Q&A Hero

Q: The overall effect of aerosols is to ________. A) warm the planet B) cool the planet C) increase ocean temperatures D) increase CO2 E) decrease CO2

Q: How do aerosols influence climate? A) They produce acid rain. B) They increase the albedo. C) They reflect solar radiation back into space. D) They absorb long wavelength earth radiation. E) All of the above

Q: The combustion of ________ has added great quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A) fossil fuels B) wood C) paper D) oxygen E) none of the above

Q: General circulation models are based on the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry, and they are designed to ________. A) measure urban heat islands and identify where changes need to be made in a community B) predict the weather over periods of weeks and months C) determine whether places are going to experience bad hurricane seasons or droughts during the next year D) model climate behavior over decades E) mimic the history of weather on earth for the last ice age

Q: If sea ice melts, this would affect the climate by ________. A) increasing the moisture in the atmosphere B) reducing the amount of solar energy absorbed at the surface C) increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed at the surface D) decreasing the moisture in the atmosphere E) increasing albedo

Q: Climate-feedback mechanisms ________. A) enhance climate models B) complicate climate models C) support climate models D) disagree with climate models E) have nothing to do with climate models

Q: Which of the following is not a trace gas? A) CH4 B) N2O C) C2N D) CFCs

Q: In the past approximately 100 years, global temperatures have ________. A) increased by nearly 5oC B) decreased by nearly 5oC C) decreased by nearly 1oC D) increased by nearly 1oC E) not changed significantly

Q: Seasonal variations in CO2 recorded at Mauna Loa Observatory are related to ________. A) temperature B) vegetation C) winds D) storms E) humidity

Q: Any change in the air's ________ content could alter temperatures in the lower atmosphere. A) nitrogen B) acid C) oxygen D) carbon dioxide E) smoke

Q: Carbon dioxide is an important influence on climate because ________. A) it passes incoming short wavelength solar radiation, but it absorbs some longer wavelength outgoing earth radiation B) it absorbs incoming short wavelength solar radiation, but it passes some longer wavelength outgoing earth radiation C) it passes incoming long wavelength solar radiation, but it absorbs short wavelength outgoing earth radiation D) it absorbs incoming long wavelength solar radiation, but it passes short wavelength outgoing earth radiation E) None of the above is correct.

Q: Which of the following might not be considered a natural cause of climate change? A) explosive volcanic eruptions B) changes in atmospheric ozone C) plate tectonics D) changes in the earth's orbit E) variations in solar radiation

Q: Highland climates usually experience ________ compared to the adjacent lowlands. A) higher winds B) smaller temperature and precipitation variations C) similar patterns of change D) faster and larger changes E) slower but larger changes

Q: Compared to places at lower elevations, highland climates are usually cooler and ________. A) less changeable B) wetter C) sunny D) dryer E) none of the above

Q: Where are Polar Climates most well developed? A) Alaska and Greenland B) Antarctica and Alaska C) Iceland and Antarctica D) Iceland and Alaska E) Antarctica and Greenland

Q: Polar regions receive nearly continuous sunlight in the summer months so why doesn't the mean temperature during those months get above 10C? A) In the summer, the winds blow from the cold oceans and keep the temperatures low. B) The sun is too low in the sky to be an effective heat source. C) The sun's energy has to heat the frozen atmosphere in order to reach the land and that takes all summer. D) The reflection of the sun's energy (albedo) by the ice and snow prevents the area from warming. E) The ozone layer has thinned significantly over the polar regions and this prevents heat from being trapped near the surface in those areas.

Q: Polar climates get most of their precipitation in the ________. A) winter B) spring C) summer D) fall E) It is uniform throughout the year.

Q: The ________ climates are land-controlled climates, the result of broad continents in the middle latitudes. A) A B) B C) C D) D E) E

Q: The ________ climate is located on the eastern sides of continents, in the 25- to 40-degree latitude range. A) dry-summer subtropical B) humid continental C) humid subtropical D) Mediterranean E) marine west coast

Q: The subarctic climate is often referred to as ________. A) the polar express B) the taiga climate C) frozen land D) steppes E) tundra

Q: Why are humid middle-latitude climates with severe winters not found in the Southern Hemisphere? A) It is too warm in the Southern Hemisphere to have severe winters. B) Mountains block the flow of moist air in the Southern Hemisphere. C) The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by warm winds. D) The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by oceans. E) Coastal regions in the Southern Hemisphere are mostly volcanic.

