Q&A Hero

Q: ________ refers to the greater range between maximum and minimum temperatures that occurs in inland areas distant from large bodies of water. A) The maritime effect B) Specific heat C) Heat dome D) Continentality

Q: 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 water column is less than that stored in land. C) heat is transferred to deeper depths on land via conduction. D) There is more ocean than land, so more ocean is being heated than land.

Q: On average, the illuminated zone in oceans is to a depth of ________, but in some oceans may be as deep as ________. A) 20 m (66 ft); 30 m (100 ft) B) 100 m (330 ft); 500 m (1,640 ft) C) 60 m (200 ft); 300 m (1,000 ft) D) 30 m (100 ft); 900 m (3,000 ft)

Q: Imagine a profile of soil going to a depth of approximately 10 ft. On a sunny day, the soil at a depth of 5ft will be ________ the soil at the surface because ________. A) warmer; soil is a good conductor of heat B) cooler; land is opaque preventing heating at depths C) warmer; geothermal processes heat the deeper soils D) cooler; plate movement mixes the soils and dissipates the heat

Q: The temperature on a cloudy night is likely to be ________ the temperature on a clear nightall other factors being equal. A) warmer than B) colder than C) the same as

Q: Elevation typically refers to ________ whereas altitude refers to ________. A) the height of a point on the Earth's surface; the height above the Earth's surface B) the height above the Earth's surface; the height of a point on the Earth's surface C) both refer to the height above the Earth's surface D) both refer to the height of a point on the Earth's surface

Q: 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.

Q: Within the troposphere, temperatures and density________ with increasing altitude above the Earth's surface. A) both increase B) decrease and increase, respectively C) both decrease D) increase and decrease, respectively

Q: Salvador, Brazil is located at 13 S (and at an elevation of 9 m). Based on its latitudinal position, which of the following likely best describes its temperature? A) Seasonal variations of temperature are most pronounced in the summer. B) Temperatures can range from -10C (14F) in the winter to 21C (70F) in the summer. C) Cool and mild temperatures predominate throughout the year. D) The temperature is consistently high throughout the year. E) Summers are exceptionally hot, but winters are typically quite mild.

Q: Relative to latitude and surface energy receipts, which of the following is true? A) Insolation intensity increases with distance from the subsolar point. B) Daylength decreases with increasing latitude in summer. C) Insolation intensity decreases with distance from the subsolar point. D) Seasonal effects increase toward the equator.

Q: In July, the thermal equator A) trends equatorward over continents and poleward over the oceans. B) trends poleward over continents and equatorward over the oceans. C) assumes an orientation that closely parallels that of the equator. D) is apparently random and has yet to be adequately explained.

Q: The thermal equator A) corresponds with the geographic equator. B) trends into the interior of landmasses. C) is highest over ocean basins. D) remains in the same location throughout the year.

Q: 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.

Q: Lines on a temperature map connecting points of equal temperature is called an A) isobar. B) isohyet. C) isotherm. D) isobath.

Q: Which of the following is incorrectly matched? A) San Francisco marine B) Trondheim continentality C) Verkhoyansk continentality D) Wichita continentality

Q: Trondheim, Norway is located at approximately 63 N. Despite its high latitude, it has a relatively moderate annual temperature regime. What likely accounts for this moderation? A) Trondheim's high degree of continentality. B) Trondheim's maritime location. C) The urban heat island of Trondheim. D) Thick cloud cover in Trondheim traps in longwave radiation.

Q: Which of the following U.S. cities would experience the least continentality? A) Las Vegas, Nevada B) Oklahoma City, OK C) Seattle, Washington D) Boise, ID

Q: San Francisco, CA and Wichita, KS are located at approximately the same latitude. Which of the following is true? A) San Francisco's average monthly temperature peak occurs later than that of Wichita. B) Maximum average temperatures are higher year-round in Wichita. C) San Francisco experiences more days below the freezing point than Wichita. D) San Francisco is more influenced by continentality than Wichita.

Q: From 1982 through 2010, average annual sea-surface temperature (SST) A) followed an opposite trend of air temperature and decreased. B) increased until 1993, then slightly decreased. C) steadily increased. D) remained fairly constant.

Q: The cool ocean currents, such as the Humboldt Current, that flow along the west coasts of continents promote ________ when conditions in these regions are warm and moist. A) heavy rainfall B) fog C) thunderstorm development D) warm, mild conditions

Q: 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.

Q: In general, more moderate temperature patterns A) are created by continentality. B) are exemplified by Winnipeg and Wichita. C) indicate maritime influences. D) occur in continental interiors.

