Deck 4: Atmosphere and Surface Energy Balances

Question 1

When light passes from space into the atmosphere,it changes ________ in a process known as ________.

A)colour reflection
B)colour refraction
C)colour Rayleigh scattering
D)speed and direction reflection
E)speed and direction refraction

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Energy that is reflected from the atmosphere

A)is used to heat the atmosphere.
B)increases the energy surplus of the planet.
C)does not act to heat the atmosphere.
D)heats the atmosphere on its way in and on its way out.
E)powers all processes on Earth's surface.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is true of the albedo of water?

A)it changes,depending upon the Sun angle.
B)it is greatest when the Sun is low in the sky.
C)it never changes-albedos are constant values
D)it is less for frozen water than for liquid water.
E)it is greatest at the equator where the water is warmest.

Answer 3

it changes,depending upon the Sun angle.

Question 4

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)insolation = shortwave radiation = UV,visible,and near infrared
B)insolation = longwave radiation = thermal infrared radiation
C)terrestrial radiation = shortwave radiation = UV,visible,and near infrared
D)terrestrial radiation = shortwave radiation = thermal infrared radiation
E)insolation = longwave energy = cosmic and gamma rays

Question 5

Which of the following has the lowestalbedo?

A)pack ice off the coast of Antarctica
B)snow that is polluted and several days old
C)dry,light sandy soils
D)forests
E)the Moon

Question 6

Earth's average overall albedo is

A)11 percent
B)31 percent.
C)51 percent.
D)69 percent.
E)unknown.

Question 7

The Arctic shipping season

A)has expanded by more than three weeks in the Arctic region.
B)has decreased as a result of increased sea ice that freezes in response to positive feedback from climate change.
C)does not vary over time.
D)is regulated by the recession cycle in Europe.
E)is not related to,or affected by climate change.

Question 8

When light passes from one medium to another,

A)transmission happens.
B)Rayleigh scattering is the predominant effect.
C)refraction occurs-a process that is important to the formation of rainbows.
D)it is usually not affected physically.
E)it changes direction,but not speed.

Question 9

Which of the following is true of insolation?

A)it is the smallest source of energy input driving Earth's atmospheric system.
B)it consists of diffuse and direct radiation.
C)it consists of direct radiation.
D)it varies little over the surface of Earth.
E)is not affected by atmospheric density.

Question 10

What is the name for solar energy that is intercepted by Earth?

A)advection.
B)transmission energy.
C)insolation.
D)albedo.
E)conduction

Question 11

Which of the following has the highest albedo?

A)forests
B)asphalt
C)dry,light sandy soils
D)fresh snow
E)croplands

Question 12

If the surface of Earth were to suddenly turn white,the temperature of the planet would ________ because ________ insolation would be absorbed.

A)decrease less
B)decrease more
C)increase less
D)increase more
E)remain the same equal

Question 13

The average amount of energy absorbed within the atmosphere (by atmospheric gases,dust,and clouds)totals

A)5 percent.
B)21 percent.
C)39 percent.
D)69 percent.
E)74 percent

Question 14

The albedo of a surface is a measure of which of the following processes?

A)transmission
B)reflection
C)scattering
D)solar radiation receipt
E)conduction

Question 15

Mirages (such as the appearance of "water" on a dry,hot road)are caused by

A)differences in the moisture content of layers near the surface.
B)differences in the air pressure near the surface.
C)refraction.
D)variation in the surface texture.
E)atmospheric cooling at nighttime.

Question 16

The insolation received at Earth's surface is

A)usually low at the equator.
B)generally greater at high latitudes because of daylength.
C)greatest over low-latitude deserts with their cloudless skies.
D)inadequate to sustain life.
E)equal to that received at the top of the atmosphere.

Question 17

The passage of shortwave and longwave energy through the atmosphere or water is an example of

A)absorption.
B)transmission.
C)refraction.
D)insolation.
E)convection.

Question 18

Which two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect because of their ability to absorb infrared energy?

