Deck 14: Atmosphere and Hydrosphere

Question 1

The cloud streaks left by aircraft at high altitudes consist of

A)water droplets.
B)ice crystals.
C)carbon dioxide crystals.
D)unburned fuel.

Answer 1

ice crystals.

Question 2

When the temperature of a volume of air is equal to its dew point, the relative humidity of the air is

A)0.
B)50%.
C)100%.
D)200%.

Answer 2

100%.

Question 3

When a warm, moist air mass moves upward, it cools because

A)it contracts.
B)it expands.
C)its ozone content increases.
D)it comes in contact with clouds.

Answer 3

it expands.

Question 4

When saturated air is warmed,

A)it becomes able to take up more water vapor.
B)some of its water content condenses out.
C)the relative humidity goes up.
D)snow begins to fall.

Question 5

The ozone in the stratosphere

A)reflects radio waves.
B)reflects solar ultraviolet radiation.
C)absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation.
D)is responsible for the blue color of the sky.

Question 6

If the earth's atmosphere were to disappear, the rate at which the earth radiates energy into space would

A)decrease slightly.
B)decrease considerably.
C)increase slightly.
D)increase considerably.

Question 7

Insolation is

A)the insulating effect of the atmosphere.
B)another name for the greenhouse effect.
C)incoming solar radiation.
D)incoming heat from the equator.

Question 8

Average atmospheric pressure does not correspond to

A)1013 mb.
B)1.013 N/m².
C)101.3 kPa.
D)14.7 lb/in.².

Question 9

Weather phenomena such as clouds and storms are found in the

A)thermosphere.
B)stratosphere.
C)troposphere.
D)ionosphere.

Question 10

The lower the temperature of a volume of air, the

A)more water vapor it can hold.
B)less water vapor it can hold.
C)greater its possible relative humidity.
D)lower its possible relative humidity.

Question 11

The breakdown of the ozone layer is promoted by the emission into the atmosphere of

A)carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.
B)sulfuric acid from the burning of fossil fuels.
C)unburned hydrocarbons in the exhausts of gasoline engines.
D)chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases used in refrigeration.

Question 12

The chief source of atmospheric heat is

A)incoming solar radiation.
B)infrared radiation from the earth itself.
C)ultraviolet radiation absorbed by ozone.
D)ultraviolet radiation absorbed by clouds.

Question 13

Ice crystals

A)never occur in clouds.
B)usually are found in low-altitude clouds.
C)usually occur in high-altitude clouds.
D)occur equally often in clouds at all altitudes.

Question 14

Saturated air has a relative humidity of

A)0.
B)1%.
C)50%.
D)100%.

Question 15

A temperature inversion that acts to trap smog in localities such as Los Angeles consists of

A)cold air above a layer of warm air.
B)warm air above a layer of cold air.
C)dry air above a layer of moist air.
D)moist air above a layer of dry air.

Question 16

The highest of the following is/are

A)the summit of Mt.Everest.
B)cirrus clouds.
C)the ozone layer.
D)the ionosphere.

Question 17

Of the following gases, the least abundant in the atmosphere is

A)oxygen.
B)nitrogen.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)argon.

Question 18

Of the following gases, the most abundant in the atmosphere is

A)oxygen.
B)nitrogen.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)argon.

Question 19

Atmospheric pressure is half its sea-level value at an altitude of

A)1 km (3300 ft).
B)5 km (16,400 ft).
C)20 km (12.4 mi).
D)100 km (62 mi).

Question 20

Temperatures in the stratosphere increase with altitude because of the presence there of

A)water vapor.
B)ozone.
C)pollutants.
D)CFCs.

Question 21

If the earth's axis were less tilted than it is today, the difference between the average temperatures of winter and summer would

A)decrease.
B)be unchanged.
C)increase.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the location.

Question 22

An isobar is

A)a line of constant pressure on a weather map.
B)a line of constant temperature on a weather map.
C)a unit of atmospheric pressure.
D)the path followed by a wind.

Question 23

A wind in the Northern Hemisphere begins to blow toward the north.Because of the Coriolis effect the wind is deflected

A)toward the south.
B)toward the east.
C)toward the west.
D)upward.

Question 24

At an equinox, the noon sun is

A)overhead at the north pole.
B)overhead at the equator.
C)at its highest point in the sky in the northern hemisphere.
D)at its highest point in the sky in the southern hemisphere.

Question 25

At the summer solstice, usually June 22, there is

A)24 h of sunlight inside the Arctic Circle and 24 h of darkness inside the Antarctic Circle.
B)24 h of sunlight inside both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
C)12 h of sunlight inside the Arctic Circle and 24 h of darkness inside the Antarctic Circle.
D)12 h of sunlight inside both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

Question 26

Tornadoes

A)are narrow cyclonic storms.
B)are narrow anticyclonic storms.
C)are at the central parts of hurricanes.
D)occur mainly in the winter.

