Which of the following is true of the albedo of water?
A) It changes, depending upon the Sun angle.
B) It is greatest
when the Sun is low in the sky.
C) It never changes-albedos are
constant values.
D) It is less for frozen water than for liquid water.
a
Because of the process known as ________ the Sun appears above the horizon ________ it has actually risen.
A) transmission; before
B) transmission; after
C)
refraction; before
D) refraction; after
E) reflection; before
c
Which of the following is true of insolation?
A) It is the only energy input driving Earth's atmospheric
system.
B) It consists of diffuse radiation.
C) It consists
of direct radiation.
D) All of these are true.
E) None of
these are true.
d
An increase in Earth's albedo would
A) warm the planet.
B) cool the planet.
C) have no effect
on the planet's temperature because insolation is constant.
b
Which two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect because of their ability to absorb infrared energy?
A) oxygen and hydrogen
B) ozone and dust
C) nitrogen and
oxygen
D) water vapor and carbon dioxide
d
Earth's main energy inputs are
A) longwave radiation and ultraviolet light.
B) ultraviolet,
visible, and near infrared radiation.
C) near infrared and far
infrared (i.e., longwave radiation).
D) gamma rays, X-rays, and
ultraviolet radiation.
b
Which of the following is related to Earth's albedo?
A) transmission
B) scattering
C) convection
D) none
of these
b
When light passes from one medium to another
A) transmission happens.
B) Rayleigh scattering is the
predominant effect.
C) refraction occurs-a process that is
important to the formation of rainbows.
D) it is usually not
affected physically.
c
The passage of shortwave and longwave energy through the atmosphere or water is an example of
A) absorption.
B) transmission.
C) refraction.
D) insolation.
b
Energy that is reflected from the atmosphere
A) is used to heat the atmosphere.
B) increases the energy
surplus of the planet.
C) does not act to heat the
atmosphere.
D) heats the atmosphere and increases the planet's
energy surplus.
c
Air pollution acts to ________ the albedo of cities and therefore ________ the urban heat island effect.
A) increase; enhances
B) increases; diminishes
C)
decreases; enhances
D) decreases; diminishes
b
When light passes from space into the atmosphere, it changes ________ in a process known as ________.
A) color; reflection
B) color; refraction
C) speed and
direction; reflection
D) speed and direction; refraction
d
The sky is blue because
A) blue light is absorbed more than other wavelengths.
B)
Earth's atmosphere allows only blue light to enter.
C) the
atmosphere scatters blue light more than any other visible
wavelength.
D) most of the light coming from the Sun is in the
blue end of the visible spectrum.
c
The insolation received at Earth's surface is
A) usually low at the equator.
B) generally greater at high
latitudes because of daylength.
C) greatest over low-latitude
deserts with their cloudless skies.
D) inadequate to sustain life.
c
If the surface of Earth were to suddenly turn white, the temperature of the planet would ________ because ________ insolation would be absorbed.
A) decrease; less
B) decrease; more
C) increase;
less
D) increase; more
a
Which of the following has the lowest albedo?
A) snow that is polluted and several days old
C) dry
concrete
D) forests
D) the Moon's surface in full sunlight
d
Earth's average overall albedo is
A) 31 percent.
B) 51 percent.
C) 69 percent.
D) none
of the above
a
Mirages (such as the appearance of "water" on a dry, hot road) are caused by
A) differences in the air temperature of layers near the
surface.
B) differences in the air density of layers near the
surface.
C) refraction.
D) all of the above
E)
temperature and density differences only.
d
Sensible heat transfer (H) refers to energy transfer between the air and the surface by
A) turbulent eddies, convection, and conduction.
B)
evaporation of water.
C) reflection of insolation.
D) all
of the above
a
A vertical air current that is generated by temperature-induced density differences is an example of heat transfer by
A) advection.
B) convection.
C) conduction.
D)
transmission.
E) diffusion.
b
On the average, which of the following is true regarding the distribution of shortwave and longwave energy at Earth's surface by latitude?
A) The equatorial zone is a region of net deficits.
B) The
polar regions are areas of net surpluses.
C) The distribution
shows an imbalance of net radiation from equator to poles.
