GGY 230 Final Exam

Phase transitions such as freezing, condensation, and vaporization take place continuously. Identify everyday weather occurrences in terms of these transitions. Match the words in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences on the right. Make certain each sentence is complete before submitting your answer.

1. more than 2. less than 3. same as 4. absorbed 5. released

Acid rain occurs primarily in which climate?

Dfb

On the following diagram, identify the correct locations of the following words and phrases:

From Left to Right 1. solar radiation 2 .reflected 3. reradiated 4. greenhouse gases 5. infrared radiation On Earth: -absorbed -warming

What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight?

It is returned upward in the form of infrared light.

On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth?

It reaches Earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed.

Given the location of the Sun and the tilt of the Earth in the image below, label which of the four locations represents the summer solstice, winter solstice, fall equinox, and spring equinox respectively.

Left to Right Clockwise 1. summer solstice 2. spring equinox 3. winter solstice 4. fal equinox

What happens to most of the incoming solar energy on Earth?

Most incoming solar energy is absorbed by Earth's land and water surfaces.

________ is defined as the fraction of incoming sunlight that is reflected back to space.

Planetary albedo

When do the Sun's rays hit the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes at the highest angle?

Summer solstice

Greenhouse gases _____.

absorb and emit longwave radiation

Scattering of sunlight off of air molecules during the middle of the day causes the sky to look _______.

blue

The Sun is very hot, so it radiates _______ energy and the energy has a _______ wavelength than energy coming from Earth.

more; shorter

You remove the pot of boiling hot water and set it on a cooler part of the stove. Which mechanism is responsible for cooling the pot of water?

-radiation -convection -conduction -latent heat All of the listed mechanisms cool the pot.

Which of the following scenarios are examples of positive-feedback mechanisms? Check all that are correct.

1. A warmer atmosphere causes more evaporation. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas, so this increases the temperature. 2. Warmer temperatures cause snow to melt. This makes the ground darker, allowing more solar radiation to be absorbed. The warmer ground warms the atmosphere. 3. Deforestation near the Sahara Desert causes the soil to be exposed. Exposed soil evaporates moisture more readily. Insufficient moisture leads to the death of trees.

On the March equinox, which occurs on March 20 or 21, the Northern Hemisphere experiences spring and the Southern Hemisphere has autumn. On the September equinox, which occurs on September 22 or 23, the reverse is true. After the spring equinox, in either hemisphere, days grow longer until reaching their maximum at the summer solstice. Then, they begin to shorten again until the autumnal equinox when daylength once again is equal to the length of the night. Days continue to shorten after this event until they are at their shortest at the winter solstice. Which of the following are true of equinoxes?

1. Day length decreases after autumnal equinox 2. Solar declination at the equator 3. 12-hour day length at all latitudes

Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons?

1. Earth's axis always points in the same direction relative to the stars. 2. Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane. 3. Earth spins on its axis, completing one rotation each day. 4. Earth orbits around the Sun, completing one orbit each year.

When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?

1. September Equinox 2. March Equinox

When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night?

1. September Equinox 2. March Equinox

Based on your careful review of the diagram below showing the relationship between solar energy and the greenhouse effect, which three of the following statements are probably true?

1. Solar energy fuels the greenhouse effect. 2. The greenhouse effect is at least partly a natural process. 3. The greenhouse effect makes Earth warm enough to support life as we know it.

During which of the following times does Buenos Aires, Argentina receive the same number of hours of sunlight as New York City, USA?

1. Spring equinox 2. Fall equinox

Why does the Northern Hemisphere have warm summers? Choose all that apply.

1. The north pole is tilted toward the Sun. 2. Days are longer. 3. The Sun's energy is more concentrated. 4. The Sun's rays hit the ground at a more perpendicular angle.

What is the approximate length of the day in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City on March 27, from first light to total darkness?

13 hours

_____ occurs when a change in one part of the climate system triggers a change in another part of the climate system.

A climate-feedback mechanism

Which of the following materials the best conductor of heat?

