ESCI PRACTICE FINAL EXAM

Endogenic processes:

include tectonic processes

Rainbows are caused by the process of scattering.

False

The subsolar point indicates when the sun is at a position of 0° in relation to one of the poles.

False

A temperature inversion is most likely to occur under which conditions?

on a calm, clear, and cool winter night

Electromagnetic energy can have a range of varying wavelengths across the:

electromagnetic spectrum

Most of the atmospheric water on Earth can be found in:

The Troposphere

The atmospheric conditions at a given time and for a specific area are referred to as:

weather

What does the information in this figure imply about the change in climate about 3,000 years ago?

The global cooling was the result of a volcanic explosion

The only substance on Earth that occurs naturally as a liquid, a solid, and a gas is:

water

The amount of water vapor in the air at a time and place is called:

humidity

Two different air masses converge, but the frontal boundary fails to move in any appreciable direction. What weather condition matches this scenario?

a stationary front

Lateral sliding of tectonic plates along boundaries is called:

transform movement

Where is Earth’s velocity of rotation at its maximum?

equator

Hurricanes tend to intensify when they move over land surfaces.

False

Oxygen-isotope analysis is a measurement technique that has been used in climate studies to determine the temperature of seawater by analyzing:

tiny seashells of plankton

The last glacial advance peaked in North America about ____ years ago.

18000

In the two-letter codes that identify air masses on weather maps, an m as the first letter stands for:

Maritime

Subtropical highs are associated with dry climates.

True

The steepest angle that a pile of loose material can maintain without rocks sliding or rolling downslope is called the:

angle of repose

Latitude has a strong impact on precipitation distribution. For example, because colder air can hold more water vapor than warmer air, there is a general increase of precipitation from the equator to the poles.

False

The study of landforms and their development is called:

geomorphology

What is sustainability?

using less or an equal amount of a resource in a year than its annual renewal, growth, or replacement

Tectonic plates move from subduction zones towards divergent boundaries.

False

A(n) ______ seeks to explain an observation and must be tested before it can be accepted as true.

hypothesis

The modified Mercalli scale measures:

earthquake damage

A map scale of 1:100000 would be an example of a(n):

representative fraction scale

An undesirable or unhealthy contaminant in an environment is called:

pollution

The ______ is an internationally accepted definition for the beginning of space, at an altitude of 100 kilometers.

Karman line

The process that diffuses light in many directions by atmospheric particles, and that contributes to blue skies and red sunsets, is called reflection.

False

The belt of convergence that occurs along the equator is known as the “doldrums” because weak winds can lead to sailing ships being stuck in this zone for long periods of time.

True

Which topic would a human geographer be most interested in researching?

the spread of ideas and culture across a population

A heavy snow event accompanied by very strong winds is called a snowstorm.

False

Relief refers specifically to a landscape’s:

elevation difference between the highest and lowest points.

Scale is a necessary component of any good map and should always be displayed.

True

Earth is continually undergoing three movements. These are galactic movement, rotation, and:

Revolution

If the age of Earth were represented with a 24-hour day, then all written history would amount to less than a second.

True

The two most common elements found in Earth's crust are:

Silicon and Oxygen

Imagine you are a geologist setting up new seismometers. Which would be the best location for this instrument?

in a remote corner of federal land

When studying climate, which of these would be considered an example of the macro scale level?

The amazon basin

Clouds typically develop because:

a parcel of air rises and cools

Rainwater is slightly acidic because it absorbs ______ in the atmosphere.

Carbon Dixoide

If you wanted to metamorphize rock, which of the following would you need?

enormous amounts of heat and pressure

On September 22, the length of daylight is:

equal in both the northern and southern hemispheres

Alfred Wegener is well known for hypothesizing that:

over time, the continents change their geographic position

Which type of volcano is composed of both lava flows and pyroclastic materials?

composite cones

Oxygen isotopes in glacial ice cores provide records of past temperature changes.

True

You live in Southern California and just experienced an earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale. A month later, an earthquake ten times that amplitude strikes further inland. What is the measurement on the Richter scale?

4.5

The entire atmosphere follows a pattern where temperature gradually decreases as elevation increases, and this rate of decrease across the atmospheric layers is referred to as the environmental lapse rate.

False

How can 10°30’N latitude be described using decimal degrees?

10.5 N

Creating contour lines on a topographic map for a specific area would require the use of discrete data.

False

Suppose a midlatitude cyclonic storm develops over eastern Colorado. Which state should most anticipate heavy rain and winds in their forecast?

