GEOG 130 Midterm 1

The terms “climate” and “weather” are:

a) equivalent

b) different—climate includes only temperature, whereas weather incorporates several other

factors

c) different—the weather changes over time but climate does not

d) different—the weather cannot be predicted exactly, but climate can be

e) different—weather is short-term, whereas climate is long-term

e) different—weather is short-term, whereas climate is long-term

As one travels from sea level to the top of the atmosphere:

a) pressure and density decrease slowly at a uniform rate

b) pressure and density decrease at an exponential rate

c) pressure increases at a uniform rate and density decreases exponentially

d) pressure decreases at a uniform rate and density increases exponentially

e) pressure and density increase exponentially

b) pressure and density decrease at an exponential rate

Which of the following is true of atmospheric carbon dioxide?

a) humans are the only important source

b) it is the primary gas contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer

c) it makes up approximately 21% of the volume of the atmosphere.

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

e) none of the above

Stratospheric ozone:

a) consists of three bonded oxygen atoms, with the formula O3

b) absorbs ultraviolet radiation

c) is disrupted by the presence of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

Isoline (contour) maps:

a) can be used to show continuous variables like temperature, pressure, and elevation

b) consist of a series of randomly-placed dots of different sizes

c) are most effective at showing the locations of cities

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

a) can be used to show continuous variables like temperature, pressure, and elevation

Which of the following is true of maps?

a) good maps are able to precisely represent features on the Earth's curved surface

without any distortion

b) they are perfect, objective, unbiased representations of the Earth’s surface

c) they can be used in meteorology to show the location of high and low pressure areas

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

c) they can be used in meteorology to show the location of high and low pressure areas

Aerosols:

a) consist of solid particles and liquid emulsions in the atmosphere

b) include pollen, dust, sea salt, and pollutants

c) act as cloud nuclei, which are important in the formation of cloud droplets

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

The Earth has an atmosphere that extends hundreds of kilometers above the surface because:

a) The planet has abundant gases from various sources, including volcanic activity,

photosynthesis, and respiration

b) Earth’s magnetic field causes gases to rise

c) Pressure gradient force (PGF) pulls gases down toward the Earth's surface

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

a) The planet has abundant gases from various sources, including volcanic activity,

photosynthesis, and respiration

According to the ideal gas law:

a) air expands when cooled

b) an increase in air pressure leads to a decrease in temperature

c) PV=nRT

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

c) PV=nRT

The average kinetic energy of molecules in a substance is known as:

a) heat

b) specific heat

c) temperature

d) power

e) none of the above

c) temperature

The primary mechanism through which the Earth receives heat energy from the Sun is:

a) convection

b) conduction

c) advection

d) radiation

e) none of the above

d) radiation

The greenhouse effect:

a) is caused primarily by gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor

b) involves the absorption of longwave radiation emitted by the earth

c) keeps the Earth's atmosphere about 60OF warmer than it would be otherwise

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

_______ has the highest specific heat of any common substance, meaning that a lot of energy

is required to increase its ____________.

a) water, temperature

b) water, density

c) soil, temperature

d) soil, density

e) air, temperature

a) water, temperature

As the temperature of an object increases:

a) it radiates more and more energy

b) it radiates energy at longer and longer wavelengths

c) it begins to emit only microwaves

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

a) it radiates more and more energy

Ice and snow ________________ a large proportion of the solar radiation that strikes them,

meaning that they have a high_________________.

a) absorb, temperature

b) absorb, radiation index

c) transmit, conductivity

d) reflect, albedo

e) reflect, absorption co-efficient

d) reflect, albedo

Which of the following is true of electromagnetic radiation?

a) It can travel through space

b) It includes microwaves, ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation

c) It is emitted by all objects that have a temperature above absolute zero

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

d) All of the above

The energy received from the sun is considered __________ radiation, while the energy

emitted by the earth is considered __________ radiation.

a) shortwave, longwave

b) longwave, shortwave

c) gamma, alpha

d) alpha, gamma

e) none of the above

a) shortwave, longwave

Which of the following is true regarding the Earth's energy budget?