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: The specific heat of land is ________ than water and, therefore, land heats more ________ than water. A) higher; slowly B) higher; quickly C) lower; slowly D) lower; quickly

Q: Which of the following is true regarding the specific heat of land and water? A) Water can hold more heat energy than a comparable volume of rock. B) The temperature of water will rise faster than that of land when exposed to the same amount of insolation. C) Land surfaces have a higher specific heat than water surfaces. D) Land and water have very similar specific heat values.

Q: As it pertains to differences in land-water heating, transparency A) is greater in land than water. B) refers to the fact that land is opaque and water is transparent. C) produces a heat loading at the surface of water bodies. D) produces a photic layer that normally is 2000 m (6600 ft.) deep.

Q: How does evaporation effect land-water heating differences? A) Evaporation tends to increase temperatures over land. B) Evaporation tends to lower temperatures more over water bodies than over land. C) Evaporation tends to increase the temperature over water. D) Evaporation affects land more than ocean surfaces. E) Evaporation affects the temperature of land surfaces and water bodies the same amount.

Q: During the day, clouds ________ insolation, lowering daily maximum temperatures; at night, clouds ________ longwave energy, thereby raising minimum nighttime temperatures. A) absorb; reflect B) scatter; refract C) reflect; absorb and reradiate D) reflect; scatter

Q: Which of the following is true regarding clouds? A) They increase temperature minimums and temperature maximums. B) They cover about 15 percent of Earth's surface at any one time. C) They have a moderating influence on temperatures. D) They decrease nighttime temperatures and increase daytime temperatures.

Q: Which of the following is incorrect regarding the differences in the heating of land and water? A) Soil has a higher specific heat than water. B) Water has mobility and is mixed in ocean currents. C) Water transmits through water better than soil. D) A greater amount of evaporation occurs over oceans than over land.

Q: The temperature control that includes the heat capacity of a substance is A) movement. B) evaporation. C) cloud cover. D) specific heat.

Q: The land-water heating difference that specifically relates to opaqueness is A) altitude. B) specific heat. C) transparency. D) evaporation.

Q: If the temperature at the surface of Earth (at sea level) is 40C, what is the temperature at 2000 m if the normal lapse rate is 6.4C/1000 m? A) 27.2C B) 33.6C C) 46.4C D) 52.8C

Q: If the temperature at the surface of Earth (at sea level) is 100F, what is the temperature at 2000 feet if the normal lapse rate is 3.5F/1000 feet? A) 93F B) 96.5F C) 103.5F D) 107F

Q: Imagine two hypothetical cities, both located at 12 N latitude. However, one is located near sea level, while the other at an elevation of 4,000 m (13,123 ft) above sea level. Which of the following is likely true? A) The climate of the two cities are quite similar. B) Annual temperatures for the city at the lower elevation are lower than those at the city at the higher elevation. C) The city at the higher elevation has extremely cold winters (similar to those at high latitudes). D) Though both cities are within the tropics, the city at the higher elevation has been average monthly and yearly temperatures lower than the city near sea level.

Q: Air pressure at 5500 m (18,000 ft.) is ________ (percent) of that at sea level. A) 0 B) 10 C) 30 D) 50

Q: 6.4C/1000 m (3.5F/1000 ft.) refers to A) a latitudinal lapse rate. B) the normal lapse rate. C) an environmental lapse rate. D) a measure of air pressure.

Q: In general, as distance from the subsolar point increases, the average annual insolation ________ and the average annual temperature ________. A) increases; increases B) increases; decreases C) decreases; increases D) decreases; decreases

Q: The single most important control on temperature is A) insolation. B) altitude. C) distribution of land and water. D) latitude.

Q: The principal controls and influences of temperature patterns include A) Earth's tilt, rotation, revolution, and sphericity. B) latitude, altitude, land-water heating differences, cloud cover, ocean currents, and surface conditions. C) the distance of the Earth from the sun and sunspot activity. D) the seasons and human activity.

Q: The size of one Kelvin unit is A) twice as large as one Celsius degree. B) the same size as one Celsius degree. C) two times smaller than one Celsius degree. D) the same size as one Fahrenheit degree.

Q: Land surface temperature (LST) is A) measured using a ground network of at least one station per 250,000 km2across the globe. B) often much cooler than air temperature due to vegetation cover. C) highest in areas with high albedo and dense cloud cover. D) a measure of the heating of the land surface and is distinct from air temperature.

Q: An estimated ________ percent of all evaporation on Earth is from oceans. A) 22 B) 37 C) 84 D) 76

Q: The best thermometer to use where temperatures drop below -39C (-38.2F) is A) a barometric thermometer. B) a mercury thermometer. C) a bulb mounted in direct sunshine. D) an alcohol thermometer.

Q: The Celsius scale A) is used exclusively in the United States. B) places freezing at 0 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 and boiling at 212.

Q: The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales only coincide at A) -40. B) -273. C) 0. D) 212.

