oceanography hw chapter 6
At what latitude(s) on Earth is the speed of rotation the greatest?
0 degrees
The graph below details air temperature and relative humidity changes on a typical summer day in the Midwest. What would be the best time of day to water a lawn to minimize the evaporation of water from the surface of the grass, assuming the dew point temperature remained constant? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/1773303/14/MGEOL_ItemID_002.jpg)
6AM
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.
In the figure above, which shows a snapshot of atmospheric pressures and winds in a typical January. At which of the labeled locations would you expect to find clear, sunny skies? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/2491036/4/MGEO_2491036_E.jpg)
B
Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?
at the equator
(following five questions, including this one, utilize google earth. (the encounter geosystems portion) check back with homework and study directly from program when doing chapter review) Hurricane Katrina moved 425 km during which of these time periods?
august 28 at 10 A.M. to august 29 at 10 A.M.
In which direction must the merry-go-round be pushed to simulate the Coriolis effect on Earth?
counterclockwise
Which of the following statements regarding moving air is/are true? Choose all that apply.
cyclonic flow is counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere the movement of air is called wind due to the coriolis effect, objects are deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere air always moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons? Choose all that apply.
earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane earth's axis always points in the same direction relative to the stars earth spins on its axis, completing one rotation each day earth orbits around the Sun, completing one orbit each year.
What type of force is the Coriolis effect?
fictitious
Clouds are the gatekeepers of solar radiation at Earth's surface. They control how much temperatures vary throughout the day. Cloud cover during day reflects a lot of sunlight, and affects the daily maximum temperature. Cloud cover at night acts like a blanket, trapping any warmth close to Earth, and affects the daily minimum temperature. The weather on four different summer days is described below. On which day would you expect the greatest temperature range? Which day would have the smallest range in temperature? Drag the appropriate items into their respective bins.
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 (a variety of factors, like clouds, albedo, and geographic location, influence local climates. however, the angle between the sunlight and earth's surface and the number of daylight hours remain dominant factors. the greatest temperature range is found during periods with clear days with clear nights. an intermediate range is found during periods with either cloudy days and clear nights or clear days and cloudy nights. the smallest temperature range is found during periods with cloudy days and cloudy nights)
When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator? Choose all that apply.
september equinox march equinox
When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night? Choose all that apply.
september equinox march equinox
Jet streams are fast-moving streams of air high above Earth's surface. A divergence or convergence in the jet stream above a high- or low-pressure center can drive the actions of these pressure centers. If the air in the jet stream is converging or diverging faster than the air at the surface is moving out or in, the driving force of the jet stream is compensated by an increase in surface winds. 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 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
You just got your pilot's license, and you want to fly your plane from point A to point B. You remember from your oceanography class that you must account for the Coriolis effect when aiming for your destination. Where must you aim to land at point B? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/2491876/3/MGEO_2491876_E.jpg)
to the west of B
When a ball is thrown in a stationary position, there is very little deflection in its path due to Coriolis effect, far too small for you to notice. But if the ball is thrown in motion, it will be deflected. You will relate the concept of the Coriolis force to a game of catch. The two-dimensional figure shows a game of catch played on a merry-go-round by nine children (the image is viewed from the South Pole). The alphabet A-H indicates the positions of eight children on the merry-go-round with the nineth child in the center. The arrows show the direction of rotation of the merry-go-round, which moves with a constant speed, moves with a constant speed causing a shift of 45∘∘. Assuming a child sitting in the center attempts to throw the ball directly to child D, which child will likely catch the ball? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/1523977/28/MGEOL_1523977_001.jpg)
C (The Coriolis effect is the deflection of a free-moving object, such as a ball, due to rotation of the merry-go-round. This example can be compared with the motion of airplanes on Earth.)
The accompanying graph charts the average monthly high temperatures in Urbana, Illinois, and San Francisco, California. Both cities are located at approximately the same latitude; however, they experience very different temperatures. Urbana is located in a rural area with lots of farmland, is in the middle of the continent, and experiences a moderate-to-high amount of snow in the winter. On the other hand, San Francisco is a big city located on the coast of Pacific Ocean, which decreases seasonal temperature variation. This city doesn't typically have much snowfall during the winter. Determine which line on the graph represents Urbana and which represents San Francisco and label each for the correct city. Indicate how you figured this out by answering the question below. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. (Study this question directly from the homework)
blanks in order from top to bottom - the ocean near san francisco limits its temperature variations - urbana - san francisco (land heats and cools more rapidly than water. therefore, landlocked urbana has more seasonal variation than coastal san francisco. the ocean near san francisco limits its temperature variations. this is a more important factor than affects on albedo due to snowfall.)
Earth rotates about its axis and all objects on its surface are constantly moving around in a large circle in space. The Earth's oceans and atmosphere are also spinning around with Earth at the same rate. The Coriolis effect may therefore seem predominant, but not all objects are influenced by it and not all the influences get noticed. Which of the following are influenced by Coriolis effect. Select the two that apply.
helicopter, on a flight ocean currents
How do high pressure systems behave in the Northern Hemisphere?
high pressure systems rotate clockwise due to air turning to the right as it moves from high pressure to low pressure.
Which of the following statements is/are true regarding low pressure systems? Choose all that apply.
in the northern hemisphere, low pressure systems are cyclonic rising air in a northern hemisphere low pressure system is akin to opening a valve by turning it to the left
Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the Coriolis effect? Choose all that apply.
in the southern hemisphere, the coriolis effect causes an object to be deflected to the left of its intended direction in the northern hemisphere, the coriolis effect causes an object to be deflected to the right of its intended direction
What is the typical path for a North Atlantic hurricane to follow?
it begins in the low latitudes of the atlantic, is pushed westward by the trade winds, curves to the right due to the coriolis effect, and then, once it is in the midlatitudes, it is pushed to the east by the prevailing westerlies
Circulation in the atmosphere is influenced by whether the planetary body is rotating or nonrotating. Sort the following features by whether they apply to a rotating Earth, a nonrotating Earth, or neither. Drag the appropriate items into their respective bins.
nonrotating earth - one pair of convection cells - all surface air flows toward the equator rotating earth - presence of trade winds and westerlies - equatorial and subpolar air flows inward and upward - three pairs of convection cells neither - air sinks at the equator - all surface air flows poleward
Let's begin by comparing the conditions at three different cities: Phoenix, AZ; Bismarck, ND; and Tampa, FL. Refer to the accompanying table showing temperature and dew point temperature data for each city and use this information to determine which location each of the following statements applies to. City | Temperature | Dew Point Temp Phoenix, AR | 96∘F | 45∘F Tampa, FL | 101∘F | 77∘F Bismarck, ND | 39∘F | 38∘F
phoenix, az - this city has the lowest relative humidity - city where the water vapor in the air is furthest from the saturation point bismarck, nd - this city has the lowest quantity of water vapor in the air - this city has the highest relative humidity - city where the water vapor in the air is closest to the saturation point tampa, fl - this city has the greatest quantity of water vapor in the air (phoenix has the lowest relative humidity. bismarck has the highest relative humidity, the lowest quantity of water vapor in the air, and the water vapor that is the closest to the saturation point. tampa has the greatest quantity of water vapor in the air.)
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
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
Why is the direction of rotation in the Northern Hemisphere opposite the direction of rotation in the Southern Hemisphere?
the coriolis effect causes opposite deflections in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere
Why don't tropical storms that form on the equator develop into hurricanes?
the coriolis effect is absent
What did the NASA satellite measure as it made passes above Hurricane Arthur in 2014?
the extent and intensity of the rain bands
How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?
the inclination of Earth's axis does not change
Cyclones can form where low-pressure centers develop at Earth's surface. - Air moves inward towards the low pressure center. - Air flow generally occurs in a counterclockwise fashion in the - Northern Hemisphere, and the opposite direction (clockwise) in the Southern Hemisphere. - To sustain low-pressure centers, these systems require an air flow divergence higher in the atmosphere (e.g., in the jet stream). This air flow divergence creates a place for the rising low-pressure air. - Similarly, an anticyclone, which forms as air moves clockwise out from a high-pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere, can be sustained by a convergence higher in the atmosphere, which would feed air into this high-pressure center, preventing it from being depleted. (An anticyclone moves counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.) The accompanying image of the eastern portion of the United States illustrates the airflow conditions involved in the creation of cyclones and anticyclones. Match the labels to their correct location. Drag the appropriate labels to their respective targets. The cardinal directions apply to the blanks in the sentences in this activity. (Study diagram straight from homework questions)
top three blanks left to right: south, convergence aloft, divergence aloft bottom three blanks left to right: north, anticyclonic flow, cyclonic flow (the development of cyclones and anticyclones are determined by the interplay between air pressure and wind direction. changes in air pressure often result in windy weather as air in the atmosphere, in effect, attempts to equilibrate its pressure. in the northern hemisphere, the wind would mostly likely be moving south directly west of the center of a cyclone and north directly west of the center of an anticyclone. the thick blue arrows represent the jet stream airflow direction, with convergence occurring on the left and the divergence on the right. the left purple arrows are moving clockwise, indicating anticyclonic flow. the right purple arrows are moving counter clockwise, indicating cyclonic flow)
What conditions are required for a hurricane to form? Choose all that apply.
warm ocean temperatures the coriolis effect
Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the anatomy of a hurricane? Choose all that apply.
warm, moist air rises from the ocean surface, creating a low pressure system air moves from high to low pressure and curves to the right due to the coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere torrential rain and thunderstorms are common within the spiral rain bands