Weather and Climate
The Dry Climates (Group B) have less precipitation than evaporation. Dry climate zones cover about _______ percent of the world's land area
- 26
How would abrupt changes in climate, such as harsh summers with low rainfall for multiple years, affect people?
- After crops being grown and reduce food security - Shift the dominant plant types growing in a region - Limit availability to water for some areas
Which statements are true?
- Altitudinal zonation makes it possible to grow many different types of crops - Altitudinal zonation strongly influences the plants (and crops) that grow there - Plants that grow well in the temperature midlatitudes (e.g. Nebraska) can also thrive in the tropics if grown at higher elevations - Elevation plays a major role in a region's climate
Ratios of ^16O/^18O typically increase
- As one moves close to the poles - As conditions grow colder
Dust in the Vostok ice core seems to increase in association with
- Colder temperatures and ice ages - Due to a stronger Polar Front jet stream
Why are nocturnal (nighttime) tornadoes so dangerous?
- Many in danger are sleeping and unaware - Warning systems are inadequate - Twice as deadly as daytime due to response
Factors in climate change include:
- Natural changes - Human-induced changes - Long term changes in weather that occur over a number of years
Which statement best describes why there are so many more tornadoes since the 1990s?
- Population increases result in more tornadoes reported than before - Technology allows for easier confirmation with smartphones
Characteristics of synoptic scale
- Spanning smaller distances, a few hundred to a few thousand kilometers - possessing shorter lifetimes, a few to several days - contains the migrating cyclones and anticyclones
Certain agricultural crops do better in certain altitudinal zones. In which zones does corn grow well?
- Tierra Caliente - Tierra Templada - Tierra Fria
Which of the following is an example of an anthropogenic (human-caused) climate control?
- Urban heat islands - Changes in natural vegetation - Air pollution
Mid-latitude or _______ cyclones are large traveling atmospheric cyclonic storms up to 2000 km (1250 mi) in diameter with centers of low atmospheric pressure
- frontal - extratropical - wave
tropical monsoon climates
- have a dry season that persists for at least one month - have high average annual rainfall - are produced by the movement of the ITCZ - are most common along tropical coasts
Tropical storms officially become a. ________ when their sustained wind speed exceeds 119 kph (74 mph)
- hurricane - cyclone - typhoon - baguio
_______ is an increase in the height of the ocean's surface in the region beneath and around the eye of a hurricane
- storm surge
Which of the following statements about midlatitudes cyclones are correct?
- the cold front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the warm front advances more slowly than the center - surface winds move counterclockwise - the entire cyclone moves from west to east
The _____ desert is an environment of extremes; it is the driest and hottest place on earth
- tropical
______ climates are found across the continents that border the ____ Ocean, _____, and ______
1 - Polar 2 - Arctic 3 - Greenland 4 - Antarctica
______ climates are found mainly around the ______. They have high _____ and lots of _____
1 - Tropical 2 - Equator 3 - Temperatures 4 - Rain
Two of the most important factors determining an area's climate are _____ and _____
1 - air temperature 2 - precipitation
When scientists talk about _______ they're often looking at averages of precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind, and other measures of weather that occur over a long period in a particular place. In some instances, they might look at these averages over _______ years. And, we refer to these three-decade averages of weather observations as Climate _______
1- Climate 2 - 30 3 - Normals
Tropical cyclones can be short or long-lived storms. Using the above figure of Hurricane Ike, how long was the storm rated a hurricane?
10 days
In the graphical model of a mature mid-latitude cyclones below, select the number associated with the coldest surface air temperatures
2
In the graphical model of a mature mid-latitude cyclones below, select the number associated with the location of the warm front.
2
How much carbon is released each day from all of the world's one billion automobiles?
3 million tons
What amount of carbon dioxide do human's release today?
30 billion tons
Climographs represent averaged weather data for what duration of time?
30 years
If we begin our journey at the coast (0 meters) where it is 26 degrees Celsius, what will the temperate be when we reach the upper limit of the Tierra Fria zone at 3000 meters if we use the ELR?
