GEO 122 Final Exam
How much is climate change currently costing the world per year?
-$1.2 billion -$12 billion ✅-$1.2 trillion -$12 trillion
Which location below is LEAST likely to experience tornadoes?
-Japan ✅-Kenya -Central United States -Europe -New Zealand
What two factors most affect stream discharge?
-Stream slope & climate -Landcover & stream order -Landscape history & watershed size ✅-Watershed size & climate
Which material makes a good aquifer?
✅-Sandstone -Clay -Shale -All of the above
The albedo of snow is approximately _______%, while the albedo for the whole Earth is approximately ________%.
-10, 50 ✅-90, 30 -90, 20 -10, 20 -10, 30
What was the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth's atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution?
-200 ppm ✅-280 ppm -380 ppm -400 ppm
How much energy is generally passed from one level of the food chain (web) up to the next?
-80-90% -70-80% -60-70% -50-60% ✅-10-50%
If insolation for a particular location is 1000 Wm-2 and outgoing radiation is 200 Wm-2, then net radiation would be _______ Wm-2, which is a radiation ________.
-800, deficit ✅-800, surplus -1200, deficit -800, surplus -800, deficit
What is the Oregon Petition?
-A document signed by 31,000 scientists to act on climate change ✅-A document signed by 31,000 people denying climate change -A public petition to convince Oregon's state government to act on climate change -A document signed by 31,000 scientists denying that tobacco is linked to cancer
Weathering processes that rely on freeze-thaw action are most common in which climates?
-Antarctica -Tropics -Subtropics ✅-Midlatitudes
Where are you least likely to find "natural vegetation" today?
-Boreal forest -Tropical rainforest -Arctic tundra ✅-Midlatitudes
How have climate deniers tried to confuse the public?
-By conducting their own peer-reviewed studies on climate change. -By showing that half of climate scientists doubt climate change. -By presenting clear, accurate information on climate science. ✅-By cherry-picking climate data to "prove" their point.
What components are necessary for photosynthesis to occur?
-Carbon dioxide and light -Water and light -Water, oxygen, and light -Oxygen and light ✅-Carbon dioxide, light, and water
Which of the following is not a predicted effect of global climate change?
-Changes to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) -Food insecurity/ food prices changes -Transportation disruption ✅-Disappearance of tropical diseases, like malaria -Increased energy costs
Which city below would you expect to have the smallest annual temperature range? (You can use Map 1 for help).
-Cincinnati, OH -Cheyenne, WY ✅-Santa Barbara, CA -St. Paul, MN -St. Louis, MO
What has caused the Aral Sea to dry up?
-Climate change -Prolonged drought -Overfishing ✅-Diversion of water for irrigation
Which river in the United States has the greatest discharge?
-Columbia -Colorado ✅-Mississippi -Hudson -Ohio
What limiting factor is most important in the vegetation transect in the previous question?
-Daylight -Temperature -Edaphic -Geomorphic ✅-Moisture
According to the book, which tactic have politicians used to slow acting on climate change?
-Denying funding for projects that aim to prepare for climate change -Prohibiting use of "climate change" and "global warming" in official state documents -Mocking other politicans who support climate change planning ✅-All of the above
___________ species are adaptable to a range of conditions and often found in many places, while _______ species are found in one isolated location.
-Endemic, cosmopolitan ✅-Cosmopolitan, endemic -Parasitic, cosmopolitan -Allelopathic, endemic
Which best describes conditions during the June Solstice?
-Every place on Earth experiences 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. ✅-The Northern Hemisphere experiences its longest day length. -The circle of illumination touches both poles. -The subsolar point is at the Tropic of Capricorn. -None of the above.
Which best describes conditions during an equinox?
-Every place on Earth experiences their shortest day. ✅-The subsolar point is at the Equator. -The Northern Hemisphere experiences its longest day length. -The South Pole experiences 24 hours of daylight. -None of the above.
What claims have been made to argue that climate change and increased greenhouse gases are beneficial?
-Greenland would become a great place to settle if its ice sheet melted. -Longer growing season would increase crop production. -Plants will prosper with higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. -Polar bears are thriving. ✅-All of the above.
In plants, the amount of synthesized carbohydrate remaining after respiration is called _______.
-Gross photosynthesis -Chlorophyll ✅-Net photosynthesis -Biomass
________ form because heating at the equator causes air to rise and move poleward, before sinking at the ________ .
-Hadley cells, Polar highs -Trade winds, Polar highs -Trade winds, Subtropical highs ✅-Hadley cells, Subtropical highs
How do animals adapt to cold climates?
