Deck 4: Insolation and Temperature

Question 1

In the electromagnetic spectrum, visible light occupies the band between 0.4 and 0.7 ________.

A) millibars
B) micrometers
C) Kelvins
D) meters
E) feet

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Solar energy is also known as ________.

A) power
B) insolation
C) conduction
D) convection
E) longwave energy

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Because of temperature differences, the most plentiful terrestrial wavelengths are 20 times ________ than solar wavelengths.

A) more powerful
B) longer
C) faster
D) slower
E) shorter

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The Kelvin scale is based on ________.

A) electromagnetic energy
B) absolute zero
C) the freezing of water
D) latent heat
E) albedo

Question 5

The energy emitted from the Sun is a product of ________.

A) fission
B) fusion
C) radioactive decay
D) geysers
E) none of the above

Question 6

The radiation coming from the Sun is most plentiful at 0.5 micrometers. The most plentiful radiation coming from the Earth is at ________ micrometer(s).

A) 0
B) 0.5
C) 2
D) 5
E) 10

Question 7

The solar energy reaching Earth travels a distance of ________ million kilometers.

A) 1
B) 8
C) 30
D) 150
E) 567

Question 8

In a single second, the Earth receives as much energy from the Sun as ________.

A) it reradiates in a week
B) humans use in a century
C) humans have used since the beginning of civilization
D) all powerplants generate in a week
E) Earth has produced by volcanic eruptions since the beginning of Earth history

Question 9

Only ________ of the Sun's energy reaches the Earth.

A) 2 billionths
B) 1 billionth
C) 2 millionths
D) 1 millionth
E) 1 trillionth

Question 10

The freezing point of water is ________ on the Kelvin scale.

A) 32
B) 0
C) 273
D) 60
E) -40

Question 11

"Work" is scientifically defined as ________.

A) pressure acting over time
B) wavelength times the speed of light
C) force acting over area
D) energy transfer per unit of time
E) joules per second

Question 12

The only major country still using the Fahrenheit scale for temperature determination is ________.

A) the U.S.A.
B) Canada
C) Germany
D) Brazil
E) Iraq

Question 13

The Sun's radiant energy reaches the Earth across space in approximately ________.

A) 8 seconds
B) 8 minutes
C) 8 hours
D) 8 days
E) 8 months

Question 14

Solar energy and terrestrial reradiation are usually measured in units of length called ________.

A) langleys
B) calories
C) micrometers
D) nanometers
E) isotherms

Question 15

In terms of running the Earth's atmospheric processes, the significant energy comes from the Sun and ________.

A) the Moon
B) the next closest star
C) reflection from Venus
D) Earth's interior
E) no other source

Question 16

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Earth emits more energy per area than the Sun.
B) The Sun essentially functions as a blackbody.
C) The Sun is a type of Black Hole.
D) Earth radiates energy to space.
E) The atmosphere absorbs more energy directly from the sun than it reflects to space.

Question 17

Most of the radiation incident upon the Earth falls within the ________ part of the spectrum.

A) short wave
B) long wave
C) infrared
D) X-ray
E) radar

Question 18

The boiling point of water at sea level is 100°C, which is the same as ________ Kelvin.

A) 0
B) 32
C) 212
D) 373
E) 410

Question 19

The Sun ________.

A) is a relatively large star
B) generates energy through fission
C) is the closest galaxy to Earth
D) actually plays a minor role in energizing Earth's life forms
E) is a star of average size

Question 20

At 0 Kelvins, ________.

A) water boils
B) ice forms
C) ice melts
D) water freezes
E) molecular motion stops

Question 21

The speed of light is closest to ________ kilometers per second.

A) 3,000
B) 30,000
C) 300,000
D) 3,000,000
E) 30,000,000

Question 22

________ objects radiate in shorter wavelengths than ________ objects.

A) Red, green
B) Big, small
C) Liquid, solid
D) Tall, short
E) Hot, cold

Question 23

With respect to absorption of solar radiation, it is understood that ________ are the most efficient absorbers.

A) dark colors
B) light colors
C) stone
D) plastic
E) snow

Question 24

About ________ percent of the total insolation is directly absorbed by the air.

A) 92
B) 62
C) 22
D) 12
E) 0.2

Question 25

The longest of all visible light waves are ________.

A) violet
B) red
C) green
D) yellow
E) orange

Question 26

For the most part the atmosphere is heated from the ________.

A) Sun
B) Earth's surface
C) storms
D) cyclones
E) reflection from the Moon

Question 27

The albedo of the Earth system has been determined to be ________ percent.

A) 2
B) 5
C) 15
D) 27
E) 33

Question 28

Between 0.7 micrometers and 1.0 micrometers are some of the ________ wavelengths.

A) microwave
B) visible
C) infrared
D) ultraviolet
E) X-ray

Question 29

Earth's reradiation to space consists mainly of ________.