6.5 degrees Celsius
Mexico has seven main climate regions, which city has tropical wet-and-dry
?? (no correct answer?)
Which location corresponds with a humid subtropical climate type?
A (Tropical)
What contains an equivalent amount of carbon as a gallon of gasoline?
A 5-pound bag of charcoal briquettes
What best describes the Milankovitch cycle?
A cyclical movement related to the Earth's orbit around the Sun
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
What exhibits such a large variety of both spatial and temporal scales?
Atmosphere
Consider the climograph in Fig 3. Which month averages the most rainfall?
August
Which location corresponds with a hot semi-arid-climate type?
B (Arid)
Which location corresponds with a Mediterranean climate type?
C (Temperature)
What are the two major factors in the study of both ancient and present-day climatic conditions of the Earth
Changes in the relationship between the Earth and the Sun and the changes in the surface of the planet itself
Which Mexico City have an arid (desert) climate?
Ciudad Juarez
What Paleoclimatologists seek to explain?
Climate variations for all parts of the Earth during any given geologic period
A transition zone in the atmosphere where in advancing cold air mass displaces a warm air mass
Cold Front
What climate characteristics is the polar climate group most likely yo have?
Cold and dry
What is defined as the measure of the degrees to which a region's climate typifies that of an interior of a large landmass
Continentality
Summer afternoon thundershowers in the southeastern United States are more than likely a result of
Convection lifting
T/F - Long-lasting rainstorms occur when a cold air front encounters a receding warm air front
False
T/F - The only source of flooding related to a hurricane is from excessive rainfall
False
T/F - When a cold air front moved rapidly toward a warm air front, there isn't time to predict the light and longer-lasting rains that result from the warm air dissipating
False
What analyzing the ratio of oxygen-16 to oxygen-18 recorded in rocks, fossils, ice and sediments help the scientist find?
Find evidence of the climate at the time they were formed
Today's landscape gives clues to the climate of the past, what is an example of signs of their activity?
Glaciers
Which location experiences greater temperature variability over a year?
Houston, Texas
Which location is warmer in the month of August (A)?
Houston, Texas
A positive-feedback mechanism is one that ____ the conditions or system output
Increases
In terms of Obliquity, what characteristics is favorable to ice age formation?
Lesser tilt
What is true of the last 30-40 years in terms of climate change?
Major weather events appear to be getting more frequent and causing more damage
Which location experiences a near absence of rain during the northern hemisphere winter months (D-M)?
Mangalore, India
A cylinder of cyclonically flowing air that form vertically inside a severe thunderstorm
Mesocyclone
The atmosphere over urban centers is an example of which atmospheric scale
Micro-Scale
What are midlatitude cyclones?
Migrating low-pressure cells that move in the band of the westerlies
How can increased carbon dioxide uptake, or carbon sequestration, by global forests change earth's climate?
Net global forest growth removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus cooling the earth's climate
Which of the following would best be described as a climatic event? - Hurricane - Blizzard - Drought - Earthquake
None of the above
Which Milankovitch parameter is on a 41,000 year cycle?
Obliquity
A transition zone in the atmosphere where in advancing cold air mass sandwiches a warm air mass between another cold air mass pushing the warm air into the upper atmosphere
Occluded front
What is occlusion in a midlatitude cyclone?
Occlusion is the process by which a cold front overtakes a warm front.
The climate of the North Atlantic Ocean for the past million years:
Ocean sediments
The highest frequency of tornadoes in the United States occurs in
Oklahoma
The scientific study of the climatic conditions of past geological ages
Paleoclimatology
Type of climates normally located along leeward lower east coast continents such as in southeast and central Argentina, Uruguay and south of Brazil, the southeast portions of east Asia, the southern United States, South Africa, and eastern Australia
Humid Subtropical Hot-Summer Climate
An intense cyclonic storm consisting of an organized mass of thunderstorms that develops over the warm oceans of the tropics
Hurricane
Which storm systems usually create the greatest damage?
Hurricanes
Oxygen isotope analysis is most commonly performed on which type of proxy data?
Ice cores
The climate of Antarctica for the past 100,000 years
Ice cores
Why has the earth experienced natural climate change?