Question 27

The earth's axis is currently tilted relative to the plane of its orbit by

A)1 ^$\circ$ .
B)12.5 ^$\circ$ .
C)23.5 ^$\circ$ .
D)an angle that varies with the seasons.

Question 28

The process by which air heated by contact with a warm part of the earth's surface rises upward is called

A)the Coriolis effect.
B)conduction.
C)convection.
D)insolation.

Question 29

The winds in a northern hemisphere cyclone spiral

A)clockwise toward its center.
B)counterclockwise toward its center.
C)clockwise away from its center.
D)counterclockwise away from its center.

Question 30

The generally easterly winds that blow on both sides of the equator are called

A)trade winds.
B)monsoons.
C)cyclones.
D)doldrums.

Question 31

On a summer night, coastal land cools below the temperature of the nearby sea.The result is a "land breeze" that blows

A)onshore.
B)offshore.
C)parallel to the shore.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the region.

Question 32

Westerly winds are characteristic of the

A)middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere only.
B)middle latitudes of the southern hemisphere only.
C)middle latitudes of both hemispheres.
D)trade-wind belts of both hemispheres.

Question 33

Air near the equator averages higher temperatures than air near the poles because

A)polar air is cooled by the ice and snow on the ground.
B)there is more carbon dioxide and water vapor in equatorial air to absorb infrared radiation from the earth.
C)sunlight falls more nearly vertically at the equator than near the poles.
D)the oceans near the equator are warmer than those near the poles.

Question 34

Rain is not usually associated with

A)a warm front.
B)a cold front.
C)a cyclone.
D)an anticyclone.

Question 35

Which of the following does not describe a jet stream?

A)occurs at high altitudes
B)has relatively high wind speeds
C)is relatively narrow in width
D)may blow in any direction

Question 36

Heat is transported around the earth mainly by

A)winds.
B)clouds.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)ocean currents.

Question 37

You are facing a wind associated with a cyclonic weather system in the southern hemisphere.The center of the system is

A)in front of you.
B)behind you.
C)on your right.
D)on your left.

Question 38

Stable weather is associated with

A)cyclones.
B)anticyclones.
C)cold fronts.
D)warm fronts.

Question 39

An anticyclone is a weather system centered about a

A)region of low pressure.
B)region of high pressure.
C)cold front.
D)warm front.

Question 40

A wind in the Southern Hemisphere begins to blow toward the north.Because of the Coriolis effect the wind is deflected

A)toward the south.
B)toward the east.
C)toward the west.
D)downward.

Question 41

Water covers

A)less than half the earth's surface.
B)roughly half the earth's surface.
C)more than half the earth's surface.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the season.

Question 42

Tsunamis

A)are extremely rare.
B)occur mainly in the Atlantic Ocean.
C)are caused by undersea earthquakes.
D)are caused by hurricanes.

Question 43

Most of the world's freshwater is found

A)in lakes and rivers.
B)in clouds.
C)frozen in Greenland.
D)frozen in Antarctica.

Question 44

Rain is most abundant in the

A)prevailing westerlies of the middle latitudes.
B)horse latitudes between the middle latitudes and the trade wind belts.
C)trade wind belts.
D)doldrums of the equatorial regions.

Question 45

Ice ages

A)have occurred only a few times in the past.
B)have occurred often in the past.
C)are unlikely to occur again.
D)cover the entire earth with sheets of ice.

Question 46

Sea levels are rising for which one or more of the following reasons?

A)Floating ice is melting.
B)Icebergs are melting.
C)The Antarctic icecap is melting.
D)Thermal expansion is occurring due to global warming.
E)Both C and D

Question 47

Temperature differences between summer and winter are greatest

A)on the western edges of continents.
B)on the eastern edges of continents.
C)in continental interiors.
D)in oceanic islands such as Hawaii and the Azores.

Question 48

The most abundant ions in sea water are

A)Na⁺ and Cl^-.
B)H⁺ and OH^-.
C)Mg²⁺ and SO₄^2-.
D)Fe²⁺ and Cl^-.

Question 49

Relative to the average depth of the oceans below sea level, the average height of the continents above sea level is

A)greater.
B)smaller.
C)about the same.
D)greater at low tide, smaller at high tide.

Question 50

The Gulf Stream is an ocean current that warms the

A)Gulf coast of the United States.
B)west coast of the United States.
C)west coast of Europe.
D)west coast of Africa.

Question 51

If nothing else changed, an increase in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere would cause its

A)temperature to increase.
B)temperature to decrease.
C)pressure to increase.
D)pressure to decrease.

Question 52

Of the following, the gas that contributes most to global warming is

A)ozone.
B)carbon monoxide.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)methane.