Deck 7: Water and Atmospheric Moisture

Question 1

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.
E)changes in sea level related to melting of glaciers in Europe.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is true regarding the amount of water in rivers,streams,and the atmosphere?

A)rivers,streams and the atmosphere contain 33 percent of the world's fresh water supply.
B)the total amount of water in these locations is equal to 14,250 km³.
C)the volume of water in these is 1/100 the volume of water in freshwater lakes.
D)the volume of water in these is equal to that in freshwater lakes.
E)the volume of water in these is unimportant in the hydrologic cycle.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Water has a density of

A)0)5 g/cm³.
B)1 g/cm³.
C)2)5 g/cm³.
D)15 g/cm³.
E)25 g/cm³.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Eustasy refers to

A)changes in the total amount of water on Earth.
B)a steady-state equilibrium in the water system.
C)the amount of new water from outgassing volcanoes.
D)worldwide changes in sea level.
E)water level changes associated with the European Union.

Question 5

The present quantity of water on Earth was achieved approximately ________ years before the present.

A)one million years ago
B)500 million years ago
C)two billion years ago
D)10 000 years ago (end of ice age)
E)4)6 billion years ago

Question 6

About 50 percent of the 125,000 km³ of freshwater in lakes is

A)located in just seven lakes.
B)located in the 40 largest lakes.
C)saline.
D)in the Great Lakes.
E)is not useable.

Question 7

Water is lost from the hydrologic system when

A)it evaporates from the planet.
B)it breaks down during chemical reactions and forms new compounds with other elements.
C)it is stored as ice in the polar regions.
D)it is destroyed during volcanic eruptions.
E)it is absorbed into Earth's core.

Question 8

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)atmospheric moisture = 3% of all water on Earth
B)ice = largest volume of freshwater on Earth
C)groundwater = largest volume of freshwater on Earth

Question 9

The largest portion of fresh water today is located in

A)clouds.
B)groundwater resources.
C)ice caps and glaciers.
D)the major rivers and lakes of the world.
E)the Great Lakes.

Question 10

Which of the following is true?

A)Water has been discovered on no other planet.
B)There is no evidence of water ever existing on Mars.
C)Water occurs in significant quantities only on Earth.
D)Ice has not been detected below the surface of our Moon.
E)Venus is made up entirely of ice.

Question 11

Earth's oceans possess

A)most of the fresh water on Earth.
B)about the same amount of water as is in the atmosphere.
C)fifty percent of Earth's waters.
D)ninety-seven percent of Earth's waters.
E)sixty-eight percent of Earth's waters.

Question 12

When water freezes,its volume

A)increases.
B)decreases.
C)remains the same as in the liquid state.

Question 13

Water covers approximately ________ of Earth's surface.

A)50 percent
B)90 percent
C)25 percent
D)71 percent
E)83 percent

Question 14

Water at the surface of Earth was released from the interior of Earth primarily by

A)evaporation.
B)asteroid impacts which created openings into Earth's interior.
C)volcanic outgassing.
D)earthquake activity.
E)convective heat exchange.

Question 15

What important warming signal is provided by Earth's lakes?

A)Cold water species of marine fish are being forced into lakes as the water levels in oceans rise with global warming.
B)Temperature stratification of the water column is leading to stability of the water,depletion of nutrients and a change in species.
C)Water levels in all lakes are rising due to melting of polar ice caps.
D)Latent heat exchange with the atmosphere is increasing as climate warms and lake waters are becoming cloudier as a result.
E)Lake water takes much longer than air to heat so lakes are creating pockets of fog that provide a negative feedback to climate warming.

Question 16

When water freezes,its density

A)increases.
B)decreases.
C)remains the same as in the liquid state.

Question 17

Which of the following is true of the distribution of land and water on Earth?

A)the southern hemisphere is dominated by water.
B)the northern hemisphere is dominated by water.
C)they are evenly distributed in both hemispheres.
D)the southern hemisphere is dominated by land.

