Z's Exam 1 for his class which is at the same time as my CAS class
27) If you were to look down on Earth from above the North Pole, the Earth would be seen to rotate in a clockwise direction.
Answer: False
30) Sensible heat loss results in a temperature increase.
Answer: False
31) A line of latitude is always a great circle.
Answer: False
31) Hot objects radiate less energy than cool objects.
Answer: False
33) During daylight saving time (DST), the Earth's rotation is slowed by 1 hour to lengthen the day by 1 hour.
Answer: False
33) Latent heat transfer occurs when two objects of unlike temperature come into contact with each other.
Answer: False
34) The Earth's rotation is the annual journey around the Sun and gives us the calendar year.
Answer: False
36) It is the covalent bonds that form between liquid water molecules that gives water its properties of surface tension and adhesion.
Answer: False
37) The actual quantity of water vapor held by a parcel of air is its relative humidity.
Answer: False
38) The albedo of water is generally high for nearly vertical rays of sunlight on calm water.
Answer: False
39) Unstable air is typical of cool, winter air masses.
Answer: False
40) Locations near oceans experience a wider range of air temperatures than locations in continental interiors.
Answer: False
40) Water vapor can exceed 4% of the total gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
Answer: False
41) Ozone in the stratosphere is harmful as it acts as an air pollutant.
Answer: False
43) Dry air always has a higher dew point temperature than moist air.
Answer: False
43) The warming effect of vegetation is the result of transpiring leaves and their interception of solar radiation.
Answer: False
44) The rate of temperature decrease with altitude is around 5 degrees Celsius per 1000 meters.
Answer: False
45) The environmental temperature lapse rate is caused by adiabatic cooling.
Answer: False
48) The annual range of temperature decreases with increasing latitude, especially over northern hemisphere continents.
Answer: False
48) When rain mixes with smog, fallout will occur.
Answer: False
49) The dew point is the temperature at which liquid water becomes water vapor.
Answer: False
50) If air temperature increases with increasing altitude, an inversion is present. This can develop on cloudy nights when the surface loses longwave radiation to space.
Answer: False
55) Nighttime air temperatures tend to be lower at low elevations because there are fewer air molecules to absorb outgoing longwave radiation.
Answer: False
40) As air descends on the lee side of a mountain, it always warms at the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Answer: False Difficulty: Medium
28) The Earth's equatorial diameter is slightly larger than the polar diameter.
Answer: True
29) Tides are the result of the Earth's rotation combined with the Moon's gravitational pull.
Answer: True
30) One hundred eighty degrees of latitude and 360 degrees of longitude geographically cover the entire Earth.
Answer: True
32) If the Earth was not tilted on its axis there would be no seasons whatsoever.
Answer: True
32) Theoretically, the Earth is divided into 24, 15-degree-wide time zones.
Answer: True
34) Water vapor usually makes up less than 1% of the Earth's atmosphere.
Answer: True
35) Radiation can be scattered in multiple directions, which leads to diffuse radiation and diffuse reflection.
Answer: True
36) Surface temperatures are warmer over a surface with a low albedo compared to those above a surface with a high albedo.
Answer: True
37) The presence of clouds can greatly decrease the amount of incoming solar radiation.
Answer: True
38) Air continues to cool above the lifting condensation level.
Answer: True
39) At night there is no incoming solar radiation to Earth, yet the Earth's surface continues to emit outgoing radiation.
Answer: True
41) Warm air is less dense than cooler air.
Answer: True
42) Hailstones are formed by the accumulation of ice layers on ice pellets.
Answer: True
42) If your latitude is between the Tropic of Cancer and The Tropic of Capricorn you will experience the Sun being directly overhead twice a year.
Answer: True
42) Surfaces in urban areas generally absorb more insolation than those in rural areas.
Answer: True
44) The altitude at which air is cooled to its dew point temperature and condensation begins is referred to as the lifting condensation level.
Answer: True
46) Isotherms make a large north-south shift from January to July over continents in midlatitude and subarctic zones.
Answer: True
46) Large atmospheric pollution particles are removed by the force of gravity in a process called fallout.
Answer: True
47) Large land masses located in the subarctic and arctic zones develop centers of low temperatures related to the high albedos of snow cover.
Answer: True
47) Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air.
Answer: True
51) The range between maximum and minimum temperatures increases with elevation.
