Deck 2: Physical Geography and the Environment

Question 1

Rift valleys are examples of

A)convergent plate boundaries.
B)divergent plate boundaries.
C)transform boundaries.
D)subduction zones.
E)none of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The circum-Pacific zone of activity, from the western Americas (both North and South)to East Asia, is particularly active and is often referred to as the

A)Pacific Rim of Fire.
B)Subduction zone.
C)massive fault line.
D)Transform zone.
E)Atlantic Instability Area.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The geophysical theory that Earth is comprised of large geologic platforms that move slowly across its surface is referred to as

A)upthrust.
B)fault lines.
C)geologic movement.
D)sea-floor spreading.
E)plate tectonics.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

According to plate tectonics theory, large ________ circulate molten rock in different directions within Earth's mantle.

A)waves
B)convection cells
C)conductive cells
D)magnetic cells
E)subduction cells

Question 5

Convergent plate boundaries tend to be found

A)near continents.
B)deep in the middle of the oceans.
C)underneath continents.
D)near the North and South poles.
E)where the new crust is being added to the Earth's surface.

Question 6

Anthropogenic emissions are caused by

A)people.
B)animals.
C)climate.
D)rocks.
E)volcanoes.

Question 7

Upland and mountainous areas are usually wetter than the adjacent lowland areas because of the ________ whereby rising air is cooled and loses its ability to hold moisture as it flows up and over mountains, resulting in rain and snowfall.

A)adiabatic lapse rate
B)subsolar point
C)rain shadow effect
D)rate of condensation
E)orographic effect

Question 8

During the twentieth century an estimated ________ people were killed by volcanic eruptions

A)10,000
B)40,000
C)60,000
D)75,000
E)100,000

Question 9

250 million years ago the world's land masses were all part of a supercontinent called

A)Juan De Fuca.
B)Scotia.
C)Nazca.
D)Pangaea.
E)Eurasia.

Question 10

An estimated 20,000 people died in March 2011 from the combination of an earthquake and a tsunami in coastal

A)The Philippines.
B)Japan.
C)Indonesia.
D)China.
E)Guatemala.

Question 11

What shapes the fundamental form of Earth's surface?

A)geology
B)anthropology
C)politics
D)economics
E)social development

Question 12

Antarctica's ice sheets have an average depth of

A)less than 100 feet.
B)about 7,900 feet.
C)more than 16,500 feet.
D)about 1,000 feet.
E)about 5,500 feet.

Question 13

Chile is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because

A)it is a rift valley.
B)it intersects diverging tectonic plates.
C)it sits upon major areas of transform faulting.
D)it sits upon a mid-ocean ridge.
E)it is in a major subduction zone.

Question 14

The United States opposed the Kyoto Protocol in part because

A)the United States is not a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
B)while the United States has contributed greatly to greenhouse gas emissions in the past, in recent years it has made substantial efforts in reducing these emissions.
C)there is no scientific evidence whatsoever supporting a correlation between greenhouse emissions and climate change.
D)atmospheric emission reductions could potentially harm the U.S. economy.
E)no other industrialized country supports the Kyoto Protocol.

Question 15

The San Andreas Fault is an example of

A)converging plates.
B)diverging plates.
C)transform faulting.
D)subducting plates.
E)volcanic activity.

Question 16

Incoming short-wave solar energy is called

A)the greenhouse effect.
B)solar intensity.
C)differential heating.
D)insolation.
E)orographic effect.

Question 17

What pair of countries contributes the most greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere?

A)England and Ireland
B)Germany and France
C)United States and China
D)Japan and South Korea
E)Russia and India

Question 18

What example of international cooperation works to protect Antarctica?

A)NAFTA
B)Kyoto Protocol
C)IPCC
D)ATS
E)UN Climate Change Committee

Question 19

Divergent plate boundaries tend to be found

A)near continents.
B)deep in the middle of the oceans.
C)underneath continents.
D)near the North and South poles.
E)where the Earth's crust is the oldest.

Question 20

The Himalaya Mountains were formed by

A)converging plates.
B)diverging plates.
C)transform faulting.
D)subducting plates.
E)volcanic activity.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT one of Earth's climate controls?

A)incoming solar energy
B)anthropogenic systems
C)latitude
D)interaction between land and water
E)global pressure systems and wind patterns

Question 22

What wind or global pressure system borders the equator?

A)the westerlies
B)subtropical high
C)trade winds
D)jet stream
E)polar easterlies

Question 23

By signing the Kyoto protocol, Western industrialized countries agreed to reduce their emissions back to ________ levels by the year 2012.

