Deck 10: Climate Systems and Climate Change

Question 1

Global climate change

A)has not been linked to floods,droughts,and record high temperatures.
B)in the next 50 years is expected to be greater than the last 1800 years combined.
C)is affecting weather patterns,plant and animal distributions,and melting glaciers.
D)has decreased the spread of infectious diseases.
E)is proven to have more benefits to Earth than negative consequences.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Areas dominated by maritime air masses will be relatively ________,and that those dominated by cT air masses will be relatively ________.

A)wet wet
B)wet dry
C)dry wet
D)dry dry

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The ancient Greeks thought that the ________ zone was the best to live in.

A)torrid
B)temperate
C)frigid

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Coastal areas located adjacent to cold ocean currents experience

A)more precipitation than areas located adjacent to warm currents.
B)less precipitation than areas located adjacent to warm currents.
C)the same amount of precipitation as areas located adjacent to warm currents.

Question 5

Examining climate on a larger scale map is useful because

A)local topography and orientation to winds and the boundaries between microclimates can be seen in more detail.
B)world climates and global wind patterns can be easily displayed.
C)hemispheric variations in rainfall and temperature can be examined.
D)systems of ocean currents and their effects on continental landmasses are visible.
E)potential evapotranspiration can be displayed.

Question 6

Climate is

A)the weather of a region.
B)the short-term condition of the atmosphere.
C)the long-term atmospheric condition-including extremes that may occur.
D)a reference to temperature patterns only.
E)a method for analysing precipitation patterns as affected by global topography.

Question 7

The annual temperature range of places located in the interior of a continent is ________ those located along the coast at the same latitude.

A)greater than
B)less than
C)the same as

Question 8

In which of the following areas would the least amount of precipitation occur?

A)in areas affected by maritime air masses
B)along windward coasts
C)in low pressure regions
D)on the leeward side of a mountain range in the interior of a continent
E)in high pressure regions.

Question 9

Which is not true of The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)phenomenon?

A)it creates the smallest variation in climate from year to year on a global scale.
B)it involves lower than normal pressure in the western Pacific and higher than normal pressure in the eastern Pacific,reversing the trade winds.
C)it brings rain to some areas and drought to others,predictably and consistently.
D)it is linked to droughts in India,floods in the southwestern United States,and droughts in South Africa and Australia.
E)it is completely understood now,and can be predicted decades in advance.

Question 10

Which of the following lists the correct,generalized sequence of climates from the equator to the poles?

A)Highland → Microthermal → Mesothermal → Desert → Tropical
B)Highland → Desert → Mesothermal → Microthermal → Polar
C)Tropical → Desert → Mesothermal → Microthermal → Polar
D)Polar → Microthermal → Mesothermal → Desert → Tropical
E)Desert → Tropical → Microthermal → Polar → Mesothermal

Question 11

An empirical classification is based on,among other factors,

A)the interaction of air masses.
B)the origin or genesis of the climate.
C)the mean annual temperature and precipitation of an area.
D)causative factors.
E)the average height of mountain chains.

Question 12

Which is true of The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)phenomenon?

A)the thermocline in the eastern Pacific Ocean rises.
B)it always brings increased rain to the western United States.
C)easterly winds along the equator increase in intensity.
D)sea-surface temperatures can increase more than 8 C° above normal in the central and eastern Pacific during an ENSO.
E)it has no impact on hurricane development.

Question 13

The authors of the textbook describe the various climates of the world using a

A)purely genetic system.
B)purely empirical system.
C)combination of both genetic and empirical criteria.

Question 14

La Niña

A)is usually stronger than El Niño.
B)occurs more frequently than El Niño.
C)usually creates the opposite conditions of El Niño,and in about the same strength.
D)requires temperatures in the eastern Pacific to be below normal.
E)occurs regularly,every four years.

Question 15

Regarding average annual precipitation,which of the following is correct?

A)highest amounts occur throughout subtropical latitudes.
B)drier regions are associated with the eastern portions of major landmasses.
C)precipitation tends to increase with latitude toward the poles.
D)highest average values occur along the equator.
E)high mountain areas receive the greatest precipitation.

Question 16

"Cold and dry" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristic of

A)subtropical latitudes.
B)humid continental climates that have mild summers.
C)polar climates.
D)taiga regions that have cool summers.
E)continental interiors.