-Hibernation -Thick fur -Thick layer of fat -Thick feathers ✅-All of the above
How do clouds affect global temperature?
-High clouds can cause cooling by blocking sunlight. ✅-High clouds can cause warming by allowing sunlight to pass through, but then blocking long wave terrestrial radiation. -All clouds block sunlight, so cause cooling. -None of the above.
What happens to precipitation that falls on land surfaces?
-It runs off into streams. -It evaporates into the atmosphere. -It percolates downward to become groundwater. ✅-All of the above.
What is true about the "hockey stick curve"?
-It was proven to be wrong by other scientists. -It was not proven wrong by other scientists. ✅-It shows predicted Earth temperatures for the next century. -It never became accepted climate science.
Which time of day typically has the lowest RELATIVE humidity?
-Just before dawn -Late morning ✅-Afternoon -Late evening -Midnight
What factor(s) control temperature regimes around the world?
-Latitude -Elevation -Coastal vs. interior location -Latitude and Elevation only ✅-Latitude, Elevation, and Coastal vs. interior location
From the previous question, which climate control is most responsible for the difference in temperature range for Flagstaff and Phoenix? (Both cities are shown on Map 1 if it helps you answer the question).
-Latitude -Land and water contrasts ✅-Elevation -Surface type
Which climate control is most responsible for your answers to the previous two questions?
-Latitude ✅-Land and water contrasts -Elevation -Surface type
During hot weather, why does it feel hotter when the relative humidity is high?
-More evaporation occurs ✅-Less evaporation occurs -Humid air makes the sun more intense -All of the above
Which biomes would you encounter (in order) if you drove from Oxford, Ohio to Nevada?
-Needleleaf forest, desert, steppe, tundra ✅-Midlatitude deciduous forest, grassland, steppe, desert -Midlatitude deciduous forest, savanna, steppe, subtropical evergreen forest -Midlatitude deciduous forest, desert, needleleaf forest, sclerophyll forest
Use Table 1 (Links to an external site.) (below) and Map 1 to answer this question. If January is the coldest month for each location and July is the warmest, which city has the greatest annual temperature range and what is it?
-Phoenix, 25ºF -Phoenix, 38.4ºF -Flagstaff, 22.4ºF ✅-Flagstaff, 41ºF
Which is not a problem typically associated with human use of groundwater?
-Saltwater contamination -Ground subsidence -Groundwater pollution -Lowering of the water table ✅-River flooding
Which city below would you expect to have the greatest annual temperature range? (You can use Map 1 for help).
-San Diego, CA ✅-Kansas City, MO -Houston, TX -Honolulu, HI -Charleston, SC
What is meant by the statement "science is self-correcting"?
-Scientific studies must be peer-reviewed before publication. -Scentists scrutinize each other's work. -Skepticism holds science to high standards. ✅-All of the above
Which two (current and/or former) members of congress have received money from fossil fuel interests and claim that climate change is a hoax?
-Sen. Inhofe (OK) & Sen. Portman (OH) -Sen. Brown (OH) & Rep. Castro (TX) -Sen. Nelson (FL) & Rep. Barton (TX) ✅-Sen. Inhofe (OK) & Rep. Barton (TX)
Which of the following is TRUE about sunrises and sunsets in Oxford, Ohio (~40ºN latitude)?
-Summer sunrises are in the northeast -Summer sunsets are in the northwest -Winter sunrises are in the southeast -Winter sunsets are in the southwest ✅-All of the above
According to the reading, why is the global temperature trend for 1998 to 2008 misleading?
-That decade was unusually cool compared to other recent time periods. ✅-An El Niño event in 1998 made that year extra warm, so the following years appear cool in comparison. -There was a large volcanic eruption during this period that caused temporary global cooling. -2008 was very warm, so the decade shows an extreme temperature increase when examined alone.
Which of the following has a COOLING effect on Earth's average temperature?
-Tropospheric ozone ✅-Tropospheric aerosols -Carbon dioxide -Methane -None of the above
Which of these statements about the food-water-energy nexus is true?
-Water is used in energy and food production. -These three resources are all linked. -Land used to grow biofuels is land that could also grow crops. -Energy production can contaminate water supplies. ✅-All of the above.
Which of the following is NOT a way that plants adapt to dry conditions?
-Waxy leaves -Deep root systems -Shallow root systems -Deciduousness ✅-None of the above (they are all adaptations for dry conditions)
Places with monsoon rain patterns are strongly associated with the _______ .
-Westerlies ✅-ITCZ -Subtropical highs -Polar highs
During El Niño conditions, sea surface temperatures in the _______ are _______ than normal.