D)
More energy is lost than is gained in the equatorial regions.
c
Which of the following is false relative to the Earth-atmosphere radiation system?
A) If the surface and the atmosphere are considered separately,
neither exhibits a balanced radiation budget.
B) The surface
exhibits an overall positive radiation balance.
C) The atmosphere
exhibits an overall negative radiation balance.
D) Only
convection transfers heat energy to the atmosphere from the surface.
d
Which term in the radiation balance equation links Earth's energy, hydrological, and biological systems?
A) albedo
B) sensible heat
C) latent heat of
evaporation
D) infrared energy emitted from the ground
c
Longwave radiation (+ LW) arriving at the surface
A) comes primarily from infrared energy emitted by greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere.
B) comes directly from the Sun.
C) comes
from diffuse solar radiation.
D) comes from UV radiation
reflected from the bottoms of clouds.
a
Net radiation (NET R) refers to
A) the net energy expended for ground heating and cooling.
B)
the balance of all radiation incoming and outgoing at Earth's
surface.
C) the amount of insolation coming into the
surface.
D) the amount of insolation not absorbed at the surface.
b
Which of the following is not responsible for the urban heating effect?
A) The materials cities are constructed from conduct heat better
than natural soils.
B) The materials cities are constructed from
store heat better than natural soils.
C) The albedo of urban
environments is substantially higher than that of natural
landscapes.
D) The concentration of people, machines and heat
generating devices adds more heat to the environment.
E) Less
evaporation occurs from city surfaces.
c
Which of the following would be true for the net radiation balance in a midlatitude location?
A) Net R is constant throughout the year.
B) There is a
surplus of Net R during the summer and a deficit during the
winter.
C) There is a deficit of Net R during the summer and a
surplus during the winter.
D) The season at which surpluses and
deficits occur varies from one year to the next.
b
The relationship between the insolation curve and the air temperature curve on a graph of daily surface energy
A) exhibits a lag of several hours between the plotted
lines.
B) shows little or no relationship between the two
variables.
C) shows that peak temperatures occur near noon,
whereas peak insolation receipt is at 3:00 or 4:00 P.M.
D)
coincide at noon.
a
When water evaporates, the energy that was used to evaporate the water
A) is stored as sensible heat in the evaporated water.
B) is
stored as latent heat in the evaporated water.
C) is transferred
to the air by advection when the water evaporates.
D) is
conducted into the underlying layer of water.
b
When water evaporates from a surface, which of the following occurs?
A) Energy is stored within the water.
B) Energy is removed
from the surface.
C) The surface is cooled.
D) All of the
above occur.
d
In the surface energy budget, the term - SW represents
A) heat.
B) incoming energy.
C) the albedo value of the
surface.
D) NET R.
c
Conduction refers to
A) the vertical movement of air in response to temperature-induced
density differences.
B) strong vertical motions in the
atmosphere.
C) the molecule-to-molecule transfer of heat energy
that diffuses through the material.
D) the behavior of something.
c
The highest annual values for latent heat of evaporation (LE) on land occur in the tropics because
A) there is a net annual energy surplus there.
B) rainfall
makes water available for evaporation from soils.
C) the dark
color of forests (as opposed to sandy soils) results in the absorption
of heat energy by vegetation.
D) all of the above
E) B and C only
d
Official temperatures are measured using thermometers placed in shelters that are
A) white.
B) placed a few feet above the ground.
C)
placed in the shade.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
d
6.4C degrees/1000 m (3.5F degrees/1000 ft) refers to
A) a latitudinal lapse rate.
B) a normal lapse rate.
C)
an environmental lapse rate.
D) a measure of air pressure.
b
As the kinetic energy of the air increases
A) its temperature decreases.
B) its temperature
increases.
C) its temperature is unaffected.
D) its
temperature may either increase or decrease depending upon the circumstances.
b
Air temperature is a measure of the presence of which of these?
A) heat capacity
B) apparent temperature
C) relative
humidity
D) sensible heat
d
The single most important control on temperature is
A) latitude.
B) altitude.
C) distribution of land and
water.
D) evaporation.
a
Which of the following is true regarding locations at high elevations?
A) Higher elevations experience higher temperatures during the day
because they are closer to the Sun.
B) Higher elevations
experience lower average temperatures during both day and
night.