Question 17

A genetic classification system can be based on,among other factors,

A)the interaction of air masses.
B)statistics or other data used to determine general categories.
C)mean annual temperature.
D)mean annual precipitation.
E)mean annual relative humidity

Question 18

If Earth's axial tilt were to decrease from 23.5° to 21.5°,the following change in climate would result.

A)winters would become colder.
B)summers would become hotter.
C)annual temperature ranges would become less extreme.
D)temperatures would not change at all from season to season.
E)climate would be no different than exists today.

Question 19

An area defined by characteristic,long-term weather patterns is called

A)a biome.
B)an average weather place.
C)an ecosystem.
D)a climatic region.
E)a climatarium.

Question 20

"Hot and wet" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristic of

A)rain forests in the equatorial tropics.
B)humid continental climates that have mild summers.
C)highland climates.
D)cold steppe climates.
E)temperate rain forests.

Question 21

The tropical savanna climate has

A)the ITCZ in summer and the subtropical high in winter.
B)the polar front in winter and the subtropical high in summer.
C)the ITCZ all year-round.
D)the polar front all year-round.
E)the subtropical high year-round.

Question 22

The bulk of the Amazon River drainage basin is dominated by which one of the following climate classifications?

A)Tropical monsoon
B)Tropical savanna
C)Tropical rainforest
D)Humid subtropical
E)Marine West Coast

Question 23

The Amazon equatorial rain forest of South America,which extends from the east coast far into the interior,has developed in response to ________ air masses which travel from ________ in the trade wind belt.

A)cT NE to SW
B)mT E to W
C)mT W to E
D)mP E to W
E)cAA S to N

Question 24

The tropical rain forest ecosystem

A)has rich,deep soils.
B)are flooded with light that warms the forest floor.
C)has deep layers of organic matter that decomposes very slowly.
D)low-growing vegetation is dense on the forest floor.
E)has abundant precipitation year-round.

Question 25

The west coast of Canada is a moist environment because of

A)the effect of continental air masses.
B)the presence of mountains.
C)the predominant direction the winds that blow from the east at that latitude (about 45° to 50° N).
D)Arctic outflows that bring colder,moister air into the area.
E)warm ocean currents that bring moisture to the area.

Question 26

Vegetation in the tropical savanna is

A)lush (thick and green year-round).
B)dominated by shrubland.
C)drought-resistant grassland.
D)flood-resistant forest.
E)adapted to repel water.

Question 27

Tropical rain forest climates

A)are influenced by the ITCZ year-round.
B)experience a winter season.
C)have annual temperature ranges that are smaller than the daily temperature range.
D)have thunderstorms rarely.
E)encourage plant growth in which the plants store water for dry periods.

Question 28

In the tropical savanna climate,potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation

A)in all months of the year.
B)during the winter months.
C)when the ITCZ is overhead.
D)when the polar front dips southward to this latitude.
E)never.

Question 29

Humid subtropical climates receive ________ precipitation during the summer and ________ precipitation in winter.

A)convectional frontal
B)frontal convectional
C)orographic frontal
D)convectional ITCZ
E)orographic convectional

Question 30

The wet season of the tropical monsoon climate of SE Asia occurs during the season of ________ Sun due to the presence of the ________ over the continent.(low Sun = "winter" and high Sun = "summer")

A)low subtropical high
B)low ITCZ
C)high subtropical high
D)high ITCZ

Question 31

A climate that is mesothermal and has a long,hot,dry summer would be designated by which of the following?

A)Tropical savanna
B)Semiarid steppe
C)Mediterranean
D)Humid subtropical,hot summer
E)Humid continental,hot summer

Question 32

Which of the following developed climate classification system?

A)the ancient Greeks,C.W.Thornthwaite,and C.G.Rossby
B)C)W.Thornthwaite,R.Geiger and W.Köppen
C)C)G.Rossby,R.Geiger and C.W.Thornthwaite
D)R)Geiger,C.G.Rossby,and the ancient Greeks
E)W)Köppen,R.Geiger,C.G.Rossby

Question 33

Which of the following characterizes a tropical savanna climate?

A)it experiences a summer wet season,and is dominated by the ITCZ for nearly 12 months of the year.
B)it experiences a wet summer and dry winter,and is dominated by the ITCZ for 6 months or less during the year.
C)all months receive precipitation in excess of 6 cm.
D)it has an average warmest month below 18°C.
E)there is a surplus of water year-round.

Question 34

Which is true of humid subtropical hot summer climates?