Question 18

During the height of the last ice age,approximately 18,000 years ago,sea level

A)rose by a few hundred metres.
B)dropped by a few hundred metres.
C)remained constant.

Question 19

Much of Earth's water supply originated from

A)asteroids.
B)icy comets.
C)gases expelled from the Sun i.e. ,solar wind.
D)photosynthesis.
E)Earth's core.

Question 20

Which of the following is true regarding fresh water on Earth?

A)most of it is in large lakes.
B)most of it is frozen in glaciers and ice caps.
C)freshwater lakes and streams hold only .000091% of Earth's total water.
D)most is stored at atmospheric moisture
E)most is stored in deep groundwater

Question 21

Which of the following phase changes involves the greatest number of calories?

A)melting
B)evaporation
C)sublimation
D)condensation
E)vaporization

Question 22

When you put a straw into a drink and take a sip of it,the drink in the straw will remain above the height of the surface of the drink-even after you stop sipping the drink.This occurs because of

A)barometric pressure.
B)surface tension.
C)capillary action.
D)vacuum suction.
E)phase change.

Question 23

________ lakes occur in areas of interior drainage,which means that ________.

A)Fresh water the water in the lakes is derived from water that flows through the interior of Earth just before reaching the surface
B)Fresh water the water in the lakes flows into basins that have no outlet to the sea
C)Saline the water in the lakes is derived from water that flows through the interior of Earth just before reaching the surface
D)Saline the water in the lakes flows into basins that have no outlet to the sea
E)Brine the water originates from space

Question 24

The attraction of water molecules for one another manifests itself as ________,whereas the attraction of water molecules for other materials is manifested by ________.

A)polarity surface tension
B)surface tension polarity
C)capillary action surface tension
D)surface tension capillary action
E)capillary action polarity

Question 25

Some insects can walk on water.This is possible

A)because of their specific heat.
B)because of their kinetic energy.
C)because of a water property known as surface tension.
D)because of a water property known as capillarity.
E)because of upwelling.

Question 26

The term deposition refers to

A)water freezing to ice.
B)ice melting to water.
C)vapour condensing into liquid.
D)water vapour freezing to ice.
E)ice changing to vapour

Question 27

Water movement through the soil and water held in a straw above the surface of the liquid you are drinking result from a common phenomenon.What is this phenomenon?

A)barometric pressure
B)surface tension
C)capillary action
D)vacuum suction
E)phase change.

Question 28

When frost forms,it

A)warms the air by releasing 680 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
B)warms the air by releasing 80 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
C)cools the air by releasing 680 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
D)cools the air by releasing 80 calories of heat energy to the air per gram of water.
E)cools the air by absorbing 80 calories of heat energy from the air per gram of water.

Question 29

The phase changes water and other substances undergo are based on

A)gravitational energy stored within the electron orbitals of atoms.
B)the amount of motion of molecules and the strength of the bonds between them.
C)nuclear fusion processes between atoms of a substance.
D)nuclear fission processes between atoms of a substance.
E)diabatic forces acting on the molecules.

Question 30

Water molecules bind tightly to one another.This is a result of

A)hydrogen bonding.
B)covalent bonding.
C)atomic friction.
D)molecular hold.
E)fusion.

Question 31

Both the latent heat of melting (heat of fusion)and the latent heat of freezing involve the absorption or release of ________ calories per gram of water changing state.

A)80
B)100
C)540
D)585
E)54

Question 32

When water evaporates,it ________ heat energy and ________ the surrounding air.

A)absorbs cools
B)absorbs heats
C)releases cools
D)releases heats

Question 33

When water condenses,it ________ heat energy and ________ the surrounding air.

