Deck 2: Physical Geography and the Environment

Question 1

The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone is most found straddling the

A)Arctic Circle
B)Antarctic Circle
C)Equator
D)Tropic of Capricorn
E)Tropic of Cancer

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Beneath Earth's surface, where does the heat exchange occur that moves tectonic plates?

A)ocean trenches
B)convection cells
C)subducting plate
D)mid-ocean ridge
E)continental crust

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The deepest trenches in the world exceed what depth?

A)250,000 feet
B)15,000 feet
C)35,000 feet
D)25,000 feet
E)50,000 feet

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Pangaea was

A)a deep ocean trench created by colliding plates.
B)a supercontinent centered on present-day Africa.
C)an area of active earthquakes and volcanoes.
D)an area of colliding plates that formed the Himalaya Mountains.
E)the divergent plate that created the Rocky Mountains in North America.

Question 5

The Himalayas are a prime example of which feature?

A)rift valley
B)convergent boundary
C)transform fault
D)divergent boundary
E)subduction zone

Question 6

Which of the following locales will feature subduction zones?

A)East Africa
B)the Himalayan Mountains
C)Iceland
D)Pangea
E)the Pacific Coast of South America

Question 7

The trapping of solar radiation in Earth's lower atmosphere

A)began with humans' use of fossil fuels.
B)began with humans' use of fossil fuels and has no benefits.
C)is called the greenhouse effect.
D)has no benefits.
E)is entirely anthropogenic.

Question 8

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

A)The number of tectonic plates equals the number of continents on Earth.
B)Earth's continents are moving closer together.
C)Earth is made up of a large number of geological plates that move slowly across its surface.
D)Human activities are changing Earth's surface.
E)Earth was created 6,000 years ago.

Question 9

What geologic structure is created when one tectonic plate dives below another?

A)continental crust
B)ocean trenches
C)subduction zone
D)divergent plate boundary
E)convergent plate boundary

Question 10

Which chain of volcanic islands are far removed from a plate boundary?

A)Japan
B)Iceland
C)Hawaii
D)Philippines
E)Indonesia

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of Earth's climate controls?

A)incoming solar energy
B)land-water heating differences
C)longitude
D)latitude
E)global pressure systems and wind patterns

Question 12

A maritime climate is characterized by

A)mild summers.
B)mild winters.
C)cold winters.
D)hot summers.
E)mild summers and mild winters

Question 13

An example on Earth of a rift valley is

A)the Red Sea between northern Africa and Saudi Arabia
B)the Mariana Trench
C)Iceland
D)the San Andreas fault of California
E)the Andes Mountains of South America

Question 14

Which of the following statements is FALSE about volcanoes?

A)volcanoes are an excellent source of geothermal energy
B)volcanoes are found in site-specific places on Earth, most notably along plate boundaries
C)volcanism may provide tourism revenue due to the scenic beauty of the landscape
D)volcanoes tend to generate very poor soils for agriculture
E)volcanoes usually provide an array of warnings before they erupt, thus minimizing the loss of life should humans heed the warnings

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT created along convergent plate boundaries?

A)mountain ranges and active volcanoes
B)a subduction zone
C)rift valleys
D)the world's most powerful earthquakes
E)deep trenches

Question 16

Where are earthquakes and volcanoes most commonly found?

A)at the edges of oceans
B)in the higher latitudes
C)around the equator
D)along tectonic plate boundaries
E)The location is random.

Question 17

The San Andreas Fault, traversing coastal California, forms what type of plate boundary?

A)subduction zone
B)transform fault
C)colliding plate boundary
D)divergent plate boundary
E)divergent plate boundary and subduction zone

Question 18

If the greenhouse effect did not exist, what would happen to earth?

A)Our environment would be greatly improved.
B)Earth would be too wet to support life as we know it.
C)Earth would be much too hot to support life as we know it.
D)Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it.
E)It would make no difference.

Question 19

Which of the following features is created at a divergent plate boundary?