a) Locations near the Equator have negative energy budgets

b) The energy budget at any particular location is positive at night

c) When the global energy budget is positive, the Earth’s temperature is expected to increase

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

c) When the global energy budget is positive, the Earth’s temperature is expected to increase

Which of the following mechanisms transfer heat from the Earth's surface upward into the

atmosphere?

a) the uplift of moist air carrying latent heat

b) longwave radiation emitted to the atmosphere by the Earth's surface

c) convection of air that is warmed by contact with the Earth's surface

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

On average the Earth and its atmosphere reflect about _____ of solar energy back to space,

and absorb about ______ of incoming radiation.

a) 40%, 60%

b) 63%, 37%

c) 71%, 29%

d) 6%, 94%

e) 30%, 70%

e) 30%, 70%

San Francisco, CA, is located farther south than Fargo, North Dakota. However, the

maximum summer temperature in Fargo is much higher than in San Francisco. The factor that

contributes most to this is:

a) difference in albedo

b) difference in barometric (atmospheric) pressure

c) difference in elevation

d) difference in nearness to water (continentality)

e) none of the above

d) difference in nearness to water (continentality)

The temperature at a latitude of 40oN is hotter during the Summer Solstice (June 21) than

during the Winter Solstice (December 22) mainly because:

a) the Earth is closest to the sun during the Summer Solstice

b) the night is the longest at 40oN during the during the Summer Solstice

c) the sun is directly overhead at the Equator during the Summer Solstice

d) the sun's rays strike the Northern Hemisphere at a more direct angle during the Summer

Solstice than during the Winter Solstice

e) none of the above

d) the sun's rays strike the Northern Hemisphere at a more direct angle during the Summer

Solstice than during the Winter Solstice

Daily temperature range usually increases with:

a) increased cloud cover

b) nearness to large bodies of water

c) increased vegetation cover

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

e) none of the above

The maximum diurnal (daily) temperature usually occurs:

a) At about 10 a.m.

b) At noon

c) Sometime during the mid- to late-afternoon

d) When the level of incoming solar radiation is highest

e) None of the above

c) Sometime during the mid- to late-afternoon

Seasons are primarily the result of:

a) Earth's rotation on its axis

b) Earth's changing distance from the sun throughout the year

c) Earth's tilt on its axis

d) Volcanic activity

e) None of the above

c) Earth's tilt on its axis

In comparison to areas near the Poles, locations near the Equator tend to have:

a) greater seasonal variations in solar radiation

b) smaller annual temperature variations

c) colder winters and hotter summers

d) longer winters and shorter summers

e) none of the above

b) smaller annual temperature variations

On the days of the Equinoxes:

a) everywhere on Earth receives approximately 12 hours of daylight

b) the poles receive no sunlight at all

c) the poles receive 24 hours of sunlight

d) everywhere north of the Equator receives more than 16 hours of daylight

e) everywhere south of the Equator receives more than 16 hours of daylight

a) everywhere on Earth receives approximately 12 hours of daylight

Vegetation cover tends to:

a) decrease the cloud cover in an area

b) decrease the annual precipitation in an area

c) reduce the daily temperature range in an area

d) increase the daily temperature range in an area

e) none of the above

c) reduce the daily temperature range in an area

Uneven heating of the Earth's surface over time and space is caused by:

a) The rotation of the Earth on its axis and its revolution around the sun

b) The approximately spherical shape of the Earth, causing solar radiation to strike at different

angles of incidence at different latitudes

c) Differences in surface cover

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

d) All of the above

The wind chill factor and the heat index:

a) quantify the effect of weather conditions on the human body

b) are each calculated using two atmospheric variables

c) cannot be measured directly using just a thermometer

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

The evaporation rate on a given day was higher in Detroit, Michigan than it was in

Cleveland, Ohio. What could account for this?

a) a higher temperature in Detroit

b) a greater wind speed in Cleveland

c) a lower antecedent humidity in Cleveland

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

a) a higher temperature in Detroit

When the air temperature at the Earth’s surface decreases to the dew point:

a) the air becomes saturated

b) condensation can be expected to occur

c) the relative humidity reaches 100%

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

Once condensation and nucleation have begun to occur in clouds, what further process is

necessary for precipitation to take place?