Answer: True
52) The greenhouse effect is reduced at high elevation locations.
Answer: True
54) Forty degrees below zero is the same temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Answer: True
50) The largest cause of air pollution is transportation.
Answer: True Difficulty: Medium 52) Unsaturated air is required for fog, dew, and cloud formation. Answer: False
30) On this figure, the thermosphere is labeled:
a) 1
74) In the pie chart below, the proportion of nitrogen in the atmosphere is labeled:
a) 1
44) Which of the numbered sections on this figure corresponds with the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum?
a) 3
73) On this figure, the subarctic zones are labeled:
a) 3
70) On this figure, the midlatitude zones are labeled:
a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d) 6
45) Which of these figures best illustrates the highest Sun angle at the Tropic of Cancer on the June solstice?
a) A
15) Which of the following situations would lead to radiation fog?
a) At night the temperature of the air layer at the ground falls below the temperature at which condensation begins
24) Which of the following statements is correct?
a) The wet adiabatic lapse rate is variable
23) Which of the following best describes the shape of the Earth?
a) a geoid
34) Which cloud type is made up of ice crystals at very high altitudes?
a) cirrus clouds
66) At Point 1 in the above figure, air is ___________________ by the __________________ adiabatic lapse rate.
a) cooling, dry
65) Which cloud type is normally associated with hail, tornadoes, and microbursts?
a) cumulonimbus
9) Insolation is __________.
a) incoming solar radiation
32) Lines connecting locations having the same temperature are referred to as:
a) isotherms
21) As a volume of air rises, __________.
a) it expands and becomes cooler
03) When uplifted air continues to rise past the lifting condensation level_______.
a) it would continue to cool, but at the wet adiabatic lapse rate
29) The rain shadow is located on the __________.
a) leeward side of a mountain range
10) The amount of radiation left over when all incoming and outgoing flows have been tallied is called __________.
a) net radiation
21) Imbalances in net radiation between low and high latitudes results in:
a) poleward heat transfer
7) The point on the Earth's surface where the Sun is directly overhead is:
a) subsolar point
4) The meridian at 0 degrees is:
a) the prime meridian
5) When the subsolar point is located at its highest latitude in the northern hemisphere it is:
a) the summer solstice
06) Which of the following orderings of atmospheric layers is correct as one moves from the Earth's surface through the atmosphere?
a) troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
24) The ozone layer absorbs which of the following wavelengths of radiation?
a) ultraviolet
23) Carbon dioxide comprises _____________ % of the Earth's lower atmosphere.
b) 0.0385%
26) The time difference between the prime meridian and the International Date Line is:
b) 12 hours
76) In the pie chart below, the proportion of oxygen in the atmosphere is labeled:
b) 2
28) On this figure, the mesosphere is labeled:
b) 2 Answer: b
1) The Earth's axis is always tilted at an angle of _________ degrees to the plane of the ecliptic.
b) 23.5
2) The average albedo of the planet Earth is around:
b) 30%
43) Which of the numbered sections on this figure corresponds with the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum?
b) 4
30) On average about ________ people die each year from tornadoes, more than from any other natural phenomena except flooding and lightning strikes.
b) 75
26) Which of the following statements is not correct?
b) An energy surplus at the Equator leads to energy moving poleward
03) Which of the following is the correct formula for converting Fahrenheit to Celsius?
b) C = 5/9(F-32)
3) Which of the following statements is true regarding latent heat transfer?
b) Energy is released to a surface during the process of condensation
23) The so-called anvil top of a thunder cloud is the result of which of the following phenomena?
b) Fast-moving, high-altitude winds
16) The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs approximately on which of the following dates?
b) June 22
9) What forces cause the Earth to assume the shape of an oblate ellipsoid?
b) Outward force of the Earth's rotation
16) What is the solar constant?
b) The amount of solar radiation per unit area received outside the Earth's atmosphere
13) Which of the following statements concerning land/water heating differences is correct?
b) The annual range of temperatures at a coastal location is smaller than the annual temperature range of a continental interior location
27) The sound generated by thunder is the result of which phenomena?
b) The rapid expansion of air heated by lightning
38) Daytime low temperatures generally occur:
b) about ½ hour after sunrise
10) The greenhouse effect is the result of the atmosphere's _______ of _______ radiation emitted by the Earth.
b) absorption / longwave
13) Which of the following are the most absorptive gases of longwave infrared radiation?