A)absorbs.cools
B)absorbs .heats
C)releases.cools
D)releases .heats

Question 34

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.
B)the oxygen end of a water molecule is positively charged and the hydrogen end is negatively charged.
C)nuclear fusion occurs between the ends of water molecules.
D)water molecules experience a strong gravitational attraction to one another.
E)there is no electrical charge on a water molecule.

Question 35

Other than ice sheets and glaciers,the largest repository of fresh water is located in

A)lakes and saline seas.
B)groundwater.
C)soil moisture storage.
D)rivers and streams.
E)the atmosphere.

Question 36

Surface tension and capillarity are the result of

A)hydrogen bonding.
B)gravitational attraction.
C)magnetic bonding.
D)molecular hold.
E)sublimation

Question 37

Water is a good solvent because

A)it expands when it freezes.
B)it has an asymmetrical charge distribution (one end is positive and the other negative).
C)it undergoes phase changes over a relatively narrow range of temperatures.
D)it is transparent.
E)it is covalently bonded.

Question 38

Which of the following is true regarding the evaporation of water?

A)the phase change involves the latent heat of sublimation.
B)the phase change involves the latent heat of evaporation.
C)the phase change involves the latent heat of deposition.
D)the phase change involves the sensible heat of vaporization
E)the phase change involves the convectional heat of vaporization.

Question 39

If 80 calories of heat energy are added to 1g of ice at 0°,what will the temperature of the ice be after the phase change?

A)0°C
B)20°C
C)32°C
D)80°C
E)100°C

Question 40

What is the heat energy involved in the change of state,or phase,in water?

A)mechanical heat
B)sensible heat
C)fusion heat
D)latent heat
E)convection heat

Question 41

If the heat of fusion and the heat of vaporization were reversed,ice would be

A)less likely to melt.
B)more likely to melt.
C)unaffected by the change in terms of its ability to melt.

Question 42

Most of the precipitation and evaporation on Earth takes place over the

A)land masses.
B)oceans.
C)poles of the planet.
D)ice caps and glaciers combined.
E)high mountains.

Question 43

Which of the following is not used to measure relative humidity?

A)wet and dry barometers
B)hair hygrometers
C)sling psychrometer
D)stevenson screen
E)anemometers

Question 44

Relative humidity is

A)the amount of water vapour in the air compared to the normal amount,expressed as a percentage.
B)the amount of moisture in the air relative to your own sensible feelings.
C)the amount of water vapour in the air at a given temperature expressed as a percentage of the water vapour capacity of the air.
D)a basically unused concept when it comes to weather topics.
E)the total amount of water vapour the air can hold compared to the volume of water on the planet.

Question 45

The capacity of the air to hold water vapour is basically a function of

A)the temperature of both the water vapour and the air.
B)the water vapour content.
C)freezing temperature.
D)latent heat.
E)altitude.

Question 46

In order to melt two grams of ice,how many calories of heat energy must be added to the ice during its phase change? (specific heat of water = 1 cal/gm heat of fusion = 80 cal/g)(heat of vaporization = 540 cal/g heat of sublimation = 620 cal/g)

A)2 cal
B)160 cal
C)162 cal
D)1080 cal
E)1440 cal

Question 47

A way of describing humidity in millibars is termed

A)specific humidity.
B)vapour pressure.
C)absolute humidity.
D)the dew-point.
E)barometric humidity.

Question 48

Water,like most compounds,decreases in volume as it cools however,at 4°C,water

A)freezes.
B)contracts even more-down to twenty percent of its volume when it was a liquid.
C)neither expands nor contracts.
D)begins to expand to as much as nine percent of its volume.
E)solidifies.

Question 49

Which of the following would cause the evaporation rate to decrease?

A)increased water availability
B)increased relative humidity
C)increased temperature
D)increased wind speed
E)increased radiation input

Question 50

In a mass of air in which no water is being added or removed,a temperature increase will

A)increase both the specific and relative humidity.
B)decrease both the specific and relative humidity.
C)increase the specific humidity,but have no effect on the relative humidity.
D)have no effect on the specific humidity,but will decrease the relative humidity.
E)have no effect on the specific humidity,but will increase the relative humidity.