A)Asian humid subtropical hot summer climates are influenced by the monsoons.
B)they have cold ocean currents off shore.
C)North American humid subtropical hot summer climates have cyclonic storm trackshift overhead in the summer with the ITCZ.
D)their hot and rainy season occurs in the winter season.
E)they are little affected by seasonal shifts in insolation and temperature.

Question 35

Which of the following is true regarding the tropical monsoon climate?

A)it is located away from coastal areas.
B)the transition from wet to dry conditions is the result of changing ocean currents.
C)the wind direction remains constant throughout the year.
D)the summer (high Sun season)is the driest time of the year.
E)thorn forests occur on the dry margins of this region.

Question 36

Tropical climates

A)occupy less than 25% of Earth's surface.
B)are found from 35° N to 35° S.
C)have consistently warm seasonal temperatures.
D)have variable day lengths.
E)are found only in the southern hemisphere.

Question 37

Soils in a tropical rain forest are nutrient ________ because ________.

A)rich leaves from trees provide lots of organic matter to the soil
B)rich organic matter remains in the soil for a long time due to the slow rate at which it decomposes
C)rich the organic matter decomposes very quickly under the moist,hot conditions
D)poor heavy rains wash away nutrients
E)poor there is a heavy clay content to the soils decreasing their permeability.

Question 38

The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when

A)cold air masses dominate the region.
B)the ITCZ is not overhead.
C)the ITCZ is overhead.
D)cold ocean currents shift into the region.
E)winds shift to the north.

Question 39

Which of the following climate types is characterized by soils that are so wet they are extremely low in nutrients?

A)Humid continental
B)Humid subtropical
C)Tropical rain forest
D)Tundra
E)Marine West Coast

Question 40

The tropical rain forest climate receives most of its rainfall as a result of

A)frontal uplift.
B)orographic uplift.
C)convectional uplift.

Question 41

Mediterranean dry-summer climates

A)experience dry conditions in summer due to the subtropical high overhead.
B)experience wet conditions in winter due to the ITCZ overhead.
C)are bordered poleward by steppe climates.
D)experience wet conditions in summer due to the ITCZ overhead.
E)have high precipitation due to orographic uplift.

Question 42

Humid subtropical hot summer climates in typically experience .

A)Asia dry winters due to monsoonal conditions.
B)Asia wet summers due to cyclonic storm tracks.
C)North America dry winters due to cold ocean currents.
D)North America wet summers due to monsonal conditions.

Question 43

Which of the following is true of microthermal climates?

A)they have a small seasonal temperature range,hence the term microthermal.
B)because of the latitude at which they occur,these climates occupy the largest land area of any climate.
C)in the southern hemisphere,these climates develop only in highland regions.
D)all of the subtypes of this climate have a uniform annual precipitation regime.
E)they are dominated by easterly winds.

Question 44

Bluefield,West Virginia,in the eastern United States,is within which climate classification despite its eastern location in the Appalachians?

A)marine west coast climate
B)humid subtropical,hot-summer
C)highland climate
D)humid continental,hot-summer

Question 45

The principal difference between the climate of New York,New York,and Dalian,China,is

A)they are a dry and moist climate,respectively.
B)New York has a winter-dry tendency.
C)Dalian,China has a winter-dry tendency.
D)Dalian,China has a higher total annual precipitation.
E)New York has a higher temperature range.

Question 46

Duluth,Minnesota,Moscow and Saint Petersburg,Russia are within which climate classification?

A)Humid continental,mild summer
B)Humid subtropical,mild summer
C)Ice cap and ice sheet
D)Humid subtropical,winter-dry

Question 47

Which of the following is true of the humid continental,hot-summer climate regions in North America?

A)it has mild winters.
B)most of the precipitation occurs in winter.
C)it is influenced by maritime air masses in winter.
D)it is one of the regions that experiences significant frontal activity because of the interaction of conflicting air masses in winter.
E)it is dominated by cP air masses in summer.

Question 48

Mediterranean climate

A)has dry summers and wet winters
B)experiences year-round drought
C)experiences year-round rainfall
D)has a high Sun,rainy season
E)has a low Sun,dry season

Question 49

Which climatic region contains and feeds the greatest number of people in the world?

A)wet equatorial
B)tropical savanna
C)mesothermal
D)microthermal
E)semiarid steppe

Question 50

Moscow,Russia,is an example of the ________ climate designation.

A)Humid subtropical,hot-summer
B)Humid continental,mild summer
C)Subarctic
D)Tundra
E)Semiarid steppe

Question 51

Which of the following has a typical subarctic,very cold winter climate?

