Oceanography - Chapter 6 Homework

The lowermost portion of the atmosphere where most weather occurs is called the:

troposphere.

Why is heavy rain associated with hurricane formation?

Rising, moist air cools. As air cools, water condenses and eventually falls.

Wind is initiated by uneven heating of Earth's surface by the Sun, which creates areas of high and low atmospheric pressure.

True

The two most abundant components of dry air are:

nitrogen and oxygen.

Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air.

True

How big can the diameter of a hurricane become?

500 miles

Where are tropical cyclones found?

lower and middle latitudes

What term is used to describe the effect on air movement produced by Earth's rotation?

the Coriolis effect

The doldrums can be found at the Equator.

True

The Trade Winds are one type of prevailing wind pattern. How many other types of prevailing winds are there among earth's global wind patterns?

2

The westerlies wind belt is the area corresponding to number:

2

Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of _______ to the plane of the ecliptic:

23.5°

The average albedo of Earth's surface is about:

30%

Why is warm, moist air considered the "fuel" for a hurricane?

Air cools as it rises. As air cools, water vapor will condense out as liquid water. Condensation releases heat, providing energy to the hurricane.

Why does wind between the equator and 30 degrees south come out of the southeast?

Cooled air moves north toward the equator and is deflected toward the west by the Coriolis effect

Weather (short-term conditions of air temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure) occurs because __________.

Earth's surface is heated unevenly by the Sun

Why does air tend to rise in equatorial regions?

Equatorial regions receive more direct sunlight than other areas.

Cool, dense air causes low pressure at the surface, whereas warm, less dense air causes high pressure.

False

The maximum Coriolis effect occurs at the equator due to slower rotational velocity compared to higher latitudes.

False

The trade winds can be found between 30° and 60°N and S latitudes.

False

Within the troposphere, the atmosphere gets warmer with increasing altitude

False

Consider the path an object would travel in each of the following scenarios. Which would experience the greatest deflection due to the Coriolis effect?

New Zealand (40∘S) to Antarctica (70∘S)

The large atmospheric circulation cells that occur between the equator and 30° latitude in each hemisphere are called Hadley cells.

True

What is the air that sinks at latitudes of 30 degrees north and south like?

This air is cool and dry.

In which direction would winds move at the poles if Earth rotated in the opposite direction?

Wind near the north pole would move to the northeast, and the wind near the south pole would move to the southeast.

What is a tropical cyclone?

a low-pressure disturbance that develops over warm, tropical waters

The percentage of solar radiation reflected from the surface of Earth back into space is known as the __________.

albedo

Winds blowing out of the north toward the south in the southern hemisphere will appear to:

be deflected toward the east.

What drives Hadley cell circulation?

heating from the Sun

Which of the following names mean "tropical cyclone"?

hurricane; cyclone; typhoon

Where are Hadley cells found?

in the atmosphere near the equator

Which way would wind travel in the region between 30 and 60 degrees latitude if Earth stopped rotating?

south in the Southern Hemisphere and north in the Northern Hemisphere

The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer, during the:

summer solstice.

The two factors that are most important in determining the density of air are:

temperature and water vapor content.

What is the Coriolis Effect?

the deflection of moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere

How would a moving object in Earth's atmosphere be deflected as a result of Earth's rotation?

to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere

Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the South Pole toward the equator?

toward the left

Which direction would an airplane deflect if flying across South Africa from the west coast to the east coast?

toward the north

Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the East Coast of the United States toward the West Coast of the United States?

toward the north

Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the North Pole toward the equator?

toward the right

Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the West Coast of the United States toward the East Coast of the United States?

toward the south

Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the east coast of South Africa toward the west coast of South Africa?

toward the south

Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the North Pole toward the equator?

toward the west

The wind belt(s) with strong, reliable, generally easterly winds is (are) the:

trade winds