b) carbon dioxide and methane
20) The transmission of sensible heat through matter by transfer of energy from one atom or molecule in the direction of decreasing temperature is:
b) conduction
31) The reverse of the process of sublimation is called __________.
b) deposition
05) The temperature at which a parcel of air becomes saturated and condensation begins is called the _______.
b) dew point
12) During adiabatic cooling as air rises, what stage has the parcel of air reached at the lifting condensation level?
b) dew point
5) When water evaporates from a surface:
b) energy is absorbed and the surface is cooled
8) At the moment of the aphelion, the Earth's position in its orbit is:
b) farthest from the Sun
36) Surface air temperature is generally measured at 4 ft. above the ground because
b) inaccurate readings might occur if placed too close to the ground
19) Maps to show the distribution of precipitation use lines that connect locations with equal precipitation called _______.
b) isohyets
08) Overall, net radiation is greatest at _____________ latitudes and smallest at ______________ latitudes.
b) low / high
11) Which of following constant gases accounts for the largest proportion of the air that surrounds us?
b) nitrogen
06) Which of the following orderings of clouds is correct as one increases in altitude?
b) stratus, altocumulus, cirrus Difficulty: Easy
20) When do regions north of the Arctic Circle experience 24 hours of daylight?
b) summer solstice
20) The lower solar angles characteristic of high-latitude locations lead to lower levels of insolation because:
b) the solar radiation is spread over a larger unit area
17) At what wavelength does the Sun emit most of its energy?
b) visible
68) At Point 4 in the above figure, air is ___________________ by the __________________ adiabatic lapse rate.
b) warming, dry
24) One degree of latitude is approximately how many kilometers in distance?
c) 111
29) On this figure, the atmospheric layer that contains the ozone layer is labeled:
c) 3
75) In the pie chart below, the proportion of argon in the atmosphere is labeled:
c) 3
26) Examine the monthly mean air temperature patterns shown in the figure below. The curve for the city of Hamburg at 54º N latitude is labeled:
c) 3 Answer: c
71) On this figure, the subtropical zones are labeled:
c) 5
29) Which of the following is a correct statement:
c) Insolation levels increase with higher Sun angle
34) Which of the following statements is incorrect?
c) Solar output has decreased slightly, causing cooling
28) Which of the following atmospheric conditions is most likely to lead to the accumulation of smog?
c) Temperature inversion
18) Which of the following is a consequence of the Sun's relatively higher temperature compared to that of the Earth?
c) The Earth emits longwave rather than shortwave radiation
19) Which of the following locations would receive the most incoming solar radiation at noon during the spring equinox?
c) The Equator
21) Which of the following is true about the rotation of the Moon?
c) The Moon rotates so that one side is always hidden from the Earth
11) Which of the following statements is in correct?
c) The distance traveled during a complete rotation of the Earth by a person standing on one of the poles is approximately the same as someone else standing at the Equator.
17) Which of the following statements about meridians is true?
c) They originate at 0 degrees longitude and reach a location approximately at the International Date Line at 180 degrees longitude
22) Which of the following conditions would lead to unstable air?
c) When the environmental lapse rate exceeds the adiabatic lapse rate
35) An increase in latitude results in:
c) a decrease in annual net temperatures
12) Which of the following surfaces would likely have the highest albedo?
c) an area covered by snow
04) Which of the following types of cloud is found at the highest altitudes?
c) cirrus
15) At the moment of the perihelion, the Earth's position in its orbit is________________.
c) closest to the Sun
67) At Point 2 in the above figure, air is ___________________ by the __________________ adiabatic lapse rate.
c) cooling, wet
27) All bodies in space:
c) emit electromagnetic radiation
6) At the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere:
c) equal amounts of solar radiation reach both hemispheres
33) If a cloud forms close to the ground it is called __________.
c) fog
18) Precipitation formed by the accumulation of ice layers on ice pellets is called _______.
c) hail
10) The largest portion of freshwater today is located in _______.
c) ice sheets and glaciers
6) Which of the following is the correct order from greatest volume to least volume of gases in the troposphere?
c) nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide
22) The largest hole in the ozone layer is found
c) over Antartica
09) In which atmospheric layers does temperature increase with altitude?
c) stratosphere
14) If the sky appears to be completely gray during the day, what types of clouds are present?
c) stratus
07) The direct transition from solid ice to gaseous water vapor is known as _______.
c) sublimation
11) During a temperature inversion _______.
c) temperatures increase as one ascends through the lower atmosphere
22) If it is 1 p.m. in Miami, Florida, what time is it in Seattle, Washington?
d) 10 a.m.
