Exam 3 Chapters 12-15 Flashcards
According to the text, what human activities contribute to desertification in vulnerable areas?
-Planting more trees
-Implementing sustainable agricultural practices
-Overgrazing by livestock
-Drought-resistant farming techniques
Overgrazing by livestock
How do desert animals survive harsh conditions according to the video?
-By swimming in the scarce water sources
-By staying above ground during the day
-By burrowing into the cool ground
-By migrating to cooler regions
By burrowing into the cool ground
How does the Coriolis effect affect the rotation of ocean gyres on Earth?
-Causes them to be stationary
-None-to-minimal impact on ocean gyres
-Turns them clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
-Causes them to rotate uniformly in both hemispheres
Turns them clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
In desert valleys that do not drain out, what is the term for the dry lake bed formed by water evaporation?
-Alluvial fan
-Bajada
-Playa
-Inselberg
Playa
What are the primary causal factors of deserts, according to the text?
-Ocean currents and the Earth’s rotation
-Solar energy, atmospheric circulation, and the Earth’s rotation
-Latitude and prevailing winds
-The Coriolis effect and the Equator
Solar energy, atmospheric circulation, and the Earth’s rotation
What causes the dry air to sink back to the Earth at approximately 30° latitude?
-Prevailing winds
-Polar vortex
-Coriolis effect
-Combination of global circulation effects
Combination of global circulation effects
What geological process caused the lithosphere of the Great Basin to stretch over the past 30 million years?
-Subsidence
-Compression
-Crustal extension
-Plate tectonics
Crustal extension
What human activities can lead to desertification?
-Planting more trees
-Responsible agriculture
-Excessive water usage
-Implementing sustainable irrigation methods
Excessive water usage
What is the main agent of weathering in desert climates?
-Wind
-Ice
-Water
-Gravity
Water
What is the term for large moving boulders along flat surfaces in deserts that leave trails behind them?
-Inselbergs
-Yardangs
-Sliding stones
-Ventifacts
Sliding stones
What process moves sand grains by lifting them into the moving air and carrying them a short distance before dropping them onto the surface dislodging other sand grains?
-Creep
-Saltation
-Bedload
-Suspended load
Saltation
What unique weathering product is found in deserts, characterized by thin dark brown layers of clay minerals and iron and manganese oxides?
-Loess
-Desert varnish
-Haboob
-Yardang
Desert varnish
Which subregion is mentioned as an extension of the Great Basin from Utah to California?
-Sonoran Desert
-Mojave Desert
-Basin and Range
-Chihuahua Desert
Basin and Range
Which type of desert is located in the Arctic and Antarctic?
-Subtropical
-Semiarid
-Coastal
-Polar
Polar
Why does the Atacama Desert receive very little precipitation?
-Due to its proximity to the Equator
-Because of the westerly winds from the Pacific
-The presence of the Andes Mountains
-The cool, dry air descending onto the desert
The cool, dry air descending onto the desert
How are erosional landforms created by glaciers formed?
-By the addition of material
-By volcanic eruptions
-By the melting of ice
-By the removal of material
By the removal of material
How do cool summers affect a glacier’s budget?
-Promote glacial retreat
-Promote glacial advance
-Do not impact the glacier
-Cause the glacier to stagnate
Promote glacial advance
What are the three orbital changes that affect short-term cycles of warming and cooling, leading to glaciations?
-Drumlins, kames, eskers
-Precession, obliquity, eccentricity
-Moraines, till, outwash plains
-Tarns, cols, horns
Precession, obliquity, eccentricity
What area of a glacier is called the zone of accumulation?
-Where ice is melting
-Where snow accumulation exceeds melting
-Where ice is breaking off
-Where ice is sliding downhill
Where snow accumulation exceeds melting
What does a glacier’s budget show when there is more income (snow accumulating in winter) than expense (melting snow and ice in summer)?
-Glacial growth
-Glacial retreat
-Glacial stagnation
-Glacial deformation
Glacial growth
What is a glacier?
-A huge mass of hot lava
-A huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land
-A big pile of sand
-A type of mountain
A huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land
What is the largest type of glacier?
-Mountain glaciers
-Valley glaciers
-Continental glaciers
-Plains glaciers
Continental glaciers
What is the most important resource provided by glaciers?
-Sand and gravel
-Fish
-Freshwater
-Concrete
Freshwater
What is the term for a long ridge of till located at the end or terminus of a glacier?
-Ground moraine
-Terminal moraine
-Recessional moraine
-Lateral moraine
Terminal moraine
What process occurs when the edges of ice sheets break off and fall into the ocean?
-Ice melting
-Ice formation
-Calving
-Deflation
Calving
Where are alpine glaciers found?
-Only in Australia
-On every continent except Australia
-Only in Antarctica
-Under the sea
On every continent except Australia
Which depositional landform consists of poorly sorted sediment left behind by a retreating glacier?
-Till
-Esker
-Kettle lake
-Medial moraine
Till
Which type of glacier is known for producing unique erosional landforms like U-shaped valleys and horns?
