OCE1001 Chapter 6 Questions Fall 2016
A person experiences a popping feeling in their ears during the takeoff or landing of an airplane or while driving on steep mountain roads due to changes in the ________ of the atmosphere.
pressure
The lowermost portion of the atmosphere where most weather occurs is called the:
troposphere.
Which of the following names mean "tropical cyclone"?
typhoon hurricane cyclone
The Coriolis effect is due to changes in the ________ of Earth with latitude.
velocity
All the following are true of the movement of Earth's atmosphere except :
warm air is less dense than cool air so it tends to sink toward the Earth's surface.
The majority of the world's tropical cyclones are formed in the waters north of the equator in the ________ Ocean.
western Pacific
The image below shows that about 30 percent of the Sun's energy is reflected and scattered back into space. How would a 50 percent increase in Earth's albedo impact average surface temperatures?
Ice sheets would advance, thereby increasing Earth's overall albedo and further cooling Earth's surface. Higher albedo would result in cooler temperatures on Earth.
Why is heavy rain associated with hurricane formation?
Rising, moist air cools. As air cools, water condenses and eventually falls.
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.
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
Variable winds that result in generally clear, dry, and fair conditions with minimal precipitation are labeled number:
6.
A boundary or belt characterized by variable winds and stormy, cloudy weather year round occurs in which of the following regions?
60 degrees
Which of the following is the correct order of formation of sea ice as it forms directly from seawater?
(START) Slush; Pancake Ice; Ice Floes; Sea Ice (FINISH)
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
In the eastern Pacific of the Northern Hemisphere, which ocean temperatures are associated with the most hurricanes?
27° to 29° Celsius
The major deserts of the world occur in which of the following regions?
30 degrees
Storms are most common in which of the following regions?
30 to 60 degrees
The average albedo of Earth's surface is about:
30%
The polar front occurs in which of the following regions?
60 degrees
The organized, denser portion of Hurricane Katrina (not including the wispy outer spiral bands) was:
900 km in diameter on August 28 at 9 P.M.
The image below shows Earth's position during the Northern Hemisphere summer. Correctly match the following latitudes with the corresponding letters.
A) Equator B) Tropic of Capricorn C) Tropic of Cancer D) Arctic Circle E) Antarctic Circle
The map below shows climatic regions of the ocean with different colors. Match the climatic region with the appropriate letter.
A) Temperate B) equatorial C) subpolar D) subtropical E) tropical
This image shows Earth's orbit around the Sun. Correctly match the letters with the positions of Earth (Northern Hemisphere perspective).
A) Vernal equinox B) Summer solstice C) Winter solstice D) Autumnal equinox
The image below shows a cut-away perspective view of a hurricane. Match the correct letter to each of the following features.
A)Inside the eye of the hurricane B)Movement of warm water vapor (arrow) C)Movement of cool dry air (arrow) D)Movement of spiral rain bands (arrow)
The image below shows Earth's generalized atmospheric circulation pattern, including wind belts of the world. Match the correct letters to each of the following wind belts and boundary zones that are indicated in the Northern Hemisphere (note that they are mirrored in the Southern Hemisphere).
A)Wind belt: trade winds B)Boundary: horse latitudes C)Wind belt: prevailing westerlies D)Boundary: doldrums E)Wind belt: polar easterlies F)Boundary: polar front
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.
Of the following statements about the tilt of Earth's axis, which one is true?
An increase in Earth's tilt would cause colder winters and warmer summers.
Hurricane Katrina moved 425 km during which of these time periods?
August 28 at 10 A.M. to August 29 at 10 A.M.
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
The Doldrums occur in which of the following regions?
Equatorial (0 to 5 degrees)
Why does air tend to rise in equatorial regions?
Equatorial regions receive more direct sunlight than other areas.
The trade winds blow in which of the following directions in the Northern Hemisphere?
From northeast to southwest
The prevailing westerly winds blow in which of the following directions in the Southern Hemisphere?
From northwest to southeast
Which of the following features in illustrated in the photo?
Pancake Ice
A boundary or belt characterized by cold deserts occurs in which of the following regions?
Poles (90 degrees)
How are rain patterns different near warm and cold fronts?
Rain near a cold front occurs over a smaller spatial area and is more intense than near a warm front.
Where does rain occur in a cold front?
Rain occurs along and behind a cold front.
Where does rain occur in a warm front?
Rain occurs along and in front of a warm front.
Why does rain occur near a cold front?
Rising warm air cools, resulting in cloud formation and rain.
Why does rain occur near a warm front?
Rising warm air cools, resulting in cloud formation and rain.
Which of the following statements regarding sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico during the time period covered by the animation is correct?
Sea-surface temperature decreased after the passage of Hurricane Katrina due to the latent heat of condensation.
Of the following statements about the Coriolis effect in the Northern Hemisphere, which is/are true?
