Deck 13: Climate and Weathering

Question 1

Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude due to:

A) the removal of oxygen by Earth's rotational spin
B) an increase in gravitational force away from Earth
C) an increase in water vapor away from the surface
D) the reduction of ozone content by solar radiation
E) a decrease in the thickness and density of air on top

Answer 1

E

Question 2

What topic was NOT discussed in the opening of the climate chapter?

A) the monsoon of India
B) the role of the Himalaya in climate
C) the Brahmaputra River of India and Bangladesh
D) all of these were discussed

Answer 2

D

Question 3

To create a land breeze

A) the cool air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Warm air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.
B) the warm air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Cool air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.
C) the warm air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.
D) the cool air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an offshore breeze.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What is the relationship between water vapor at point A and water droplets at point B?

A) warm vapor at A is caused by the heat released in condensation at point B
B) warm vapor at A is likely not related to condensation at point B
C) warm vapor at A causes cooling and condenses to liquid water at point B
D) water evaporates at point A, rises, and then cools and condenses at point B
E) vapor and water droplets are the behaving the same way

Question 5

Heat is applied to a container. The molecules inside the container become:

A) more energetic; pressure increases
B) less energetic; pressure increases
C) less energetic; pressure decreases
D) more energetic; pressure decreases

Question 6

The Coriolis effect causes wind to have an apparent deflection to the:

A) left in the northern hemisphere
B) right in the southern hemisphere
C) right in both the northern and southern hemispheres
D) none of these

Question 7

This diagram suggests that:

A) ice crystals can form across a range of temperatures at higher altitudes
B) water droplets form across a range of temperatures
C) while rain is failing at lower elevations, ice crystals can exist at higher elevations
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 8

Atmospheric pressure is generally:

A) lower at lower altitude
B) lower at higher altitude
C) highest when the wind is blowing
D) lowest when the wind is blowing

Question 9

Which process or feature would most be responsible for the greatest incremental growth in a water droplet?

A) collision-coalescence
B) condensation nuclei
C) evaporation
D) strong surface tension

Question 10

To create a sea breeze

A) the cool air over the land sinks, creating low pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating high pressure. This creates an onshore breeze.
B) the cool air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Warm air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an onshore breeze.
C) the warm air over the land rises, creating low pressure. Cool air over water sinks, creating high pressure. This creates an onshore breeze.
D) he warm air over the land sinks, creating high pressure. Warm air over water rises, creating low pressure. This creates an onshore breeze.

Question 11

Pushing down on the sealed glass container causes

A) increased volume, pressure increases.
B) decreased volume, pressure increases.
C) decreased volume, pressure decreases.
D) increased volume, pressure decreases.

Question 12

As described in the chapter opener, the word monsoon refers to:

A) a decade-long period of drought
B) a decade-long period of rainfall
C) the appearance of the moon earlier than expected
D) winds that reverse direction, depending on the season

Question 13

This diagram shows the conditions under which the three phases of water can exist. Which of the following is NOT true?

A) increasing temperature can cause ice to become liquid
B) increasing temperature can cause liquid to become vapor
C) at low pressure, increasing temperature can cause ice to become vapor
D) decreasing pressure can convert vapor to ice or a liquid

Question 14

Movement of upper air currents will create

A) surface high pressure beneath upper air convergence left figure).
B) surface low pressure beneath upper air convergence left figure).
C) surface high pressure beneath upper air divergence right figure).
D) no effect on surface air pressure.

Question 15

What location on this map best represents a trough of low pressure?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 16

For precipitation to occur

A) the force of gravity is incapable of overcoming the buoyant forces keeping water droplets and ice crystals suspended.
B) buoyant forces keeping water droplet and ice crystals suspended must be greater than the force of gravity.
C) buoyant forces keeping water droplets and ice crystals suspended must be less than the force of gravity.

Question 17

Which of the following is true about ice in precipitation?

A) Ice is not precipitation, only rain drops are.
B) Ice forms when temperatures in clouds are relatively warm, well above freezing.
C) Movement of water molecules between ice and raindrops can make raindrops larger.
D) All of these are true.

Question 18

The Coriolis effect in the atmosphere is due to:

A) centrifugal force that causes water to bulge along the poles
B) the atmosphere rotating faster at the equator than at the poles
C) warm air flowing around the equator due to the Earth's rotation
D) cool air rising from the equator and flowing east and west

Question 19

What location on this map is closest to an area of relatively high pressure?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 20

Global belts of prevailing winds are caused by:

A) the lower spin velocity and higher atmospheric solar heating at the equator
B) the higher spin velocity and lower atmospheric solar heating at the equator
C) the higher spin velocity and higher atmospheric solar heating at the equator
D) the lower spin velocity and lower atmospheric solar heating at the equator
E) none of these

Question 21

Which of the following are NOT associated with a hurricane?