Q: The ________ west coast climate is situated on the western (windward) side of continents from about 40 to 65 degrees north and south latitude. A) Mediterranean B) marine C) humid D) continental E) subtropical

Q: The name ________ climate is often used as a synonym for the dry-summer subtropical climate. A) Australian B) Indian C) Mediterranean D) African E) European

Q: Humid middle-latitude climates with mild winters tend to have less precipitation in the summer than during the rest of the year because ________. A) oceanic subtropical highs migrate poleward during the summer. B) oceanic subtropical highs migrate toward the equator during the summer. C) higher temperatures in those regions carry the moist air higher into the atmosphere. D) higher temperatures in those regions result in more precipitation over the oceans and less over the land.

Q: The western U.S. climate is different from the western European climate because ________. A) the U.S. is significantly closer to the equator than Europe B) the western U.S. has mountains near the coast and Europe does not C) the winds that dominate the weather in the U.S. come from the west but in Europe they come from the southeast D) the water along the coast of Europe is warmer than the water along the western coast of the U.S. E) the water along the western coast of the U.S. is warmer than the water along the coast of Europe

Q: The humid subtropical climate dominates the ________ United States. A) central B) southeastern C) western D) northeastern E) southwestern

Q: Coastal Alaska and Norway are in the ________ group of climates. A) humid tropical climates B) dry C) humid middle-latitude, mild winters D) humid middle-latitude, severe winters E) polar

Q: The leeward sides of mountains are typically dry and are often arid enough to be referred to as ________. A) rain shadow deserts B) steppes C) a Mediterranean climate D) taigas E) tundra

Q: The ________ sides of mountains are often wet. A) leeward B) sunny C) windward D) steep E) southern

Q: The two types of dry (B) climates are desert and ________. A) tundra B) taiga C) steppe D) highland

Q: In a climatological sense, dryness is a function of both annual rainfall and ________. A) altitude B) solar radiation C) wind direction D) slope E) evaporation

Q: Midlatitude deserts and steppes form because ________. A) subsiding air masses are associated with high pressure B) rising air masses are associated with low pressure C) they form at middle latitudes everywhere D) they are in the interiors of continents E) they are in high mountains

Q: Low latitude dry regions tend to ________. A) have high cirrus clouds B) be cloud free C) have stratocumulus clouds D) have high winds due to downward plunging air masses

Q: The low latitude dry regions coincide with ________. A) the subtropical high pressure belts B) the subtropical low pressure belts C) the polar low pressure belt D) the polar high pressure belt E) the gulf stream

Q: Almost ________ of Australia is desert. A) 10% B) 20% C) 30% D) 40% E) 50%

Q: Low latitude dry climates are found primarily ________. A) near the equator. B) near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. C) between the equator and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. D) near 35o north and south latitudes. E) near 45o north and south latitudes.

Q: Which of the following is not used to establish the boundary between dry and humid climates in the Kppen system? A) Average Annual Temperature B) Average Annual Evaporation C) Average Annual Precipitation D) Seasonal Distribution of Precipitation

Q: A dry climate is defined as ________. A) a climate where the temperature is over 25oC B) one where the rainfall is less than 10 cm per year C) one were the evaporation exceeds the precipitation D) a climate where wind is the dominate form of erosion E) all of the above

Q: Af and Am climates form a discontinuous belt astride the ________. A) Tropic of Capricorn B) equator C) Tropic of Cancer D) Arctic Circle E) Prime Meridian

Q: The most luxuriant vegetation found in any climatic realm is the ________. A) tundra B) mid-latitude forest C) taiga D) tropical rain forest E) savannah

Q: The climate in which temperatures average 25oC or more each month and total precipitation for the year is high is the ________ climate. A) marine west coast B) humid subtropics C) humid continental D) wet tropics E) highland

Q: The major difference in vegetation between the different humid tropical (A) regions is that ________. A) wet tropical regions have rain forests, and tropical wet and dry regions have grasslands B) wet tropical regions have grasslands, and tropical wet and dry regions have rain forests C) wet tropical regions have grasslands, and tropical wet and dry regions have brush and succulents D) wet tropical regions have brush and succulents, and tropical wet and dry regions have grasslands E) wet tropical regions have rain forests, and tropical wet and dry regions have brush and succulents