A)oceanic trench
B)subduction zone
C)mountain building at the margin of the continent
D)continental crust
E)rift valleys

Question 20

Haiti's 2008 earthquake resulted in over 230,000 deaths whereas Japan's 2011 earthquake resulted in 20,000 deaths. What explains the differences in loss of life?

A)effectiveness of search and rescue operations and local building standards
B)effectiveness of search & rescue operations
C)strength of the earthquake
D)in Haiti there was also a tsunami that followed the earthquake
E)local building standards

Question 21

Computer models predict that average global temperatures will increase _ by 2020.

A)1°F.
B)10°F.
C)-2°F.
D)3)6°F.
E)4°F.

Question 22

The world's pressure systems are responsible for

A)a greater intensity of solar energy at the equator.
B)warm, rainless summer of Mediterranean climates.
C)severe winters in interior regions.
D)mild summers/winters along coasts and severe winters in interior regions.
E)mild summer and winter temperatures along coast lines.

Question 23

Cape Town, South Africa at about 34° south latitude, has what type of climate?

A)Cs N Mediterranean
B)Af N Tropical rainy
C)Aw N Tropical savanna
D)BW N Desert
E)ET N Tundra

Question 24

If all climatic controls except latitude were held constant, which of these cities would be warmest?

A)Wasilla, Alaska at about 61° north latitude
B)Cape Town, South Africa at about 34° south latitude
C)Paris, France at about 49° north latitude
D)Singapore at about 2° north latitude
E)Punta Arenas, Chile at about 53° south latitude

Question 25

The desert/grassland biome is found primarily where?

A)along the Equator
B)along coastal regions in tropical regions of the world
C)exclusively in Africa and Asia
D)in polar latitudes
E)in lower to mid-latitudes in both hemispheres

Question 26

Using the environmental lapse rate of 3.5°F/1000 feet, if you have a surface temperature of 77.5°F at sea level and go hiking in the nearby mountains to an elevation of 3000 feet, what will the temperature be at that elevation?

A)0°F
B)60°F
C)67°F
D)88°F
E)73.5°F

Question 27

An assemblage of local plants, animals, and insects covering a large area such as a tropical rainforest or a grassland is called a

A)bionicle.
B)biogeography.
C)bioregion.
D)biosphere.
E)biore.

Question 28

Equatorial regions are characterized by a pressure system and air flow

A)low, ascending
B)high, ascending
C)high, descending
D)low, descending
E)neutral, no

Question 29

Anthropogenic pollution is caused by

A)anthropologists.
B)animals.
C)people.
D)climate.
E)rocks.

Question 30

The majority of the African continent is dominated by which three bioregions?

A)evergreen forest, tundra and ice
B)evergreen forest, tropical rain forest and desert
C)temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain forest and evergreen forest
D)tropical rain forest, tropical savanna and desert
E)tropical rain forest, desert and tundra

Question 31

At Kyoto in 1997, what did the 30 Western industrialized countries legally agree to do?

A)reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels
B)censure China for exceeding its carbon limits
C)finance further studies to determine the cause of climate change
D)voluntarily limit greenhouse gas emissions
E)reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by half

Question 32

Which atmospheric gas is closely linked to the greenhouse effect?

A)methane
B)chlorofluorocarbons
C)nitrous oxide
D)carbon dioxide
E)ozone

Question 33

The long-term average from daily weather measurements is

A)weather.
B)global warming.
C)climate.
D)insolation.
E)climograph.

Question 34

The equatorial regions of the African continent are dominated by which two climate categories?

A)Aw/Cs N tropical savanna and Mediterranean
B)ET/EF N tundra and ice cap
C)Af/Ca N tropical rainy and humid subtropical
D)Af/Aw N tropical rainy and tropical savanna
E)BS/BW N steppe and desert

Question 35

Tropical winds generally blow in which direction in both hemispheres?

A)from north to south
B)from south to north
C)from west to east
D)from east to west
E)there are no prevailing wind directions in the tropics

Question 36

Arctic latitudes will have what type of vegetation?