Question 51

A humidity measure that remains constant as temperature and pressure change,and which is expressed as a mass of water vapour per mass (g/kg)of air,is

A)specific humidity.
B)vapour pressure.
C)relative humidity.
D)the dew-point.
E)lifting condensation level.

Question 52

If the saturation vapour pressure increases while the amount of water vapour in the air remains constant,this would indicate

A)that the temperature had increased.
B)that the temperature had decreased as a result of the loss of heat energy.
C)that the air was cooling by expansion.
D)that the air had reached the lifting condensation level.
E)that it is raining.

Question 53

Water vapour in the atmosphere is called

A)water.
B)deposition.
C)sublimation.
D)humidity.
E)moisture.

Question 54

In winter,freezing water can break pipes and even crack engine blocks.Why does this happen?

A)water expands in volume as it freezes in response to hydrogen bonding.
B)ice is denser than water.
C)water contracts as it cools and freezes.
D)it occurs because of the latent heat of fusion.
E)water deposits material as it freezes.

Question 55

As temperature increases,the amount of energy available for evaporation

A)increases.
B)decreases.
C)remains constant.

Question 56

The process of sublimation (deposition)in the atmosphere produces

A)fog.
B)freezing rain.
C)snowflakes.
D)graupel.
E)hail.

Question 57

Which of the following phase changes decreases the temperature of the air?

A)water to ice
B)ice to water
C)steam to water
D)steam to ice

Question 58

Because the saturation vapour pressure above an ice surface is ________ than that above a water surface,water vapour is more likely to ________.

A)less sublime (deposit)onto the ice surface
B)less condense onto a water droplet
C)more sublime (deposit)onto an ice surface
D)more condense onto a water droplet
E)more remain suspended in the air

Question 59

A mass of air always becomes saturated when it reaches the

A)highest temperature of the day.
B)lowest temperature of the day.
C)specific humidity point.
D)dew-point temperature.
E)freezing point.

Question 60

If the heat of fusion and the heat of vaporization were reversed,which of the following statements would be true?

A)the phase change from liquid to ice would occur more slowly than it now does.
B)water would melt much more readily than it now does.
C)Earth's water bodies might freeze because,once frozen,the ice would not melt as easily.
D)atmospheric vapour would condense into water droplets,shrouding the planet in cloud.
E)there would be no atmospheric moisture.

Question 61

If you visited Mount Shasta City (elevation 900 m)and found the outside air temperature to be 27°C,what would be the air temperature at the summit of Mount Shasta (elevation 4200 m)at that moment-assuming that the temperature conditions with altitude change at an average,or normal,lapse rate?

A)2°C
B)48°C
C)5)9°C
D)10°C
E)27°C

Question 62

Air in a thunderstorm is being heated to temperatures higher than those of the surrounding air by the process of ________,and because of this,the air is ________.

A)condensation stable
B)expansion unstable
C)condensation unstable
D)compression unstable
E)expansion stable

Question 63

When the environmental lapse rate is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates conditions are described as

A)adiabatic.
B)stability.
C)conditionally unstable.
D)unstable.
E)saturated.

Question 64

Areas between 25° to 35° latitude usually become ________ because this area is dominated by air that is sinking and being ________.

A)deserts cooled by expansion
B)deserts heated by compression
C)rain forests cooled by expansion
D)rain forests heated by compression

Question 65

The wet adiabatic rate is ________ than the dry adiabatic rate because ________.

A)greater condensation heats the air
B)greater condensation cools the air
C)less condensation heats the air
D)less condensation cools the air

Question 66

An air parcel is considered unstable when it

A)either remains as it is,or changes its initial position.
B)continues to rise until it reaches an altitude at which the surrounding air has a similar temperature.
C)it resists displacement upward.
D)it ceases to ascend.
E)continues to rise until it reaches an altitude at which the surrounding air has a similar specific humidity.

