Question 1

The sun's rays fall most directly on the equator in

Accepted Answer

The sun's rays fall most directly on the equator during the equinoxes, which occur around late March and late September.

Question 2

The rule of adiabatic cooling says that temperature drops about 1°C for every additional 220 meters of elevation.The town of Amherst,Massachusetts,is at 90 meters elevation.The nearby town of Shutesbury is at 420 meters.Assuming that differences in climate between these two towns are solely due to elevation,what should the average temperature in Shutesbury be if the average temperature for a given day in Amherst is 5°C?

Accepted Answer

The elevation difference between Amherst and Shutesbury is 420-90=330 meters. Using the rule of adiabatic cooling, we can calculate the temperature drop as follows:
Temperature drop = (330/220) x 1°C = 1.5°C
Therefore, the average temperature in Shutesbury should be:
5°C - 1.5°C = 3.5°C (rounded to one decimal place)

Question 3

If the rotational speed of Earth decreased somewhat,the most likely result would be

Accepted Answer

If Earth's rotational speed decreased, the Coriolis effect would be weaker, leading to a decrease in prevailing wind speed.

Question 4

If the Gulf Stream were to shut down,as some models of global climate change predict,_______ would become _______.

Accepted Answer

If the Gulf Stream were to shut down, it would disrupt the warm ocean currents that move water from the tropics towards the North Pole, leading to a cooling effect in Europe. London would become colder, as it is located in the temperate zone and heavily influenced by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. California and Lima, Peru are not directly affected by the Gulf Stream and therefore would not experience significant temperature changes if it were to shut down.

Question 5

In general,ocean surface currents circulate

Accepted Answer

Ocean surface currents generally follow the Coriolis effect, which causes them to turn to the right in the Northern Hemisphere (clockwise) and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere (counterclockwise). This means that overall, ocean surface currents circulate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, making E the correct answer.

Question 6

Which term refers to variation in the elevation of Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

Topography refers to the variation in elevation of Earth's surface.

Question 7

When do the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight?

Accepted Answer

During the equinoxes, which occur twice a year, both hemispheres receive equal amounts of sunlight because the tilt of the Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays.

Question 8

Hadley cell circulation and the Coriolis effect both describe movements of air masses,although there are major differences between the two phenomena.Both processes,however,involve movement

Accepted Answer

Both the Hadley cell circulation and the Coriolis effect involve movements of air masses, but in different directions. The Hadley cell circulation describes the movement of warm air from the equator to the poles in a North to South direction and the movement of cool air from the poles to the equator in a South to North direction. The Coriolis effect describes the way in which the Earth's rotation affects the movement of air masses, causing them to curve as they travel North or South, so that they appear to be moving East or West. Therefore, the best choice is B, north and south.

Question 9

Winds in the middle (40-60°N)latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere generally come from the

Accepted Answer

The prevailing winds in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere generally come from the west due to the prevailing westerlies, which are a type of wind pattern that blows from west to east between 30-60° latitude in both hemispheres.

Question 10

Because of the rotational movement of Earth,an air mass moving north in the Northern Hemisphere will

Accepted Answer

Due to the Coriolis effect, air masses moving north in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected to the right (east).

Question 11

It tends to rain more in the mountains than in adjacent lowlands because

Accepted Answer

As air travels up mountains, it cools and its ability to hold moisture decreases. This excess moisture is deposited as rain, resulting in higher rainfall in mountains compared to adjacent lowlands.

Question 12

Because oceans have a _______ heat capacity,air over land that is close to oceans shows _______.

Accepted Answer

Oceans have a high heat capacity, which means they can absorb and store large amounts of heat. This moderates the temperature of the air over nearby land, leading to decreased variability in temperature.

Question 13

Heinrich Walter developed the climate diagram to

Accepted Answer

The climate diagram was developed to easily visualize the growing season of a locality by combining temperature and precipitation data.

Question 14

As compared with low latitudes,high latitudes receive _______ energy from sunlight over the year because the sun's rays are at _______ angle.

Accepted Answer

High latitudes receive less energy from sunlight over the year because the sun's rays are at a more shallow angle.

Question 15

In what way would an area at 60° latitude (North or South)most likely resemble an area near the equator?

Accepted Answer

Both areas at 60° latitude and near the equator are regions where air tends to rise due to the global circulation patterns. At the equator, the intense solar heating causes air to rise, while at 60° latitude, the polar front causes air to rise as well.

Question 16

The term "adiabatic" usually refers to

Accepted Answer

The term "adiabatic" describes a process in which there is no heat transfer into or out of a system. In the context of atmospheric sciences, the adiabatic cooling of an expanding gas (such as in rising air) is a common example.

Question 17

Suppose the sun provided somewhat less heat.This would likely cause Hadley cells to be _______ and would cause the great deserts to be located _______ the equator.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose the sun provided somewhat less heat.This...

Question 18

Which statement about air temperature is true?

Accepted Answer

Cold air is denser than warm air because the molecules in cold air are closer together, making it heavier. Therefore, cold air will sink while warm air rises.

Question 19

Usually,there is _______ precipitation on the windward than the leeward side of a mountain range.In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere,this means that _______ sides of mountains receive more precipitation.

Accepted Answer

According to the statement, there is more precipitation on the windward than the leeward side of a mountain range. In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the prevailing westerly winds bring moisture from the ocean to the western side of the mountains, causing more precipitation on that side. Therefore, the western sides of mountains receive more precipitation.

Question 20

At which latitude would you most likely find deserts?

Accepted Answer

Deserts are most commonly found at around 30 degrees latitude, both north and south of the equator. This is because at these latitudes, the descending air from the Hadley cell causes the air to be very dry and results in arid conditions.

Quiz 41: The Distribution of Earths Ecological Systems

The sun's rays fall most directly on the equator in

If the rotational speed of Earth decreased somewhat,the most likely result would be

If the Gulf Stream were to shut down,as some models of global climate change predict,_ would become _.

In general,ocean surface currents circulate

Which term refers to variation in the elevation of Earth's surface?

When do the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight?

Hadley cell circulation and the Coriolis effect both describe movements of air masses,although there are major differences between the two phenomena.Both processes,however,involve movement

Winds in the middle (40-60°N) latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere generally come from the

Because of the rotational movement of Earth,an air mass moving north in the Northern Hemisphere will

It tends to rain more in the mountains than in adjacent lowlands because

Because oceans have a _ heat capacity,air over land that is close to oceans shows _.

Heinrich Walter developed the climate diagram to

As compared with low latitudes,high latitudes receive _ energy from sunlight over the year because the sun's rays are at _ angle.

In what way would an area at 60° latitude (North or South) most likely resemble an area near the equator?

The term "adiabatic" usually refers to

Suppose the sun provided somewhat less heat.This would likely cause Hadley cells to be _ and would cause the great deserts to be located _ the equator.

Which statement about air temperature is true?

Usually,there is _ precipitation on the windward than the leeward side of a mountain range.In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere,this means that _ sides of mountains receive more precipitation.

At which latitude would you most likely find deserts?