A)oxygen and hydrogen
B)ozone and dust
C)nitrogen and oxygen
D)water vapour and carbon dioxide
E)argon and nitrogen

Question 19

The reflective quality of a surface is known as its

A)conduction.
B)absorption.
C)albedo.
D)scattering.
E)transmission.

Question 20

Because of the process known as ________ the Sun appears above the horizon ________ it has actually risen.

A)transmission before
B)transmission after
C)refraction before
D)refraction after
E)reflection before

Question 21

On the average,which of the following is true regarding the distribution of shortwave and longwave energy at Earth's surface by latitude?

A)the equatorial zone is a region of net deficits.
B)the polar regions are areas of net surpluses.
C)the distribution shows an imbalance of net radiation from equator to poles.
D)more energy is lost than is gained in the equatorial regions.
E)energy is evenly distributed over Earth's surface.

Question 22

The sky (lower tropopause)appears blue in colour because of

A)reflection.
B)scattering.
C)absorption of blue wavelengths of visible light.
D)diffuse radiation.
E)cloud-albedo forcing.

Question 23

The sky is blue because

A)gasses in the atmosphere scatter blue light well.
B)light reflects off of the oceans.
C)dust in the atmosphere changes the black colour of space to sky blue.
D)light from the Sun is mainly blue.
E)compression of the atmosphere creates blue molecules.

Question 24

Conduction refers to

A)the vertical movement of air in response to temperature-induced density differences.
B)strong vertical motions in the atmosphere.
C)the molecule-to-molecule transfer of heat energy that diffuses through the material.
D)the behavior of something.
E)the movement of heat energy toward the centre of Earth.

Question 25

The Earth-atmosphere radiation system is best described by which of the following?

A)if the surface and the atmosphere are considered separately,neither exhibits a balanced radiation budget.
B)the surface exhibits an overall negative radiation balance.
C)the atmosphere exhibits an overall positive radiation balance.
D)only convection transfers heat energy to the atmosphere from the surface.
E)latent heat is not important in this system.

Question 26

According to the principle of Rayleigh scattering,which of the following is true?

A)small molecules scatter short wavelengths of light more than long wavelengths.
B)small molecules scatter long wavelengths of light more than short wavelengths.
C)small molecules scatter the same amount of light as large molecules.
D)large molecules scatter small wavelengths more than large wavelengths.
E)large molecules scatter large wavelengths more than small wavelengths.

Question 27

An increase in the amount of high altitude,thin clouds would

A)cool the planet in a process called cloud-albedo forcing.
B)warm the planet in a process called cloud-greenhouse forcing.
C)have no effect on the planet's temperature because insolation is constant.

Question 28

When a surface assimilates radiation,the process is called

A)absorption.
B)transmission.
C)diffuse radiation.
D)refraction.
E)conduction.

Question 29

On a cloudy day,Earth's surface receives

A)direct insolation.
B)diffuse radiation.
C)direct radiation.
D)a reduced daylength.
E)no insolation.

Question 30

The rising temperature of an absorbing surface can best be described by which of the following?

A)the hotter the surface,the shorter the wavelengths that are emitted.
B)the hotter the surface,the longer the wavelengths that are emitted.
C)the hotter the surface,the shorter the wavelengths that are absorbed.
D)the hotter the surface,the longer the wavelengths that are absorbed.
E)hotter surfaces are not affected by changing wavelengths of energy.

Question 31

A graph showing the relationship between insolation and air temperature through the course of day shows

A)air temperature reaches a maximum at noon.
B)air temperature reaches a maximum at midafternoon.
C)air temperature reaches a minimum at sunrise.
D)air temperature reaches a minimum at midnight.
E)air temperature reaches a maximum at midmorning.

Question 32

If the amount of cloud cover increases in response to greenhouse warming,this will ________ Earth's albedo and promote ________.(For this question,assume that albedo effects dominate the temperature response. )

A)increase warming
B)increase cooling
C)decrease warming
D)decrease cooling
E)eliminate snowfall.

