Pop Quizzes/In Class Questions Flashcards
Which of the following forces influences wind speed and direction?
a. Coriolis
b. friction
c. Pressure gradient force
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
Which of the following is true of high pressure areas?
a. air converges and ascends within high pressure systems
b. air descends and diverges with high pressure systems
c. they generally involve atmospheric pressures lower than 1000 mb
d. they are characteristic for areas along the equator
b. air descends and diverges with high pressure systems
The ITCZ is characterized by
a. convergence and subsidence of cold surface air
b. convergence and uplift of warm surface air
c. divergence and uplift of warm surface air
d. divergence and subsidence of cold surface air
b. convergence and uplift of warm surface air
Which of the following primary pressure areas are produced by dynamic factors, rather than thermal factors?
a. subtropical high and subpolar low
b. equatorial low and polar high
c. equatorial low and Bermuda high
d. Aleutian low and Icelandic low
a. subtropical high and subpolar low
Which of the following is an example of primary circulation?
a. migratory high and low pressure systems
b. the monsoons
c. land-sea breezes
d. general circulation of the atmosphere
d. general circulation of the atmosphere
Seasonally shifting wind system associated with the annual cycle of returning precipitation are known as
a. sea breezes
b. Santa Ana winds
c. mountain breezes
d. monsoons
d. monsoons
The strongest, most prominent movement in the upper-level westerly geostrophic wind flows are the
a. rossby waves
b. jet streams
c. cyclones
d. anticyclone
b. jet streams
The dominant surface winds from the subtropics to high latitudes are the
a. westerlies
b. trade winds
c. polar easterlies
d. geostrophic winds
a. westerlies
Which of the following is true of thermohaline circulation?
a. they travel at greater speeds than surface currents
b. they are largely wind driven
c. due to their depths, they carry limited volumes of water
d. they are deep currents caused by differences in temperature and salinity
d. they are deep currents caused by differences in temperature and salinity
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation…
a. is a periodic shift of high and low pressure zones over the western and eastern Pacific, respectively, usually occurring every 2 to 12 years
b. occurs every year around Christmas time in the southern Pacific Ocean
c. is a pattern of sea surface, air pressure, and wind shifts between the northern and tropical western Pacific
d. a north-south fluctuation of high and low pressure zones in the North Atlantic Ocean
a. is a periodic shift of high and low pressure zones over the western and eastern Pacific, respectively, usually occurring every 2 to 12 years
Which of the following is an example of tertiary circulation?
a. migratory high and low pressure systems
b. subtropical high pressure system
c. general circulation of the atmosphere
d. land-sea breezes
d. land-sea breezes
The polar high is more pronounced over ________ because ________.
a. The Arctic; greater landmass
b. The Antarctic; greater landmass
c. The Arctic; colder ocean waters
d. The Antarctic; colder ocean waters
b. The Antarctic; greater landmass
The equatorial currents are driven by
a. the upper-level easterlies
b. salinity differences in the ocean
c. the trade winds
d. monsoon winds
c. the trade winds
Which of the following phase changes of water is incorrectly matched?
a. Deposition: gas to solid
b. Vaporization: solid to gas
c. Melting: solid to liquid
d. Condensation: gas to liquid
b. Vaporization: solid to gas
If the amount of water vapor in the air remained constant, but the air temperature increased throughout the day, the relative humidity would
a. Increase
b. Decrease
c. remain constant
b. Decrease
If the ELR is found to be 12 C°per 1000 meters, then the atmosphere is said to be (think about the MAR and DAR rates):
a. Unstable
b. conditionally unstable
c. conditionally adiabatic
d. stable
e. conditionally saturated
a. Unstable
The point where saturation begins in a rising air parcel is
a. the dry adiabatic rate
b. the moist adiabatic rate
c. the lifting condensation level
d. cloud condensation nuclei
c. the lifting condensation level
The dry leeward side of a mountain is often termed a (n)
a. rain shadow
b. chinook
c. front
d. orogeny
a. rain shadow
In a cold cloud, precipitation is formed through ________
a. collision-coalescence
b. Bergeron process
c. droplet reduction
d. adiabatic warming
b. Bergeron process
Air rising as a result of being stimulated by local surface heating is an example of ________ lifting.
a. Convergent
b. Convectional
c. Orographic
b. Convectional
Which is incorrectly matched?