A) long rays
B) gamma rays
C) short rays
D) ultraviolet rays
E) X-rays

Question 30

Which of the following refers to the speed at which the atoms in a substance are vibrating?

A) latent heat
B) rotation
C) heat
D) energy
E) angle of incidence

Question 31

For atmospheric radiation, ________ micrometer(s) is considered to be the boundary between "shortwaves" and "longwaves."

A) 1
B) 4
C) 10
D) 20
E) 50

Question 32

The MAIN source of atmosphere heating is from the ________.

A) absorption of ultraviolet energy from the Sun
B) conduction of energy from the Earth
C) convection of energy from the Earth
D) reradiation of energy from the Earth
E) absorption of insolation

Question 33

Albedo is the percentage of energy ________ from an object compared to the original amount of energy that struck the object.

A) emitted
B) reflected
C) conducted
D) advected
E) convected

Question 34

Almost all terrestrial radiation can be considered to be ________ and almost all solar radiation can be considered to be ________.

A) shortwave, longwave
B) shortwave, shortwave
C) longwave, longwave
D) longwave, shortwave
E) heat, light

Question 35

What process explains the slow rate of snowmelt on a sunny day when the air temperature is above freezing?

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

Question 36

The atmosphere is heated, for the most part, from ________.

A) above
B) below
C) the stratosphere
D) the thermosphere
E) the exosphere

Question 37

Which of the following electromagnetic wavelengths are LONGEST?

A) microwaves
B) visible energy
C) ultraviolet energy
D) cosmic rays
E) infrared energy

Question 38

Emission of energy is most closely associated with ________.

A) reflection
B) scattering
C) radiation
D) latent heat
E) conduction

Question 39

Radiation from the Earth is mostly absorbed in the lower troposphere and ________ back towards Earth.

A) reradiated
B) scattered
C) conducted
D) convected
E) reflected

Question 40

A body that emits the maximum amount of radiation possible, at every wavelength for its temperature is a(n) ________.

A) black body
B) isotherm
C) Celsius
D) albedo
E) Kelvin

Question 41

Which of the following does NOT refer to the transfer of electromagnetic radiation?

A) transmission
B) reflection
C) absorption
D) scattering
E) conduction

Question 42

Which substance is the best transmitter of solar energy?

A) rock
B) soil
C) air
D) murky water
E) They are all approximately equal in transmissivity.

Question 43

The absorption of longwave radiation in the atmosphere is popularly called ________.

A) Coriolis effect
B) scattering
C) the Greenhouse effect
D) advection
E) the carbon dioxide effect

Question 44

Adiabatic processes cause cooling by ________.

A) conduction
B) convection
C) radiation
D) decompression
E) insertion

Question 45

In which of the below does electromagnetic radiation change its wavelengths?

A) reflection
B) scattering
C) transmission
D) convection
E) absorption and emission occurring together

Question 46

Which wavelengths are most inefficiently transmitted through the atmosphere?

A) long
B) visible blue
C) short
D) solar radiation
E) radiation of 0.5 micrometer wavelengths

Question 47

The phenomenon of atmospheric scattering is most closely associated with which visible electromagnetic wavelengths?

A) red
B) green
C) blue
D) violet
E) X-rays

Question 48

On the average, sunlight received on the Earth's surface is only ________ as strong as that received at the edge of the atmosphere.

A) 1/100
B) 1/10
C) 1/4
D) 1/2
E) 1/8

Question 49

In terms of other substances in the Earth system, air is considered ________ conductor of energy.

A) an excellent
B) a better than average
C) an average
D) a poorer than average
E) a very poor

Question 50

Heat transferred laterally in the atmosphere by horizontal wind movements is a process called ________.

A) compression
B) reflection
C) absorption
D) advection
E) transmission

Question 51

Which two terms are NOT closely related?

A) reflection, scattering
B) reflection, albedo
C) albedo, longwaves
D) longwaves, atmospheric absorption
E) atmospheric absorption, ultraviolet energy

Question 52

The term "diffuse radiation" is most closely associated with ________.

A) conduction
B) scattering
C) absorption
D) the greenhouse effect
E) global warming

Question 53

Advection is a(n) ________ wind movement.

A) horizontal
B) vertical
C) compressional
D) convectional
E) expansive

Question 54

The process of evaporation of water to gas releases stored energy called ________.

A) convection
B) latent heat
C) advection
D) compression
E) conduction

Question 55

Which two of the following terms describe processes which are physically quite similar?

A) absorption and transmission
B) scattering and reflection
C) transmission and convection
D) absorption and adiabatic heating
E) radiation and conduction

Question 56

The reddish tint of the Sun in the late afternoon results from ________.

A) scattering
B) condition
C) advection
D) reflection
E) albedo

Question 57

Vertical motion in air causes cooling of the lifted air. This phenomenon is governed by the ________ effect.

A) Coriolis
B) albedo
C) inversion
D) adiabatic
E) latitudinal

Question 58

Which of the following phenomena is NOT closely associated with atmospheric water vapor?

