Geography Final
Central Asia and western North America experience dryness because of ________.
lack of moist air masses
What is climate change?
lasting change in long term weather patterns over a significant period of time
Which region had the least coverage (square kilometers) of glacial ice during the Pleistocene?
Africa
The largest contemporary U.S. glacier is in ________.
Alaska
The oldest trees in the world are located in
California
_______ is the location of the highest tides in the world.
Canada
Which of the following is considered a variable gas (i.e. a gas whose concentrations vary from location to location)?
Carbon Dioxide
Of the regions of the United States, which has the highest incidence of tornadoes?
Central States
According to the text, tower karst exists in ________.
China and Vietnam
A cold front causes many hours of steady rain before that front passes a location.
False
Bubbles trapped in the ice core sample taken at Dome C go back 8 million years.
False
In terms of crustal plates, New York City is located on a convergent plate boundary.
False
Scientists use one single method for determining Earth's past climate.
False
Sea level is higher today than any other time in Earth's history.
False
The IPCC conducts research and closely monitors climate related data.
False
The largest sinkholes are in arid regions.
False
There are approximately 3 high tides in 24 hours.
False
Tsunami waves are very tall in the open sea.
False
Volcanoes (active or extinct) do not exist in California.
False
According to the video, "Raging Planet: Lightning", what state has the most lightning strikes on average?
Florida
From the text's description and the "Sinkholes: Buried Alive" documentary, it is clear that sinkholes conflict with urban land uses in ________.
Florida
Look at the temperature data over the last 130 years (see PowerPoint). Using this timescale, the overall temperature trend is
Increasing
Which of the following is NOT NECESSARILY a property of an air mass?
It must have a warm front at its leading edge.
Which of the following does not fit the requirement to be a mineral?
It must have economic value.
________ is the term for solution topography in areas of limestone bedrock.
Karst
North America's largest lake is ________.
Lake Superior
Which of the following is TRUE of tides?
They have small effects on landforms.
Unsorted debris from ice sheets, after deposition, is known as ________.
Till
The ________ physically separates East Antarctica from West Antarctica
Transantarctic Mountains
Most of the wettest areas around the world are located in the ________.
Tropics
According to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, climate change poses a risk for food production, especially in developing countries.
True
According to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth's surface than any preceding decade since 1850.
True
According to the IPCC and the world-wide scientific community, the current climate change trend is considered human-induced (i.e. caused by humans).
True
Alaska has the greatest number of volcanoes (active or inactive) in the United States.
True
An interglacial period refers to a time of ice retreat.
True
Another term for solar energy is insolation.
True
Another term for tsunamis is a seismic sea wave.
True
CFCs are now banned by international treaty.
True
During the last Ice Age, sea level was much lower than today's sea level.
True
Fog is a cloud on the ground.
True
Hurricane formation is rare within 10 degrees of the Equator.
True
In general, cold air masses tend to flow toward the equator and warm air masses tend to flow toward the poles.
True
Of the nearly 3,000 known minerals, only 20 are common.
True
Sedimentary deposits built into relatively regular layers are known as strata.
True
The Arctic Ocean is the shallowest ocean in the world.
True
The Ogallala is the largest aquifer in the United States.
True
The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide.
True
The crust is Earths thinnest layer.
True
The desert would be the obvious zone of origin of a(n) cT air mass.
True
The foreshore zone is regularly covered and uncovered by the rise and fall of tides.
True
The most rapid landscape solution occurs in humid areas.
True
The movement of a glacier is normally measured in centimeters per day.
True
The phenomenon of waves changing direction as they approach the shoreline is known as refraction.
True
When temperatures are warmer, there will be higher concentrations of 18O compared to 16O.
True
Deposition of dissolved minerals in caverns leaves deposits such as the icicle-like ________.
Tufa
The Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York is a prime example of ________
U-shaped troughs
Most present atolls are on former ________ islands.
Volcanic
The single most important force in shaping coastal topography is the ________.
Waves
The first comprehensive theory of continental drift was propounded by ________.
Wegener
Primarily, ocean surface currents are set in motion by ________.
Wind
By far, the world's largest concentration of hydrothermal features occurs in ________.
Wyoming
"Weather" and "climate" are ________.
differentiated because climate studies the long-term
An intrusive igneous rock body formed by the cooling of magma in a nearly vertical fracture is called a
dike
The Great Rift Valley is on the continent of Africa, is associated with which type of plate boundary?
divergent
The brilliant colors around hot springs and geysers are ________.
due to algae
The average directional movement of hurricanes is ________.
east to west
Which of the following is NOT a component of karst landscapes?
extensive stream channels
The rock below is basalt, an igneous rock. This rock formed when lava flowed out of a volcano and cooled on the surface. This rock is considered
extrusive
According to the textbook, our knowledge of the oceans is ________.
fairly limited until recently
California has a fjorded coastline.
false
Clouds form if air is ________.
cooled to the dew point
With respect to absorption of solar radiation, it is understood that ________ are the most efficient absorbers.
dark colors
Speleothems are associated with the ________ stage of cavern formation.