Question 33

The Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 affected the atmosphere in which of the following ways?

A)the atmospheric albedo decreased.
B)a decrease occurred in the amount of energy absorbed in the atmosphere.
C)a worldwide decrease in surface temperatures occurred in the two years after the eruption.
D)the atmosphere above the Philippines was destroyed.
E)there was no effect on the atmosphere.

Question 34

Which of the following is related to Earth's albedo?

A)transmission
B)reflection
C)convection
D)refraction
E)conduction

Question 35

If a surface absorbs insolation,

A)its temperature increases.
B)its temperature decreases.
C)its temperature is unaffected.
D)refraction occurs.
E)diffuse radiation occurs.

Question 36

The analogy of a greenhouse is

A)completely unrelated to our Earth-atmosphere system,and should never have been used to describe global warming.
B)exactly how the Earth-atmosphere system operates.
C)a useful,but inaccurate model since atmospheric gases do not trap,but absorb heat.
D)not accepted as a scientific consensus.
E)useful for increased crop production in Canada.

Question 37

Air pollution acts to ________ the albedo of cities and therefore ________ the urban heat island effect.

A)increase enhances
B)increases diminishes
C)decreases enhances
D)decreases diminishes

Question 38

A vertical air current that is generated by temperature-induced density differences is an example of heat transfer by

A)advection.
B)convection.
C)conduction.
D)transmission.
E)diffusion.

Question 39

The sky on Venus is yellow in colour.This means that

A)the laws of atmospheric physics governing the colour of its atmosphere are different than the laws which govern the colour of Earth's atmosphere.
B)the atmospheric gases on Venus are of a different average size than those in Earth's atmosphere.
C)yellow light is absorbed by the Venusian atmosphere.
D)there is gold dust in the atmosphere.
E)no insolation reaches the Venusian surface.

Question 40

The relationship between the insolation curve and the air temperature curve on a graph of daily surface energy

A)exhibits a lag of several hours between the plotted lines.
B)shows little or no relationship between the two variables.
C)shows that peak temperatures occur near noon,whereas peak insolation receipt is at 3:00 or 4:00 P.M.
D)coincide at noon.
E)shows an inverse relationship.

Question 41

In the surface energy budget,the term - SW↑ represents

A)heat.
B)incoming energy.
C)the albedo value of the surface.
D)NET R.
E)Q*

Question 42

Over the ocean,the highest annual values for latent heat of evaporation (LE)occur in the

A)tropics because it is always warm there.
B)subtropics because of the lack of cloud cover.
C)midlatitudes because of the high amount of rainfall.
D)polar regions because of the large amount of snow available for evaporation.
E)areas closest to land in all latitudes.

Question 43

Which of the following is true regarding anthropogenic heat production in cities?

A)it can contribute 250 percent more heat energy in winter than is contributed by insolation.
B)it contributes little heat energy relative to that arriving from insolation.
C)it is too small to be considered a relevant part of the energy budget.
D)the production of this heat energy contributes very little to air pollution.
E)the use of air conditioning in summer reduces the production of anthropogenic heat.

Question 44

When water evaporates,the energy that was used to evaporate the water

A)is stored as sensible heat in the evaporated water.
B)is stored as latent heat in the evaporated water.
C)is transferred to the air by advection when the water evaporates.
D)is conducted into the underlying layer of water.
E)is convected into the atmosphere.

Question 45

In terms of latitudinal distribution,the highest annual value for LE over land

A)is between 10° N and 10° S latitudes.
B)coincides with the distribution of the value for H.
C)is between 15° to 30° N and S latitudes.
D)is the same for both the El Mirage and Pitt Meadows examples.
E)is highest over polar regions.