Question 67

A parcel of air,with less than 100% relative humidity,that is rising because of heat energy derived from the surface is

A)stable.
B)unstable.
C)conditionally unstable.

Question 68

Air that is not saturated will cool or heat at a rate of ________ as it rises or descends,respectively.

A)10 C° per 1000 m
B)6 C° per 1000 m
C)6)4 C° per 1000 m
D)8)4 C° per 1000 m
E)9)5 C° per 1000 m

Question 69

The elevation at which the bottoms of clouds begin to form represents the elevation at which

A)evaporation occurs.
B)relative humidity reaches 100 percent.
C)absolute humidity reaches 100 percent.
D)ice turns to water.
E)the mixing ratio reaches 4.

Question 70

The dry adiabatic rate (DAR)is

A)6 C° per 1000 m
B)the rate used for a saturated parcel of air.
C)a term that refers to the temperature decrease in the still,calm air that surrounds a moving air parcel.
D)10 C° per 1000 m - a fixed rate.
E)only applicable to the dry desert areas of the globe.

Question 71

The general term that refers to the tendency of a parcel of air to either remain in place or change its initial position is

A)adiabatic.
B)stability.
C)conditional instability.
D)stasis.
E)humidity.

Question 72

A large difference in temperature between a wet bulb and a dry bulb on a sling psychrometer indicates

A)that the air is cooling by adiabatic expansion.
B)that the relative humidity is high.
C)that substantial evaporation is occurring from the wet bulb.
D)that the air is saturated.
E)that the absolute humidity is one hundred percent.

Question 73

Assume a warm air parcel,at sea level,has a temperature of 21°C and begins to rise upward.Assume it becomes saturated at 1000 m altitude,and continues to rise to 2000 m altitude.What would the approximate temperature of the parcel be at an elevation of 2000 m?

A)1°C
B)5°C
C)8)2°C
D)9°C
E)21°C

Question 74

The greater the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer,the ________ the air is and the ________ the relative humidity.

A)drier higher
B)drier lower
C)wetter higher
D)wetter lower

Question 75

Which of the following normally would be true of the humidity above the hot,moist,tropical rain forests of the world?

A)the specific humidity would be low.
B)the relative humidity would be low.
C)the saturation vapour pressure would be high.
D)the mixing ration would be high
E)the absolute humidity would be low.

Question 76

The smaller the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer,the ________ the air is and the ________.

A)drier further the air temperature is from dew point
B)drier closer the air temperature is to dew point
C)wetter further the air temperature is from dew point
D)wetter closer the air temperature is to dew point

Question 77

Which of the following statements regarding rising air,in which dew point temperature has been reached,is correct?

A)the air is being cooled by both expansion and evaporation.
B)the air is simultaneously being cooled by expansion and heated by evaporation.
C)the air is simultaneously being cooled by expansion and heated by condensation.
D)the air is being heated by both expansion and condensation.
E)the air is being heated by expansion and cooled by condensation.

Question 78

Which of the following would be true of the humidity above the hot,dry,subtropical deserts of the world during the daytime?

A)the specific humidity would be very low.
B)the relative humidity would always be high.
C)the saturation vapour pressure would be low.
D)the lifting condensation level would be low.
E)mixing ratio would be very high.

Question 79

If an air parcel begins to rise when condensation begins in that parcel,the air is considered to be

A)stable.
B)unstable.
C)conditionally unstable.

Question 80

Which of the following can be concluded given the information shown below? Saturation vapour pressure = 20 mb,Actual vapour pressure = 19.5 mb

A)the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer would be large .
B)the air temperature and dew point temperature are almost the same.
C)the relative humidity is low.
D)the air is conditionally stable.
E)that the air temperature is equal to the specific humidity.