decoration
As altitude increases, air pressure .
decreases
Look at the temperature data over the last 65 million years (see PowerPoint). Using this timescale, the overall temperature trend is
decreasing
Look at the temperature data over the last 800,000 years (see PowerPoint). Using this timescale, the overall temperature trend is
fluctuating but overall staying the same
A ________ is similar to a geyser except that it erupts no liquid water; it sends out only steam.
fumarole
Lakes are common in areas which have been recently ________.
glaciated
Which of the following storage locations contains the most water?
glaciers
GRACE is a German/NASA project that monitors ________.
groundwater levels
The presence of a hot spring on the surface means ________.
heated rocks or magma are underneath
Advection is a(n) ________ wind movement.
horizontal
A type of metamorphism in which hot, mineral-rich fluid comes into contact with rocks is known as
hydrothermal metamorphism
The capacity of air to hold water ________.
increases as temperature increases
Density of rock material ________ depth in the Earth's crust.
increases with
If you travel away from a midocean ridge you will find ________.
increasingly older rocks
A caldera
is a huge crater at the top of the volcano
The highest relative humidity for the day
is usually around sunrise when the air temperature is coolest.
Worldwide, volcanic eruptions are ________.
mostly underwater
Volcanism in Iceland is due to which of the following plate boundaries?
none of the above (wrong)
In Hawaii, the direction of movement of the "hot spot" means that the ________ is the youngest part of the island chain.
northwestern islands (wrong)
Dome C is located
on Antarctica
The longest continuous chain of mountains formed by tectonic processes is found
on the ocean floor
Most of Earth's water is stored ________.
on the surface in liquid form
A water molecule consists of
one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen
In what time of year do beaches get larger?
Summer
The last major eruption at Yellowstone was
640,000 years ago.
How many major glacial episodes are included in the Pleistocene Epoch?
As many as 18 or 19
As a rule, thunderstorms are unknown poleward of ________ latitude.
60°
According to the IPCC, between 1906 and 2005 global average temperature increased by
1.33
At its maximum extent, ice covered almost ________ of the Earth's land surface.
1/3
Based on the climograph below, what is the average temperature in September in San Francisco. SF Climograph
18°C
A certain volume of air holds 20 grams of water vapor. At that temperature, the maximum amount the air can contain is 100 grams. What is the relative humidity? Remember, to calculate relative humidity: amount of water vapor in the air (grams) / water vapor capacity of the air (grams) x 100 = relative humidity (%)
20%
The average salinity of sea water is approximately ________ percent of total mass.
3.5
As of April 2018, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was
407 PPM
________ occurs first in the evolution of a single ocean wave.
A wave of oscillation
The lower part of a glacier where there is a net annual loss of ice from melting and sublimation is the zone of ________.
Ablation
The glacial scouring by bedrock embedded in ice is erosion by ________.
Abrasion
Which of the following is an important function of Earth's atmosphere?
All the above
The world's largest contemporary ice sheet is in ________.
Antarctica
________ was(were) not partially covered with substantial by glacial ice during the Pleistocene epoch.
Australia
Why is the global distribution of precipitation expected to change?
Because warmer oceans result in increased atmospheric water vapor
Geographers are concerned with Earth's interior primarily to its influence on ________.
Earths' surface features
In terms of atmospheric change, which of the following is TRUE?
Humans are adding impurities to the atmosphere at a rate previously unknown.
Lubrication for downslope glacial movement is provided by ________.
Meltwater
What is the most abundant gas in Earths atmosphere?
Nitrogen
The majority of North America is sitting on the
North American Plate
The San Andreas Fault is the boundary between which two lithospheric plates?
North American Plate and Pacific Plate
Which of the following is not found behind a terminal moraine?
Outwash plains
Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
Oxygen
The deepest oceanic trench (the Mariana Trench) is located in which ocean?
Pacific
Which ocean is surrounded by most of the world's major volcanoes?
Pacific
The original large continental mass containing all of the present continents prior to separation millions of years ago has been named ________.
Pangaea
When a stalactite meets a stalagmite the result is a ________.
Pillar
The most significant erosive work of glaciers is accomplished by ________.
Plucking
The most common and widespread form of precipitation is ________.
Rain
The Himalaya Mountains are a _____ relief feature of the Earth.
Second
The 1-5 scale rating of hurricane intensity is the ________ scale.
Saffir-Simpson
Which of the following coastline EFFECTS is best matched with a CAUSE?
Sand transport : Longshore currents
In Alaska, most of the contemporary glaciers are found mainly in the ________ portion of the state.
Southern
The IPCC was established by
The United Nations
The most widespread of all coastal depositional features is ________.
The beach
________ is the critical temperature at which saturation is reached.
The dew point
In an idealized beach profile, which feature would occur at the highest elevation?
The dunes
Whenever there is an active well, the water table will be drawn downward to a(n) ________.
cone of depression
The tides migrate following ________ course around the Earth.