-Western Pacific, warmer -North Atlantic, warmer -Eastern Pacific, cooler ✅-Eastern Pacific, warmer
Which land use or land cover listed here has the highest rates of sediment yield?
-abandoned fields -depleted hardwoods -pasture ✅-cultivated land
Human uses of water that also jeopardize water quality and safety include _____.
-agriculture -industry -household water use -power generation ✅-all of the above
When does peak river discharge occur compared to peak rainfall in a natural river system? Peak discharge is _____ peak rainfall.
-at the same time as ✅-several hours to days after -a week after -just before -just after
____ air masses often affect our weather (in Oxford) during the winter, while summers are often dominated by ____ air masses.
-cT, cP -mP, mT -cA, mE -mT, cP ✅-cP, mT
Most violent volcanic eruptions are caused by _______.
-cinder cones -shield volcanoes ✅-stratovolcanoes -hotspots
If the weather forecast predicts that an anticyclone is moving into your area, you should expect __________ .
-cloudy skies ✅-clear skies -rain -thunderstorms
Conversion of liquid water to water vapor through _____________ ______________ latent heat energy.
-condensation, absorbs ✅-evaporation, absorbs -condensation, releases -evaporation, releases
Mudflows and earth flows are triggered by ______, while lahars are triggered by ______.
-earthquakes, heavy rain -volcanoes, heavy rain ✅-heavy rain, volcanoes -earthquakes, volcanoes -volcanoes, earthquakes
Trade winds flow from the _________ to the __________.
-equatorial highs, subtropical lows ✅-subtropical highs, ITCZ -subpolar lows, polar highs -subtropical highs, subpolar lows -polar highs, subtropical lows
The argument that lack of access to energy is the primary threat to developing nations is called the _______.
-fossil fuel paradox -energy deficit -energy-climate crisis ✅-energy poverty myth
If small pellets of ice fall in Oxford, Ohio during a thunderstorm, it is most likely which type of precipitation?
-graupel -sleet -snow ✅-hail
Metamorphic rocks can eventually be transformed into sedimentary rocks through _______.
-heat and pressure ✅-weathering and erosion -melting -none of the above
Cyclones are ______ pressure centers, and cause air to circulate ______ around them in the northern hemisphere.
-low, clockwise ✅-low, counterclockwise -high, clockwise -high, counterclockwise
New crust is formed at ______, while old crust is pushed into the mantle at _______.
-mid oceanic ridges, rift valleys -rift valleys, transform faults -transform faults, subduction zones ✅-mid oceanic ridges, subduction zones -subduction zones, rift valleys
Coastal locations tend to have _______ temperatures because water bodies heat and cool _______ than land surfaces.
-more moderate, more rapidly -more extreme, more rapidly -more extreme, more slowly ✅-more moderate, more slowly
Insolation reaching Earth's surface is ________ than the insolation reaching top of Earth's atmosphere because ____________.
-more, the atmosphere absorbs some of the energy ✅-less, the atmosphere absorbs some of the energy -more, clouds emit additional energy -less, the atmosphere generates additional energy -None of the above
A land breeze develops during the ______ when cooling results in ____ pressure over land surfaces.
-night, low ✅-night, high -day, low -day, high
Rain clouds that are typically associated with cold fronts are ______, while the rain clouds usually associated with warm fronts are _______.
-nimbostratus, cumulonimbus -cumulus, cirrus ✅-cumulonimbus, nimbostratus -stratus, cumulus
A fault that shows no scarp or a very low one is called a ________ fault.
-normal ✅-strike-slip -overthrust -reverse
If warmer humid air moved into Oxford, Ohio after a snowfall, the fog that forms there is most likely to be _________ fog.
-radiation ✅-advection -orographic -evaporation
In an urbanized watershed, _____ is reduced which _____ flooding.
-runoff, decreases -runoff, increases -infiltration, decreases ✅-infiltration, increases
Equatorial locations are characterized by an energy _______, because they receive ______ radiation than they emit.
-surplus, less ✅-surplus, more -deficit, less -deficit, more
The presence of igneous rock in an area can tell you that ________.
-the area has been partially melted -there is gold in the area -the area was once under water ✅-the area has been volcanically active
Which group of people have been recruited by and participated in climate change denial campaigns?
-tobacco industry executives -TV meteorologists ✅-Cold War physicists -None of the above
Which analogy was used in the book to explain the connection between extreme weather events and climate change?
-turning up your thermostat as your house warms up -identifying which cases of lung cancer were caused by asbestos exposure ✅-steroid use in baseball increasing likelihood of records -none of these
The Earth emits _________ radiation, while the Sun emits ________ radiation.