A)tropical rain forest
B)tundra
C)deciduous forests
D)tropical grasslands
E)evergreen forests

Question 37

The rich diversity of plants and animals on Earth is known as

A)bioregion.
B)biore.
C)biogeography.
D)bionicle.
E)biosdiversity

Question 38

The movement of air over a mountain range, causing it cool (and possibly rain)as it gains elevation is known as

A)convection
B)orographic
C)dynamic
D)convergence
E)climatic

Question 39

Tropical savanna bioregions are found in which climate type?

A)Af
B)Cs
C)Am
D)BW
E)Aw

Question 40

Which of the following places will have the greatest annual difference between summer and winter temperatures?

A)Sacramento, California (38°N, 121°W), located eight miles from Pacific coast
B)Orlando, Florida (28°N, 81°W), located sixty miles from the Atlantic coast
C)Fargo, North Dakota (46°N, 96°W), located near the geographic center of North America
D)Miami, Florida (25°N, 80°W), located on the Atlantic coast
E)San Francisco, California (38°N, 120°W), located on the Pacific coast

Question 41

Which of the following is a fossil fuel?

A)petroleum
B)hydrogen/fuel cell
C)ethanol
D)nuclear energy
E)wood

Question 42

Which of the following has NOT been a result of the introduction of the Wello WaterWheel in rural India?

A)a reduction in the number of hours a week spent carrying water
B)a reduction in neck and back problems among women
C)an increase in female literacy
D)an increase in the amount of water available for agriculture
E)a decrease in the school dropout rate among young girls

Question 43

What percentage of the African population will likely experience water stress by 2025?

A)10%
B)75%
C)95%
D)25%
E)50%

Question 44

Groundwater accounts for what percentage of Earth's freshwater?

A)97%
B)3%
C)75%
D)20%
E)30%

Question 45

What type of bioregion is most often found along the equator?

A)broadleaf or mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest
B)tropical forests
C)coniferous forest
D)tundra
E)Mediterranean woodland

Question 46

What water policy, advocated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, has made it more difficult for some people to gain access to water?

A)irrigation
B)government regulation
C)privatization
D)the Kyoto Protocol
E)U)N Convention on the Law of the Sea

Question 47

Which of the following forests are made up of cone-bearing trees?

A)deciduous
B)tropical savanna
C)polar
D)evergreen
E)tropical rain forest

Question 48

The UN reports that how many children die each day from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation?

A)100
B)10000
C)40000
D)4000
E)400

Question 49

The immense pressure humans have placed on various global bioregions has given rise to what phenomenon?

A)tree hybrids
B)biodiversity
C)increased precipitation
D)old-growth forests
E)novel ecosystems

Question 50

Where are grasslands most likely to occur?

A)tundra
B)coniferous forests
C)steppes
D)temperate forests
E)tropical forests

Question 51

In which bioregion at low latitudes has a climate in which rain falls for only a part of the year?

A)Steppe
B)Tropical Savanna
C)Deciduous Forests
D)Tropical Rainforest
E)Mediterranean

Question 52

What percentage of Earth's water is freshwater?

A)40%
B)75%
C)97%
D)3%
E)20%

Question 53

With climate zone will have evergreen and deciduous forests?

A)tropical monsoon
B)humid subtropical
C)tundra
D)Mediterranean
E)humid continental

Question 54

Which global region has the highest overall water stress?

A)Europe
B)Australia
C)North America
D)North Africa
E)Southeast Asia

Question 55

What percent of the world's total species could be extinct by 2050?

A)35%
B)25%
C)5%
D)50%
E)95%

Question 56

What percentage of Earth's freshwater is accessible in surface rivers and lakes?

A)70%
B)30%
C)97%
D)10%
E)1%

Question 57

Where are most tropical rainforests located?

A)near the south pole
B)in the middle latitudes
C)near the equator
D)near the north pole
E)Their location is random.

Question 58

What percentage of Earth's freshwater is locked up in polar ice caps?

