test 2 Flashcards
(117 cards)
1
Q
Pure water rarely occurs in nature because it is a good solvent
A
TRUE
2
Q
Water has a density of
A
1.0g/cm^3
3
Q
Water covers approximately _____ of Earth’s surface
A
71%
4
Q
The process by which water and water vapor emerge from layers deep within and below the crust is called_____.
A
Outgassing
5
Q
The largest portion of fresh water today is located in
A
ice sheets and glaciers
6
Q
Earth’s oceans possess
A
ninety seven percent of Earth’s waters
7
Q
Human body contains ____ water.
A
70%
8
Q
Other than ice sheets and glaciers, the largest repository of fresh water is located in
A
groundwater
9
Q
Water molecules bind tightly to one another. This is a result of
A
hydrogen bonding
10
Q
Hydrogen bonding results from the fact that
A
the hydrogen end of a water molecule is positively charged and the oxygen end is negatively charged
11
Q
The term deposition refers to
A
water vapor freezing to ice
12
Q
What is the heat energy involved in the change of phase?
A
latent heat
13
Q
When water condense, it ____ heat energy and ____ the surrounding air.
A
releases; heats
14
Q
In winter, freezing water can break pipes and even crack engine blocks. How does this happen
A
Water expands in volumes as it freezes
15
Q
Water vapor in the atmosphere is called
A
Humidity
16
Q
Relative humidity is
A
the amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature expressed as a percentage of the water vapor capacity of the air
17
Q
The capacity of the air to hold water vapor is basically a function of
A
The temperature of both the air and the water vapor
18
Q
A mass of air always becomes saturated when it reaches the
A
dew point temp
19
Q
Which of the following is (are) not used to measure relative humidity
A
anemometers & barometers
20
Q
The greater the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometers, the ___ the air is the ____ the relative humidity
A
drier; lower
21
Q
The smaller the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer, the ____ the air is the and the _____
A
wetter; closer the air temperature is to the dew point
22
Q
The general term that refers to the tendency of a parcel of air to either remain in place or change its initials position is
A
stability
23
Q
An air parcel is considered unstable when it
A
continues to rise until it reaches an altitude at which the surrounding air has a similar temp
24
Q
When the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate the atmospheric conditions are
A
unstable
25
When the environmental lapse rate is less than the most adiabatic lapse rate, the atmospheric conditions are
stable
26
The wet adiabatic lapse rate is ____ than the dry adiabatic laps rate because____
less; condensation heats the air
27
Which of the following statements regarding rising air, in which dew point temperature has been reached, is correct?
the air simultaneously being cooled by expansion and headed by condensation
28
The condensation process requires
condensation nuclei and saturated air
29
The principal process for raindrop formation in tropical warm clouds is
collision- coalescence process
30
Weather is
the short-term condition of the atmosphere
31
Climate is the ____ term average of weather conditions and extremes in a region
long
32
An air mass initially reflects the characteristics of its source region
TRUE
33
an air mass is heterogeneous in terms of temperature and humidity
FALSE
34
Air masses that develop over Canada are examples of ____ air masses
cP
35
Most air is denser than dry air
FALSE
36
A well-developed, newly formed cP air mass would have which of the following characteristics
all of the above
37
The maritime tropical Pacific (mT) and maritime tropical gulf and Atlantic (mT) air masses are
different from one another because the pacific air mass usually has lower specific humidity than the gulf/Atlantic air mass
38
A mT air mass is likely to be ___than a cT air mass because the mT air mass___
wetter; forms over the ocean
39
Which of the following would result in the modification of the air mass?
all of the above
40
Lake effect snow involves heavy snowfall on the leeward shores of the great lakes
TRUE
41
Summer afternoon thundershowers in the southeastern United States are more than likely a result of
convection lifting
42
The term "orographic" refers to
forced uplift due to the presence of a physical barrier
43
Heavy rain and snow fall on the western side of Cascades is due to orographic lifting
TRUE
44
The term "rain shadow" refers to
dry regions on the leeward side of mountain ranges
45
Chinook winds are cold and dry winds
FALSE
46
Chinook winds form on the leeward side of mountains
TRUE
47
List two types of fronts ___ front and ____ front
cold; warm
48
The energy source of thunderstorms is from the condensation of large amount of water vapor in the clouds
TRUE
49
Florida has the highest thunderstorm frequency in the US, because
A & B only
50
Tornadoes occur in every month except March & April in the United States
FALSE
51
The peak month of tornado occurrence is November
FALSE
52
The highest frequency of tornadoes in the US occurs in
Oklahoma
53
Tropical cyclones originate entirely within tropical air masses
TRUE
54
The sea surface temperature (SST) must be greater than ____ for triggering a tropical cyclone
26 degrees C
55
Tropical cyclones in the northern hemisphere rotate clockwise
F
56
which part of a hurricane consists of dry, descending air
eye
57
On weather maps, a warm front is represented by a line with small triangle spikes that point in the direction of frontal movement
FALSE
58
The hydrologic cycle includes water
All of the above
59
With regard to the hydrologic cycle, the bulk of the precipitation occurs over land
FALSE
60
Most of the water that falls in the continents is derived from the oceans
TRUE
61
precipitation that reaches earth's surface penetrates the soil surface through the process of
infiltration
62
precipitation is generally measured with
specially constructed gages
63
It is necessary to place a windshield around a rain gage because without it, the amount of rain trapped by the gage would be more than that which actually fell
FALSE
64
Potential evapotranspiration refers to
the amount of water that would evaporate or transpire if it was available
65
Which of the following is true of precipitation in North America
The highest amounts occur in the south east and extreme south
66
Transpiration refers to
the outward movement of water from plan leaves
67
Which of the following would decrease the rate at which evapotranspiration occurs
increased humidity
68
Which of the following can measure the potential evapotranspiration's
evaporation pan
69
Which of the following can measure the actual evapotranspiration
lysimeter
70
Which of the following is normally true of a hot desert
Potential evapotranspiration exceeds actual evapotranspiration
71
If precipitation and soil moisture are inadequate to meet potential evapotranspiration demands, the moisture condition is described as
a deficit
72
Water detention on the surface is a form of
surplus
73
As transpiration occurs, water enters plant roots because
the water pressure in the soil is more than the water pressure in the plan
74
As soil moisture reaches _____ point, plan stops transpiration.
