GEOG 1301: Introduction to Physical Geography - Exam 3: Climatology "STUDY GUIDE"

When the Sun's rays are directly overhead at the Equator, it is ___.

A March 21
B June 21
C January 21
D December 21
E October 21

March 21

The classic Marine west-coast climate is the ___.

A Csa
B Cfa
C Cfb
D Csb
E Cwa

Cfb

Which country is the most likely place on Earth for a tornado to occur?

A Brazil
B USA
C Russia
D China
E India

USA

All months have average temperatures below freezing in the ___ climatic type.

A BS
B EF
C ET
D Dfa
E Csa

EF

The region in which the Intertropical Convergence Zone can be found is ___.

A near the North & South Poles
B the Equator
C the USA
D Australia
E Siberia

the Equator

Where are the E Köppen Climates?

Polar Regions

In order to be classified as a hurricane, sustained wind velocity must exceed ___ kilometers per hour (mph).

A 320 (200)
B 160 (100)
C 119 (74)
D 88 (55)
E 48 (30)

119 (74)

The average hurricane exists, on the average, for about ___.

A 1 week
B 2 weeks
C 3 weeks
D 4 weeks
E 5 weeks

1 week

Which of the following refers to horizontal air movement?

A Updraft
B STH
C Microbursts
D ITCZ
E Wind

wind

Most winds in the Tropics ___.

A blow from the east
B blow from the west
C originate in the Sahara
D originate in the Amazon Basin
E blow from the south

blow from the east

Where are most thunderstorms in the USA?

A Texas
B Florida
C Arizona
D California
E Nebraska

Florida

Why do thunderstorms form less frequently over oceans than continents?

A Less wind shear on continents
B Ocean currents disrupt convective lift
C Continents have cooler temperatures
D Most continents are located in the midlatitudes
E Ocean surfaces do not warm rapidly

Ocean surfaces do not warm rapidly

In which situation would Coriolis effect be greatest?

A Low wind speeds, Equator
B Low wind speeds, North Pole
C High wind speeds, North Pole
D High wind speeds, Equator
E Coriolis effect is a constant

High wind speeds, North Pole

What causes occlusion in a Midlatitude Cyclone?

A The cold front travels faster than the warm front
B Convective updrafts
C Mountains
D The ITCZ
E Collapse of the Polar Front

The cold front travels faster than the warm front

The expansion that occurs in rising air is a cooling process called ___.

A temperature inversion
B conduction
C advection
D adiabatic cooling
E the Bergeron process

adiabatic cooling

The 1 - 5 scale rating hurricane intensity is the ___ Scale.

A Saffir-Simpson
B Fujita
C EF
D Köppen
E ENSO

Saffir-Simpson

On June 21, the Sun's rays are directly over the ___.

A Equator
B Tropic of Cancer
C Tropic of Capricorn
D Arctic Circle
E Antarctic Circle

Tropic of Cancer

Where do midlatitude cyclones form?

A polar front
B STH
C polar high
D occluded front
E BWh

polar front

The month most likely for a hurricane to occur in North America is ___.

A June
B January
C April
D September
E December

September

When did Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Louisiana?

A 2012
B 2005
C 1969
D 2008
E 2017

2005

What is a Nor'easter?

A Typhoon
B Winter Storm
C Tornado
D Hurricane
E Thunderstorm

Winter Storm

Which of the following best represents the length of the life cycle of a typical midlatitude cyclone?

A 1 hour
B 1 day
C 1 week
D 1 month
E 1 year

1 week

When do most tornadoes form?

A Winter
B Afternoon
C Night
D Morning
E October

Afternoon

Which has the highest frequency of tornadoes in the USA?

A New England
B South
C West Coast
D Pacific Northwest
E Central States

Central States

"Weather" & "climate" are ___.

A interchangeable terms
B different because climate never changes
C both based on many decades of data
D different because climate studies long-term patterns of weather
E both based on short-term, day-to-day atmospheric changes

different because climate studies long-term patterns of weather

Which of the following represents a typical count of confirmed tornadoes for a year in the USA?

