conductor of heat?

still water

To turn phytoplankton deposits into oil

the shale must be buried where temperature and pressure are just right

The shortest and longest days of the year occur on

the solstices

Heat transfer by direct contact is called (two words)

thermal conductivity

The transfer of heat by molecule-to-molecule contact is

thermal conductivity

During the Little Ice Age

alpine glaciers grew in size and advanced.

The length of lighted hours in a day, generally between sunrise and sunset

daylight length

a type of radar used to detect rainfall

doppler radar

Earth radiates...

longwave radiation

Near and far infrared radiation emitted by earths surface

longwave radiation

Near- and far-infrared radiation emitted by Earth's surface is known as

longwave radiation

the tropic, generally between the tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn

low altitudes

Energy transferred by electromagnetic waves is called

radiation

A biogeophysical feedback mechanism in the Sahel relates

reduced vegetation to a decrease in surface temperatures and a reduction in rainfall.

From December 21/22 to June 20/21, the solar azimuth angle ___ in Fullerton.

* increases * remains the same

On the Northern Hemisphere spring equinox, the Sun...

* passes across the equator and into the Northern Hemisphere. * remains over the equator for the rest of the year

Why was the Jurassic Earth "cooking" (i.e., much warmer than today)?

* the atmosphere contained high concentrations of carbon dioxide

Folds in sedimentary rock that permit oil to remain in place refer to

* the bending and arching of sediment layers; anticlines

Burial of phytoplankton remains leads to oil formation if

* the temperature and pressure are within the appropriate range for oil formation

Heat transferred upward from the surface of the moon can take place by

*conduction. *latent heat. *radiation.

Which of the following determine the kind (wavelength) and amount of radiation that an object emits?

*temperature *thermal conductivity *density

Which will cast a longer shadow at solar noon in Fullerton, an exactly vertical pencil in the ground at the summer solstice or an exactly vertical pencil in the ground at the winter solstice?

*the pencil at the winter solstice will cast a longer shadow *the shadow lengths will be identical because it's the same pencil

Incoming solar radiation in middle latitudes is less in winter than in summer because

*the sun's rays slant more and spread their energy over a larger area. *there is a decrease in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. *the cold dense air lowers the intensity of the sun's rays.

The boiling and freezing points of water on the Celsius scale are

100°, 0°

The "year without a summer" occurred in

1816

The boiling and freezing points of water on the Fahrenheit scale are

212°, 32°

If you see a lightning stroke and then, 15 seconds later, hear the thunder, the lightning is about ____ miles away.

3

Sea-level pressure values generally fall in the range

950 to 1050 mb.

Everything else being equal, a gradual increase in global CO2 would most likely bring about

An increase of surface air temperature

During the age of the dinosaurs, about 160 million years ago, what dominated the Arabian peninsula?

An ocean

The complete absence of oxygen in a body of water is a condition called

Anoxia

Sources of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere include

Answer: All except A plants and phytoplankton volcanoes burning of fossil fuels respiration all except a

The carbon atoms in your body...

Answer: All of the above once were part of another living organism may have been released from a volcano are older than the Earth will be part of a different organism some day all of the above

Energy that travels via electromagnetic waves is called

Answer: All of the above radiation radiant energy light solar energy all of the above

The black shales that are found in Kimmeridge...

Answer: All of the above underpin the UK's oil economy all of the above extend deep beneath the ground to the north of Kimmeridge are "immature" rock in terms of oil formation are the source of oil in the North Sea

The carbon cycle includes which of the following reservoirs?

Answer: All of the above plants herbivores carnivores atmosphere all of the above

At the time of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere

Answer: All of these

Which of the following helps to explain why even though northern latitudes experience 24 hours of sunlight on June 22, they are not warmer than latitudes further south?

Answer: All of these solar energy is spread over a larger area in northern latitudes some of the sun's energy is reflected by snow and ice in the northern latitudes increased cloud cover reflects solar energy in the northern latitudes solar energy is used to melt frozen soil in the northern latitudes all of these

The gases surrounding Earth's surface held there by the force of gravity are known as Earth's

Atmosphere

The angle of tilt of Earth's axis of rotation relative to its plane of orbit around the Sun is called Earth's (two words)

Axil Tilt

Heat transfer from molecule to molecule with a substance is called ______

Conduction

A heat transfer process in the atmosphere that depends upon the movement of air is

Convection

Heat transfer as a result of the motions of fluids is called

Convection

The ____ is an apparent force created by the earth's rotation.

Coriolis force

Regions of the ocean with low or no oxygen are called

Dead zones

In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the shortest number of daylight hours occurs around

December 22

The full range of light energy (electromagnetic radiation) emitted by the Sun is encompassed by the (two words)

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The days when most of the planet receives 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night as a result of the Sun located directly above the equator

Equinoxes

The transformation of liquid water to water vapor is known as

Evaporation

The relative humidity must reach 100% before water vapor can begin to condense onto condensation nuclei.

False

True or false: Greenhouse gases are bad. We should get rid of all of them.

False

The selective absorption of longwave radiation by certain gases in Earth's atmosphere creates what is known as the (two words)

Greenhouse Effect

the selective absorption of long wave radiation by certain gases in Earths atmosphere

Greenhouse effect

Gases that strongly absorb longwave (i.e., infrared) radiation are called

Greenhouse gases

The weather in the Middle East during the mid-Jurassic resembled [the] modern-day

Greenland Japan Bahamas California South Africa (not the answer)

The leading edge of a thunderstorm cold downdraft is known as a

Gust front

The earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at

Infraed wavelengths

What is meant by the term "Land of the Midnight Sun?"