The Coriolis effect causes air to move counterclockwise around low pressure. The Coriolis effect causes air to move clockwise around high pressure.
How does the location of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) change over time?
The ITCZ migrates south of the equator in Northern Hemisphere winter and north of the equator in Northern Hemisphere summer.
Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude BECAUSE it depends on the weight of the column of air above.
The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.
Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The rate of sea ice formation slows as sea ice thickens BECAUSE the ice insulates the underlying water from freezing due to its poor heat conduction.
The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.
Which of the following statements about sea-surface temperatures during the time period covered by the animation is correct?
The coldest temperature in the Gulf of Mexico was 27°C.
Which of the following statements about the Coriolis effect is correct?
The magnitude of the Coriolis effect depends on how long the object is in motion.
A jet stream generally diverges above a low-pressure (warm) center. However, at Earth's surface, air converges at a low-pressure center. If the divergence of the jet stream is greater than the convergence of air at the surface low-pressure center below it, what will happen to the surface winds?
The surface winds will likely get stronger.
Which of the following statements about water temperatures at 25° N, 84° W from August 25 to August 30 is correct?
The temperature decreased from 32°C to 27°C.
What determines whether a front is called a cold front or a warm front?
The type of front is determined by which air mass is moving.
What is the air that sinks at latitudes of 30 degrees north and south like?
This air is cool and dry.
Which of the following statements provides a possible logical explanation for the increased number of tornadoes during the 1990s and 2000s compared to the 1950s and 1960s?
Using Doppler radar more effectively allows scientists to detect more tornadoes than was previously possible. Population increases mean that more people could report tornadoes in more areas.
Which of the following is not one of the names associated with huge rotating masses of low pressure characterized by strong winds and torrential rain?
Vortex
Which of the following statements best describes the general relationship between ocean currents and hurricanes?
Warm ocean currents and hurricane paths both broadly move from east to west between 10° and 20° degrees north latitude in the eastern Pacific.
Of the following statements about the transfer of heat on Earth, which is/are true?
Water vapor in the air carries latent heat with it, which is released in other areas. Ocean currents move warm water from the tropics to higher latitudes. Air currents move warmer air from the tropics to higher latitudes.
The atmospheric high-pressure cells over North America in the map suggest that the atmospheric patterns shown most likely represent which season for the northern hemisphere?
Winter
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
Neither
all surface air flows poleward air sinks at the equator
Nonrotating Earth
all surface air flows towards the equator one pair of convection cells
Which of the following associations between hurricanes—also known as typhoons and cyclones—and wind direction is most accurate?
an east-to-west movement of hurricanes and easterly winds in the western Atlantic between 10° and 20° degrees north latitude
Which areas of Earth experience the most precipitation?
areas near the ITCZ
Which of the following locations has/have the potential to reliably harness wind power as a renewable energy source?
between 5 and 30 degrees latitude between 30 and 60 degrees latitude
Greatest temperature range
clear skies during the day and clear skies at night
intermediate temperature range
clear skies during the day and cloudy skies at night cloudy skies during the day and clear skies at night
smallest temperature range
cloudy skies during the day and cloudy skies at night
Which of the following temperature and humidity conditions are most likely to be experienced in eastern Iowa after the cold front passes?
cold and dry
Earth's polar regions (above 60° latitude) are classified as deserts because
cold, dry sinking air in the polar high regions produces little precipitation
When would you expect the low-pressure cell over the North Pole to be most developed?
during the Northern Hemisphere winter
Rotating Earth
equatorial and subpolar air flows inward and upward presence of trade winds and westerlies three pairs of convection cells
The intensity of solar radiation received at lower latitudes (near the equator) compared to higher latitudes (near the poles) is:
greater.
What drives Hadley cell circulation?
heating from the Sun
When ice forms from seawater, the remaining seawater will have a:
higher salinity.
Where are Hadley cells found?
in the atmosphere near the equator
Earth's atmosphere is heated primarily by
re-radiation of solar energy from Earth's surface back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation
Air warmed by the land that rises and is replaced by cooler air from the ocean may produce a:
sea breeze.
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 two factors that are most important in determining the density of air are:
temperature and water vapor content.
What is a front?
the boundary between two air masses of different temperatures
The thickness of sea ice is limited primarily by
the insulating nature of the ice itself
Hurricanes frequently make landfall on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but rarely, if ever, occur on the Pacific coast. The primary reason for the rarity of west coast hurricanes is that
the ocean water does not get warm enough to supply the needed heat energy for hurricanes
The Coriolis effect is caused by
the rotation of Earth
What two features are many of Earth's deserts associated with?
the subtropical highs and cool ocean currents found along the west coasts of continents
As a result of the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere, winds always are deflected:
to the right of their original direction.
The wind belt(s) with strong, reliable, generally easterly winds is (are) the:
trade winds.