A filament in an incandescent light bulb

The areas of desertification overlap the most with which climate type?

BSk

Assuming measurement is done at solar-noon on the equinox, which of the labeled layers A through E would receive the same amount of energy from the Sun as the Sample Location site?

C

On December 22, which placemarked location has a solar-noon Sun angle of 21.5∘?

C

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

Cities with poor urban air quality are located within, or next to, mountainous areas in western South America.

Match the type of heat transfer with its correct definition. Drag the definitions into their respective bins. Each item may be used only once.

Conduction -movement of heat through a solid Convection -movement of heat via the movement of particles Radiation -movement of heat through space or air

On March 22 and September 22, which place marked location has a solar-noon Sun angle of 66.5∘?

D

Which location receives the most sun energy per unit area during the spring equinox?

Equatorial regions

Which location receives the most sun energy per unit area during the winter solstice?

Equatorial regions

The following images show four types (wavelengths) of light. Rank these from left to right based on the amount of each that is emitted (as thermal radiation) by Earth's surface, from greatest to least. If you think that two (or more) types should be ranked as equal, drag one on top of the other(s) to show this equality.

Greatest Amount: infrared Least Amount: 1. Visible 2. X-ray 3. Ultraviolet

In Part A, you found that Earth emits only infrared light. This infrared light can be absorbed by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, in the atmosphere. In fact, all the terrestrial planets emit infrared light from their surfaces. The following images show the four terrestrial planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on the total amount of infrared-absorbing greenhouse gases in their atmospheres, from greatest to least.

Greatest to Least Venus Earth Mars Mercury

Which of the following does the video say would most likely result from an increase in carbon dioxide levels, independent of any change in temperature?

Higher carbon dioxide levels can be good for photosynthesis.

On the June and December solstices, the Sun's declination reaches its northernmost and southernmost extremes. Latitudes beyond the tropics never receive the direct rays of the Sun. The following conditions occur during the June solstice, which takes place annually on June 20 or 21: The North Pole is tilted towards the Sun. The Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, its northernmost declination. The Northern Hemisphere experiences summer, and day length is at its longest. The Sun never sets at latitudes within the Arctic Circle, even at night, leading to the phenomenon of the "Midnight Sun," or constant light. The reverse occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, where day length is at its shortest. South of the Antarctic Circle, however, there is constant darkness. Day length at the equator remains approximately equal to the length of night. The reverse conditions occur during the December solstice, which falls on December 21 or 22: The South Pole is tilted towards the Sun. The Sun's direct rays fall on the Tropic of Capricorn, the southernmost point of declination. The Southern Hemisphere experiences summer and its longest day of the year, and the "Midnight Sun" phenomenon occurs at latitudes within the Antarctic Circle. The Northern Hemisphere experiences the reverse conditions of a winter season, and the longest night of the year. Constant darkness occurs north of the Arctic Circle. Day and night still remain approximately equal at the equator. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. Place the blue solstice characteristic labels in the blue targets and the pink solstice name labels in the pink targets. The yellow lines, of course, represent the Sun's rays.

June Solstice from Left to Right -longer nights, shorter days -sun's declination, Northern Hemisphere -midnight Sun December Solstice from Left to Right - sun's declination summer, Southern Hemisphere - equal days, nights

The following images show the four terrestrial planets in our solar system. Rank the planets from left to right based on the amount by which the greenhouse effect increases their surface temperatures, compared to what their temperatures would be without the greenhouse effect, from largest to smallest increase.