A)1975
B)1980
C)1990
D)1996
E)2000

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a significant greenhouse gas?

A)carbon dioxide
B)methane
C)chlorofluorocarbons
D)molecular nitrogen
E)nitrous oxide

Question 25

Which of the following is a fossil fuel?

A)petroleum
B)wood
C)hydrogen/fuel cell
D)ethanol
E)nuclear energy

Question 26

Which of the following statements about greenhouse gases is most accurate?

A)Greenhouse gases have never been very stable, and have increased dramatically in the past 130 years.
B)Greenhouse gases were fairly stable throughout most of human history, but have decreased dramatically in the past 130 years.
C)Greenhouse gases have never been very stable, but have decreased dramatically in the past 130 years.
D)Greenhouse gases were fairly stable throughout most of human history, but have increased dramatically in the past 130 years.
E)Greenhouse gases increased steadily through most of human history, but have remained stable over the past 130 years.

Question 27

If climate change occurs to a significant degree, it is likely to have all of the following consequences, EXCEPT

A)melting of the polar ice caps.
B)lower sea levels.
C)changing rainfall patterns.
D)more intense tropical storms.
E)longer growing season in Canada.

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of the possible effects of climate change?

A)The U.S. wheat belt may receive more rainfall.
B)Grain production is likely to increase.
C)Canada and Russia may experience shorter growing seasons.
D)Sea level will rise.
E)New islands will appear as sea level decreases.

Question 29

As a general rule, the atmosphere cools by 3.5°F for every 1,000 feet gained in elevation. This is called

A)the environmental lapse rate.
B)the subsolar point.
C)the rate of condensation.
D)orographic effect.
E)the rain shadow effect.

Question 30

Topography can affect weather and climate in what way?

A)It creates the greenhouse effect.
B)It can create varied precipitation patterns in higher elevations.
C)It is responsible for differential heating.
D)It varies the solar intensity.
E)It is responsible for the differences between continental and maritime climates.

Question 31

In which city did representatives from the countries of the world meet and create the first international agreement on climate change?

A)Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
B)Paris, France
C)Kyoto, Japan
D)Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
E)Calcutta, India

Question 32

Graphic representations of monthly average temperatures and precipitation are called

A)orographics.
B)climate regions.
C)lapse rates.
D)climographs.
E)topography.

Question 33

Which country's GHG emissions surpassed those of the United States in 2008, which until that year had historically been the world's largest emitter?

A)China
B)Germany
C)Brazil
D)Canada
E)Japan

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT one of the Earth's climatic controls?

A)topography
B)latitude
C)11 year sunspots
D)interaction between land and water
E)global pressure systems

Question 35

The increase in greenhouse gases during the last 130 years is primarily a result of

A)the excessive burning of fossil fuels by humans.
B)the escape of these gases from plate boundaries and volcanoes.
C)increased sunspot activity that accelerates plant photosynthesis rates.
D)the release of excessive amounts of carbon from the oceans.
E)widespread use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture.

Question 36

Which of the following statements regarding the production of greenhouse gases is TRUE?

A)China's annual GHG emissions now surpass those of the United States.
B)Russia produces the highest amounts of greenhouse gases.
C)India produces the same amount of greenhouse gases per capita as the United States.
D)Brazil ranks second only to France in its production of greenhouse gases.
E)All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 37

What is weather?

A)local areas that possess extreme temperature variability over extended periods of time
B)the long-term condition of the Earth's atmosphere at a given location
C)the atmospheric conditions that are responsible for the formation of regions such as deserts
D)the short-term day-to-day expression of atmospheric processes
E)monthly average precipitation and temperature

Question 38

What is the major source of carbon dioxide?

A)aerosol sprays and refrigerants
B)by-product of cattle and sheep digestion
C)burning fossil fuels
D)widespread use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture
E)burning associated with rainforest clearing

Question 39

A standard scheme, called the ________, devised in the early twentieth century, is used to describe the world's diverse climates.

A)Vön Thunen model
B)Zelinsky's classification
C)Baron la Salle's model's
D)Alfred Wagener's system
E)Köppen system

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT one of the natural greenhouse gases?

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

Question 41

An assemblage of local plants, animals, and insects covering a large area such as a tropical rainforest or a grassland is called a

A)bioregion.
B)bionicle.
C)biosphere.
D)biogeography.
E)biore.

Question 42

The nutrients that are available for plant growth in tropical rainforests tend to be stored in

A)the uppermost layer of the soil.
B)the bottommost layer of the soil.
C)a layer that is approximately one meter below the surface.
D)the decaying vegetative material that has fallen on the rainforest floor.
E)the living plants.