a. cP—cold, dense air
b. cA—very cold, very dry, stable
c. mT—warm, humid, variable stability depending on source region
d. mP—warm, moist, stable conditions
d. mP—warm, moist, stable conditions
Which of the following is true of the occluded stage of a midlatitudecyclone?
a. It occurs when the cold front overruns the slower moving warm front
b. It occurs as soon as air begins to be uplifted along the cold front
c. It occurs at the time when the cold front and warm front are clearly and distinctly separated from one another
d. This stage is characteristic of an early stage of cyclone
a. It occurs when the cold front overruns the slower moving warm front
Which of the following is incorrect?
a. New resources and matter are being added to Earth’s system all the time
b. Earth represents a vast integrated system
c. Earth represents an open system in terms of energy
d. Earth represents a closed system in terms of matter
a. New resources and matter are being added to Earth’s system all the time
A parallel of a latitude
a. Measures longitude
b. Is called a meridian
c. Is a line that passes through both pole
d. Is used to measure distances north or south of the equator
d. Is used to measure distances north or south of the equator
Our planet and our lives are powered by
a. Radiant energy from the sun
b. Energy derived from inside Earth
c. Utility and oil companies
d. Longer wavelengths of infrared
a. Radiant energy from the sun
Which of the following bandwidths of the electromagnetic spectrum is the longest?
a. Ultraviolet
b. Infrared
c. Radio
d. Gamma
c. Radio
Polar regions are cooler than tropical regions because
a. The sun’s energy is spread over a greater surface area and scattered by more atmosphere
b. There is less carbon dioxide to trap infrared radiation
c. There are fewer plants to take up carbon dioxide
d. There is less ocean surface near the poles
a. The sun’s energy is spread over a greater surface area and scattered by more atmosphere
The latitude of the subsolar point is also known as
a. The arctic circle
b. The sun’s altitude
c. The circle of illumination
d. The sun’s declination
d. The sun’s declination
In the southern hemisphere, the vernal (spring) equinox falls approximately on what day?
a. June 21
b. December 21
c. March 21
d. September 21
d. September 21
Oxygen comprises approximately how much of our current atmosphere?
a. 98%
b. 78%
c. 21%
d. 1%
c. 21%
Air temperature through most of the stratosphere
a. Increases with increasing altitude
b. Decreases with increasing altitude
c. Remains constant
d. Increases or decreases with increasing altitude, depending on the season
a. Increases with increasing altitude
The molecule(s) mostly responsible for stratospheric ozone depletion is/are
a. Carbon dioxide
b. Chlorofluorbarbons
c. Nitrogen oxides
d. Argon
b. Chlorofluorbarbons
Most of Earth’s weather occurs in the
a. Troposphere
b. Mesosphere
c. Thermosphere
d. Stratosphere
a. Troposphere
In the United States, most anthropogenic pollution is caused by
a. Energy production
b. Burning forests to create agricultural land
c. Manufacturing
d. Automobile
d. Automobile
Which of the following surfaces has the highest albedo?
a. Fresh snow
b. Asphalt
c. Grass
d. Forest
a. Fresh snow
Earth’s sky is blue because
a. Red wavelengths are less common
b. Scattering of light from the oceans’ surfaces occur mostly in the blue wavelengths
c. There is more scattering of the shorter wavelengths of the visible bandwidth
d. There is more scattering of longer wavelengths of the visible bandwidth
c. There is more scattering of the shorter wavelengths of the visible bandwidth
Which of the following is NOT a control of temperature?
a. Gravity
b. Continentality
c. Latitude
d. Altitude
a. Gravity
Which of the following is correctly matched?
a. Terrestrial radiation = shortwave radiation > UV, visible, and near infrared
b. Terrestrial radiation = shortwave radiation > thermal infrared radiation
c. Insolation = longwave radiation > thermal infrared radiation
d. Insolation = shortwave radiation > UV, visible, and near infrared
d. Insolation = shortwave radiation > UV, visible, and near infrared
Land has a __________ specific heat than water and therefore heats more _____________
a. Higher; slowly
b. Higher; quickly
c. Lower; slowly
d. Lower; quickly
d. Lower; quickly
Which of the following cities would likely have the greatest annual temperature range?
