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flashcards
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which one of the following is NOT one of the three broad subdivisions of the ocean floor? | Costal Plain |
| The two types of continental margins are passive and active. | True |
| On the ocean side of the continental shelf, the steep continental slope merges into a more gradual incline known as the __________. | Continental rise |
| Deep-ocean trenches are associated with passive continental margins. | False |
| The ________ system is a broad, rugged, elevated feature on the ocean floor that forms a continuous belt that winds around the globe. | Mid-Ocean Ridge |
| Which portion of the continental margin is steepest? | Continental Slope |
| Materials deposited by turbidity currents contribute to the formation of __________, | Deep-sea fan |
| Earth-orbiting satellites can be used to map the ocean floor. | True |
| What instrument is used to map the topography of the ocean floor? | Echo Sounder |
| A deep narrow valley at the summit of the oceanic ridge is called a(n) ___________. | Rift Valley |
| Seamounts are steep-sided volcanic peaks on the ocean floor. | True |
| 13) Deep-ocean trenches are associated with _____. | Active Continental Margin |
| Abyssal plains are part of the continental margin. | False |
| Deep, steep-sided valleys found on the continental slope and rise are known as ______. | Submarine Canyon |
| Passive continental margins experience very little volcanic activity and few earthquakes. | True |
| The continental margins surrounding the Atlantic Ocean are primarily active continental margins. | False |
| Most of the energy that shapes and modifies the shorelines comes from __________. | Wind Generated waves |
| The time interval between the passage of successive crests or successive troughs of a wave is referred to as the wave __________. | period |
| Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences the characteristics of a wave? | Wind direction |
| In the open sea, the form of a wave moves forward while the water itself moves backward. | false |
| As a wave moves into shallow water near the shore, its length __________ and its height _________. | e) decreases; increases |
| The zigzag movement of sediment along a beach is a process called __________. | Beach Drift |
| Longshore currents are responsible for producing all of the following features EXCEPT a | groin |
| Breakwaters are wall-like structures built parallel to the shore to protect boats from the force of breaking waves. | true |
| In bays, wave __________ causes waves to diverge and weaken, resulting in the accumulation of sediments to form sandy beaches. | refraction |
| The collapse of a sea arch often produces a sea stack. | true |
| Waves often ________ a headland. | converge on |
| Expanding air is responsible for breaking rocks and enlarging fractures as a wave withdraws. | true |
| At a depth equal to ________, a wave begins to “feel bottom” and slow down. | one half wavelength |
| Longshore currents move opposite the direction of beach drift. | false |
| The movement of water parallel to the shore in the surf zone is called __________. | longshore current |
| A ridge of sand that extends into the mouth of an adjacent bay is a __________. | spit |
| A ridge of sand that connects an island to the mainland is a __________. | tombolo |
| Over time, the beach behind a breakwater tends to __________. | a) widen as more sand accumulates |
| A flat bench-like surface created by wave erosion is a ___________. | a) wave-cut platform |
| A ____________ is an isolated mass of rock standing just offshore produced by wave erosion of a headland. | c) sea stack |
| The bending of waves is called __________. | a) refraction |
| The grinding action of water “armed” with rock fragments is a process called ___________. | b) abrasion |
| Based on the data for the 30-year span 1977-2006, which weather event is responsible for the greatest number of storm-related deaths in an average year? | flooods |
| Does the following statement refer to weather or climate? “Yesterday a hurricane struck the coast | weather |
| Does the following statement refer to weather or to climate? “The low this morning was 25°F.” | weather |
| Does the following statement refer to weather or climate? “Southwestern Africa is a desert.” | climate |
| Does the following statement refer to weather or climate? “The highest temperature ever recorded at this station is 109°F.) | climate |
| 6) The letters “ppm” stand for ________. | parts per million |
| 7) Percent is the same as _________. | parts per hundred |
| 8) Which of the following is NOT an aerosol? | ozone |
| Aerosols _________. | d) play a role in fog and cloud formation |
| 10) Ozone _______________. | d) absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun |
| Which one of the atmospheric components listed below is more important than the others with regards to heating the atmosphere? | carbon dioxide |
| Which of the gases listed below has important roles in atmospheric processes? | water vapor |
| This atmospheric component is concentrated between the altitudes of about 10-50 km (6-30 miles). | ozone |
| A colorful sunset was most likely caused by which of these atmospheric components? | aerosal (dust) |
| A special characteristics of this atmospheric component is that it readily changes state (solid to liquid to gas, etc.) at and near Earth’s surface. | water vapor |
| The thickness (depth) of the atmosphere is about the same as the thickness (radius) of the solid Earth. | false |
| Under average conditions, one square inch column of air that extended from Earth’s surface (sea level) to the top of the atmosphere would weigh ______________. | 14.7 pounds |
| At a height of about ________ miles (________ kilometers), the weight of the air above is about half the surface (sea level) value. | 3.5 (5.6) |
| Meteorologists often express atmospheric pressure in units known as ________. | millibars |
| The average (normal) environmental lapse rate in the troposphere is __________. | b) 6.5°C per kilometer |
