Geography Test 2 Homework

Front 1

On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth?

Back 1

It reaches Earth’s surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed.

Front 2

On a day with half cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward Earth?

Back 2

The clouds reflect some of it back to space, and some still reaches the surface.

Front 3

What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight?

Back 3

It is returned upward in the form of infrared light.

Front 4

The greenhouse effect raises Earth’s surface temperature (from what it would be otherwise) because the infrared light radiated by Earth’s surface __________.

Back 4

greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions

Front 5

The coolest temperatures in the western half of the United States are associated with which of the following physical features?

Back 5

mountains

Front 6

In North America, which of the following vegetation types is most commonly associated with average January temperatures below –25° Fahrenheit?

Back 6

tundra

Front 7

Which of the following regions has the largest annual temperature range?

Back 7

north-central Asia

Front 8

Which of the following cities would have temperatures most influenced by a cool ocean current?

Back 8

Los Angeles

Front 9

Which of the following climate types is dominantly found adjacent to warm ocean currents?

Back 9

humid subtropical

Front 10

In areas that receive less than 100 watts per square meter of insolation, what are the average July temperatures?

Back 10

less than 0° Celsius

Front 11

The Sun's radiant energy reaches the Earth across space in approximately ________.

Back 11

8 minutes

Front 12

Most of the radiation incident upon the Earth falls within the ________ part of the spectrum.

Back 12

short wave

Front 13

Which wavelengths are most inefficiently transmitted through the atmosphere?

Back 13

long

Front 14

The wavelengths of terrestrial radiation from Earth's surface are concentrated in _____.

Back 14

the thermal infrared spectrum

Front 15

The higher latitudes receive much less intense insolation than tropical zones because of ________.

Back 15

Sun's angle of incidence

Front 16

Heat transferred laterally in the atmosphere by horizontal wind movements is a process called ________.

Back 16

advection

Front 17

________ objects radiate in shorter wavelengths than ________ objects.

Back 17

Hot, cold

Front 18

The albedo of the Earth system has been determined to be ________ percent.

Back 18

33

Front 19

In terms of running the Earth's atmospheric processes, the significant energy comes from the Sun and ________.

Back 19

no other source

Front 20

The specific heat of water is greater than that of land. This means ________.

Back 20

water cools more slowly than does land

Front 21

Adiabatic processes cause cooling by ________.

Back 21

decompression

Front 22

Radiation from the Earth is mostly absorbed in the lower troposphere and ________ back towards Earth.

Back 22

reradiated

Front 23

For the most part the atmosphere is heated from the ________.

Back 23

Earth's surface

Front 24

The atmosphere is heated, for the most part, from ________.

Back 24

below

Front 25

Vertical motion in air causes cooling of the lifted air. This phenomenon is governed by the ________ effect.

Back 25

Adiabatic

Front 26

The radiation coming from the Sun is most plentiful at 0.5 micrometers. The most plentiful radiation coming from the Earth is at ________ micrometer(s).

Back 26

10

Front 27

Only some shortwave radiation from the Sun reaches Earth’s surface. What is the leading cause of this radiation loss?

Back 27

reflection by clouds

Front 28

How much of the Sun’s incoming radiation is scattered or reflected back to space before any heating effect is felt on Earth?

Back 28

31%

Front 29

How much of the suns incoming radiation is absorbed by earths surface?

Back 29

45%

Front 30

How is energy transferred from Earth’s surface to Earth’s atmosphere?

Back 30

Through conduction

Through convection

Through latent heat in water vaor

Through the greenhouse effect

Front 31

What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun decreased and was less than the longwave radiation lost to space?

Back 31

Atmospheric temperature would decrease.

Front 32

What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of outgoing longwave radiation decreased so that it was less than incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun?

Back 32

Atmospheric temperature would increase.

Front 33

What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun was the same as the longwave radiation lost to space?

Back 33

Atmospheric temperature would remain the same.

Front 34

What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of shortwave radiation reflected at Earth’s surface increased significantly?

Back 34

Atmospheric temperature would decrease.

Front 35

What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of shortwave radiation reflected by clouds decreased significantly?

Back 35

Atmospheric temperature would increase.

Front 36

Major surface currents are set in motion by ________.