C) The density of air increases with increasing
elevation.
D) Temperatures at night, and in the shadows, are
greater at higher elevations.
b
The temperature control that specifically relates to opaqueness is
A) altitude.
B) specific heat.
C)
transmissibility.
D) evaporation.
c
Based on information discussed previously in the course, you know that average temperatures in the troposphere ________ with increasing elevation because the atmosphere is heated ________.
A) increase; from the top-down by insolation
B) increase; from
the top-down by energy emitted from the stratosphere
C) decrease;
from the bottom-up by reflected insolation
D) decrease; from the
bottom-up by terrestrial infrared energy
d
Which of the following is not associated with urban environments?
A) higher relative humidity than that in surrounding rural
areas
B) greatly increased condensation nuclei relative to
surrounding rural areas
C) increased precipitation relative to
surrounding rural areas
D) lower annual mean wind speeds relative
to surrounding rural areas
d
Solar cookers could replace ________ as an affordable source of energy in rural villages in third world countries.
A) natural gas
B) nuclear power
C) fusion power
D)
fire wood
d
Based on information discussed earlier in the course, you know that seasonal variation in daylength ________ with increasing distance from the equator because ________.
A) decreases; Earth rotates more slowly near the poles
B)
decreases; Earth's axis is titled relative to the plane of the
ecliptic
C) increases; Earth rotates more slowly near the
poles
D) increases; Earth's axis is titled relative to the plane
of the ecliptic
E) remains constant throughout the year; Earth is
a sphere
d
The land surface cools off more rapidly at night than water does because
A) the energy is stored in a shallow layer near the surface of the
land, and so it can be radiated away faster.
B) the amount of
energy stored in the land is less than that stored in the water
column.
C) all of the above
D) None of the above-land does
not cool off more rapidly than water at night.
c
The ocean temperature rarely rises above 31 degrees C (88
degrees F) because of ______ feedback caused by _______.
A) positive; evaporation
B) negative; ocean
currents
C) negative; evaporation
D) positive; ocean currents
c
If the Gulf Stream shifted away from Iceland and England, winter temperatures in these locations would
A) become cooler, thereby decreasing the average winter
temperature.
B) become warmer, thereby increasing the average
winter temperature.
C) remain the same.
D) It is impossible
to say what would happen to the winter temperatures.
a
The cool ocean currents that flow along the west coasts of continents promote
A) heavy rainfall.
B) fog.
C) thunderstorm
development.
D) all of these
b
The mean (average) temperature of a given location on Earth is controlled primarily by its ________ whereas its temperature range is controlled primarily by its ________.
A) latitude; elevation
B) elevation; location with respect to
large water bodies
C) evaporation; latitude
D) latitude;
location with respect to large water bodies
d
The Gulf Stream
A) moves southward and moderates temperatures in eastern South
America.
B) moves equatorward, warming the California
coast.
C) moves northward in the western Atlantic, moderating
temperatures in Iceland.
D) creates a warming effect on Japan and
the Aleutians.
c
Which of the following results from the fact that there is movement (currents) in heat transferring media?
A) Heat energy is more evenly distributed in soil and rock than in
water.
B) Heat energy tends to concentrate in one spot.
C)
Warmer and cooler water mix, thereby spreading heat over a greater
volume.
D) None of the above-currents have no effect on either
land or water body temperatures.
c
As a result of the characteristics of water, cities located near a coast should experience a temperature range that is ________ those of cities located in the interior at the same latitude.
A) the same as
B) smaller than
C) larger than
b
Evaporation
A) tends to increase temperatures over land.
B) tends to lower
temperatures more over water bodies than over land.
C) tends to
increase the temperature over water.
D) affects land more than
ocean surfaces.
E) affects the temperature of land surfaces and
water bodies the same amount.
b
The lowest temperature recorded on Earth to date was in
A) Antarctica in July.
B) Antarctica in January.
C)
Alaska in February.
D) Russia in January.
a
Land has a ________ specific heat than water and therefore heats more ________.
A) higher; slowly
B) higher; quickly
C) lower;
slowly
D) lower; quickly
d
During summer, cities located near the coast are ________ than those in the interior at the same latitude, while in the winter they are ________.
