AP Environmental Science Practice Questions 4.4-4.9 and 9.3

Which of the following correctly characterizes one of Earth's atmospheric layers?

a. Layer A is the stratosphere, where meteors are found.

b. Layer B is the troposphere, where weather occurs.

c. Layer C is the stratosphere, where the ozone layer is found.

d. Layer D is the thermosphere, where auroras are found.

d. Layer D is the thermosphere, where auroras are found.

Which of the following is a biome found at 30° N and 30° S as seen in the diagram?

a. Rain forests

b. Tundras

c. Coniferous forests

d. Deserts

d. Deserts

Carbon dioxide and particulates are emitted by volcanoes. Particulates form stratospheric aerosols that reflect sunlight. Which of the following best describes the impact of atmospheric carbon dioxide and stratospheric aerosols?

a. Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, and aerosols cause cooling.

Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, and aerosols cause cooling.

b. Both carbon dioxide and aerosols contribute to global warming.

c. Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, and aerosols have no effect on global climate.

d. Carbon dioxide reacts to form aerosols, leading to decreased global warming.

e. UV radiation causes carbon dioxide to break down, leading to increased stratospheric cooling.

c. Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, and aerosols cause cooling.

A greenhouse gas that is exclusively anthropogenic

a. H2O

b. CO2

c. CH4

d. O3

e. CCl2F2

e. CCl2F2

The most abundant nonanthropogenic greenhouse gas

a. H 2 O

b. CO 2

c. CH 4

d. O 3

e. CCl2F2

a. H2O

Although levels of CFCs in the atmosphere are much lower than those of CO2 , CFCs are still potent greenhouse gases because they

a. remain in the atmosphere for only a brief time

b. lack natural sources

c. are much more efficient at absorbing thermal radiation

d. circulate through the troposphere more easily than CO2 does

e. are more difficult to remove from smokestacks and tailpipes

e. are much more efficient at absorbing thermal radiation

Which of the following shows the approximate concentration of CO2 , N2 , and O2 in dry air?

a. 78% CO2 | <1% N2 | 21% O2

b. 43% CO2 | <1% N2 | 56% O2

c. 36% CO2 | 8% N2 | 56% O2

d. 10% CO2 | 70% N2 | 20% O2

e. <1% CO2 | 78% N2 | 21% O2

e. <1% CO2 | 78% N2 | 21% O2

Which of the following best explains why scientists are increasingly concerned about the effect of methane gas emissions on global climate if they are a relatively small percent of greenhouse gases released?

a. Methane gas is a synthetic compound released from anthropogenic sources, while carbon dioxide is naturally occurring.

b. Methane gas has a higher global warming potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide does, so it can trap more heat in the atmosphere.

c. Methane gas has a longer average residence time (ART) than carbon dioxide does in the atmosphere.

d. Methane gas is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that can combine with ozone to produce photochemical smog, but carbon dioxide is not classified as a volatile organic compound.

b. Methane gas has a higher global warming potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide does, so it can trap more heat in the atmosphere.

Most deserts on Earth are located near the 30° north and 30° south latitudes because humidity is lower at 30°. The best explanation for the lower humidity is that

a. warm air rises at 90° latitude, cools, and sinks at 30°

b. cool air rises at 30° latitude, warms, and sinks at the equator

c. warm air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks at 30° latitude

d. trade winds transfer moisture away from 30° latitude

e. rain-shadow effects are most pronounced at 30° latitude

c. warm air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks at 30° latitude

In the desert regions of the southwestern United States, daily high and low temperatures will frequently fluctuate by 40°F40°F (33°C)(33°C) or more. Which statement below best explains the large variation in temperature?

a. There are no bordering oceans or large bodies of water to provide a stabilizing humidity to the air.

b. The nearby Rocky Mountain range provides a rain shadow effect in the evenings to the west.

c. The flat, light-colored sand formations typical in deserts reflect light from the Sun during the day, but not at night.

d. Desert plants have long tap roots that pull water from deep in the soil, cooling the desert at night.

a. There are no bordering oceans or large bodies of water to provide a stabilizing humidity to the air.

The primary cause of Earth's seasons is the

a. constant tilt of Earth's rotational axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun

b. changing distance of Earth from the Sun at different times of the year

c. periodic wobbling of Earth on its axis of rotation

d. changing relative positions of Earth, its Moon, and the Sun

e. periodic changes in solar energy output

a. constant tilt of Earth's rotational axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun

El Niño, a periodic warming of ocean surface waters, occurs in which of the following regions?

a. Tropical East Pacific

b. Gulf of Mexico

c. Arctic North Pacific

d. Temperate West Atlantic

e. Tropical Indian Ocean

a. Tropical East Pacific

Region that contains the majority of molecules in the atmosphere

a. Troposphere

b. Stratosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Thermosphere

e. Exosphere

a. Troposphere

Region largely responsible for the weather experienced at the Earth's surface

a. Troposphere

b. Stratosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Thermosphere

e. Exosphere

a. Troposphere

Region where the protective ozone layer is located

a. Troposphere

b. Stratosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Thermosphere

e. Exosphere

b. Stratosphere

Region with the lowest atmospheric pressure

a. Troposphere

b. Stratosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Thermosphere

e. Exosphere

e. Exosphere

Which of the following areas receives the most intense solar radiation at the time of year shown in the diagram, and why?

a. The Antarctic Circle, because it is closest to the Sun.

b. The Tropic of Capricorn, because this latitude is nearly horizontal to incoming solar radiation.

c. The equator, because it is the hottest region and therefore receives the most intense solar radiation.

d. The Tropic of Cancer, because solar radiation spreads out over a wider area at this latitude.

b. The Tropic of Capricorn, because this latitude is nearly horizontal to incoming solar radiation.