| If the surface temperature is 20°C, what is the air temperature at an altitude of 2 kilometers? Assume average conditions prevail. | 7°C |
| Ozone is a form of _________ that combines 3 atoms into each molecule. | oxygen |
| In which layer of the atmosphere is ozone concentrated? | stratosphere |
| The mesopause is _______________. | the boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere |
| Geothermal heat (heat from Earth’s interior) plays a major role in creating Earth’s winds and ocean currents. | false |
| Which of these factors influences the amount of solar energy received at a particular location on Earth’s surface? | all of the above |
| Earth’s orbit is best described as ____________. | slightly elliptical |
| Earth is closest to the Sun at a point in its orbit known as ________. | perihelion |
| 6) Which date represents perihelion? | january 3 |
| Which factor is least significant in causing seasonal temperature variations | distance variations between the Sun and Earth |
| Which of these latitudes best represents the location of the Sun’s vertical rays in early April? | 8° N |
| On which of these dates is the length of daylight longer than the length of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere? | June 22 |
| The equator has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness on _______. | all of the above |
| On which of these days does Fairbanks, Alaska (65° N latitude) have more hours of daylight than Miami, Florida (26° N latitude)? | June 21 |
| The spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere occurs on this date. | September 22 |
| At 45° S latitude, the angle of the noon Sun is lowest and the length of daylight is shortest on | June 22 |
| What would the latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn be if Earth’s axis were inclined 30°? | a) 30° S |
| Which of these lines of latitude marks the farthest advance northward of the Sun’s vertical (90° angle) rays? | tropic of cancer |
| The length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator on this date. | december 22 |
| The vertical (90° angle) rays of the Sun are striking Stillwater, Oklahoma on this date. | none of these |
| 18) Ice is too cold to emit radiation. | false |
| When an object absorbs any form of radiation, its temperature _________. | increase |
| The colder an object, the __________ the wavelengths it emits. | longer |
| The wavelengths of radiation emitted by Earth are ________ than those emitted by the Sun. | longer |
| Earth radiates maximum energy in the ___________ range. | infrared |
| This is the process that explains how light reaches into a shaded area or room when direct sunlight is absent. | scattering |
| The percentage of the total radiation that is reflected by the surface is called its _______. | albedo |
| On average, clouds reflect more solar radiation back to space than Earth’s surface. | true |
| Which one of these is an important heat-absorbing gas in Earth’s atmosphere? | carbon dioxide |
| Carbon dioxide and water vapor primarily absorb _________. | b) longer wavelength Earth radiation |
| If Earth had no atmosphere, its average surface temperature would be ________. | a) about 30°C (50°F) cooler |
| This term is used to describe the process by which the atmosphere is heated. | greenhouse effect |
| The carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere has been _________ for the past 200 years or more. | increasing |
| Much of the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide content over the past 200 years is due to _________. | c) burning of fossil fuels |
| Average global temperatures during the 1990’s were _______ when compared to earlier decades of the 20th century. | warmer |
| One probable impact of global warming is that sea level will ________. | rise |
| When we add together the 12 monthly means for a year and divide by 12, we are determining the _________. | anual mean |
| The difference between the daily maximum and the daily minimum is known as the daily mean. | false |
| A line connecting equal temperatures is an _____. | a) isotherm |
| The amount of temperature change over a given distance is called the temperature gradient. | true |
| What is the daily mean temperature when the daily maximum is 25°C and the daily minimum is 15°C? | 20°C |
| What is the daily temperature range when the daily maximum is 25°C and the daily minimum is 15°C? | 10°C |
| The annual mean temperature is _______. | an average of the 12 monthly means |
| An outdoor temperature of 25°C means you will need a winter coat. | b) false |
| Which is colder, 0°C or 0°F? | 0°F |
| The bath water is 15°C. Will you have a scalding, warm, or chilly bath? | chilly |
| Coffey that is 90°C will burn your tongue. | a) true |
| Which one of these factors does not contribute to the differential heating of water and land? | the albedo of land is much greater |
| When coastal and interior stations at the same latitude are compared, we can say that the coastal station will probably have ________ winter temperatures than the interior location. | conditional instability |
| When stable air is forced to rise, for example by frontal wedging, the clouds that form will likely | wide spread |
| The term “nimbus” is always associated with | precipitation |
| The term “alto” is always associated with _____. | middle clouds |
| When you see “cirro” as part of a cloud name it refers to _______. | high height range |
| Which one of these fogs is triggered mainly by cooling within a layer of air? | upslope fog |
| These fogs form when evaporation saturates the air with water. | frontal fog |
| Which type of fog are you experiencing if you approach a heated swimming pool on a cool morning and notice fog over the water? | d) steam fog |
| Which type of fog are you experiencing if you are driving through hilly terrain in the morning and observe fog in the valleys but clearing on the hills? | radiation fog |
| What conditions must be met for precipitation to form? | great numbers of cloud droplets must coalesce into drops (or ice crystals) large enough to sustain themselves as they descend |