A)Churchill,Manitoba
B)Dalian,China
C)Verkhoyansk,Siberia,Russia
D)Duluth,Minnesota
E)Ottawa,Ontario

Question 52

Which of the following is true regarding the Mediterranean classification?

A)summers are cool.
B)seventy percent of the precipitation occurs in the summer months.
C)it is also called the Mediterranean dry-summer climate.
D)the bulk of precipitation occurs in the spring and fall months.
E)winters are hot and dry.

Question 53

Atlanta,Georgia,Buenos Aires,Argentina,and Nagasaki,Japan all share the following climate classification.

A)Humid continental hot-summer
B)Humid subtropical hot-summer
C)Mediterranean hot-summer
D)Semiarid steppe
E)Marine west coast

Question 54

The largest percentage of Earth's population lives within the

A)Tropical climates.
B)Desert climates.
C)Mesothermal climates.
D)Microthermal climates.
E)Polar and Highland climates.

Question 55

Which is true of Mediterranean climates?

A)they occur on east coasts due to cool currents there.
B)they receive 70% of their precipitation in winter.
C)they are bounded poleward by marine west coast climates.
D)they are bounded equatorward by desert climates.
E)they exist in a very narrow latitudinal band in the northern hemisphere only.

Question 56

Which type of vegetation grows in the Mediterranean climate?

A)taiga
B)chaparral
C)rain forest
D)boreal forest
E)savanna

Question 57

Which of the following is correct regarding tundra climates?

A)spruce,fir and larch trees survive in this climate zone.
B)there is a true summer in this region.
C)precipitation is in excess of a very small potential evapotranspiration.
D)the land is under continuous snow cover for about 5 months.
E)although there are cold winters,dense forest covers much of this zone.

Question 58

Which of the following is true of marine west-coast climates?

A)they are dominated by mT air masses.
B)the air masses in this region are stable.
C)these climates experience very cold winters because of their high latitude (about 45° to 55° north)
D)the weather is quite unpredictable.
E)frosts are frequent and fogs are rare.

Question 59

Precipitation mechanisms in marine west-coast climates include which of the following?

A)convective,cyclonic storm tracks,and orographic
B)convective,cyclonic storm tracks,and ITCZ
C)cyclonic storm tracks,ITCZ,and orographic
D)convective,ITCZ and orographic
E)convective,frontal,and ITCZ

Question 60

Which of the following is true of the subarctic climate regions of Canada and Asia?

A)Permafrost does not occurs here.
B)Broadleaf deciduous trees,such as maple and sweetgum,dominate the area.
C)The area never experiences hot summer temperatures.
D)This climate zone constitutes the maximum poleward extent of savanna.
E)This is the zone that experiences the greatest temperature range of any place on Earth.

Question 61

Which of the following is a consequence of a potential global warming over the next century?

A)equatorward climate region shift of 150-550 km.
B)an average of 3% of forests will undergo major species shifts.
C)tropical diseases will spread remain contained in low latitudes.
D)high latitude ice fields will gradual increase in thickness and area.
E)sea level rise of .18-.59 m.

Question 62

Which type of plants grow in desert climates?

A)taiga
B)boreal forests
C)xerophytic
D)chaparral
E)hydrophytic

Question 63

The tropical,subtropical hot desert climates occur

A)in the low latitudes.
B)only in midlatitude rainshadow positions.
C)in polar regions.
D)along the midlatitude,west coasts of continents.
E)in continental interiors of the southern hemisphere.

Question 64

According to global climate change predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),temperatures by the year A.D.2100 will be

A)from 1.1 C° to 6.4 C° higher than the 1950 to 1990 period.
B)from 0.7 C° to 3.6C° higher than the 1950 to 1990 period.
C)from 1.4 C° lower to 4.7 C° higher than the 1950 to 1990 period.
D)from 3.6 C° to 12.5 C° higher than the 1950 to 1990 period.

Question 65

Which of the following has occurred?

A)10-20 cm fall in sea level in the last century.
B)43% increase in Arctic Ocean sea ice from 1976 -1996.
C)disintegration of 8000 km² (3090 mi²)of Arctic ice shelves.
D)Earth is within 1 C° of the highest average temperature of the past 125,000 years.
E)a 30% increase in alpine and mountain glacier ice mass.

Question 66

The gas that is thought to be responsible for more than half of the anthropogenic warming of the atmosphere is

A)methane.
B)water vapor.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)CFCs.
E)ozone.