Back 36

winds

Front 37

The normal vertical temperature gradient (average lapse rate) is CLOSEST to how many degrees Celsius per 1,000 meters?

Back 37

6.5

Front 38

In an inversion, which is TRUE?

Back 38

The temperature increases with altitude

Front 39

In the Northern Hemisphere, a yearly net surplus of energy is experienced for all latitudes SOUTH of which latitude?

Back 39

28 degrees north

Front 40

The basic direction of flow of the Equatorial counter current is ________.

Back 40

to the east

Front 41

Given land/water heating contrasts, where would one expect to find the coldest winter temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 41

in siberia 70 degrees north

Front 42

solar energy is also known as

Back 42

insolation

Front 43

Over the long run, all energy the Earth receives from the Sun is returned to space.

Back 43

true

Front 44

Flowing air responding to the difference between higher and lower pressure is responding to the ________.

Back 44

pressure gradient

Front 45

The pressure of a gas is proportional to its temperature and ________.

Back 45

density

Front 46

When air is heated it expands and ________.

Back 46

lowers its pressure

Front 47

At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a force closest to ________ kilogram(s) per square centimeter.

Back 47

1

Front 48

The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is ________.

Back 48

millibars

Front 49

Which set of forces acts on upper air winds?

Back 49

The pressure gradient force and the Coriolis effect

Front 50

Which statement correctly describes differences between the forces acting on winds near the surface and those aloft?

Back 50

Higher wind speeds aloft increase the Coriolis effect

Front 51

Which of the following is the force that initially causes the wind to blow?

Back 51

pressure gradietn

Front 52

Geostrophic wind always flows ________.

Back 52

parallel to the isobars

Front 53

What is a cyclone?

Back 53

a center of low atmospheric pressure

Front 54

Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 54

in a counterclockwise direction

Front 55

Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?

Back 55

in a clockwise direction

Front 56

How does air move near the top of a cyclone?

Back 56

in the same direction as air in the upper atmosphere

Front 57

Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain?

Back 57

Air in cyclones undergoes cooling as it rises.

Front 58

What is an anticylone?

Back 58

a center of high atmospheric pressure

Front 59

Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 59

down, and in a clockwise direction

Front 60

Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?

Back 60

down, and in a counterclockwise direction

Front 61

Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain?

Back 61

Air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends.

Front 62

What are the surface conditions associated with an anticyclone?

Back 62

The air is sinking and the pressure is high.

Front 63

A counterclockwise atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is known as a(n) ________.

Back 63

cyclone

Front 64

Sinking air that diverges when it reaches Earth's surface is closely associated with ________.

Back 64

anticyclones

Front 65

In a surface anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral ________.

Back 65

counterclockwise and outward

Front 66

In a surface cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral ________.

Back 66

clockwise and inward

Front 67

In the Northern Hemisphere, air converging in a counter-clockwise direction, is termed a(n) ________.

Back 67

cyclone

Front 68

Generally, where are the belts of low atmospheric pressure?

Back 68

At the equator, 60° N, and 60° S

Front 69

"Zonal" air flow in the middle latitudes means a(n) ________ flow of air.

Back 69

west - east

Front 70

The ________ is/are found in the Equatorial zone.

Back 70

intertropical convergence zone

Front 71

Which statement describes the weather in a monsoon area in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 71

December had cold, dry, northerly winds; June, in contrast, had warm, moist, southerly winds.

Front 72

Cold winds pouring downhill because of gravity are called ________.

Back 72

katabatic winds

Front 73

The "snow-eater" wind of the Rocky Mountains is called the ________.

Back 73

chinook

Front 74

Which situation is often associated with El Niño events?

Back 74

The subtropical jet stream directs winter storms into the Southwestern United States and blizzards into in the Midwest.

Front 75

The ________ is the boundary between near-surface and cold, deep ocean waters.

Back 75

thermocline

Front 76

The state of water that is the most important yet least obvious in the atmosphere is ________.

Back 76

water vapor

Front 77

What must break in order for water to change from solid to liquid to gas?

Back 77

hydrogen bonds between water molecules

Front 79

How much heat energy is needed to melt 1 gram of ice?