a. Seattle
b. New Orleans
c. Minneapolis
d. Los Angeles
c. Minneapolis
When water is transformed from a gas into a liquid,
a. Latent heat is released from the gas
b. Latent head is released from the liquid
c. Latent heat is neither released nor added to either phase
d. Sensible heat is adverted into the atmosphere
a. Latent heat is released from the gas
Which two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect because of their ability to absorb infrared energy?
a. Oxygen and hydrogen
b. Water vapor and carbon dioxide
c. Ozone and hydrogen
d. Nitrogen and oxygen
b. Water vapor and carbon dioxide
Which of the following is not a main component of the hydro-logic cycle?
a. Atmosphere
b. Cryosphere
c. Surface
d. Subsurface
b. Cryosphere
The part of precipitation that lands on vegetation or other ground cover before reaching the ground is called:
a. Interception
b. Infiltration
c. Percolation
d. Evaporation
a. Interception
In the United states, most precipitation falls
a. in the Central Plains
b. in the Southwestern and north-central areas
c. in the northwest and southeast
d. along the Rocky Mountain Range
c. in the northwest and southeast
Which of the following is normally true of a hot desert?
a. it is impossible to say what the normal relationship between potential and actual evapotranspiration would be in a desert
b. potential evapotranspiration equals actual evapotranspiration
c. actual evapotranspiration (ACTET) exceeds potential evapotranspiration (POTET)
d. potential evapotranspiration (POTET) exceeds actual evapotranspiration (ACTET)
d. potential evapotranspiration (POTET) exceeds actual evapotranspiration (ACTET)
Soil moisture that plants are capable of accessing and using is called
a. wilting point water
b. capillary water
c. gravitational water
d. hygroscopic water
b. capillary water
Climate is
a. the weather of a region
b. the short-term condition of the atmosphere
c. a reference to temperature patterns only
d. the long-term atmospheric condition including extremes that may occur
d. the long-term atmospheric condition including extremes that may occur
A climate classification based on causative factors, such as the interactions of air masses is a(n)
a. empirical classification
b. genetic classification
c. combined classification
d. koppen classification
b. genetic classification
The two principle climate components are
a. temperature and pressure
b. temperature and precipitation
c. precipitation and pressure
d. pressure and wind speed
b. temperature and precipitation
Which of the following lists the correct, generalized sequence of climates from the equator to the poles?
a. tropical > dry > mesothermal > microthermal > highland
b. tropical > mesothermal > dry > microthermal > polar
c. tropical > dry > mesothermal > microthermal > polar
d. dry > tropical > mesothermal > microthermal > polar
c. tropical > dry > mesothermal > microthermal > polar
The bulk of the Amazon River drainage basin is dominated by which one of the following climate classifications?
a. tropical rain forest
b. tropical monsoon
c. tropical savanna
d. humid subtropical
a. tropical rain forest
Glacio-eustatic factors refer to
a. changes in the total amount of water on Earth
b. a steady-state equilibrium in the water system
c. changes in sea level related to the increase or decrease in quantities of ice
d. changes in sea level related to the melting of icebergs
c. changes in sea level related to the increase or decrease in quantities of ice
In the water budget, __________ is the major receipt and ________ is the major expenditure
a. insolation; radiative cooling
b. outgassing; dissociation
c. evapotranspiration; precipitation
d. precipitation; evapotranspiration
d. precipitation; evapotranspiration
If precipitation and soil moisture are inadequate to meet potential evapotranspiration demands, the moisture condition is described as
a. a deficit
b. a surplus
c. actual evapotranspiration
d. soil moisture utilization
a. a deficit
The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when
a. cold air masses dominate the region
b. the ITCZ has moved away from a region
c. a continental polar air mass influences the region
d. cold ocean currents shift into the region
b. the ITCZ has moved away from a region
Which of the following is not a causal element of dry climates?
a. seasonal influence on the ITCZ
b. dry, subsiding air associated with subtropical high pressure systems
c. location in the rain shadow of the mountains
d. cool, stabilizing ocean currents along the western margins of continents
a. seasonal influence on the ITCZ
The low-latitude hot desert climate occurs
a. in the tropics and subtropics
b. only in the midlatitude rainshadow position
c. in polar regions
d. along the midlatitude, west coasts of continents
a. in the tropics and subtropics
Mesothermal climates
a. are essentially seasonless
b. occupy more land and sea surface area than any other climate region
c. have high degrees of air mass interaction
d. are sparsely populated by humans
c. have high degrees of air mass interaction
Marine west coast climates are dominated by what air masses
a. continental polar (cP)
b. maritime tropical (mT)
c. continental tropical (cT)
d. maritime polar (mP)
d. maritime polar (mP)
Which of the following is false regarding the Mediterranean classification?