A 1
B 10
C 100
D 1,000
E 10,000

1,000

Which continent is rarely affected by Tropical Cyclones?

A North America
B Australia
C South America
D Africa
E Asia

South America

The midlatitudes are dominated by wind flows which are mainly from the ___.

A north
B south
C east
D west
E Northeast

west

Wind speed is determined by ___.

A latitude
B STH
C pressure gradient
D Coriolis effect
E ITCZ

pressure gradient

Low-pressure centers are called ___.

A anticyclones
B cyclones
C subtropical gyres
D equinoxes
E subtropical highs

cyclones

Coriolis force exists because ___.

A the Earth rotates
B of gravity
C friction & pressure gradient are balanced
D geostrophic wind & gravity are balanced
E of erratic heating & cooling of the Earth’s surface

the Earth rotates

The Köppen system of climate classification is based on ___.

A cumulative humidity indices
B temperature & precipitation
C evapotranspiration
D sensible temperature indices
E solar radiation

temperature & precipitation

The climatic type for the desert areas is ___.

A Am
B BW
C Aw
D Dfa
E Cfa

BW

On both the Spring & Fall Equinoxes in the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun's rays are vertically overhead at the ___.

A Tropic of Cancer
B Equator
C Tropic of Capricorn
D Antarctic Circle
E None of these

Equator

Where is a place that tropical cyclones do not form?

A North Atlantic
B North Pacific
C Indian Ocean
D South Atlantic
E South Pacific

South Atlantic

Where are typhoons?

A North & Central America
B Indian Ocean & Australia
C North Atlantic
D Western North Pacific
E South America

Western North Pacific

Hurricane formation is rare within ___ degrees of the Equator.

A 10
B 20
C 25
D 30
E 40

10

Which type of cloud is associated with a thunderstorm?

A Cumulonimbus
B Stratocumulus
C Cirrus
D Cirrocumulus
E Altocumulus

Cumulonimbus

According to the Köppen Climate Classification System, which is the classic Mediterranean Climate?

A Cs
B Df
C Af
D Cfa
E BWh

Cs

When do tornadoes generally occur in the USA?

A December, January & February
B April, May & June
C September
D June, July & August
E November & May

April, May, & June

Which of the following can be said to be the "death" of a midlatitude cyclone?

A Convection
B Cyclogenesis
C Occlusion
D Lifting Condensation Level
E Inversion

Occulusion

Which is the Köppen Climate of Austin, Texas?

A BSh
B Csa
C Dfa
D Cfa
E Af

Cfa

Which is the first day of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere?

A June solstice
B March 1
C Vernal equinox
D October 21
E December 22

Vernal equinox

Trade winds are found ___.

A between about latitudes 25º North & South of the Equator
B at latitudes 10º North & South of the Arctic & Antarctic Circles
C near the prime meridian
D in the midlatitudes
E only in the Southern Hemisphere

between about latitudes 25º North & South of the Equator

Some severe thunderstorms develop a strong vertical updraft, commonly known as a ___.

A typhoon
B willi-willi
C mesocyclone
D eye wall
E microburst

mesocyclone

The process of condensation of water from a gas to a liquid releases stored energy called ___.

A lapse rate
B latent heat
C temperature inversion
D advection
E relative humidity

latent heat

Which cold ocean current influences tropical cyclone formation in the South Atlantic?

A Peru
B Benguela
C Labrador
D Canary
E California

Benguela

The energy source of hurricanes is ___.

A thunderstorms
B cold fronts
C the jet stream
D warm oceans
E warm fronts

warm oceans

The Westerlies wind system influences the climate in the ___.

A midlatitudes
B tropics
C mountains
D polar regions
E ocean

midlatitudes

Where do thunderstorms occur most frequently?

A Nebraska
B Gulf of Mexico
C Midlatitudes
D Antarctica
E Tropics

Tropics