Locations poleward of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles experience 24 hours of daylight during their respective summers

The scientific study of Earth's atmosphere and its weather and climate is known as

Meteorology

Places where oil is stored within source rock are called

Oil reservoirs

Earth's orbit around the Sun

Once a year

The Tethys Ocean disappeared when

Options: all of the above India collided with Eurasia Arabia collided with Eurasia the Antarctic collided with Australia North America collided with South America (Not the answer)

The latitudes between 66.5° S and 90° S are part of the Southern Hemisphere

Polar climate zone

Heat transfer via electromagnetic energy is known as

Radiation

Molecules or objects that absorb only portions of the electromagnetic spectrum are called

Selective absorbers

Heat that you can detect with your fingers or a thermometer is known as (two words)

Sensible Heat

A line of thunderstorms that forms ahead of an advancing cold front is called a

Squall Line

When does the solar azimuth angle reach its minimum value in Fullerton?

Summer

The first day of Northern Hemisphere summer, June 21, is an example of a

Summer Solstice

The average amount of energy of motion of each particle of a substance is called ________

Temperature

The Viking colony in Greenland perished during

The Little Ice Age

Which of the following is one of the main causes of the seasons?

The length of daylight hours

Evidence suggests that throughout much of the earth's history, the global climate was

Warmer than it is today

All objects emit radiation.

True

Conditions for oil formation are rare.

True

Water is a potent greenhouse gas.

True

A Doppler radar determines precipitation ____ by measuring changes in the ____ of the reflected radio wave.

Velocity and Frequency

An increase in the ____ in(of) a parcel of air will not cause the pressure to rise.

Volume

The distance between successive crests in light waves is referred to as the

Wavelength

the hotness or coldness of the surrounding air

air temperature

What is the Kimmeridge Clay?

a black rock found in the Middle East the main ingredient in PlayDough the source of most of the petroleum in the world deposits of phytoplankton remains that didn't cook long enough to become oil all of the above ( Not the answer)

substances that remove electromagnetic energy form a beam of light

absorbers

The atmospheric greenhouse effect is produced mainly by the

absorption and re-emission of infrared radiation by the atmosphere.

A positive feedback mechanism

acts to reinforce an initial charge

A type of rock that locks the oil in place is called

cap rock black rock ( Not the Answer) classic rock snap rock flap rock

Transformation of substances between the solid, liquid and gaseous states

change of state

The process whereby the energy of sunlight is stored as carbohydrates in living organisms is called

chemosynthesis (not the answer) mixotrophy herbivory photosynthesis carnivory

The long-term average if weather conditions at a particular time or place

climate

The wind around a surface low pressure center in the Southern Hemisphere blows

clockwise and inward toward the center.

The transformation of water vapor to liquid water is known as

condensation

Transformation of a gas or liquid

condensation

transformation of liquid to gas

evaporation

The atmosphere near the earth's surface is "heated from below." Which of the following contributes the smallest amount of energy?

heat energy from the earth's interior

The cold feeling that you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot, dry, summer day is

heat transferred by latent heat

The process whereby the energy of sunlight is stored as carbohydrates in living organisms is called

herbivory chemosynthesis ( Not the answer) photosynthesis carnivory mixotrophy

the polar zones; generally, latitudes above the Arctic or below the Antarctic circles

high latitudes

Between New Year's and Memorial Day, at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, the length of the day

increases.

What is meant by the term "ancient sunlight?"

it refers to the energy stored in crude oil, which ultimately is derived from sunlight

the rate of change in air temperature with increasing altitude

lapse rate

The "hidden" heat required to change the physical state of a substance is known as (two words)

latent heat

The heat energy released when water vapor changes to a liquid is called

latent heat of condensation

The conversion of ice to liquid water is an example of a (three words)

latent heat of evaporation

When lots of phytoplankton are present, what is the color of the water?

orange (not the answer) yellow blue green red

Which of the following is known primarily as a selective absorber of ultraviolet radiation?

ozone

On the Northern Hemisphere fall equinox, the Sun...

passes across the equator and into the Southern Hemisphere.

Discrete packets of light energy are called

photons

Single-celled, microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that drift in the ocean are known as

phytoplankton

The latitudes between 23.5° N and 66.5° N are part of the Northern Hemisphere

temperate climate zone

The latitudes between 23.5° Sand 66.5° S are part of the Southern Hemisphere

temperate climate zone

Where can the bottom of the Tethys Ocean be seen today?

the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman

A modern day location with petroleum-forming conditions such as those in the mid-Jurassic is

the Gulf of Mexico

The Age of Reptiles is known among geologists as

the Jurassic the Devonian the Anthropocene

Nutrients that stimulate the growth of phytoplankton in the Gulf of Mexico come from

the Mississippi River

Where is the Sun overhead on the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice?

the Tropic of Cancer

Which of the following statements about tornadoes is correct?

the United States has more tornadoes that any other country in the world

If the amount of energy lost by the earth to space each year were not approximately equal to that received,

the atmosphere's average temperature would change.

The warming of Earth's atmosphere as a result of the absorption of surface-emitted longwave radiation by greenhouse gases is known as

the atmospheric greenhouse effect

it's July 4th above the Arctic Circle. You are planning a barbecue for your friends during the daylight hours and a grand fireworks display at night. What could go wrong with your plan?

the fireworks will be hardly visible because the length of daylight is 24 hours

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometers is called

visible light

The removal of oxygen from water occurs as a result of

winds blowing across Florida the seafloor beneath the Gulf of Mexico (Not the answer) the Rio Grande River the Mississippi River winds blowing across the Yucatan peninsula