Back 79

80 calories of heat energy

Front 80

Why does temperature NOT initially increase as energy is added after ice begins to melt?

Back 80

The added energy is used to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

Front 81

What physically breaks hydrogen bonds between water molecules as ice melts?

Back 81

movement of water molecules

Front 82

What do we call the energy used to melt ice once the ice becomes water?

Back 82

latent heat of water

Front 83

How much heat energy is needed to turn 1 gram of water at 100 degrees Celsius into water vapor?

Back 83

540 calories of heat energy

Front 84

What happens to sensible heat energy in water when the water evaporates?

Back 84

It becomes latent energy in air when water molecules containing the heat break free from an evaporating surface to become a gas.

Front 85

Water that stays in liquid form at temperatures below freezing is ________.

Back 85

supercooled

Front 86

What happens to the rate of evaporation as air approaches saturation?

Back 86

The rate of evaporation drops.

Front 87

Evaporation ________.

Back 87

is a cooling process

Front 88

Which of the following promotes evaporation?

Back 88

warm water

Front 89

Which of the following is NOT a measure of water vapor in the atmosphere?

Back 89

potential evapotranspiration

Front 90

Water vapor is visible to the human eye.

Back 90

false

Front 91

If the air temperature is 0°C, the water vapor capacity is 10.6 g/kg, and the water vapor in the air is 4.24 g/kg, what is the relative humidity?

Back 91

40 percent

Front 92

Air containing all of the water vapor it can hold is ________.

Back 92

saturated

Front 93

Usually, the highest relative humidity is ________.

Back 93

at dawn

Front 94

The capacity of air to hold water ________.

Back 94

increases as temperature increases

Front 95

Relative humidity is "relative" to ________.

Back 95

saturation

Front 96

Maximum absolute humidity is governed by ________.

Back 96

temperature

Front 97

If the ________ of air changes, the value of the absolute humidity changes even though there is no change in the actual amount of water vapor present.

Back 97

volume

Front 98

In order for atmospheric condensation to take place, ________.

Back 98

plenty of "surfaces" need to be present in the atmosphere

Front 99

What causes the development of most clouds and precipitation in the atmosphere?

Back 99

rising air

Front 100

Under what conditions would a parcel of air rise relative to other air in the atmosphere?

Back 100

A parcel of air will rise if it has a lower density than the surrounding air

Front 101

Which factor is most important for determining the density of a parcel of air?

Back 101

temperature

Front 102

What will happen if a parcel of air is colder than surrounding air?

Back 102

A colder parcel of air will sink in the atmosphere if forced.

Front 103

What will happen to a parcel of air as it rises?

Back 103

A rising parcel of air will expand and cool.

Front 104

In general, when will clouds begin to form out of a parcel of air?

Back 104

when a rising parcel of air has reached a temperature below its dew point

Front 105

Which process can add heat to a rising body of air?

Back 105

condensation

Front 106

The average lapse rate in the troposphere ________.

Back 106

is quite variable by time and region

Front 107

Rising air, warmed by the release of latent heat, cools at a rate called ________.

Back 107

the saturated adiabatic lapse rate

Front 108

Air that resists vertical movement is said to be ________.

Back 108

stable

Front 109

Buoyant air will rise until it ________.

Back 109

reaches the temperature of the surrounding air

Front 110

A piece of unsaturated air is forced to rise. The lapse rate in the surrounding air is much less than the rate in change of temperature in the rising air. The rising air is said to be ________.

Back 110

unstable

Front 111

When or where is air most likely unstable?

Back 111

during the afternoon

Front 112

Which of the following is most closely associated with stable air?

Back 112

descent of air

Front 113

With instability, rising air will be buoyant without an uplifting force.

Back 113

True

Front 114

In the "Ice Crystal Formation" process, precipitation occurs because ice crystals ________.

Back 114

grow at the expense of raindrops

Front 115

When air is forced to rise over a mountain, what is the type of lifting?

Back 115

orographic

Front 116

Which is NOT among the main types of atmospheric lifting and precipitation?

Back 116

advective

Front 117

A precipitation type extremely characteristic of the lower latitudes is ________.

Back 117

convergent lifting

Front 118

Convective uplift often accompanies and enhances frontal and orographic lifting.

Back 118

True