wilting
75
A water-bearing rock stratum is called a(n)
aquifer
76
Which of the following is true regarding an unconfined aquifer
It is recharged by the downward flow of water under the influence of gravity
77
The term "cone of depression" refers to
a depression in the water table formed by rapid ground water withdrawal
78
Which of the following is potential consequence of ground water over pumping?
all of the above
79
The largest practical potential source of fresh water in North America is
ground water
80
If the water table reaches the surface of the ground, a spring could develop
TRUE
81
The upper limit of the water that collects in the zone of saturation is called the
water table
82
An artesian aquifer is confined aquifer containing ground water that will flow upward through a well without the need of pumping
TRUE
83
An area defined by characteristics, long- term weather patterns in called
a climatic region
84
Global climate change has been linked to floods, droughts, and record high temperatures
TRUE
85
Climate is
the long term atmospheric condition including extremes that may occur
86
Based on principles discussed earlier in this course, you know that the annual temperature range of places located in the interior of a continent is ___ than those located along the coast at the same latitude
greater
87
Based on principles discussed earlier in this course, you know that the coastal areas located adjacent to cold ocean currents experience less precipitation than areas located adjacent to warm currents
TRUE
88
In which of the following areas would the least amount of precipitation occur
on the leeward side of a mountain range in the interior of a continent
89
Regarding average annual precipitation, which of the following is correct
The highest average values occur along the equator
90
Hot and wet temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristics of
rainforests in the equatorial tropics
91
Cold and dry temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristics of
polar climates
92
An empirical classification is based on, among other factors,
the mean annual temperature and precipitation of an area
93
A genetic classification system can be based on, among other factors,
The interaction of air masses
94
Which of the following lists the correct, generalized sequence of climate from the equator to the poles?
tropical>desert>mesothermal>microthermal>polar
95
The tropical rain forest climate receives most of its rainfall as a result of frontal uplift
FaLse
96
Which of the following is false regarding the tropical rainforest climates?
The annual temperature range is larger than the dail temperature raing
97
Which of the following is false regarding the tropical rain forest ecosystems
Low growing vegetation is dense to the rain forest
98
The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when
The ITCZ is not overhead
99
Which of the following is false regarding the tropical monsoon climate
The summer is the driest time of the year
100
The tropical savanna climate has
The itCZ in summer and the subtropical high in winter
101
Which of the following is true of the Mediterranean climate
Dry summers and wet winters
102
Greenhouse gases act to increase temperatures by absorbing and releasing
longwave energy reavelling from earth into space
103
list two proxy indicators scientists used to study past climate
Coral reef and tree rings
104
Scientists use the _____________________ model (GCM) to predict future climate
general circulation
105
Tundra is a type of land under continuous snow cover for 8-10 months with the warmest month air temperature is about ___degrees C, and less than ___ degrees C.
0;10
106
Which of the following phase changes decreases the temperature of the air?
Ice to water
107
A sling psychrometer has two thermometers
Dry and wet
108
List four cloud types classified by altitude
Low, mid, high, vertical
109
List three cloud types classified by form
Cirroform, stratiform, cumuliform
110
Air masses tend to maintain their original characteristics as they migrate from their source regions
False
111
List the four atmospheric lifting mechanisms
Convergent, convectional, orographic, frontal
112
After a cold front passes, the temperature ____ and the pressure ____
Decreases, increases
113
Tropical cyclones are called ____ in North America
Hurricanes
114
Tropical cyclones are called ____ in china
Typhoon
115
Tropical cyclones are called ____ in Australia
Cyclones
116
List four types of precipitation
Dew, fog, hail, rain
117
The tropical savanna climate is associated with a wet summer and a dry winter and is dominated by the ITCZ for 6 months or less during the year
True