A) strong winds and heavy rainfall
B) a mound of water storm surge) pushed ahead of the storm
C) high atmospheric pressure
D) a relatively calm area in the center of the storm
E) all of these are associated with a hurricane

Question 22

In this cross section of a cold front, which of the following is most likely occurring?

A) Warm air is pushing under cold air, causing hail and freezing rain.
B) Neither the warm air nor cold air are moving, so the front is stationary.
C) Cold air is moving to the right, lifting and cooling warm air, causing clouds and rain.
D) None of these are occurring.

Question 23

Which of the following helps cause hurricanes to grow and be sustained?

A) cold water droplets are ripped from the ocean surface by the winds and evaporate causing heating
B) warm surface water evaporates into warm rising water vapor, which condenses
C) warm surface water draws down cold air from above, causing a cell to form
D) cold surface water evaporates when heated air is blown across the water surface
E) none of these

Question 24

Tornado Alley is a region in the United States comprising:

A) Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina
B) Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska
C) Delaware, Maryland
D) Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio
E) Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee

Question 25

For these ocean currents in the Atlantic, which of these currents is mostly likely to be a warm current?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) both 1 and 3
E) both 2 and 4

Question 26

All of the following are cold currents, EXCEPT:

A) North Equatorial Current.
B) Humbolt Current.
C) California Current.
D) Benguela Current.

Question 27

On this map, a warm front is located between letters:

A) A and B
B) B and C
C) C and D
D) A and C
E) A and D

Question 28

Which of the following shows the location of the Gulf Stream?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 29

Supercell thunderstorms are characterized by:

A) downward-moving winds called microbursts) along the front of the storm
B) a strong central updraft that may produce tornadoes
C) an anvil shape
D) all of these

Question 30

In the Northern Hemisphere, most surface current flow:

A) from north to south
B) from south to north
C) from west to east
D) from east to west
E) in clockwise, oval loops

Question 31

Arrows on this figure shows flow cells in the atmosphere. Which areas) would experience heavy precipitation, as results in rain forests?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 1 and 2
E) 1 and 3

Question 32

The Coriolis effect in this figure shows the deflection of cold air as it rushes in to replace hot rising air above a low pressure zone. The Coriolis effect:

A) usually is evident in local small storms less than a few kilometers wide
B) is responsible for tornados and whirlwinds
C) requires a very large air masses since it requires defection by the Earth's rotation
D) is seen in smoke rising from a building fire
E) all of these

Question 33

On this map, a cold front is located between letters:

A) A and B
B) B and C
C) C and D
D) A and C
E) A and D

Question 34

Which of the following settings is most likely to have high precipitation?

A) cold polar air that descends and heats up
B) a site where two large-scale circulation patterns flow away from each other, causing air to descend
C) a site where two large-scale circulation patterns converge, causing air to rise and cool
D) none of these

Question 35

The tropics are regions characterized by:

A) high-pressure air masses that rise and cause abundant precipitation
B) low-pressure air masses that rise and cause abundant precipitation
C) low-pressure air masses that descend, limiting the amount of precipitation
D) high-pressure air masses that descend, limiting the amount of precipitation
E) none of these

Question 36

Find the largest cold front located on the map. The air mass to the west of the cold front is likely to be __________ than the air mass to the east.

A) colder
B) warmer
C) more humid
D) tropical
E) more humid and tropical

Question 37

All of the following are warm currents, EXCEPT:

A) South Equatorial Current.
B) North Equatorial Current.
C) Gulf Stream.
D) Canary Current

Question 38

In this model of atmospheric water, why is location C a desert?

A) the atmosphere cannot rise above the mountains that shadow the area
B) the actual shadow of clouds at B causes cold dry conditions at C
C) the shadow of the mountains keeps plants from growing at C
D) the water vapor sinking at A keeps point C dry
E) moist air is forced to rise and cool over the mountains, decreasing the amount of water vapor available to point C

Question 39

Most equatorial regions are warmer than the rest of Earth because of:

A) Earth's daily rotation
B) Earth's orbit around Sun
C) tilt of Earth's axis of rotation
D) none of these

Question 40

Which of the following shows the location of the Humboldt Current?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 41

For these ocean currents in the South Atlantic, which of these currents is mostly likely to be a warm current?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) both 1 and 3
E) both 2 and 4

Question 42

This figure shows warmer-than-normal sea-surface temperatures in the western Pacific and cooler-than-normal temperatures for the eastern Pacific. What condition is being illustrated?