Question 43

In what type of bioregion is desertification most likely to occur?

A)tropical forests
B)temperate forests
C)coniferous forests
D)tundra
E)grasslands

Question 44

In Canada and Alaska, evergreen, needleleaf forests are called ________ referring to their near arctic location.

A)conifers
B)boreal forests
C)tundra
D)semi-deciduous forests
E)native forests

Question 45

What world region is experiencing the highest rate of tropical deforestation?

A)Africa
B)South America
C)East Asia
D)Southeast Asia
E)North America

Question 46

Why are less developed countries (LDCs)reluctant to sign the Kyoto Protocol?

A)Restricted emissions from most-developed countries (MDCs)created the problem.
B)Emissions accumulated in the atmosphere from less developed countries since the nineteenth century and is the major culprit of today's problem.
C)Signing the Kyoto Protocol could limit the economic future of LDCs.
D)Up to now, LDCs such as China and India, have added very little to the build-up of greenhouse gases and have stable or decreasing emission rates.

Question 47

The natural process of the Earth's atmosphere heating through the trapping of reradiated infrared radiation is known as

A)the greenhouse effect.
B)thermal inversion.
C)solar heating.
D)climate change.
E)subduction.

Question 48

What bioregion consists of plants and animals that adapt to differing levels of sunlight through layers of vegetation?

A)desert and grassland
B)evergreen forest
C)tundra
D)Mediterranean shrubs and woodland
E)tropical rainforest

Question 49

Tropical forests are NOT well-suited for intensive agriculture because

A)the excessive amount of rainfall in the region tends to prohibit effective plant growth.
B)available nutrients are stored in tropical forest vegetation, so when the ground cover and trees are removed, the nutrients are removed, too.
C)the ground layer of vegetation in tropical forests is so thick that the land is extremely difficult to clear.
D)the temperatures in tropical forests are too high to allow feasible crop production.
E)they tend to be located too far inland.

Question 50

Climographs do NOT contain information about

A)average high temperatures.
B)average low temperatures.
C)average relative humidity.
D)average precipitation.
E)annual precipitation.

Question 51

The Koppen classification system is a standard system used to classify

A)climate.
B)landforms.
C)tectonic activity.
D)vegetation.
E)languages.

Question 52

About half of the tropical forests that are lost each year are located in what part of the world?

A)Amazon Basin of South America
B)Southeast Asia
C)tropical Africa
D)the Caribbean
E)Oceania

Question 53

Which substance is of great concern to scientists studying human-generated greenhouse gases, and is thought to increase such that the earth's climate will be irrevocably changed by 2020?

A)chlorofluorocarbons
B)carbon dioxide
C)methane
D)nitrous oxide
E)ozone

Question 54

What did countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol agree to do?

A)eliminate their emissions of major greenhouse gases
B)reduce their emissions of major greenhouse gases below 1990 levels
C)keep their emissions of major greenhouse gases at current levels
D)allow their emission of major greenhouse gases to go no higher than 10% above current levels
E)eliminate their emissions of greenhouse gases and all other pollutants by 2010

Question 55

Tropical rainforest canopies are generally

A)a two-layer canopy that is thickest in its upper layer and thin in its lower layer.
B)a two-layer canopy that is thickest in its lower layer and thin in its upper layer.
C)dense tropical forest vegetation usually arrayed in three distinct levels that are adapted to increasing amounts of sunlight, from the treetops to the darker forest floor.
D)dense tropical forest vegetation usually arrayed in three distinct levels that are adapted to decreasing amounts of sunlight, from the treetops to the darker forest floor.
E)a one-layer canopy.

Question 56

Seasonal rainforest trees are ________, meaning they shed their leaves during the harsh dry season in order to slow or completely halt growth.

A)deciduous
B)evergreen
C)savanna
D)stunted
E)steppes

Question 57

Tropical rainforests typically

A)have rich soils.
B)have three major levels of vegetation.
C)are located 30 degrees or more from the equator.
D)have at least one dry season.
E)have low average temperatures.

Question 58

In the ________ climate regions, where precipitation exceeds 10 inches, a prolonged summer-season drought of three or four months produces a unique array of grasses, shrubs, and trees.

A)Humid Sub-tropical
B)Tropical Savanna
C)Climatic Savanna
D)Prairie
E)Mediterranean

Question 59

This term refers to the position taken by developing countries such as China and India, which argue that, because Western industrial countries in North America and Europe have been burning large amounts of fossil fuels since the mid-19th century and because CO₂ stays in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, these countries caused the global warming problem and therefore should fix it.