Question 46

The urban heating effect

A)occurs because the materials cities are constructed from are rougher than natural soils.
B)occurs because the materials cities are constructed from move heat downward better than natural soils.
C)occurs because the albedo of urban environments is substantially lower than that of natural landscapes.
D)is exacerbated by the concentration of people,machines and heat generating devices that add more heat to the urban environment.
E)results from more evaporation from city surfaces.

Question 47

Sensible heat transfer (H)refers to energy transfer between the air and the surface by

A)turbulent eddies,convection,and conduction.
B)evaporation of water.
C)reflection of insolation.
D)cloud development in the stratosphere.
E)advection across land water interfaces.

Question 48

Which of the following combinations of NET R terms would be associated with a hot,dry climate? - SW↑ = albedo LE = latent heat of evaporation)

A)+ SW↓ large - SW↑ small LE large
B)+ SW↓ large - SW↑ small LE small
C)+ SW↓ small - SW↑ large LE small
D)+ SW↓ small - SW↑ large LE large
E)+SW↓ equals -SW↑ large LE large

Question 49

The science that specifically studies the climate at or near Earth's surface is

A)geography.
B)meteorology.
C)micrometeorology.
D)microclimatology.
E)astronomy.

Question 50

Which of the following would be true for the net radiation balance in a midlatitude location?

A)Net R is constant throughout the year.
B)there is a surplus of Net R during the summer and a deficit during the winter.
C)there is a deficit of Net R during the summer and a surplus during the winter.
D)the season at which surpluses and deficits occur varies from one year to the next.
E)there is always a deficit of Net R.

Question 51

Consider the continent of Greenland,which is located at high latitudes and is covered to a depth of thousands of feet by glaciers.Given these facts,which of the following is true regarding its energy budget?

A)the + SW↓ (insolation)term is large.
B)the - SW↑ (albedo)term is large.
C)the - LW↑ (outgoing longwave infrared energy)term is small.
D)the - LW↑ and +LW (outgoing and incoming infrared energy)are equal.
E)the + SW↓ (insolation)term is small.

Question 52

The highest annual values for latent heat of evaporation (LE)on land occur in the tropics because

A)there is a net annual energy deficit there.
B)rainfall takes water to higher latitudes.
C)the dark colour of forests (as opposed to sandy soils)results in the absorption of heat energy by vegetation.
D)water flows downslope to the equator.
E)water is expelled from the crust at the equator.

Question 53

When water evaporates from a surface,which of the following occurs?

A)energy is left on the surface.
B)energy is added to the surface.
C)the surface is cooled.
D)the surface is heated.
E)there is no energy exchanged.

Question 54

Which of the following is true?

A)urbanized surfaces tend to be porous.
B)urban surfaces have lower albedos and higher NET R values.
C)the amount of Human-produced heat is not significant in New York City.
D)a city does not respond like a desert surface during and after a rainstorm.
E)urban surfaces hold moisture and affect the latent heat of evaporation.

Question 55

The time of maximum daily temperature occurs

A)at the same time that maximum insolation occurs,because that is when maximum energy is available for heating the air.
B)before the time of maximum insolation,because the residual heat energy left over in the atmosphere from the previous day adds to the energy supplied by insolation.
C)before the time of maximum insolation occurs,because the thermosphere transfers heat energy to the surface during the early morning hours as the D and E layers in the ionosphere become active.
D)after the time of maximum insolation,because an energy surplus accumulates in the atmosphere while the Sun is still high in the sky and reaches a peak in mid-afternoon.
E)after the time of maximum insolation,because the ground starts to reflect heat energy in the late afternoon,and this creates an energy surplus.

Question 56

Which of the following terms links Earth's energy in the hydrosphere,atmosphere,and biosphere?

A)albedo
B)sensible heat
C)latent heat of evaporation
D)infrared energy emitted from the ground
E)absorbed shortwave energy

Question 57

Net radiation (NET R)refers to

A)the net energy expended for ground heating and cooling.
B)the balance of all radiation incoming and outgoing at Earth's surface.
C)the amount of insolation coming into the surface.
D)the amount of insolation not absorbed at the surface.
E)the amount of heat that moves toward Earth's centre.