-Continental glaciers
-Alpine glaciers
-Polar glaciers
-Tropical glaciers
Alpine glaciers
According to the text, why does warm air have lower density compared to cooler air?
-The gas molecules in warm air have a greater velocity and are more spread out.
-Warm air contains more molecules than cooler air.
-Cool air is lighter than warm air.
-Warm air exerts less pressure on surfaces.
The gas molecules in warm air have a greater velocity and are more spread out.
How does convection contribute to the transfer of heat energy in the atmosphere?
-By transferring heat energy through electromagnetic waves
-By forming bubbles of warmer air that rise into the atmosphere
-By conducting heat efficiently in metals
-By absorbing radiant energy faster than lighter colored objects
By forming bubbles of warmer air that rise into the atmosphere
What are the primary moisture sources in the U.S. that contribute to the formation of precipitation over a large area?
-Indian Ocean and Arctic Ocean
-Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and Gulf of Mexico
-Great Lakes and Mediterranean Sea
-Caribbean Sea and South China Sea
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and Gulf of Mexico
What is the main purpose of the Earth-atmosphere energy balance?
-To make the Earth hotter than the Sun
-To reflect all energy back into space
-To balance incoming energy from the Sun with outgoing energy from the Earth
-To absorb all energy at the Earth’s surface
To balance incoming energy from the Sun with outgoing energy from the Earth
What is the primary reason for the observed air pressure exerted on a surface by atoms and molecules in the atmosphere?
-Their small size
-Their random movement
-Their velocity
-Their density
Their random movement
What triggers condensation in the atmosphere?
-Rise in air temperature
-Decrease in humidity
-Excess energy released from water vapor
-Difference between air temperature and dewpoint temperature
Difference between air temperature and dewpoint temperature
Which layer of the atmosphere is responsible for absorbing high energy ultraviolet and x-ray radiation from the sun, leading to a significant temperature increase?
-Troposphere
-Exosphere
-Thermosphere
-Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Which of the following best describes conduction as a method of heat transfer?
-The transfer of heat energy through a fluid
-The movement of heat energy through electromagnetic waves
-The transfer of heat energy from one substance to another or within a substance
-The circulation of air that develops in a boiling liquid
The transfer of heat energy from one substance to another or within a substance
Which part of a plant is responsible for the process of transpiration?
-Roots
-Stem
-Leaves
-Flowers
Leaves
Which process for cloud water, or ice, to grow large enough to fall as precipitation occurs in colder clouds when both ice crystals and water droplets are present?
-Precipitation and evaporation process
-Condensation and freezing process
-Collision and coalescence process
-Ice crystal process
Ice crystal process
Why is the absorption of infrared radiation trying to escape from the Earth back to space crucial?
-It causes the Earth to cool rapidly
-It contributes to the greenhouse effect
-It stores more energy near the Earth’s surface
-It prevents the Sun’s energy from reaching the Earth
It stores more energy near the Earth’s surface
How fast is the Sun drifting forward towards the galactic center as per the video?
-2.1 miles per second
-4.4 miles per second
-3.1 miles per second
-5.2 miles per second
3.1 miles per second
How many known solar systems are there in the Milky Way galaxy?
-100
-500
-1000
-1500
500
How often does Earth reach perihelion according to the video?
-January 7th
-March 20th
-January 3rd
-July 4th
January 3rd
What defines the absence of an absolute frame of reference for motion according to the video?
-Earth’s Movement
-Galilean Relativity
-Gravity
-Solar System Orbit
Galilean Relativity
What is Galilean relativity also known as invariance based on the video?
-Relativity of Motion
-Absolute Motion
-Galilean Invariance
-Motion Uncertainty
Galilean Invariance
What is the Milky Way galaxy part of besides the Local Group according to the video?
-Super Mass
-Great Attractor
-Galactic Congregation
-Cluster of Galaxies
Great Attractor
What is the Oort Cloud considered as in relation to the solar system?
-The innermost part
-The edge
-The center
-The core
The edge
What is the composition of Terrestrial planets?
-Mainly composed of gas
-Made of ice and rock
-Primarily made of rocky material
-Consist of mainly liquid
Primarily made of rocky material
What is the concept that can force stars and gas in and out of the Spiral arms?
-Cosmic Radiation
-Galactic Waves
-Dark Matter
-Density Waves
Density Waves
What is unique about Uranus among the ice giants?
-Its large size
-Rotates on its side
-Closest to the sun
-Has extensive lava flows
Rotates on its side
What lies much further out beyond the planets and orbits the Jovian planets?
-Kuiper Belt
-Asteroid Belt
-Oort Cloud
-Solar Nebula
Kuiper Belt
What tool allows astronomers to determine the distance to nearby Stars?
-Parallax
-Proper Motion
-Solar Radiation
-Celestial Shift
Parallax
Which planet is known as the hottest in our solar system?
-Earth
-Venus
-Mars
-Mercury
Venus