A)30%
B)20%
C)70%
D)97%
E)3%

Question 59

The primary gatherers of water in the developing world are

A)young boys
B)women and children
C)small children of both sexes
D)able-bodied young men
E)elderly people of both sexes

Question 60

The root systems of trees in tropical rain forests expand outward from the tree because

A)the trees are very short and do not need deep roots.
B)the ground temperatures in tropical forests are too high to allow for deep roots.
C)there is a shortage of rainfall in the region tends to prohibit effective plant growth.
D)the ground layer of vegetation in tropical forests is so thick so the roots extract nutrients from the vegetation.
E)the mineral content of the soil is shallow and hence roots expand laterally rather than vertically to exploit the shallow nutrient layer.

Question 61

Discuss the relationship between plate tectonics and the location of seismic activity around the world.

Question 62

The majority of China's renewable energy comes from

A)hydropower
B)coal
C)nuclear
D)solar
E)wind

Question 63

What major industrial power currently generates 20% of its total energy budget from renewable resources?

A)Denmark
B)Great Britain
C)Germany
D)United States
E)China

Question 64

Which of the following pairs are a renewable energy source?

A)wind and solar
B)solar and natural gas
C)wind and natural gas
D)coal and wind
E)hydrologic and oil

Question 65

The tropical location of Africa sitting astride the Equator makes it a prime location for the expansion of which renewable energy industry?

A)solar
B)nuclear
C)coal
D)wind
E)hydropower

Question 66

The largest current producer of natural gas is

A)Russia
B)Qatar
C)Iran
D)Canada
E)United States

Question 67

Proven reserves of oil are determined by

A)the total of all oil deposits that have been mined.
B)the estimated remaining deposits of the resources
C)an estimate of oil deposits not yet discovered.
D)identified areas of possible fossil fuels.
E)deposits that are possible to mine and be distributed under current economic and technological conditions

Question 68

The nation with the greatest percentage of global proven oil reserves is

A)Iraq
B)Saudi Arabia
C)Canada
D)Venezuela
E)Iran

Question 69

What is a problem with power generated by wind or sun?

A)It can create power surges that endanger the power grid.
B)Energy cannot be transferred from sunny or windy areas to other areas.
C)It requires constant sun or wind.
D)governments rarely give tax subsidies to renewable energy industries
E)It results in extensive disruption of local power sources.

Question 70

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)is

A)a technique which forces oil and gas out of shale rock.
B)a long-established technique of drilling for water that dates back centuries
C)the use of cold fusion to produce nuclear power.
D)an experimental technique for extracting oil from the ocean floor.
E)a new technique of producing power using water.

Question 71

Most of the world's power is generated by

A)hydropower.
B)coal.
C)natural gas.
D)oil.
E)nuclear.

Question 72

The global leader in nuclear energy consumption is

A)Canada
B)United States
C)Russia
D)France
E)China

Question 73

The United States produces % of the global supply of coal but currently consumes __% of the global demand.

A)11.9%, 26.6%
B)26.6%, 10.3%
C)10.3%, 26.6%
D)11.9%, 10.3%
E)26.6%, 11.9%

Question 74

Which two nations are both among the top five consumers of oil, coal and natural gas?

A)Russia and China
B)China and the United States
C)Russia and the United States
D)India and the United States

Question 75

What is the primary reason that global energy demand is forecast to increase 40% by 2030?

A)Japan's increased energy usage
B)due to immigration, Europe's consumption of energy will rise
C)the United States consumption of energy is predicted to increase dramatically
D)the further industrialization of developing economies
E)the movement away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources will lead to more demand

Question 76

The United States currently consumes roughly what percent of the world's oil?

A)20%
B)25%
C)5%
D)10%
E)50%

Question 77

What country generates almost all (95%)of its power from renewable sources?

A)Germany
B)Iceland
C)Denmark
D)Sweden
E)Great Britain

Question 78

Fossil fuels

A)are evenly distributed around the world
B)comprise roughly 50% of current global energy needs
C)include wind, solar and natural gas
D)are linked to environmental damage, most notably the emission of greenhouse gases
E)are a renewable energy source

Question 79

What geologic hazards do humans face around the world? Discuss the reasons for differences in the experience of these geologic hazards around the world and also the potential benefits to humans from hazards such as volcanism.

Question 80

What percent of the world's power is generated from renewable sources?

A)7%
B)5%
C)10%
D)3%
E)20%