Question 58

The principal expenditures of NET R from a moist,nonvegetated surface are

A)+SW? ,- SW? ,+LW? ,- LW?.
B)temperature and plants.
C)sensible heat transfer,latent heat of evaporation,and ground heating.
D)ground heating and evapotranspiration.
E)conduction and convection.

Question 59

Longwave radiation (+ LW↓)arriving at the surface

A)comes primarily from infrared energy emitted by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
B)comes directly from the Sun.
C)comes from diffuse solar radiation.
D)comes from UV radiation reflected from the bottoms of clouds.
E)comes from Mars and Venus.

Question 60

Which of the following is true of the daily surface energy balances for El Mirage (desert location at 35° N)and Pitt Meadows (Pacific coast location at 49° N)?

A)the expenditure for LE is very similar for both places.
B)the expenditure for G is very similar for both places.
C)the NET R for the desert surface and the moist vegetated surface are similar even though the values for individual terms in the heat balance equation may differ from one another.
D)the expenditure for H is very similar for both places.
E)there is no difference between the two locations with respect to the daily surface energy balances.

Question 61

Which of the following can serve as passive solar energy collectors?

A)wooden walls
B)water containers
C)asphalt shingles
D)wooden roofs
E)gravel driveways

Question 62

Refraction is responsible for rainbows and mirages.

Question 63

Energy that is reflected from Earth's surface plays a substantial role in heating the atmosphere.

Question 64

On a cloudy day,the downward component of scattered light is called refraction.

Question 65

The greater the albedo of a surface,the less it is heated by insolation.

Question 66

The Moon has an average albedo similar to asphalt and black top.

Question 67

High latitudes have a higher albedo in winter than do low latitudes.

Question 68

Which of the following is true?

A)practical technology for the use of solar energy has not yet been developed.
B)solar-thermal electrical production is only at the experimental stage.
C)flat-plate solar hot water heaters were sold in newspapers and merchandise catalogs almost 100 years ago.
D)solar energy is nonrenewable,and the technology associated with its use is highly centralized and expensive.
E)solar energy will never be able to contribute significantly to our energy demands.

Question 69

The reflective quality of a surface is called its albedo and is expressed as a percentage.

Question 70

Heat energy flows from objects that are hot to those that are cold.

Question 71

Insolation is the only source of energy that is ultimately responsible for heating the atmosphere and driving weather phenomena.

Question 72

The sky is blue because the atmosphere absorbsblue light more than other visible wavelengths.

Question 73

As regards solar energy,mirrors are used to

A)shine light on photovoltaic cells.
B)generate steam.
C)shine light on passive solar collectors.
D)reflect light back into space.
E)measure the albedo.

Question 74

Solar cookers could replace ________ as an affordable source of energy in rural villages in third world countries.

A)natural gas
B)nuclear power
C)fusion power
D)fire wood
E)petroleum fuel oil

Question 75

Earth's blue sky is a result of diffuse reflection called scattering.

Question 76

The rougher a surface,the higher its albedo.

Question 77

Which of the following is associated with urban environments?

A)higher relative humidity than that in surrounding rural areas
B)greatly increased condensation nuclei relative to surrounding rural areas
C)deceased precipitation relative to surrounding rural areas
D)higher annual mean wind speeds relative to surrounding rural areas
E)porous surfaces absorb water and regulate the temperature.

Question 78

The assimilation of radiation and its conversion from one form to another is termed absorption.

Question 79

Which is false regarding solar energy?

A)Insolation received at the surface of the United States in 35 minutes exceeds the amount of energy produced by burning fossil fuels in a year.
B)It is experimental,untested,and dangerous.
C)It can produce heat and electricity.
D)Photovoltaic technology is improving in cost and efficiency each year.
E)It can be as simple as placing windows to receive sunlight.

Question 80

A daily temperature curve exhibits a lag of about three hours relative to an insolation curve.