Largest to Smallest Venus Earth Mars Mercury

When ocean and sea surfaces heat up sufficiently, evaporation occurs. The warm vapor rises into the atmosphere, then cools and condenses, releasing its stored latent heat. Existing storms and tropical cyclones—which are called hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and typhoons in the Pacific and Indian oceans—gather up the released heat, which gives them greater energy and strength. Higher values of latent heat of evaporation indicate greater evaporation per unit area. This in turn signals the release of greater amounts of latent heat when condensation occurs. Therefore, latent heat of evaporation is one factor affecting the strength of tropical cyclones—the higher the values of latent heat of evaporation, the more powerful a storm. The map shows isolines indicating areas with the same values of latent heat of evaporation across the globe. Isolines, which are very useful in geographic and geologic studies, join areas of the same value, such as height or heat. Assume that latent heat of evaporation is the only determining factor affecting cyclone strength, and that all target areas experience cyclones. The key below the map provides a general idea of the range of latent heat of evaporation within which a target area falls—for example, the deepest blue indicates latent heat of evaporation between 15 and 25 watts per square meter. Compare the isoline values indicating the amount of latent heat of evaporation around each target area to identify the following: The target area that is most likely to experience the strengthening of cyclones The target area that is second most likely to experience the strengthening of cyclones The target area that is third most likely to experience the strengthening of cyclones The target area that is least likely to experience the strengthening of cyclones Note that you will use the value of the isolines and not the color on the maps to help determine the relative strengths of cyclones. This is because a single color code on the map represents a range of isoline values.

Left to Right Top down to bottom -second most likely to strengthen cyclones -third most likely to strengthen cyclones -least likely to strengthen cyclones Right: -most likely to strengthen cyclones

What is the source of longwave infrared radiation?

Longwave infrared radiation is emitted from Earth's surface.

Which relationship below is correct?

Seasonal growth rates of coral are related to sea surface temperatures.

The following images show the four terrestrial planets in our solar system. Rank the planets from left to right based on the strength of the greenhouse effect occurring at their surfaces, from strongest to weakest.

Strongest to Weakest Venus Earth Mars Mercury

What causes it to be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer in the northern hemisphere?

Summer temperatures are warmer because more sun energy per unit area is received during this time.

In which material would convection occur?

The atmosphere

On a day with complete cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward Earth?

The clouds reflect some of it back to space, and some still reaches the surface.

How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?

The inclination of Earth's axis does not change.

In which situation is radiation the most dominant form of heat transfer?

The movement of heat from the Sun to Earth

During which of the following times does the North Pole receive no hours of sunlight?

Winter solstice

How is temperature defined?

a measure of the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules in a substance

Which atmospheric constituent predominately cools the atmosphere?

aerosols

When carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves in water, it causes ________________.

an increase in ocean acidity

Which of the following is not a likely consequence of global warming?

an increase in the pH of the oceans

Which of the following climate types is likely to experience the most warming?

arctic

Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?

at the equator

You are boiling a pot of water on an electric stove. The pot sits directly on the heating coil and is primarily heated by _____.

conduction

According to the video, in which of the following areas are human populations the most vulnerable to climate change?

countries near the equator

Which of the following is the LEAST likely result of global climate change?

decreased human population

The primary cause for an increase in atmospheric CO2 is combustion of fossil fuels. Another significant contributor to CO2 increase is ____________.

deforestation

Variations in the shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun are called _____________.

eccentricity

Based on the location of the Sun and the North Star, determine the orientation of the Earth's axis at each location. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. Labels may be used more than once.

everything pointing to north star with a line going through top left to bottom right

Condensation is a phase change from _______ to _______, which _______ the surrounding air.

gas; liquid; warms

The greenhouse effect raises Earth's surface temperature (from what it would be otherwise) because the infrared light radiated by Earth's surface __________.

is temporarily absorbed by greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions

The areas that are at very high risk of desertification are most commonly associated with which range of annual average precipitation?

less than 19 inches

Which of the following economic activities most closely coincides with the areas at risk of future drought?

livestock ranching

Which natural region is most associated with poor urban air quality?

steppe

An increase in carbon dioxide _____ the greenhouse effect and _____ the absorption of radiation emitted from Earth's surface.

strengthens; increases

You go camping in Canada with a friend. You both go to bed when the Sun goes down and get up when the Sun comes up, but you both notice that you are not getting enough sleep! What time of year are you most likely near?

summer solstice

What is the December solstice?

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun

What is the June solstice?

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly toward the Sun

Dendrochronology is the study of __________.

tree rings