A) presence of latent heat
B) absorption of longwave energy
C) the greenhouse effect
D) trapping of terrestrial reradiation
E) adiabatic warming

Question 59

Cooling of air expansion is called ________.

A) conduction
B) convection
C) advection
D) the adiabatic process
E) absorption

Question 60

In the heating of the atmosphere, which amount of energy is SMALLEST?

A) solar radiation received at the surface
B) the albedo of the Earth system
C) solar radiation absorbed by ozone
D) solar radiation entering the atmosphere
E) solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere

Question 61

The Sun is directly on the horizon. The angle of incidence ________.

A) is 0°
B) is 45°
C) is 90°
D) is 180°
E) cannot be calculated without additional information.

Question 62

Although several factors are involved, the main factor controlling the distribution of annual average temperature for Earth as a whole is ________.

A) longitude
B) latitude
C) altitude
D) land/water contrasts
E) ocean currents

Question 63

More than three-fourths of all sunshine falls on ________ as it reaches Earth's surface.

A) water
B) soil
C) continents
D) rocks
E) clouds

Question 64

In terms of maps of solar energy receipt at Earth's surface, the main interruption to a strictly latitudinal pattern is ________.

A) altitude
B) cloud cover
C) daylength
D) air pollution
E) angle of incidence

Question 65

In the Northern Hemisphere, a yearly net surplus of energy is experienced for all latitudes SOUTH of which latitude?

A) 0°N
B) 8°N
C) 28°N
D) 58°N
E) 88°N

Question 66

In the Northern Hemisphere about ________ percent of the surface is land.

A) 7
B) 39
C) 56
D) 75
E) 91

Question 67

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) Earth's energy budget is perfectly balanced.
B) Earth's energy budget is unbalanced by latitude.
C) Earth's energy budget is vertically unbalanced.
D) Earth's energy budget is the cause of all weather.
E) Earth's energy budget is the same at each location.

Question 68

The higher latitudes receive much less intense insolation than tropical zones because of ________.

A) albedo
B) Sun's angle of incidence
C) greenhouse effect
D) ocean's specific heat
E) water's transmissivity

Question 69

The extremely low surface temperatures in the Antarctic in July (southern hemisphere winter) clearly demonstrate the principle of ________.

A) adiabatic cooling
B) latitudinal differentiation
C) greater cooling of land than water
D) lapse rates
E) aphelion

Question 70

A map of the average daily insolation received in the 48 coterminous United States would show the ________ to have the highest values.

A) northwest
B) northeast
C) central
D) southwest
E) southeast

Question 71

Where are seasonal changes in daylength least important?

A) middle latitudes
B) high latitudes
C) tropical latitudes
D) low altitudes
E) near oceans

Question 72

In the Southern Hemisphere about ________ percent of the surface is land.

A) 19
B) 25
C) 34
D) 55
E) 78

Question 73

The belt of maximum solar energy input to Earth swings back and forth ________.

A) between 0 through 90 degrees latitude
B) through the middle latitudes
C) through the area of energy deficit
D) through the Tropics
E) through a total of 5 degrees of latitude

Question 74

Overall, the Southern Hemisphere has a milder winter than the Northern Hemisphere because ________.

A) the days are shorter in the Northern Hemisphere
B) there is more water in the Southern Hemisphere
C) ocean currents are almost non-existent in the Southern Hemisphere
D) the Sun is closest to Earth during the Southern Hemisphere winter
E) the angles of the sun are different

Question 75

Northern Africa, southwestern Asia, and southwestern North America experience what in common?

A) the hottest summers on Earth
B) the rainiest warm seasons on Earth
C) many cloudy days because of the nearby equator
D) the largest winter-to-summer temperature ranges on Earth
E) the presence of warm ocean currents making the climates very mild

Question 76

As the angle of incidence becomes less, the ________.

A) Sun appears higher in the sky
B) distance from Earth to Sun increases
C) amount of energy coming from the Sun decreases
D) tilt of Earth's axis increases
E) less concentrated solar energy becomes

Question 77

Where on Earth does one expect the greatest latitudinal displacement of isotherms between January and July?

A) over the middle latitude oceans
B) over the equatorial oceans
C) over the middle latitude continents
D) over the equatorial continents
E) over the high latitude oceans

Question 78

The specific heat of water is greater than that of land. This means ________.

A) water is warmer than land
B) land is warmer than water
C) water cools more slowly than does land
D) land cools more slowly than does water
E) none of the above

Question 79

The Earth as a body has a yearly net loss of energy at the top of the atmosphere north of ________ degrees north latitude.

A) 10
B) 28
C) 56
D) 66.5
E) 90

Question 80

At which locations are solar energy most concentrated?

A) where the Sun is closest to the curved Earth surface
B) anywhere on Earth, if it is the perihelion
C) at places where the angle of incidence is 90°
D) at places where the angle of incidence is 0°
E) where the atmosphere has the most water vapor