Kansas

A map capable of showing true directions as straight lines running through a central point is called:

an azimuthal map

The subsurface location where rock displacement and the resulting earthquake originate is the:

focus

Why have people drilled as deep as 12 kilometers into the Earth?t

Find oil or gas

Elevation usually refers to a height in the air, and altitude refers to a height on the surface above (or below) sea level.

False

A front is a boundary where air masses of different temperature and moisture characteristics meet.

True

All of the following regions are located in the rain shadows of mountain ranges except for:

The piedmont region of Virginia

Which Köppen climate class is defined as an area that does not have a month with an average temperature exceeding 10 °c (50 °f)?

polar

A sequence of changes that reinforces the direction of initial change is known as ______ feedback.

positive

Why is physical geography a key component of our daily lives?

it helps us understand our natural habitat

A dip-slip fault resulting from tensional forces is called a:

normal fault

What is the most abundant gas in our atmosphere?

nitrogen

If you hold the end of an iron rod over a fire, your hand will become warm because of heat being transferred by:

conduction

If an unsaturated parcel of air is cooled, it will eventually reach a temperature where the air will become saturated. This temperature is known as the:

dew point

The art of making maps is called:

cartography

The horizontal transfer of energy is called:

advection

Terrestrial radiation is:

thermal infrared energy emitted from Earth’s surface

Why do the midlatitude continental west coasts tend to be wet?

Air in the prevailing westerlies is forced to rise, as it does when it crosses mountain ranges like the Cascades.

How do you describe a “region”?

an area identified by distinctive characteristics that distinguish them from surrounding areas

The greenhouse effect is a dangerous phenomenon that is extremely harmful to all life on Earth.

false

On your hike in the Cascade mountain range of Washington state, you pass by a team of researchers who carefully drill deep into the trunk of an ancient-looking tree uprooted in a recent storm. Those researchers are most likely:

dendrochronologists

What do physical geography and human geography have in common?

Both are holistic in their approach and emphasize the spatial aspects of phenomena.

Which example would best be described as a small-scale map?

political map of Africa showing the various countries on the continent

Environmental overshoot occurs when resources are consumed at a level that Earth can sustain indefinitely.

False

The last step in the scientific method is to accept or reject your hypothesis.

True

Winds that blow from the north are called northerly winds.

True

Equilibrium within a system tends to fall within a range of tolerance, it is almost never static.

True

Which Köppen climate class has at least 1 month that averages below freezing, but at least 1 month that averages above 10 °c (50 °f)?

microthermal

A world globe, or a three-dimensional replica of planet Earth, is an example of a(n) ______ model.

physical

Which type of fog occurs when a warm, moist marine air mass moves over a cold land mass?

advection fog

What is an analemma used for?

Showing the declination of the sun throughout the year

After being heated by conduction or radiation, air will:

expand in volume and decrease in density

Which description best fits the Pleistocene?

complex record of climate changes characterized by cycles of rapid advance and retreat of glaciers

The solstice occurs four times a year, twice in each hemisphere.

False

What do all three of the major perspectives of physical geography share?

Use of the scientific method for guiding research

Chinook (or foehn) winds are:

warm, dry, downslope winds

Because seasonal changes are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis, our global wind systems do not migrate with the change of the seasons.

False

Short-term changes in Pacific Ocean circulation are primarily responsible for climatic events associated with:

El Nino

Study the NEXRAD Doppler radar image from a thunderstorm over Oklahoma City shown in this image. Where did the heaviest rainfall occur?

In the “hook” of the storm

Which location would have the longest day on June 21?

Murmansk, Russia (69 N)

Pahoehoe is best described as:

Ropy

Clouds are generally named based on which two characteristics?

hieght and shape

How many degrees of longitude does the Earth rotate in 4 hours?

60

The term eccentricity refers to Earth's orbit.

True

Sills are:

horitzontal sheets of intrustive igenous rocks

What is the contour interval of a topographic map if one contour line represents 60 feet and the next contour line represents 80 feet?

20 feet

Pressure differences predominantly occur along lines of latitude and rarely occur along lines of longitude.

False

Which type of climate is shown in this photograph?

CSA, CSB

You work as an insurance claims adjuster, and your local field office in Southern California reports an earthquake in densely populated Orange County, with a VII on the modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. What kind of damage claims are you likely to receive?

customers living in poorly built structures

Which climate class is an example of an arid climate in the Köppen classification?

low-latittude steppe