a) evaporation

b) sublimation

c) cloud droplet growth

d) scheduling an outdoor wedding

e) none of the above

c) cloud droplet growth

In what way do clouds affect the energy budget of the Earth?

a) They reflect solar radiation back to space

b) They absorb longwave radiation from the earth

c) They emit longwave radiation in all directions

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

 If the TV weather report states that the surface temperature is 16oC and the dew point is

16oC, which of the following driving hazards would you most likely encounter?

a) fog

b) ice

c) thunderstorms

d) glare

e) none of the above

a) fog

During the evaporation of water, which of the following occurs:

a) Sensible heat in the air is absorbed and stored as latent heat

b) Latent heat is released as sensible heat

c) Hydrogen atoms are separated from oxygen atoms

d) Water molecules become arranged into a crystalline structure

e) None of the above

a) Sensible heat in the air is absorbed and stored as latent heat

Atmospheric stability is assessed by:

a) comparing the dew point with the surface temperature

b) comparing the dew point with the temperature at an altitude of 1500m

c) comparing the adiabatic lapse rate with the environmental (actual) lapse rate

d) timing how long you can stand on one foot without falling over

e) none of the above

c) comparing the adiabatic lapse rate with the environmental (actual) lapse rate

The adiabatic lapse rate is:

a) the change in humidity as temperature changes

b) the change in temperature as air rises or sinks in the atmosphere

c) the change in pressure as humidity and wind speed change

d) the change in wind speed as pressure changes

e) none of the above

b) the change in temperature as air rises or sinks in the atmosphere

Rising air cools at the moist/wet adiabatic lapse rate when:

a) evaporation is occurring

b) condensation is occurring

c) precipitation is occurring

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

b) condensation is occurring

Which of the following is characteristic of an unstable atmosphere?

a) rising air

b) cloud formation

c) convection

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

If a parcel of dry air sinks 2000m through the atmosphere, which of the following will occur:

a) the air will expand

b) condensation will begin

c) the air temperature will fall by 20oC

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

e) none of the above

The ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the total amount of water vapor that

would be in the air at saturation (expressed as a percentage) is known as:

a) relative humidity

b) absolute humidity

c) specific humidity

d) vapor pressure

e) none of the above

a) relative humidity

Moist air crossing a mountain range is likely to be:

a) warmer on the windward side than on the leeward side

b) more humid on the windward side than on the leeward side

c) less humid on the windward side than on the leeward side

d) taking lots of pictures of its trip to post to social media

e) none of the above

b) more humid on the windward side than on the leeward side

Which of the following clouds is most closely associated with vertical development:

a) stratus

b) cumulus

c) cirrus

d) nimbus

e) cirrostratus

b) cumulus

The amount of water vapor necessary to saturate a parcel of air increases as:

a) its relative humidity increases

b) its specific humidity increases

c) its temperature increases

d) its temperature decreases

e) none of the above

c) its temperature increases

Clouds will produce precipitation only when:

a) the atmospheric temperature decreases uniformly from the Earth's surface upward

b) the temperature inside the cloud is above the dew point

c) cloud droplets have grown large enough to overcome turbulence and friction to fall to the

Earth’s surface

d) they are above 10 km in altitude

e) none of the above

c) cloud droplets have grown large enough to overcome turbulence and friction to fall to the

Earth’s surface

 The thermometer outside on your first-floor balcony reads -2oC. Which of the following

forms of precipitation is possible?

a) sleet

b) freezing rain

c) snow

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

d) all of the above

Why does San Francisco experience so much advection fog?