In cycles of tens or often hundreds of thousands of years, the earth's tilt and its orbit around the sun gradually change. These natural changes have contributed to dramatic shifts in earth's climate
Which of the following is not true of tropical and subtropical hot desert climates?
In most years, they do not receive any precipitation
Example of forces that shape the atmospheric conditions in each of these parts of the world
In the Sahara, high pressure combined with its tropical location allows for more solar radiation to reach the ground and heat it throughout the year
The future effects of climate change can be modeled in shifting climate type coverage. All of the following rends can be observed in the gif above except for: _____
Polar regions will shift to arid climate types
Which Milankovitch parameter is a non-factor when our earth is near-circular in form?
Precession of the equinoxes
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 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.
If Earth had less axial tilt, what would the affect be on our seasons
Seasons would have lesser variability
An example of planetary-scale
Semipermanent pressure centers
Based on long-term hurricane date and the above figure, what is the date with the most storms?
September 10
Which of the following is NOT a factor in the development of Urban Heat Islands?
Setting aside of "open space"
From the graph in figure 2, which of the following weather events appears to be occurring with greater frequency and causing the greater damage?
Severe storms
Relatively rapid rise in the height of the ocean along a coastline
Storm Surge
What type of climate found in the Northern Hemisphere because there is no large landmass at the same latitude in the Southern Hemisphere?
Subarctic
Hurricane Ike made multiple landfalls. Which US state was the first impacted directly?
Texas
Climates may best be defined as
The prevailing set of weather conditions at a place over a number of years
Which of the following is correct statement describing the above figures?
The relationship between the Keeling Curve (CO2 levels) correspond very closely with increases in the global temperatures
A storm that typically ranges in size from several kilometers (several miles) to over 50 kilometers (30 miles) in diameter created by the rapid lifting of moist air which creates a cumulonimbus cloud
Thunderstorm
The highest number of tornadoes in the United States occurs in the southern plains, south of Lake Michigan, and west of central Florida. This region of the United States is known as
Tornado Alley
The climate for each year over the past 200 years in the heavily vegetated northwest United States
Tree rings
Unlike the rest of the continental United States, South Florida is mostly classified as Am or _____
Tropical Monsoon
What was the first state of Hurricane Ike (and most tropical cyclones)?
Tropical depression
Which climate has the highest mean annual temperature of any climate on Earth?
Tropical desert
During this stage, there is little to no rotation associated with the storm
Tropical disturbance
The climograph is characteristic of which climate type? (Mangalore, India)
Tropical monsoon
This climograph is characteristic of which climate type? (Breves, Brazil)
Tropical rain forest
Storms are given a name once they exceed 38mph sustained winds during this stage
Tropical storm
In addition to the dangers of flooding and wind speed from the hurricanes, tornadoes are also commonly associated with hurricanes
True
T/F - All of the following names refer to tropical cyclones: cyclone, typhoon, hurricane, willy willy
True
T/F - Rainstorms are generally shorter when a cold air front comes in quickly and collides with a warm air front
True
T/F - Violent weather are more commonly associated with a cold front
True
T/F - When warm air collides with a cold air front, its slow journey up the slope of cold air front causes longer rains
True
Upward movement of air in the atmosphere
Updraft
Which of these climate controls would most likely have the fastest impact on climate change?
Urban Heat Islands
Currently, Polaris is our "North Star". According to Milankovitch theory, which star will be our "North Star" in the future?
