GG 101 Exam

Question 1

Describe Maritime Polar

Answer 1

Air mass that influence North America: Cool, humid, unstable (all year)

Question 2

Describe Continental Arctic

Answer 2

Air mass that influences North America: Very cold, very dry, stable

Question 3

Describe Continental Polar

Answer 3

Air mass that influences North America: Cool, dry, moderately stable

Question 4

Describe Maritime Tropical

Answer 4

Warm, humid, stable to conditionally unstable

Question 5

What are fronts and what kinds are there?

Answer 5

Boundarys between air masses: Cold fronts move into warmer air masses, Warm fronts moves into colder air masses.

Question 6

What is a cyclone?

Answer 6

An area of low pressure with air circulation in a spiral or vortex, enclosed area.

Question 7

What kind of cyclones are there?

Answer 7

Wave and tropical cyclones.

Question 8

What is the wave cyclones development stages?

Answer 8

Stationary front, cyclongenesis (a) Open stage (b) occluded stage (c) Dissolving stage (d)

Question 9

What are some examples of weather elements?

Answer 9

Temperature, Humidity, Pressure, Clouds, Precipitation, Wind

Question 10

What does climate have a strong influence on (4 things)

Answer 10

Soils, Organisms, Water, Earth Surfaces Processes and Landforms

Question 11

What Influences Climate?

Answer 11

Latitude, Continentality, Air Pressure Belts, Wind Patterns, Ocean Currents.

Question 12

How is Climate Classification done?

Answer 12

Normally done on the basis of Temperature and/or Precipitation.

Question 13

What are the different classification systems? (5)

Answer 13

Tropical Climates, Dry and Semi- Arid Climates, Mesothermal Climates, Microthermal Climates, Polar Climates?

Question 14

What are the different Green House gases?

Answer 14

Water Vapour, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, CFC’S.

Question 15

What is Paleoclimatology?

Answer 15

The study of the climate in the past with studies like; Tree Rings, Ice Cores, Lake Segements, etc.

Question 16

What are the different Studies that Hydrology looks at?

Answer 16

Atmospheric Moisture, groundwater, surface water, soil moisture, snow and ice.

Question 17

What are the three Moisture Types?

Answer 17

Hygroscopic (Unavailable for plants), Capillary (Available unless still bound to hygroscopic) Gravitational (At saturation unavailable )

Question 18

What is the fluvial process?

Answer 18

The physical Interaction of flowing water and the natural channels of rivers and streams.

Question 19

What is an Aquifer?

Answer 19

It is a formation that can act as a reservoir for underground water, can be used accessed by wells.

Question 20

What are Aquicludes?

Answer 20

These are layers of rock or clay that act as barriers beneath the surface. They act as a pressure build up for Aquifers to secure their ground water, as well as with the added permeability they make sure no Pollutants or Contaminants get through to the ground water aquifers.

Question 21

What is geomorphology?

Answer 21

The study of landforms, their formations, evolution and processes that shape the earths surface over time. Ex. formation of the grand canyon by river erosion.

Question 22

What is the difference between a Drainage Basin and a Drainage Divide?

Answer 22

A drainage basin is a body of water that multiple sources eventually drain into, where as a drainage divide is a divide that separates two basins sending them to difference drainage basins.

Question 23

What is the equation for finding the volume of water passing a point per unit of time?

Answer 23

Q= wdv
q- Discharge
w- width
d-depth
v- velocity

Question 24

How do sediments move in a stream by suspension?

Answer 24

Due to the sediments being very fine particles, they move along with the waterflow not touching the stream bed. This is due to the upward push of the force of the water upwards.

Question 25

How do sediments move in a stream by saltation?

Answer 25

The particles are much larger than sediments you’d see being moved by suspension. Usually they are like gravel or sand particles and they bounce on the stream bed and thats how they move down the river.

Question 26

How do sediments move in a stream by traction?

Answer 26

Usually the flow of the water would have to be much more significant like in a flood or rapid water movements much heavier objects like boulders or larger rocks are pushed or slided on the streambed.

Question 27

How do sediments move in a stream by solution?

Answer 27

When sediments are characterized as a solution then we are referring to chemicals or minerals dissolving into the water, therefore going along with the waterflow not touching the stream bed.

Question 28

What is Equilibrium in a stream channel form?

Answer 28

This is the relation of the slope, sediment load, and discharge, that they are all in equilibrium would mean they’re all where they’re supposed to be with not one of them acting more than the other.