Deck 7: Temperatures of the Lower Atmosphere

Question 1

Which factor is the most important when explaining variations in global temperatures?

A) elevation
B) longitude
C) latitude
D) cloudiness
E) distance from oceans

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When an unsaturated air parcel rises in the atmosphere, it cools at a constant rate called ____.

A) the constant lapse rate
B) the saturated adiabatic lapse rate
C) the dry adiabatic lapse rate
D) the environmental lapse rate

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What is the name of the process when heat is released into the environment and water changes phases?

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

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The lower atmosphere is considered very stable when there is _____.

A) surface heating
B) upper air cooling
C) a temperature inversion
D) growing clouds

Question 5

The urban heat island occurs when:

A) the city center is warmer than the surrounding rural areas
B) the surrounding rural areas are warmer than the urban center
C) there is more dust in the city than the rural surroundings
D) the city is surrounded by cooler water

Question 6

When the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate, the atmosphere is considered:

A) absolutely stable
B) conditionally stable
C) conditionally unstable
D) absolutely unstable

Question 7

When water freezes into ice, it releases stored energy called:

A) latent heat
B) sensible heat
C) cold fusion
D) radiational heat

Question 8

During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, isotherms bend _____over continents.

A) northward
B) westward
C) southward
D) eastward
E) erratically

Question 9

The Gulf Stream causes isotherms to bend further ____ over the North Atlantic.

A) northward
B) westward
C) southward
D) eastward

Question 10

Land (continents) heats and cools faster than water (ocean) because:

A) the specific heat of water is greater than that of land
B) land heats by conduction while water heats by convection
C) water is transparent to sunlight while land is opaque to sunlight
D) all of the above

Question 11

A temperature inversion is when temperature decreases with increasing height.

Question 12

In a stable atmosphere:

A) an air parcel displaced vertically moves farther away from its original position
B) an air parcel displaced vertically moves back toward its original position
C) an air parcel displaced vertically remains at its new position
D) none of the above

Question 13

Air pollution potential is greatest in summer of much of California due to:

A) more cars traveling on roads in summer
B) more vacationers and visitors cause increased auto emissions in summer
C) there tends to be low winds and almost daily inversions during the summer
D) summer winds tend to move pollution over California in summer

Question 14

At nearly the same latitude, San Francisco, CA has a smaller range of annual temperatures than St. Louis, MO.

Question 15

The atmosphere is stable when there is a temperature inversion near the ground.

Question 16

The north-south temperature gradient over the U.S. is greater in summer than winter.