A)carbon inequity
B)carbon sequestration
C)social justice
D)economic rationalism
E)rational equity

Question 60

The amount of tropical forest that is lost each year is equivalent to the size of what U.S. state?

A)Rhode Island
B)Texas
C)Alaska
D)Delaware
E)Wisconsin

Question 61

This bioregion has two versions: the expansive arctic version of the far northern hemisphere and, sharing many similar traits, the alpine version found at high elevations in mountainous areas worldwide.

A)tundra
B)boreal
C)taiga
D)the chaparral
E)evergreen

Question 62

Why is there special concern about timber firms in Japan and China purchasing logs from North American evergreen forests?

A)Japan gets a discount on the logs.
B)Japan does not hire U.S. workers to cut the trees.
C)These trees are often cut from public forests in the United States and Canada.
D)At this time, the United States and Japan are involved in a larger trade dispute.
E)all of the above

Question 63

This bioregion is associated with the widespread temperate C climate, where precipitation falls year-round in amounts of 30-60 inches, summers are warm, and winters are cold, yet no month averages below freezing.

A)Temperate Deciduous Forest
B)Evergreen
C)Mediterranean Shrub and Woodland
D)Tropical Rainforest
E)Tropical Savanna

Question 64

In the 1930s, which country experienced desertification known as the "Dust Bowl"?

A)China
B)Argentina
C)Turkey
D)United States
E)Spain

Question 65

Water planners use the concept of ________ to map where water problems exist and also to predict where future problems will occur.

A)water stress
B)cation ratio
C)water predictive analysis
D)systems analysis
E)water output prediction solutions

Question 66

What innovation was made available to Indian women to reduce the time spent carrying water?

A)water-carrying drones
B)electric pumps that bring water directly to rural homes
C)specially bred miniature camels
D)the Wello WaterWheel
E)electric golf carts

Question 67

The production of what agricultural product is a major factor in the destruction of African rainforests?

A)tea
B)coffee
C)cacao
D)corn
E)beans

Question 68

What is the major reason water costs have increased in the developing world?

A)global climate change
B)an increase in agricultural activities
C)the privatization of water systems
D)war
E)population increases

Question 69

With what bioregion is the term "steppe" associated?

A)grasslands
B)tropical forests
C)savanna
D)coniferous forests
E)tundra

Question 70

Hydrologists predict that ________% of Africa's population will experience water shortages by 2025.

A)35
B)45
C)60
D)75
E)90

Question 71

What is the major cause of widespread cutting of tropical rainforests?

A)the recent globalization of commerce in international wood products
B)an expansion of farmlands in tropical regions
C)intensified efforts to protect the forests from wildfires by harvesting
D)rising worldwide demand for paper
E)urban sprawl

Question 72

In which parts of the world has desertification been the most serious problem?

A)Southeast Asia and Oceania
B)Western and Southern Europe
C)Southeast Asia and North America
D)Africa, Australia, and South Asia and North America
E)Canada and Eastern Europe

Question 73

What is a major negative outcome to fracking?

A)cheap oil prices
B)transportation difficulties in moving oil
C)rapid increased employment in under-populated states
D)decreases in oil production
E)a switch to solar or nuclear power sources

Question 74

Why does the timber industry prefer softwood species over hardwood trees of the temperate forest?

A)because the hardwoods are heavier and more difficult to transport
B)because the hardwoods are more difficult to mill
C)because the softwoods are ideal for making fine furniture
D)because the softwoods are more plentiful
E)because the softwoods grow faster

Question 75

In Haiti, even before the 2010 earthquake, almost ________% of all deaths of children under five were directly tied to waterborne diseases

A)70
B)50
C)40
D)30
E)20

Question 76

Which of the following is one of the factors most responsible for the destruction of tropical rainforests?

A)the world's growing appetite for beef
B)a tree disease that was accidentally carried to tropical forests around the world
C)intensified efforts to protect the forests from wildfires by harvesting
D)flooding
E)drought

Question 77

The world's growing appetite for what food product is a leading cause of tropical deforestation?

A)pork
B)sugar
C)lamb
D)bananas
E)beef

Question 78

Today, the primary driver of tropical deforestation is

A)land appropriation for national park lands.
B)plantation farming.
C)lack of formal education.
D)recent globalization of commerce in international wood products.
E)overpopulation.

Question 79

Reportedly, half of this country's lumber was cut and milled illegally by gangs of workers allegedly organized and controlled by the country's mafia.

A)Italy
B)Venezuela
C)Ukraine
D)Russia
E)Poland

Question 80

What region of the world experiences the highest water stress?

A)North America
B)South America
C)Northern Africa
D)Russia
E)Northern Europe