Q: -273C (-459.4F) is A) the same as 273 Kelvin. B) an average boiling temperature. C) 0 absolute temperature. D) not possible on any scale.

Q: In colder temperatures, alcohol thermometers are preferred to mercury thermometers because A) mercury freezes at -39C (-38.2F), whereas alcohol freezes at -120C (-170F). B) alcohol thermometers are generally more accurate, especially in cold temperatures. C) alcohol thermometers are less expensive and more easily to replace if broken in extreme temperatures. D) mercury is poisonous and are rarely used in modern thermometers any more.

Q: Official temperatures are measured using thermometers placed in shelters that are A) non-ventilated and black boxes, placed at ground level. B) placed a few feet above the ground in louvered white boxes. C) in black boxes placed in direct sunlight for maximum insolation absorption. D) at ground level, in direct sunlight.

Q: 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.

Q: Kinetic energy refers to A) the energy an object possesses by virtue of its elevation above a surface. B) the energy an object possesses because of its gravitational attraction to other objects. C) the energy an object possesses in accordance with the law E = . D) the energy an object possesses by virtue of its motion.

Q: Temperature is A) a form of energy. B) heat, as perceived by humans and other living things. C) a function of insolation and windspeed. D) measure of the average kinetic energy of individual molecules in matter.

Q: 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.

Q: The wind-chill index A) takes into account infrared solar radiation. B) assumes people are wearing a basic layer of clothing. C) uses the same variables as the heat index does. D) does not consider whether or not a person is engaged in physical activity.

Q: On a cold, windy day, the air feels ________ because the wind ________. A) colder; increases the cooling effect of the air. B) warmer; mitigates against the cold temperatures. C) colder; increases evaporative heat loss from our skin. D) warmer; disperses clouds, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground.

Q: ________ is the general term for the outdoor temperature as it is perceived by humans. A) Wind chill B) Latent heat C) Apparent temperature D) Sensible heat

Q: Which of the following is not true of the freezing point of water? A) There is a single freezing point, 0C (32F). B) Purity of water can influence freezing point. C) Freezing point varies with volume and atmospheric conditions. D) Freezing point ranges from 0C to -40C (32F to -40F).

Q: Most countries use the ________ temperature scale. A) Fahrenheit B) Kelvin C) Celsius D) Rankine

Q: 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.

Q: Which of the following is correctly matched? A) conduction molecule-to-molecule heat transfer B) advection strongly vertical mixing C) radiation assimilation and conversion of D) convection strongly horizontal mixing

Q: Conduction refers to A) strong vertical movement of air in the atmosphere. B) strong horizontal movement of air in the atmosphere. C) the molecule-to-molecule transfer of heat energy. D) the behavior of something.

Q: Earth's main energy outputs are A) gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation. B) ultraviolet radiation and visible radiation. C) visible and infrared radiation. D) thermal infrared radiation.

Q: 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.

Q: Which of the following is correct regarding the Northwest and Northeast Passages? A) Until recently, sea ice blocked the routes, making them unavailable for shipping. B) They have been used for shipping and circumnavigation since the 1800s. C) They have been blocked since 2007 by increasing ice. D) They are expected to remain open until 2015.

Q: The science that specifically studies the climate at or near Earth's surface is A) astronomy. B) meteorology. C) micrometeorology. D) microclimatology.

Q: A stove that circulates heated air to uniformly cook food is an example of ________ heat transfer. A) conduction B) convection C) kinetic D) latent

Q: Molecule-to-molecule transfer of heat energy is A) conduction. B) convection. C) advection. D) latent heat.

Q: Kinetic energy is defined as A) stored energy. B) energy flow between molecules. C) the energy of motion. D) energy gained or lost when a substance changes states.

Q: For the Earth's energy budget, ________ is energy income and ________ energy expenditures. A) transmission; reflection B) reflection; albedo C) insolation; radiation to space D) refraction; scatter

Q: The passage of shortwave and longwave energy through the atmosphere and water is an example of A) absorption B) transmission. C) refraction. D) insolation.

Q: Describe different ways in which anthopogenic activity can affect the energy balance.

Q: Describe and analyze the various methods of tapping solar energy and explain why they do not enjoy more widespread use.

Q: Describe the components of net radiation (NET R).

Q: Discuss the components of the surface energy budget.

Q: Why is there a lag in daily temperature patterns? Discuss the roles of different sources of surface heating.

Q: Review the climatic differences in urban and rural environments.

Q: What are the factors that tend to raise the temperature of an urban area relative to its surrounding rural areas?

Q: Why do the tropics have a positive net radiation while the poles have a negative value? How is the energy difference equalized?

Q: What is the "greenhouse effect" as applied to Earth's atmosphere? How is Earth similar and different than a greenhouse?