The moon
Vertical motion in air causes cooling of the lifted air. This phenomenon is governed by the ________ effect.
adiabatic
Warm air moving over a cooler lake surface will result in a(n) ________ type of fog.
advection
Which of the following is needed for cloud formation?
all are required components of cloud formation
Metamorphic rocks form from
all the above
Where is one plate being subducted under another plate?
along the Aleutian Trench
Presently, the North American and Eurasian plates are moving ________.
away from each other
In the original language, "karst" means "________".
barren land
The warmest air can be found in the ________ air mass.
cT
Which material, accumulated from the remains of plants and animals, can produce limestone?
calcium carbonate
The primary way in which underground water shapes topography is through ________.
chemical action
Among cloud types, those that occur at the highest altitudes are the ________.
cirrus
Which of the following substance is the best transmitter of solar energy?
clear water
On the average, ________ fronts move the fastest of all fronts.
cold
Which type of front typically produces the fastest rise of air?
cold
Which precipitation model occurs in warm clouds where the air temperature is above freezing (common in the tropics)?
collision-coalescence
Waves of seismic energy propagated as a back-and-forth motion are called
compression waves
Ozone is
comprised of 3 molecules of oxygen
Mt. St. Helens is ________.
likely to vigorously erupt again
Caves are found in most parts of the world where there are thick ________ deposits under the surface.
limestone
Just beneath the surface of Yellowstone National Park is a large ________.
magma chamber
The thickest of Earth's interior layers is the ________.
mantle
Calm, fair weather is most likely to result from a(n) ________.
midlatitude anticyclone (high pressure system)
Foraminifera study has shown the oceans are becoming ________.
more acidic
The basic classification of rock types is based on their ________.
origin
Generally, ________ waves are gentle phenomena.
oscillation
Yellowstone National Park has the three necessary ingredients for hydrothermal activity: molten material close to the surface, broken rock material close to the surface, and ________.
plentiful precipitation
Of the places listed below, ocean waters generally have the least salinity in ________.
polar regions
Palynology is the study of _________ used to determine past climate.
pollen samples
Snow is changed by ________ into glacial ice.
pressure and weathering
Downwind of large mountain ranges there is less precipitation; this drier zone is called the ________.
rain shadow
Albedo is the percentage of energy ________ from an object compared to the original amount of energy that struck the object.
reflected
The reason land surfaces do not flood and oceans do not dry up as a result of imbalances in the hydrologic cycle is a process called ________.
runoff
A considerable body of knowledge concerning Earth's interior has been amassed through all these methods except ________.
sampling rocks from Earth's core
Air containing all of the water vapor it can hold is said to be ________.
saturated
The rate at which air cools or warms depends on the amount of moisture in the air. If the air is saturated, the rate of temperature change is .6°C per every 100 meters. This is known as the
saturated adiabatic rate (SAR)
Erosion, compaction, and sedimentation are most closely associated with ________ rocks.
sedimentary
Shale, sandstone, gabbro, and limestone are ________ rocks.
sedimentary
Stream outflow is important to coastal landscapes because streams provide ________ to the coastal environment.
sediments
A swallow hole is most closely associated with
sinkholes
The "eye" of the hurricane is a zone characterized by ________.
sinking air
When magma cools rapidly, it results in ________ (as seen in the image of obsidian, aka "Dragon Glass" for my Game Of Thrones fans, below).
small crystals
Mountain glaciers steepen slopes and increase vertical elevation of the terrain while continental ice sheets tend to ________.
smooth and round the terrain
In terms of annual average precipitation, the rainiest region of the continental United States is the ________.
southeast
Which of the following locations is known for its great tidal range?
the Bay of Fundy
The energy for all of Earths atmospheric processes (i.e. all weather phenomena such as clouds, precipitation, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) comes from
the Sun
90% of all tornadoes worldwide occur in
the United States
Which of the following is the most prolific producer of carbon dioxide?
the burning of coal
Gas bubbles trapped in ice at Dome C tell us
the exact concentrations of gases in our atmosphere over the past 800,000 years
In which atmospheric layer do auroras occur?
thermosphere
A ________ plate boundary is associated with lateral slippage, conservation of existing crust, and the San Andreas fault system.
transform
The difference between swamps and marshes is mainly one of ________.
trees versus grassland
Which atmospheric layer are you sitting in right now?
troposphere
Which of the following are waves generated by earthquakes?
tsunamis
The origin of tsunamis is associated with ________.
undersea tectonic events
If you were floating in the middle of the ocean and a wave passed by, your motion would be ________.
up and down
Most processes which shape topography are ________.
very slow
Of the following options, which are the shortest wavelengths?
visible
The Pacific "ring of fire" refers to the ________.
volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean
Which front is shown on weather maps as a line with red semicircles on the same side of the line?
warm front
The energy source (or "fuel") of hurricanes is ________.
warm seawater
The specific heat of water is greater than that of land. This means ________.
water cools more slowly than does land
________refers to atmospheric conditions at a particular place and time, while _______refers to the average of atmospheric conditions over time.
weather, climate
Midlatitude cyclones and anticyclones function as migratory features in the ________.
westerlies
Most waves are generated by ________.
wind