Q: The major difference between a wet tropical region and a tropical wet and dry region is ________. A) temperature B) pressure C) precipitation D) wind direction E) elevation

Q: Why do humid tropical regions have only small variations in temperature throughout the year? A) The constant humidity maintains a relatively uniform temperature. B) The canopy of trees in the rain forest shade the ground and reflect light all the time. C) The winds associated with these systems rapidly redistribute the heat. D) The location of this climatic region is limited to an area where the solar radiation does not vary significantly. E) The cloud cover and rain do not allow the temperatures to rise or fall significantly.

Q: The wet tropics are limited to areas ________. A) where the trade winds bring moisture B) below 1000 meters of elevation C) that have mountainous regions of forest D) where the humidity averages more than 70% E) where the temperature is always above 35oC

Q: Kppen believed that the distribution of ________ was an excellent expression of the totality of climate. A) solar energy B) sedimentary rocks C) ocean basins D) tsunami E) natural vegetation

Q: Climates where evaporation exceeds precipitation are called ________ climates. A) humid tropical B) dry C) humid middle-latitude D) polar E) highland

Q: For more than 70 years, the best-known and most used climate classification system has been the ________ classification. A) Klingel B) Kppen C) Smith D) Hutton E) Saffir

Q: Winterless climates with all months having a mean temperature above 18C are known as ________ climates. A) humid tropical B) dry C) polar D) humid middle-latitude

Q: Of the 5 major groups in the Kppen classification system, which letter below indicates the classification that is based primarily on precipitation? A) A B) B C) C D) D E) E

Q: The Kppen classification system for climate is widely used because _______. A) it is easy to use, and it covers the most affluent parts of the world, including Europe, the U.S. and north Africa B) it is easy to use, and it covers the most populated areas of the earth and the oceans C) it uses easily obtained data, and the system is relatively unambiguous D) it uses easily obtained data and can cover a large area with a single classification E) it is a highly evolved classification system that has been carefully refined and improved over more than a century so that it meets the complex needs of a modern society

Q: The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn were identified by the ancient Greeks as the ________. A) edges of the world B) center of areas that were the hottest on earth C) center of areas that were moderate temperature on earth D) center of areas that were both hot and wet E) boundaries between the moderate and hot areas on earth

Q: Temperature and precipitation are the most important elements in describing a climate because ________. A) they are the major indicators of what is happening in the atmosphere B) they are the elements that have the greatest impact on humans C) they are the elements that have the greatest impact on the hydrosphere D) they are the major indicators of what is happening in the biosphere E) they are what controls our climate

Q: Which of the following is a part of the earth system that could be significantly impacted by climate and climate change? A) deposition of sedimentary rocks B) igneous intrusions C) formation of volcanic islands D) development of metamorphic minerals E) none of the above

Q: Which of the following is not part of the climate system? A) cryosphere B) biosphere C) hydrosphere D) gyrosphere E) geosphere

Q: Tornadoes most often move TOWARDS what direction? A) west B) southeast C) northeast D) northwest

Q: In the Northern Hemisphere, tornadoes are most frequent during the ________. A) January-March period B) April-June period C) October-December period D) month of September

Q: Which one of the following statements is not true of tornadoes? A) occur most frequently in the spring of the year B) usually occur along the warm front of a mid-latitude cyclone C) most common in the Midwest and Great Plains D) associated with cumulonimbus clouds

Q: Which of the following should have the steepest pressure gradient? A) tornado B) middle-latitude cyclone C) hurricane D) All should have equally steep pressure gradients.