Which of the following correctly describes the season and length of day at the Tropic of Cancer at the time of year shown in the diagram?

a. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it is winter at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is less than twelve hours per day.

b. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, so it is winter at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is approximately twelve hours per day.

c. The Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, so it is summer at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is greater than twelve hours per day.

d. The Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it is summer at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is approximately twelve hours per day.

a. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it is winter at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is less than twelve hours per day.

The most abundant element in Earth's atmosphere

a. Oxygen

b. Aluminum

c. Iron

d. Nitrogen

e. Argon

d. Nitrogen

The beneficial ozone layer is in this region of the atmosphere.

a. Thermosphere

b. Exosphere

c. Troposphere

d. Mesosphere

e. Stratosphere

e. Stratosphere

The phenomenon causing global warming occurs primarily in this region of the atmosphere.

a. Thermosphere

b. Exosphere

c. Troposphere

d. Mesosphere

e. Stratosphere

c. Troposphere

Most oxygen is found in this layer of the atmosphere.

a. Thermosphere

b. Exosphere

c. Troposphere

d. Mesosphere

e. Stratosphere

c. Troposphere

Which of the following is the most likely effect of a strong El Niño event on the weather patterns in the United States?

a. Wetter weather and cooler temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and warmer temperatures with more snow in the northeastern states

b. Drier weather in the western states and wetter weather in the eastern states

c. Wetter weather and cooler than average temperatures in the southeastern states and warmer temperatures in the Pacific Northwest

d. Overall warmer temperatures and drier conditions throughout the entire United States

c. Wetter weather and cooler than average temperatures in the southeastern states and warmer temperatures in the Pacific Northwest

D

During an El Niño event, warm surface water moves from the western equatorial Pacific Ocean to the eastern equatorial region. Which of the following best describes how the warm water will affect upwelling off the coast of equatorial South America?

a. The warm surface water will not change upwelling because this region is at the equator and always has warm water.

b. The warm surface water will increase upwelling because of the difference in salinity between the warm surface water and the cold deep water.

c. The warm surface water will decrease upwelling because the cooler temperatures on land in the region will prevent upwelling.

d. The warm surface water will decrease upwelling because of the density difference between the warm surface water and the cold deep water.

d. The warm surface water will decrease upwelling because of the density difference between the warm surface water and the cold deep water.

The Sun's radiation provides the energy for all of the following EXCEPT

a. plant growth

b. ocean currents

c. hurricanes

d. plate tectonics

e. cloud formation

d. plate tectonics

Which of the following factors is fundamentally responsible for seasons on Earth?

a. The varying distance of Earth from the Sun

b. The tilt of Earth's axis of rotation

c. The latitudinal variation in temperature and precipitation

d. The tidal pull of the Sun and Moon

e. The anthropogenic greenhouse effect

b. The tilt of Earth's axis of rotation

Based on the diagram, which of the following identifies a characteristic of the atmosphere between the stratopause and the tropopause?

a. Cloud formation occurs in the stratosphere.

b. The warmest air is found in the mesosphere.

c. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

d. The troposphere is the closest layer to the sun.

c. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

Which latitude shown on the diagram above experiences 24 hours of daylight on December 21?

a. A

b. B

c. C

d. D

e. E

e. E

Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that comes only from human sources?

a. Nitrous oxide

b. Carbon dioxide

c. Methane

d. Chlorofluorocarbons

e. Carbon monoxide

d. Chlorofluorocarbons

All of the following gases have been implicated in contributing to the increase in global temperature via the greenhouse effect EXCEPT

a. O2

b. CH4

c. N2O

d. CO2

e. CFCS

a. O2

Global climate change occurs because increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in

a. the troposphere absorb outgoing IR radiation

b. the stratosphere absorb outgoing IR radiation

c. the troposphere absorb incoming UV radiation

d. the stratosphere absorb incoming UV radiation

e. neither the troposphere nor the stratosphere absorb incoming UV radiation

a. the troposphere absorb outgoing IR radiation

Water vapor is a greenhouse gas and is produced by burning fossil fuels. However, anthropogenic water vapor does not contribute significantly to global warming because water vapor

a. is naturally occurring and therefore will not harm the environment

b. does not absorb energy

c. has a short residence time in the atmosphere

d. does not contain carbon

e. has no global-warming potential (GWP)

c. has a short residence time in the atmosphere