A) monsoon
B) world-wide drought
C) El Niño
D) La Niña

Question 43

A monsoon is a:

A) hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean
B) typhoon in the Pacific Ocean
C) large, supercell thunderstorm
D) seasonal change in wind direction

Question 44

This figure shows warmer-than-normal sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific. What condition is illustrated?

A) monsoon
B) world-wide drought
C) El Niño
D) La Niña

Question 45

The east Australian current is shown by the sweeping arrow flowing south along the continents eastern shoreline. Winds blowing across this current onto land are shown as a series of westward arrows. These winds:

A) are heated and make the eastern side of Australia arid
B) rise over the current and are unaffected
C) pick up moisture and then cause precipitation, allowing rain forests along the coast
D) release moisture and cool the current

Question 46

Sea Surface Temperatures SST's) are typically warmest:

A) on the western sides of oceans.
B) on the eastern side of oceans.
C) in the northernmost parts of the Northern Hemisphere and southernmost parts of the Southern Hemisphere
D) in the mid-latitudes.

Question 47

The thermohaline conveyor is driven by:

A) warm, less saline surface water that circulates at the equator
B) cold less saline water that flows from melting glaciers in Greenland
C) warmer surface water that rises in the Indian Ocean
D) warm saline water that sinks in the North Atlantic
E) warm deep water that rises in the North Pacific

Question 48

As a result of cold currents, July SST's, shown in this globe, are relatively colder

A) along the equator.
B) along the north-south axis of the Atlantic Ocean.
C) near the east coasts of continents.
D) near the west coasts of continents.

Question 49

Monsoons are caused by

A) seasonal heating of land masses in summer that changes wind directions
B) seasonal changes in the temperature of deep-water currents
C) changes in rain forest density that in turn change evaporation rates
D) high winds that flow from mountains toward oceans

Question 50

The Indian monsoon occurs because:

A) the Sonoran Desert heats up the Four Corners area in the summer
B) the Bay of Bengal heats up in the summer
C) Tibet becomes colder, causing a southward flow of cold, wet air toward India
D) water vapor from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal flows over India

Question 51

Sea Surface Temperatures SST) generally are warmest

A) where oceans are deepest allowing for sufficient mixing.
B) along the equator where the sun's rays are most direct.
C) at the subtropics because descending air promotes clear skies.
D) at the poles where long days during the summer help warm the water.

Question 52

El Niño is a condition that brings increased precipitation to the eastern Pacific Ocean basin when:

A) weakening of an ocean current results in cooler sea temperatures in the eastern Pacific
B) strengthening of an ocean current results in warmer sea temperatures in the eastern Pacific
C) an ocean current reverses direction, resulting in cooler sea temperatures in the eastern Pacific
D) heating occurs in deserts of the American Southwest during summer months
E) none of these

Question 53

For these ocean currents in the Atlantic, which of these currents is mostly likely to be a cold current?

A) 1
B) 3
C) 4
D) both 1 and 3
E) both 2 and 4

Question 54

Sea surface temperature SST) generally ________ as one travels toward the poles.

A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains constant.
D) decreases and then increases.

Question 55

The thermohaline conveyor is important in the North Pacific because:

A) it warms the coast of Alaska, allowing longer growing seasons
B) it brings deep nutrient-rich water to the surface
C) it decreases surface water temperatures, preventing hurricanes
D) it brings warmer water deep into the Pacific basin, recharging nutrients

Question 56

Drought is an extended period of reduced precipitation and can be caused by:

A) atypical high-pressure weather systems
B) changes in ocean currents
C) changes in wind directions for a long time
D) all of these

Question 57

Surface ocean currents circulate in ocean basins:

A) clockwise in the northern hemisphere
B) clockwise in the southern hemisphere
C) counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere
D) circulation directions are not systematic

Question 58

Counter currents near the equator flow mostly:

A) south from the poles to the equator
B) north from the equator to the poles
C) east-west, parallel to the equator
D) counterclockwise to balance the Coriolis effect
E) none of these

Question 59

The ocean current known as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean is a:

A) warm current flowing north from the equator
B) cold current flowing north from the equator
C) warm equatorial current flowing east into the Gulf of Mexico
D) deep-ocean current that controls fish abundances in the southern hemisphere
E) none of these

Question 60

For these ocean currents in the South Atlantic, which of these currents is mostly likely to be a cold current?

A) 1
B) 3
C) 4
D) both 1 and 3
E) both 2 and 4

Question 61

The subtropics at 30° north and south of the equator are characterized by arid lands. This is primarily a result of:

A) rising hot air caused by solar heating in these zones
B) descending hot air that heats the ground
C) descending, dry air that is part of a cell that originates at the equator
D) rising cool, dry air that flows in a cell to the equator
E) polar air that flows towards the equator

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of a tropical rain forest?

A) high annual rainfall
B) freezing temperatures during only two months in the winter
C) abundance of plant and animal life
D) diversity of species
E) all of these are characteristic of a tropical rain forest

Question 63

For the sand dunes shown here, which was does the prevailing wind blow?

A) from right to left
B) from left to right
C) toward the viewer, along the crest of the dune
D) There is no way to tell for this type of dune.

Question 64

Which of the following is NOT a reason why rain forests are disappearing?

A) trees are cleared for small farms so that people can live off the land
B) cattle ranching
C) commercial logging for tropical hardwoods, such as mahogany
D) construction of dams for hydroelectric power
E) all of these are reasons why rain forests are disappearing

Question 65

The sand dunes shown in this photograph:

A) are isolated and have well-defined crescent shapes
B) formed in a wet climate based on their shape
C) are part of a complex dune field
D) are loess deposits
E) are inactive because they have been eroded by running water

Question 66

Wind moves sediment by:

A) bouncing sand grains along the surface
B) rolling sand grains along the surface
C) carrying finer material, like dust and silt, in air currents
D) all of these

Question 67

This figure shows how sunlight strikes the earth during certain times of the year. It is summer:

A) in the Northern Hemisphere
B) in the Southern Hemisphere
C) in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
D) on the side of the earth facing the Sun

Question 68

The area marked by number 2 on this figure is a desert primarily because:

A) it is in the rainshadow of a mountain range
B) it is cooled by cold currents from the Arctic
C) it is within the interior of a continent
D) it experiences dry, descending air in the subtropics

Question 69

This wind-blown dust deposit loess):

A) was deposited by a huge flood of seawater that covered the land at the time of the dinosaurs
B) began as clay and silt that were produced by grinding of rocks along ice-age glaciers
C) forms a world-wide layer associated with a well-known extinction of dinosaurs
D) all of these

Question 70

Which of the following is NOT a setting that can form a desert?

A) near cold, upwelling ocean currents
B) in the subtropics due to atmosphere circulation patterns
C) in a rain shadow of a mountain range
D) in cold, dry polar regions
E) all of these are settings that can form deserts

Question 71

Dust storms, like the one shown in this satellite image near North Africa, can transport dust over maximum distances of:

A) 10 kilometers
B) 50 to 90 kilometers
C) 100 kilometers because of the Coriolis effect
D) several hundred kilometers
E) thousands of kilometers

Question 72

This figure shows how sunlight strikes the earth during certain times of the year. It is summer:

A) in the Northern Hemisphere
B) in the Southern Hemisphere
C) in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
D) on the side of the earth facing the Sun

Question 73

Arrows on this figure shows flow cells in the atmosphere. Which areas) would most likely be a desert?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 1 and 2
E) 1 and 3

Question 74

These pillars are remnants of layers, most of which have been stripped away by wind erosion. If this occurred in less than five years you might reasonably conclude that:

A) the pillars are remnants of volcanic necks
B) this area recently has become a productive place to produce agriculture
C) there must have been drought, overgrazing, or some short-term climatic change
D) this area was originally a lake

Question 75

What is desertification?

A) when a desert changes to some other environment
B) when a desert suffers increased erosion due to loss of plants
C) when grasslands or some other ecology is converted into a desert
D) the deposition of one layer of desert sand over another

Question 76

Which of the following is a key aspect of all deserts?

A) they receive less precipitation than they lose to evaporation and other processes
B) they receive less than 25 centimeters of rainfall per year
C) the largest ones are in the northern hemisphere
D) all of these

Question 77

What is the main setting in which rain forests occur?

A) near the equator
B) at 30° north and 30° south latitude
C) at 45° north and 45° south latitude
D) in the interior of large continents, especially Asia

Question 78

How do rain forests influence ecology?

A) materials are washed out of the area and so there is little recycling of nutrients
B) rain forests can take up large amounts of carbon dioxide and so act as a buffer against climate change
C) plants capture solar energy and so cause the ground to become warmer and drier
D) most of the species in rain forests are near the ground surface rather than in the tree-top canopy
E) all of these

Question 79

Tropical rain forests are clustered near the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which is:

A) a low and very hot area of land where one continental plate converges with another
B) a low and very hot area of land where two oceanic plates converge
C) almost exactly along the equator due to maximum solar radiation converging on plants
D) a curved boundary where winds converge near the equator

Question 80

Where do most deserts and other arid lands occur:

A) along the equator
B) near the poles
C) in the Southern Hemisphere
D) in the subtropics