earth science unit 8 test

Select all of the answers that apply. Meteorologists, with the help of weather station data and computers, use many weather tools to help forecast the weather, such as _____.

- Doppler radars - psychrometers - barometers - radiosondes

Choose all that apply. If you are outside during a tornado, what should you do to stay as safe as possible?

- find a ditch and lie down flat at its lowest point, and remain there until the tornado passes - get into the nearest building, and remain at the lowest level until tornado passes

Select all of the answers that apply. If you're sitting at home and a hurricane or tornado warning is given, you should _____.

- stay away from all windows and unstable objects - go into the basement

Select all of the answers that apply. Severe weather that has caused deaths includes _____.

- thunderstorms - hurricanes - tornadoes - floods

Select all of the answers that apply. Clouds have many effects, such as _____.

- warming Earth's surface at night - cooling Earth's surface during the day - reflecting the Sun's rays

Select all of the answers that apply. The Doppler radar can tell you many things about the weather, like _____.

- wind direction - wind speed - intensity of precipitation - location of precipitation

cirrus

1

alto

2

stratus

3

Seasons are a result of:

Earth's tilt on it's axis

The Milankovitch cycles may have changed Earth's climate in the past. These cycles involve _____.

Earth's toll and orbit

If thermohaline circulation were blocked, perhaps by plate tectonics, what would happen?

Global climate would be significantly affected

subtropical

Most deserts are along this zone.

temperate

Most of the U.S. is in this zone.

polar

This zone is the coldest.

tropical

This zone is the hottest.

A meteorologist might forecast precipitation if he sees _____.

a cold front coming in

relative humidity

a percentage of the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at its current temperature

An air mass is a large pocket of air with _____.

a uniform temperature and humidity

If you've traveled to Hawaii or another tropical island, you know that it rains a lot because _____.

all of the above

The humidity you feel in the southern states of the U.S. is _____.

all of the above

You want to measure wind speed. You'll grab _____.

an anemometer

source region

area over which an air mass forms

If there's a flood, you should _____.

avoid flooded areas and flee to higher ground if needed

Temperatures in the winter drop because that part of the earth is tilted ______ the Sun.

away from

Referring to the ______ scale is a way to estimate the wind speed.

beaufort

Precipitation occurs when _____.

cloud droplets get too heavy and fall

This graphic presents a _____.

cold front

In the Great Plains of the U.S., tornadoes are common in the summer. This is because _____.

continental polar air masses can reach further south

Wind in the atmosphere and currents in the ocean are caused by uneven heating that produces _____.

convection

________ transfers heat within the atmosphere and ocean.

convection

When you drive from the city to a distant farm, the temperature gets _________ because of the _________ .

cooler, urban heat island effect

When looking up at the clouds, you can usually make out different shapes and figures with _____.

cumulus clouds

Weather changes _______, while climate changes ___________ .

daily, over time

Climates with a lot of precipitation most often have _____.

diverse vegetation and life

Ocean currents that upwell near Southern California can make the climate _____ compared to coastal areas that do not have upwelling.

drier and cooler

A ______ occurs when rainfall is below average for an extended period.

drought

polar

dry, cold climate zone above 60 degree latitude

Continental air masses form over water and maritime air masses form over land.

false

Earth's climate has been stable throughout its history.

false

Heavy rainfall or violent wave activity can cause _____.

floods

When driving through the streets of New York early in the morning, what type of cloud sometimes reduces visibility?

fog

Weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere move _____.

from west to east over the United States

When two different air masses collide, a _____ is formed.

front

With an occluded front, _____.

grab a sweater because it's going to be cool

As Mary stood outside, it started to precipitate. The precipitation felt like small rocks hitting her! Most likely, it was _____.

hail

Humidity can be measured using human _____.

hair

Hurricanes are considered ________ because they lose power over cool waters or land.

heat engines

If you see dark, thick, nimbostratus clouds, what will you forecast?

heavy precipitation

Cold fronts produce _____ precipitation, and warm fronts produce _____ precipitation.

heavy, light

An air mass usually forms in an area of _____.

high pressure because it is stable

subtropical

hot, often dry, climate zone between 25 and 30 degrees latitude, north or south of the equator

Use a hygrometer to measure ________ and a psychrometer to measure __________

humidity, humidity

The thermohaline circulation belt _____.

is the main transporter of heat in the ocean

What happens to water vapor as it rises in the atmosphere?

it cools and condenses

The four main climate zones—tropical, subtropical, temperate, and polar—are designated because their _____ greatly affects their temperature.

latitude

Weather is ______ , while climate is ________ .

less predictable, more predictable

_______ forecasts are usually less accurate than ________ forecasts.

long-term, short term

There is very high humidity in your area and a cold front moving in. What would be your forecast?

lots and lots of rain

The source region of this _____ air mass is over the southern Atlantic Ocean.

maritime tropical

psychrometer

measures relative humidity using a pair of dry bulb and wet bulb thermometers

There are thunderstorms to the west of your location. Below is your wind vane. Are the storms heading your way?

no

Milankovitch cycles

predictable variations of Earth's orbit and tilt that can affect climate

You find a weather balloon in your backyard. There's some kind of device attached to it. What is it?

radiosonde

Liquid droplets that fall from the sky are _____.

rain

The Sierra Nevada Mountains display diverse vegetation on their western side, but barren desert on their eastern side. Why does this difference exist?

rain shadow effect

temperate

seasonably variable climate zone between 40 and 60 degrees latitude, north or south of the equator

_____ is fluffy ice crystals, while _____ is water droplets that freeze on the way down to Earth.

snow, sleet

Climates and weather activities are driven by _____.

solar energy

Warm fronts and _______ fronts usually produce light precipitation.

stationary

If you're in your car during a thunderstorm, the best thing to do is to _____.

stay in your car

In the U.S., summer is in June, July, and August because _____.

the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun at this time

The atmosphere and oceans are constantly moving. Their activity is due primarily to _____.

the Sun's energy

Climates near the equator are warmer than at the poles because _____.

the Sun's rays are more concentrated at the equator

Desert climates can have very hot days and very cold nights. This is because _____.

there is usually a clear sky

To take the temperature, you'll use a _______.

thermometer

Common features of a thunderstorm are _____.

thunder, lightning, rain or hail

radiosonde

transmitter sent up in a weather balloon to send measurements of air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction

You'll find lots of clouds over ______ climates and practically no clouds over _______ climates.

tropical, desert

Droughts can occur in any climate.

true

Global climate could be greatly altered if the earth's energy budget were out of balance.

true

If there are any types of cirrus clouds in the sky, it's safe to assume fair weather.

true

If you're out driving during a thunderstorm, it's best to stay in your car.

true

A front forms when _____.

two different types of air masses meet

maritime

type of temperate climate near an ocean or sea

Most severe weather is generated in areas that are _____.

warm and moist

Weather and climate are different because _____.

weather is less predictable while climate is predictable

rain shadow effect

when wind flow over mountains produces moist conditions on the windward side of the mountains and dry conditions on the leeward side

If Lake Ontario were as cold as a continental arctic air mass that flowed over it, the lake effect snow _____.

would be very weak

If you live near the ocean and then move inland, you'll notice _____.

your summers will be hotter and your winters colder