Question 67

Which of the following is true regarding greenhouse gasses?

A)carbon dioxide is the only radiatively active gas.
B)over half of the warming is associated with increasing levels of methane (CH₂).
C)chlorofluorocarbon,so devastating to the ozonosphere,are not of significance to global warming.
D)carbon dioxide,methane,and CFCs,among others,are radiatively active gases.

Question 68

Greenhouse gasses act to increase temperatures by absorbing and releasing

A)shortwave energy travelling from Earth into space.
B)shortwave energy from entering Earth's energy system.
C)longwave energy travelling from Earth into space.
D)longwave energy from entering Earth's energy system.

Question 69

Which of the following is true regarding the concentration of CO₂ in the lower atmosphere?

A)it is 1/3 higher than it was 1750.
B)it has stabilized.
C)it is presently at 150 ppm.
D)it is unrelated to the amount of forest cover.
E)it is not related to fossil fuel use.

Question 70

Which is true regarding global climate change?

A)there is a surprising lack of correlation between CO₂ levels and temperatures.
B)the last two decades have been the coolest ever recorded.
C)The warmest year ever recorded was 2005,followed by 1998,1961,1973 and 1846.
D)the rate at which global temperatures are rising is higher than anywhere else in the entire measured temperature record.
E)Earth is within 10°C of the warmest temperature of the last 125,000 years.

Question 71

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)reports

A)that global temperatures are expected to stop rising under all climate models.
B)that there is a dearth of scientific agreement about whether the climate is changing.
C)that glacial ice is melting worldwide,and river and lake ice is melting sooner in the spring.
D)that there is new and stronger evidence that most of global warming is not human caused.
E)information from a few scientists from a small number of countries.

Question 72

General circulation models (GCMs)of the atmosphere

A)produce very specific results as to time and place.
B)are now in operation at over a dozen places in Canada.
C)are based on statistical three-dimensional boxes that characterize portions of the atmosphere and ocean in terms of climate-related variables.
D)are essentially unrelated to mathematical models originally established for forecasting weather.
E)are based on short term weather data for many places on Earth.

Question 73

Which of the following is true of the tundra zone?

A)mosquitoes and gnats are plentiful in the summer in this region.
B)it is found only in the southern hemisphere.
C)plants cannot grow here even though there is a short warm period.
D)permafrost does not occur here.
E)dwarf willows that grow here have a very short life span.

Question 74

Which is true regarding the Kyoto Protocol?

A)it was adopted by 10 000 delegates in 1997.
B)it calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 0.2% lower than 1990 levels.
C)it has not been endorsed by national academies of science.
D)it is international law with only 14 country signitories.
E)it was embraced by President Bush,who pledged his full support.

Question 75

Potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation in all parts of which climate type?

A)Tropical savanna
B)Mediterranean summer-dry
C)Semiarid steppe
D)Polar
E)tropical savanna

Question 76

Which of these statements is true regarding carbon dioxide?

A)CO₂ levels are now higher than any other time in the past 800 000 years in the Dome C ice core.
B)the rate of increase is lesser than any time in the last 20 000 years.
C)it is responsible for 0.4% of global warming.
D)global emissions in 2000 were 4% greater than in 1950,and the United States produced 24% of that total.
E)carbon dioxide has a signature smell and appears cloudy.

Question 77

Global climate change

A)has been dominated by global cooling.
B)includes shifting climate zones.
C)is linked to falling sea levels.
D)is evidenced by growing glaciers worldwide.
E)cannot be proven scientifically.

Question 78

Which of the following is a predicted consequence of the global warming?

A)flooding of low-lying coastal areas
B)containment of tropical diseases to regions now affected by them
C)stability in species composition of forest ecosystems
D)status quo in international trade relationships-especially those pertaining to food
E)increased sea ice in the Arctic that will prevent use of the northwest passage.

Question 79

Greenhouse gases act to ________ temperatures by ________ thermal infrared radiation.

A)increase absorbing and releasing
B)increase reflecting
C)decrease blocking
D)decrease absorbing and releasing
E)decrease reflecting

Question 80

Which of the following is correct relative to a rise in sea level?

A)about 5 percent of the rising level is due to thermal expansion
B)concern is focused on the contribution from the melting of already floating ice.
C)the largest contributor to the sea level rise is the melting of ice on land.
D)sea level has risen an estimated 1.0 to 2.0 cm this century.
E)climate models are accurately predicting rates of sea level rise.