Q: Lightning is most prominent in ________. A) stratus clouds B) cumulus clouds C) cumulonimbus clouds D) altocumulus clouds

Q: Which of the following is typically not associated with the life cycle of a thunderstorm? A) development of a cumulus cloud growing to a cumulonimbus B) the development of stratus clouds and initiation of light rain C) the development of strong downdrafts with heavy rain D) strong vertical airflow with vertical motions as high as 100 km/hr

Q: When a TV weather forecaster gives a forecast for "widely scattered afternoon thunderstorms," these storms are probably associated with ________. A) an unstable air mass, probably maritime tropical air with thunderstorms driven by thermals in an unstable air mass B) a cold front generating thunderstorms along it C) a warm front generating thunderstorms along it D) the core of a midlatitude cyclone

Q: The updrafts in thunderstorms are initiated by thermal instabilities at the surface. What process tends to increase the vertical instability that feeds the thunderstorm development? A) low pressure aloft B) a jet stream aloft C) release of latent heat by condensation D) Coriolis forces

Q: Thunderstorms form from what type of cloud? A) cumulonimbus B) stratus C) altostratus D) cirrus

Q: Where is the most severe weather typically located in a midlatitude cyclone? A) just north of the center of circulation B) just south of the center of circulation C) on the warm front preceding the center of circulation D) on the trailing cold front, south or west of the center of circulation

Q: Midlatitude anticyclones are typically centered on ________. A) a continental tropical air mass B) a continental polar air mass C) a maritime polar air mass D) a maritime tropical air mass

Q: When the center of circulation of a midlatitude cyclone just passes to your south, you expect ________. A) a constantly rising barometer until the cyclone passes then falling barometer B) winds shifting from the east or northeast to northwest during rainy (or snowy) weather C) winds shifting from the south or southeast to the west or northwest with abrupt cooling at the passage of a cold front D) warming conditions during light to moderate rain with a falling barometer followed by a northwest wind and rising barometer

Q: After the center of a mature wave cyclone passes, you should expect ________. A) barometric pressure to rise B) warmer temperatures C) barometric pressure to fall D) barometric pressure to remain steady

Q: TV meteorologists often point at things labeled L on a map and describe them as low pressure centers. What are they? A) low pressure centers that are mini-equivalents of hurricanes B) midlatitude cyclones C) severe weather systems with tornadoes D) low level pressure centers, hence the term L

Q: Because surface winds circulate around a midlatitude cyclone, why do they move from west to east across North America? A) The winds aloft, particularly the jet stream, move from west to east and steer the storm system. B) The continental polar air mass that "pushes" the cold front drive the storm east. C) The storm is forced toward the warm arm mass, which "pulls" the storm toward it to the east. D) The Bermuda high in the Atlantic ocean forces circulation it, which steers the storm systems in North America.

Q: The precipitation associated with a warm front typically arrives ________ the actual frontal boundary. A) considerably ahead of B) considerably behind C) at about the same time as D) none of these

Q: On a weather map, ________ fronts are shown by a line with semicircles extending from one side. A) warm B) cold C) occluded D) stationary

Q: Cold fronts and warm fronts in the middle latitudes are often associated with a ________. A) hurricane B) middle-latitude cyclone C) low pressure D) both B and C

Q: You are in mid-latitudes in winter. You experience heavy snow followed by a dramatic drop in temperature as a cold front passes, but for almost 24 hours the weather is clear. Then, high clouds appear in the west, thicken to stratus clouds and you receive a light new snowfall (aka snow flurries) but the temperature remains cold. You have just seen the passage of ________. A) a second cold front B) a warm front C) an occluded front D) a stationary front

Q: When an active cold front overtakes a warm front, ________. A) the fronts cancel one another out B) cloud formation ceases C) an occluded front forms D) a stationary front is created

Q: Usually ________ fronts produce several hours to days of moderate-to-gentle precipitation over a large region. A) warm B) cold C) warm and cold D) none of these

Q: In the Gulf Coast region of the United States cold fronts intense spring floods are often associated with a phenomenon known locally as "training" where thunderstorms form along a line and follow the same line for hours. This is a classic example of severe weather along a ________. A) hurricane B) cold front C) stationary front D) warm front

Q: A wind shift from south or southwest to northwest is commonly associated with the passage of a ________ front. A) warm B) cold C) neither warm nor cold D) stationary

Q: Midwestern farmers used to say "mare's tail and mackerel scales bring the storm down on you head"; Mare's tails are cirrus clouds and mackerel scales are cirrostratus. When this sequence is followed by altostratus the old farmers were talking about an approaching ________ front. A) warm B) cold C) warm or cold D) none of these

Q: "Rain long foretold, long last; short notice, soon past." The first five words of this weather proverb ________. A) refer to a cold front B) refer to a warm front C) refer to an anticyclone D) have no basis in fact