A) warmer; warmer
B) warmer; cooler
C) cooler;
warmer
D) cooler; cooler
c
As reported by the National Weather Service, the heat index
A) relates temperature and relative humidity.
B) combines air
pressure and temperature in a comfort index.
C) gives you an
indication of the effect of wind on the skin.
D) is generally
reported during critical winter months.
a
Insolation is the only source of energy that is ultimately
responsible for heating the atmosphere and driving weather
phenomena
A) true
b) false
a
The amount of heat energy present in any substance is expressed as its
A) temperature.
B) latent heat.
C) sensible heat.
D)
surface motion.
c
The highest maximum temperatures recorded on Earth occur in interior deserts during July because
A) insolation is greater than at other latitudes.
B) the skies
are cloudless.
C) little evaporation occurs to supply moisture to
the atmosphere.
D) all of the above
E) B and C only
d
An isoline that connects all points of highest mean temperature on a world map is called
A) an isobar.
B) the highest mean temperature isoline.
C)
the thermal equator.
D) min/max line.
E) the temperature
range line.
c
The effect of wind and temperature on the human skin is called the
A) heat index.
B) sensible heat measurement.
C) wind
chill factor.
D) apparent temperature index.
c
An isoline that connects all points of the same temperature on a map is called
A) an isobar.
B) the mean temperature isoline.
C) the
thermal equator.
D) an isotherm.
d
Which of the following is true?
A) Northern Hemisphere temperatures are more strongly dominated by
continentality than are Southern Hemisphere temperatures.
B)
Southern Hemisphere temperatures are more strongly dominated by
continentality than are Northern Hemisphere temperatures.
C) The
Northern and Southern hemispheres are dominated equally by maritime
influences.
D) The Northern and Southern hemispheres are
dominated equally by continentality.
a
Which of the following is true of the thermal equator during the month of July?
A) It trends equatorward over continents and poleward over the
oceans.
B) It trends poleward over continents and equatorward
over the oceans.
C) It assumes an orientation that closely
parallels that of the equator.
D) Its orientation is apparently
random and has yet to be adequately explained.
b
The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales only coincide at: [ degrees C → degrees F = ( degrees C × 1.8) + 32 ]
A) -40 degrees.
B) -273 degrees.
C) 0 degrees.
D)
212 degrees.
a
The Celsius scale
A) is used exclusively in the United States.
B) places
freezing at 0 degrees and was formerly called centigrade.
C) was
developed by the British physicist Lord Kelvin.
D) was developed
by Fahrenheit, who also developed the alcohol and mercury
thermometers.
E) places freezing at 32 degrees and boiling at 212 degrees.
b
The normal lapse rate of temperature change is 6.4 degrees
C/1000 m (3.5 degrees F/1000 ft).
a) True
b) False
a
If you went for a walk on a hot beach, you could cool your
feet off substantially by digging them into the sand.
a) True
b) False
a
Latent heat of evaporation (LE) is the dominant expenditure of
Earth's entire net radiation budget.
a) True
b) False
a
Refraction is responsible for rainbows and mirages.
a) True
b) False
a
High latitudes have a higher albedo in winter than do low
latitudes.
a) True
b) False
a
Average air temperatures at higher elevations are generally
higher, with smaller differences between areas of direct sunlight
and shadow.
a) True
b) False
b
The average annual temperature of a location is controlled
primarily by latitude.
a) True
b) False
a
The Moon has an average albedo similar to new snow.
a) True
b) False
b
Air temperature is an indication of the average kinetic energy
of individual molecules within the atmosphere.
a)
True
b) False
a
The coldest time of the year occurs in December at the time of
the winter solstice.
A) True
B) False
b
Clouds moderate temperatures producing lower daily maximums
and higher nightly minimums.
a) True
b) False
a
Heat energy flows from objects that are hot to those that are
cold.
a) True
b) False
a
The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by maritime influences,
whereas the Northern Hemisphere is dominated by
continentality.
a) True
b) False
a
Maritime influences tend to increase both daily and monthly
temperature ranges.
a) True
b) False
a
Ocean currents along midlatitude west coasts, even near
deserts, are cool.
a) True
b) False
a
The highest temperatures on Earth are associated with the
intense heating over the equator.
a) True
b) False
a