1) Oxygen accounts for approximately ________ % of the air that surrounds us.
d) 21.0
77) In the pie chart above, the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is labeled:
d) 4
27) On this figure, the troposphere is labeled:
d) 4 Answer: d
72) On this figure, the tropical zones are labeled:
d) 6
22) The environmental temperature lapse rate is:
d) 6.4 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 meters
13) Why is the wet adiabatic lapse less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
d) Condensation of water releases heat
31) Which of the following is not one of the four important thermal differences between land and ocean surfaces?
d) Dry soil has a higher heat capacity than water
33) The hottest month for interior locations in the Northern Hemisphere is ______ while the coldest month is __________.
d) July / January
18) Which of the following statements concerning the urban heat island is correct?
d) Park areas in a city can reduce the effect of the urban heat island
2) In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox occurs on or around:
d) September 23
37) Daytime high temperatures generally occur:
d) about 3:00 p.m.
39) Land/water contrasts keep:
d) air temperature at coastal locations more constant than at interior locations
19) Which of the following associations in the northern hemisphere is incorrect?
d) autumnal equinox - October 23
05) Which of the following is a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide?
d) burning of fossil fuels
15) Currently, which of the following gases contributes the most toward the greenhouse effect?
d) carbon dioxide
13) Passengers traveling by air from Tokyo to San Francisco hear the pilot announce that the plane is about to cross the International Date Line. Their watches at that moment indicate that the correct local time is 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Upon crossing the date line they should _______.
d) change their watches to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday
01) Thunderstorms are most associated with which of the following?
d) convection Answer: d
14) The emission of longwave radiation by the atmosphere towards the Earth's surface is termed:
d) counterradiation
25) Rounded or globular masses of cloud are referred to as __________.
d) cumuliform
7) Which of the following has the longest wavelength?
d) infrared radiation
3) Latitude:
d) lines (parallels )include the Equator
35) What type of precipitation mechanism is in effect when air is forced up and over mountains and precipitation is produced?
d) orographic Question Type: True/False
25) Ozone forms from the free atoms of which gas?
d) oxygen
26) Which of the following is not characteristic of a thunderstorm?
d) small raindrops
17) If ice crystals fall from clouds through an underlying air layer that is below freezing, which of the following forms of precipitation would result?
d) snow
02) Precipitation totals are normally greatest on the _____________ of mountain ranges.
d) windward slopes
25) Around which time of the year in the northern hemisphere is the Earth at the perihelion?
d) winter solstice
4) Approximately what proportion of the total solar radiation received by the Earth is eventually lost to space?
e) 100%
15) What is the magnitude of the solar constant?
e) 1371 watts per square meter
18) How many degrees separate the central meridians that each time zone is based on?
e) 15 degrees
12) Which of the following statements is incorrect?
e) A map of annual air temperature range would show a narrow range over continents and a wider range over oceans
63) Which cloud form in the illustration is a cirrus cloud?
e) E
64) Which cloud form in the illustration is a stratus cloud?
e) F
10) On which of the following projections does a straight line represent a true and constant compass bearing?
e) Mercator
04) The louvered box that serves as a thermometer shelter at a weather station is known as which of the following?
e) Stevenson shelter
16) Which of the following situations would lead to advection fog?
e) Warm moist air moves over a cold surface
14) Which of the following can help create a historical record of temperature?
e) all of these
21) Atmospheric aerosols may be derived from which of the following?
e) all of these
14) The boundary between the half of the Earth in sunlight and the half of the Earth in darkness is the __________.
e) circle of illumination
01) Which of the following is not one of the major factors influencing surface temperature?
e) cloudiness
8) Which of the following has the shortest wavelength?
e) gamma radiation
09) Which of the following components of the hydrologic cycle comprises the greatest volume of water on Earth?
e) groundwater
20) Cumulus clouds forming from convection have flat bases that mark the _______.
e) lifting condensation level
28) The term "albedo" refers to:
e) the amount of electromagnetic radiation reflected by a body
12) Which of the following associations in the southern hemisphere is incorrect?
e) vernal equinox - March 21