Vega
A transition zone in the atmosphere where an advancing warm air mass displaces a cold air mass
Warm front
What is the condition of outside air at a certain time an place?
elements of weather
What is the condition of outside air at a certain time and place
elements of weather
The scale that correlates wind speed and structural damage in a tornado is the
enhanced Fujita scale
The temperature curve on the climograph of a tropical rainforest climate will typically
fluctuate only slightly around 80 °F during the year
What causes wind on top of hills and mountains?
hot air raising while cool air sinks
Locations with the greatest average annual temperature variability are usually
in the interior of continents in the mid-latitudes
Wave cyclones are most common
in the mid-latitudes
In dendrochronology, the scientist wants to choose a tree that
is growing in an area that relies on precipitation for existence
The climate of the last 10,000 years in the southeastern United States - with several inland water bodies:
lake sediments
Global circulation patterns of winds and ocean currents, which drive weather systems and, ultimately, climate patterns are created by?
latitudinal energy imbalance between tropical and polar regions
Which of the following is false regarding the tropical rain forest ecosystems?
low-growing vegetation is dense to the forest floor
Where are tropical cyclones found?
lower and middle latitudes
A cold air mass originating over an ocean is designated
mP
An air mass that forms over the southernmost portions of the Pacific ocean (near Antarctica) would be a. _______ air mass
mP - Maritime Polar
A cool and moist airmass associated with a coast
mP - Maritime polar
A warm and moist airmass associated with a coast
mT - Maritime tropical
The _____ climate is strongly influenced by the oceans, which maintain fairly steady temperatures across the seasons
maritime
Which climate type is considered an arid climate in which the total annual precipitation is less than half the annual potential evapotranspiration?
midlatitude desert
Dry climates are most common
near areas of sub-tropical high pressure
Globally, the average rainfall is
near the equator
a rainshadow is most often associated with which atmospheric lifting mechanism?
orographic
"cold and dry" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristics of
polar climates
"hot and wet" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristics of
rainforests in the equatorial tropics
A climograph
shows the monthly precipitation and temperature for a location
In the United States, mid-latitude cyclone development is usually the result of
the interaction of cP and mT air masses
Climate is
the long-term atmospheric condition including extremes that may occur
Palynology involves:
the study of pollen
orographic lifting is
air forced to rise over a barrier, such as a mountain range
Tundra climates
are found at both high latitudes and high altitudes
Most warm air masses affecting North America
are moist
What are climate zones?
areas that are divided by precipitation and temperature
Why major eruptions alter the Earth's radiative balance?
because volcanic aerosol clouds absorb terrestrial radiation and scatter a significant amount of the incoming solar radiation, an effect known as "radiative forcing" that can last from two to three years following a volcanic eruption
How human activities contribute to climate change?
by causing changes in Earth's atmosphere in the amounts of greenhouse gases, aerosols
Which is the coldest air mass?
cA
A very cold and very dry airmass located over land
cA - Continental arctic
During the summer months, which is the warmest air mass?
cT
A warm and dry airmass located over land
cT - Continental tropical
Tropical rainforest climates are produced by
converging air near the equator
Tornadoes that travel across lakes or oceans are called ___
waterspouts
What is a set of conditions in the atmosphere in one location for a limited period of time?
weather
What happens when air masses of different temperatures meet?
well-defined boundaries from between the air masses
The climate each year over the past few hundred years for a small island located in the Pacific Ocean near the equator
Coral
Which location corresponds with a hot desert climate type?
D (Continental)
Which of the following is an example of a macro scale climate control?
Distribution of oceans and continents
_____ climates occupy the most extensive area of land on Earth
Dry
Which of the following is true of the Mediterranean climate?
Dry summers and wet winters
Why human health is vulnerable to climate change?
Due to heat stress, an increase in waterborne diseases, poor air quality, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents
Which Milankovitch parameter seems to be a factor evidenced in the Vostok ice core?
Eccentricity
What are the three cyclical movements related to Earth's orbit regards to the Milankovitch theory?
Eccentricity, axial tilt, and revolution
Broadly define where the majority of Tropical climates are located using above figure
Equatorial regions
Which part of a hurricane consists of dry, descending air?
Eye
Which location corresponds with a subarctic climate type?
F
When do midlatitude cyclones stop producing storms?
When the cold front has completely taken over the warm front
Interpret the Am climograph for Miami, FL. Which of the following best describe the expected climate?
Winters are modestly cooler (~10-15 degrees) than summers and precipitation is limited during the winter months
What is a tropical cyclone?
a low-pressure disturbance that develops over warm, tropical waters
Tropical cyclones do not form exactly on the Equator because
there is no Coriolis force at the Equator