-visible, ultraviolet ✅-longwave, shortwave -shortwave, longwave -visible, gamma -None of the above.
When a cold front moves into an area, precipitation is caused by ___________.
-warm air pushing cooler air aloft ✅-cool air pushing warmer air aloft -rapid surface cooling -rapid surface heating
A decrease in Earth's albedo causes a shift in global energy balance that makes Earth ______.
-wetter -drier -cooler ✅-warmer -None of the above.
All animal species living in the same ecosystem occupy the same ecological niche.
False
Events like fires, flood, and wind storms only have negative effects on ecosystems.
False
Scientists seek research funding for personal financial gain.
False
Match each climate event to the reason it's misleading as an argument against current human-caused climate change.
Medieval Warm Period - Some regions were warm at this time, some were cooler, but globally temperatures were cooler than today. Cretaceous Period - Earth was warmer, but it was caused by higher levels of carbon dioxide related through geologic processes. Little Ice Age - Cooler period in 17th to 19th centuries, but doesn't strengthen case against human-caused warming today.
Match each climate type to its description or location.
Mediterranean - Dry summer Tundra - No true summer Monsoon - Very distinct wet season Boreal forest - Only found in the northern hemisphere Dry subtropical - Dominated by subtropical high pressure all year
Match each biome to its description and/or location.
Monsoon forest - More open than rainforest with trees that shed leaves during the dry season. Midlatitude - deciduous forest Broadleaf trees that shed leaves during the cold season. Needleleaf forest - Consists of conifers in cooler climates. Sclerophyll forest - Found in Mediterranean climates. Savanna - This biome ranges from grassland to woodland and is located in Africa and South America. Desert - Plant life limited by lack of moisture; animals may be nocturnal.
Use Figure 1 to match each type of mass wasting to its picture.
Slump C Rockfall D Creep E Mudflow A Earth flow B
Where would temperature be the warmest on the map shown in the previous question?
The letter in Illinois
Where would atmospheric pressure be highest on the map shown above?
The one all the way top right
Many current climate denier spokespeople have also worked to confuse the public about the harms of tobacco and destruction of the ozone layer.
True
The drainage basin for a fourth order stream is larger than a drainage basin for a first order stream.
True
The majority of earthquakes occur at plate boundaries
True
The real weakness in the scientific process is public understanding.
True
Match each tectonic feature to a specific location.
subduction zone - Mariana Trench graben - East African Rift Valley shield volcano - Mauna Loa, Hawaii stratovolcano - Mt. Etna, Italy transform plate boundary - San Andreas Fault, California divergent plate boundary - Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Which location below is LEAST likely to experience a tropical cyclone (hurricane, typhoon)?
✅-Alaska, USA -Southern Mexico -Australia -Japan -India
Which of these groups has received funding from the Koch brothers? (Pick as many as apply).
✅-Americans for Prosperity ✅-Competitive Enterprise Institute ✅-Heartland Institute ✅-American Legislative Exchange Concil (ALEC)
________ clouds are low level clouds that sometimes form on mostly sunny days.
✅-Cumulus -Nimbostratus -Cumulonimbus -Stratus -Cirrus
Which latitude region has the highest SPECIFIC humidity?
✅-Equator -Poles -Midlatitudes -Arctic -Sub-tropics
Use this map for the next three questions (ask for a hardcopy if you have trouble seeing this one) What is shown in this map?
✅-Midlatitude cyclone -Hurricane -Tornado -Anticyclone -Occluded front
Which of the following ecosystems generally has the LOWEST net primary productivity?
✅-Open ocean -Midlatitude forest -Rainforest -Midlatitude grassland -Lakes and streams
Which best describes conditions during the December Solstice?
✅-The South Pole experiences 24 hours of daylight. -The Northern Hemisphere experiences its longest day length. -The subsolar point is at the Tropic of Cancer. -The circle of illumination touches both poles. -None of the above.
The global wind pattern found in Nairobi, Kenya (1.29° S, 36.82° E) is most likely the __________ .
✅-intertropical convergence zone -subpolar lows -polar highs -westerlies -subtropical high pressure
Rocks that form from SLOWLY cooling magma are called ________ rocks and have a _______- grained appearance.
✅-intrusive igneous, coarse -intrusive igneous, fine -extrusive igneous, fine -extrusive igneous, coarse
When rising air cools to its dew point, it becomes _________ and the rate of cooling ________.
✅-saturated, decreases -saturated, increases -unsaturated, decreases -unsaturated, increases
In addition to melting glaciers, what else contributes to sea level rise?
✅-thermal expansion of seawater as it warms -melting of sea ice in the Arctic -increased ocean acidity -increased snowfall