a. summers are hot
b. 70% of the precipitation occurs in the winter months
c. summers are influenced by shifting subtropical high cells
d. the bulk of precipitation occurs in the summer months
d. the bulk of precipitation occurs in the summer months
Which type of vegetation grows in the Mediterranean climate? a,. taiga b. chaparral c. rain forest d. boreal forest
b. chaparral
Which of the following is true of microthermal climates?
a. they have a small seasonal temperature range, hence the term microthermal
b. because of the latitude at which they occur, these climates occupy the largest area of any climate
c. in the Southern Hemisphere, these climates develop nowhere but the highland regions
d. all of the subtypes of this climate have a uniform annual precipitation regime
c. in the Southern Hemisphere, these climates develop nowhere but the highland regions
________ are three separate variations in the Earth’s movement that alter the Earth-sun relationship and the global climate
a. Milankovitch cycles
b. Mid-latitude cyclones
c. obliquity
d. climatic oscillations
e. proxies
a. Milankovitch cycles
Anthropogenic climate change is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases, which…
a. absorb extra insolation
b. increase solar activity through sunspots
c. “trap” longwave radiation
c. “trap” longwave radiation
Ice cores provide a climate record for the past ________ years
a. 800,000
b. 2 million
c. 10 million
d. 70 million
b. 2 million
Which natural climate proxy offers annual resolution of precipitation and temperatures extending back several thousand years?
a. meteorological measurements
b. tree rings
c. marine sediment cores
d. lake water
b. tree rings
Which of the following is not an example of an action an individual can take to help mitigate against climate change?
a. placing dishes in dishwater without pre-washing
b. improving regional land use practices
c. using energy efficient light bulbs
d. driving a vehicle with high fuel economy
b. improving regional land use practices
The tropical savanna climate has
a. the ITCZ all year-round
b. the polar front all year-round
c. the ITCZ in summer and the subtropical high in winter
d. the polar front in winter and the subtropical high in summer
c. the ITCZ in summer and the subtropical high in winter
The largest percentage of Earth’s population lives within the
a. tropical climates
b. desert climates
c. mesothermal climates
d. microthermal climates
c. mesothermal climates
Which is true of humid subtropical hot-summer climates?
a. North American humid subtropical hot summer climates have cyclonic storm trackshift overhead in the summer
b. Asian humid subtropical hot summer climates are influenced by the monsoons
c. their hot and rainy season occurs in the winter season
d. they have cold ocean currents offshore
b. Asian humid subtropical hot summer climates are influenced by the monsoons
Which air masses influence the humid continental hot-summer climates in North America?
a. continental polar (cP) in winter; maritime tropical (mT) in summer
b. continental polar (cP) year-round
c, continental polar (cP) in winter; continental tropical (cT) in summer
d. continental polar (cP) in summer and continental actic (cA) in winter
a. continental polar (cP) in winter; maritime tropical (mT) in summer
Midlatitude Broadleaf and Mixed Forest is a typical biome for what type of climate?
a. Tropical monsoon
b. Mediterranean
c. subarctic
d. Humid subtropical
d. Humid subtropical
Which of the following is not true of the subarctic climate regions of Canada and Asia?
a. permafrost occurs here
b. Broadleaf deciduous trees, such as maple and sweetgum, dominate the area
c. this climate zone constitutes the maximum polarward extent of forests
d. this climatic zone experiences exceptionally large annual temperature ranges
b. Broadleaf deciduous trees, such as maple and sweetgum, dominate the area
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) concentrations over the past 800,000 years…
a. have remained relatively constant
b. were much higher in the past than the present
c. fluctuated over time, but have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution
d. reached its maximum about 325,000 years before present
c. fluctuated over time, but have been increasing since the Industrial Revolution
Scientists use _____ to reconstruct climates that extend back further than our present instrumentation allows
a. direct measurements
b. algorithms
c. conjecture
d. climate proxies
d. climate proxies
Of the following anthropogenic methan (CH4) sources, which is the largest?
a. agriculture associated fires
b. wastewater treatment
c. rice paddies
d. livestock
d, livestock