| Water droplets suspended in the atmosphere generally freeze at 0°C (32°F)? | False |
| Which of these precipitation-producing mechanisms relies on the fact that larger cloud droplets have faster fall rates than smaller droplets? | Collision-coalescence process |
| The coexistence of ice crystals and supercooled water is essential for this process to operate. | Bergeron process |
| Which of these mechanisms relies on the fact that the saturation vapor pressure surrounding ice crystals is lower than around water droplets? | Bergeron process |
| You are in Wisconsin watching the Green Bay Packers football game and it begins to snow. What process produced this precipitation? | Bergeron process |
| You are on a tropical island where the temperature at the top of the clouds is above freezing. What process produced the mid-afternoon rain shower you experienced? | Collision-coalescence process |
| Sleet is ______________. | produced when rain freezes as it descends through a layer of subfreezing air |
| Snow is _________________. | produced in supercooled clouds when water vapor is deposited directly on ice crystals |
| Rime is _____________________. | produced when supercooled cloud or fog droplets encounter objects and freeze on contact |
| Glaze is ______________________. | grows by the addition of supercooled water droplets as it travels through a cloud |
| Average sea level pressure is ____________. | 14.7 pounds per sq. in |
| Air that is ___________ is more dense, and therefore exerts a ___________ pressure. | warm; lower |
| When airflow aloft causes air to accumulate over a region it creates a _______ pressure region at Earth’s surface. | high |
| Meteorologists usually employ this unit to measure air pressure. | millibars |
| What is standard sea level pressure? | 1013.2 millibars |
| Torricelli invented the ______________. | mercurial barometer |
| Standard sea level air pressure in inches of mercury is _____________. | 29.92 |
| Which of these is a disadvantage of an aneroid barometer over a mercurial barometer? | accuracy |
| The __________ is the driving force of wind. | pressure-gradient force |
| This force is the result of Earth’s rotation. | Coriolis force |
| The magnitude of this force is determined by the spacing of the isobars. | pressure-gradient force |
| This force comes into play only near the Earth’s surface. | friction |
| Which force(s) does not cause air to move, but instead changes the speed and/or direction of airflow. | both b and c |
| Geostrophic winds exist in regions where this force is minimal or nonexistent. | friction |
| 15) This force causes the air to be deflected to the right of its intended path in the Northern Hemisphere. | Coriolis force |
| Lines connecting places of equal air pressure are called _______________. | isobars |
| Closely spaces isobars indicate ______________. | steep pressure gradient and high winds |
| Cyclone is another name for _____________. | low-pressure system |
| 19) Cyclones, or lows, are associated with _________. | low-pressure system |
| Cyclones, or lows, are associated with _________. | converging surface winds and ascending air |
| Anticyclones, or highs, are associated with ______. | diverging surface winds and subsiding air |
| Cyclones, or lows, are associated with _________. | “bad” weather |
| Anticyclones, or highs, are associated with _______. | “fair” weather |
| A falling barometric tendency is associated with the approach of ________________. | "bad" weather |
| An air mass from the Gulf of Mexico would be classified as _____________. | mT |
| When an area is experiencing several consecutive days of fairly constant weather, it is experiencing _____________. | air-mass weather |
| After an air mass leaves its area of formation and moves across adjacent regions, the air mass becomes modified. | True |
| A cT air mass is _______________. | dry and hot |
| The area where an air mass originates is referred to as its _____________. | source region |
| This letter us used to symbolize air masses that form in high latitudes _____________. | P |
| Which one of the following is not one of the basic air masses that influences North America? | mA |
| This is a humid and cold air mass ______________. | mP |
| When classifying air masses, the lower case letter “m” means the air mass formed over _________. | Oceans |
| Air masses are commonly about ________ kilometers (______ miles) or more in diameter. | 1600 (1000 miles) |
| Air masses seldom leave the areas where they form. | False |
| Lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes region is associated with this air mass ___________. | cP |
| Lake-effect snow may result when __________. | cold, dry air moves across the relatively warm waters of a lake |
| A series of high, middle, and low clouds commonly form in advance of the surface position of this front. | Warm front |
| This front usually moves more rapidly. | Cold front |
| What boundary separates air masses having different densities? | warm front b) cold front c) stationary front d) occluded front e) all of the above |
| Warm air is forced to rise as one air mass advances into another in which of these situations? | both warm and cold front |
| The slope of this front is steep (about 1:100). | Cold front |
| After this front passes through an area, temperatures gradually rise. | Warm front |
| This front may produce precipitation. | Both warm and cold front |
| Nimbostratus clouds that produce light to moderate precipitation are commonly associated with this front. | Warm front |
| Stormy conditions and towering cumulonimbus clouds are most often associated with this type of front: | Cold front |
| Fronts are rather narrow zones that separate air masses of different densities. | true |
| With the passage of a cold front, the temperature drops and the skies begin to clear. | true |
| Usually, the passage of fronts and the accompanying changing weather are associated with traveling pressure centers called _________. | middle-latitude cyclones |
| In cyclonic systems, the innermost isobar encircles the zone of _______ pressure | Lowest |
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