a) San Francisco Bay is extremely warm, causing high evaporation rates

b) Cool air from the Sierra Nevadas is carried to the coast by high pressure systems, where it

sinks and becomes warmer

c) Warm air masses arriving from the west are cooled to the dew point by the cold water of

the coastal Pacific Ocean

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

c) Warm air masses arriving from the west are cooled to the dew point by the cold water of

the coastal Pacific Ocean

Aggregation-accretion, collision-coalescence, and the Bergeron-Wegener process are all

mechanisms involved in:

a) Evaporation

b) Condensation

c) Advection

d) Cloud droplet growth

e) None of the above

d) Cloud droplet growth

A thunderstorm cloud, or “thunderhead” is also known as:

a) a cumulonimbus

b) a nimbostratus

c) an altostratus

d) a cirrus

e) None of the above

a) a cumulonimbus

The co-ordinate that gives a place's global position East or West is known as:

a) Latitude b) Longitude c) Radians d) UTC e) None of these

b) Longitude

Points of equal value (such as

temperature, elevation, or

atmospheric pressure) can be

linked on a map using:

a) Hypolines

b) Hypotherms

c) Isolines

d) Longitude

e) None of these

c) Isolines

The _________ is likely to influence how you dress on a particular day or whether you take an umbrella with you when you go out, while the ____________ is more likely to influence the types of clothes you have in your closet and whether your home has an air conditioner, a heater, or both.

a) Dew point, frost point b) Barometric pressure, heating degree day c) Climate, Weather d) Weather, Climate e) Ocean, Atmosphere

d) Weather, Climate

What is usually the minimum

number of years of data needed

to generate reliable climate

records for a particular location?

a) 1

b) 10

c) 30

d) 100

e) 10,000

c) 30

An initial cooling, which leads to

the formation of ice, which

reflects sunlight, causing further

cooling, is an example of:

a) Equilibrium

b) Threshold

c) Closed System

d) Positive Feedback

e) Negative Feedback

d) Positive Feedback

The point at which cloud droplets

become large enough to fall as

rain is best characterized as a(n):

a) Equilibrium

b) Threshold

c) Closed System

d) Positive Feedback

e) Negative Feedback

b) Threshold

An initial cooling, which reduces

cloud formation, increasing the

amount of sunlight reaching the

Earth’s surface, reducing the

initial cooling, is an example of:

a) Equilibrium

b) Threshold

c) Closed System

d) Positive Feedback

e) Negative Feedback

e) Negative Feedback

The daily fluctuation of air

temperature around a monthly

average is an example of:

a) Static Equilibrium

b) Dynamic Equilibrium

c) Thresholds

d) Positive Feedback

e) Chaos Theory

b) Dynamic Equilibrium

The component of Earth’s climate

system that responds the most

quickly is:

a) Continental glaciation

b) Sea ice coverage

c) Air temperature

d) Deep ocean temperature

e) Sea surface temperatur

c) Air temperature

The Earth’s “Second Atmosphere”:

a) Formed more than 4 billion years ago, mainly as a result of volcanic outgassing

b) Consisted mainly of oxygen & nitrogen

c) Was quickly dispersed by the solar wind

d) All of these

e) None of these

a) Formed more than 4 billion years ago, mainly as a result of volcanic outgassing

The Great Oxygen Catastrophe refers to

a) The time period between 3.5 and 0.6 billion years ago when photosynthesis released large quantities of oxygen to the atmosphere

b) Modern times, when oxygen levels have fallen dramatically because of all of the people on Earth

c) 400 million years ago, when plants consumed almost all atmospheric oxygen

d) An elevation above 10,000 meters, above which humans cannot breathe

e) 4.5 billion years ago, when the solar wind blew away all of the oxygen

a) The time period between 3.5 and 0.6 billion years ago when photosynthesis released large quantities of oxygen to the atmosphere

Most of the Earth’s Carbon is found in:

a) The atmosphere

b) The ocean

c) Living things

d) Soil

e) Rocks

e) Rocks

The Atmosphere Does Not Collapse Toward the Earth’s Surface Because:

a) Pressure gradient force is directed upward

b) It is in hydrostatic balance

c) Gravity and pressure gradient force are in equilibrium

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

d) All of the above

As Dry Air Rises in the Atmosphere It:

a) Decreases in Density

b) Increases in Volume

c) Cools by 10 degrees Celsius per kilometer

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

d) All of the above

The ozone layer:

a) Is the most important cause of global warming

b) Is found in the upper troposphere, about 15 km above the surface

c) Blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface

d) All of the above

e) None of the above

c) Blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface