Question 1

Ocean circulation patterns have no effect on climate conditions on land.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

Convection currents are the driving force(s) of the hydrologic cycle.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

The boundary between two air masses of different temperature and density is known as a

Accepted Answer

A) Front 
B) Cold front 
C) Warm front 
D) Hadley cell 
E) Jet stream 
A) Front 
B) Cold front 
C) Warm front 
D) Hadley cell 
E) Jet stream A

Question 4

Eventually, all of the energy that reaches the Earth's surface is

Accepted Answer

A) Absorbed into the Earth 
B) Turned into biomass 
C) Used in heating 
D) Reflected or radiated back to space 
E) Dissipated within the Earth's atmosphere 
A) Absorbed into the Earth 
B) Turned into biomass 
C) Used in heating 
D) Reflected or radiated back to space 
E) Dissipated within the Earth's atmosphere

Question 5

The earth's earliest atmosphere was probably composed mainly of __________, which has/have since largely dissipated into space.

Accepted Answer

A) Hydrogen and helium 
B) Carbon dioxide and methane 
C) Oxygen 
D) Water 
E) Nitrogen and sulfur 
A) Hydrogen and helium 
B) Carbon dioxide and methane 
C) Oxygen 
D) Water 
E) Nitrogen and sulfur

Question 6

Why don't storms over land have as much energy as storms over oceans?

Accepted Answer

A) Convection currents are intensified by the latent energy of condensation 
B) Convection currents are intensified by the latent energy of warm dry air 
C) High pressure cells are more common over oceans 
D) There aren't as many low-pressure systems over land 
E) None of these, storms over land have as much energy as those over oceans 
A) Convection currents are intensified by the latent energy of condensation 
B) Convection currents are intensified by the latent energy of warm dry air 
C) High pressure cells are more common over oceans 
D) There aren't as many low-pressure systems over land 
E) None of these, storms over land have as much energy as those over oceans

Question 7

Elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur were added to the Earth's early atmosphere through _______________.

Accepted Answer

A) the mechanical weathering of rocks 
B) the chemical weathering of rocks 
C) volcanic emissions 
D) photosynthesis 
E) contact with space 
A) the mechanical weathering of rocks 
B) the chemical weathering of rocks 
C) volcanic emissions 
D) photosynthesis 
E) contact with space

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT an important greenhouse gas?

Accepted Answer

A) Methane 
B) Nitrous oxide 
C) Sulfur dioxide 
D) Carbon dioxide 
A) Methane 
B) Nitrous oxide 
C) Sulfur dioxide 
D) Carbon dioxide

Question 9

The correct sequence of atmospheric zones upward from the earth's surface is

Accepted Answer

A) Stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere 
B) Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere 
C) Mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, and thermosphere 
D) Thermosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, and mesosphere 
E) Troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, and thermosphere 
A) Stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere 
B) Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere 
C) Mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, and thermosphere 
D) Thermosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, and mesosphere 
E) Troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, and thermosphere

Question 10

If you see high wispy cirrus clouds with layers of other clouds in a wedge shape, you can expect ________ due to a/an ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) Heavy rain and thunderstorms; advancing cold front 
B) Heavy rain and thunderstorms; advancing warm front 
C) Drizzle and cloudy skies; advancing warm front 
D) Drizzle and cloudy skies; advancing cold front 
E) Heavy rain and thunderstorms; stationary warm front 
A) Heavy rain and thunderstorms; advancing cold front 
B) Heavy rain and thunderstorms; advancing warm front 
C) Drizzle and cloudy skies; advancing warm front 
D) Drizzle and cloudy skies; advancing cold front 
E) Heavy rain and thunderstorms; stationary warm front

Question 11

Which of the following events is NOT part of the explanation of how tornadoes form?

Accepted Answer

A) Strong, dry air cold fronts collide with warm humid air moving north 
B) Convection currents are formed when warm air rises 
C) Latent heat (energy) is released from the condensation of water vapor 
D) The air mass is set spinning by the Coriolis effect 
E) None of these is correct 
A) Strong, dry air cold fronts collide with warm humid air moving north 
B) Convection currents are formed when warm air rises 
C) Latent heat (energy) is released from the condensation of water vapor 
D) The air mass is set spinning by the Coriolis effect 
E) None of these is correct

Question 12

The purpose of ice core drilling is to analyze trapped ancient bubbles of atmosphere for ________ and ____________.

Accepted Answer

A) CO2 and Oxygen isotopes 
B) Helium and Hydrogen 
C) CO and Hydrogen isotopes 
D) CO2 and Hydrogen isotopes 
A) CO2 and Oxygen isotopes 
B) Helium and Hydrogen 
C) CO and Hydrogen isotopes 
D) CO2 and Hydrogen isotopes

Question 13

The atmospheric zone where most weather events occur is the ________________.

Accepted Answer

A) Stratosphere 
B) Thermosphere 
C) Troposphere 
D) Mesosphere 
E) Stratopause 
A) Stratosphere 
B) Thermosphere 
C) Troposphere 
D) Mesosphere 
E) Stratopause

Question 14

Rising, expanding air masses create a region of

Accepted Answer

A) Low pressure 
B) Warming air 
C) High pressure 
D) Dry air 
E) Cooling air 
A) Low pressure 
B) Warming air 
C) High pressure 
D) Dry air 
E) Cooling air

Question 15

Monsoons occur over India when air heated over the Indian subcontinent and the Indian Ocean

Accepted Answer

A) Is forced to rise because of convection 
B) Is forced to rise when it meets the Himalayas 
C) Begins to sink as summer approaches 
D) Cools in the winter and therefore sinks 
E) Is forced out over the Indian Ocean 
A) Is forced to rise because of convection 
B) Is forced to rise when it meets the Himalayas 
C) Begins to sink as summer approaches 
D) Cools in the winter and therefore sinks 
E) Is forced out over the Indian Ocean

Question 16

A cold front is a situation in which cold air

Accepted Answer

A) Remains stationary for weeks at a time 
B) Displaces a mass of warmer air 
C) Recedes in the face of warmer air 
D) Is heated by seasonal changes in solar energy 
E) Slips over a mass of warmer air 
A) Remains stationary for weeks at a time 
B) Displaces a mass of warmer air 
C) Recedes in the face of warmer air 
D) Is heated by seasonal changes in solar energy 
E) Slips over a mass of warmer air

Question 17

The Keeling graph of Carbon Dioxide concentrations form a pattern that goes up and down each year.What is the cause of this oscillating pattern?

Accepted Answer

A) In the summer of Hawaii, much of the snow melt on Mauna Loa and CO2 is released. 
B) More combustion of wood and fossil fuels occur in the winter than the summer contributing to the increased CO2. 
C) During the northern hemisphere summer, there are so many trees, that they reduce the amount of CO2 substantially, but when northern winter occurs, there are not enough trees in the southern hemisphere to use all of the inputs of CO2 in the atmosphere. 
D) During the southern hemisphere summer, there are so many trees, that they reduce the amount of CO2 substantially, but when southern winter occurs, there are not enough trees in the northern hemisphere to use all of the inputs of CO2 in the atmosphere. 
A) In the summer of Hawaii, much of the snow melt on Mauna Loa and CO2 is released. 
B) More combustion of wood and fossil fuels occur in the winter than the summer contributing to the increased CO2. 
C) During the northern hemisphere summer, there are so many trees, that they reduce the amount of CO2 substantially, but when northern winter occurs, there are not enough trees in the southern hemisphere to use all of the inputs of CO2 in the atmosphere. 
D) During the southern hemisphere summer, there are so many trees, that they reduce the amount of CO2 substantially, but when southern winter occurs, there are not enough trees in the northern hemisphere to use all of the inputs of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Question 18

The Keeling graph, although it has yearly oscillations, shows that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere __________.

Accepted Answer

A) has sharp increases about every five years. 
B) is remaining constant. 
C) is steadily rising. 
D) is slowly decreasing. 
A) has sharp increases about every five years. 
B) is remaining constant. 
C) is steadily rising. 
D) is slowly decreasing.

Question 19

Which of the following would have the highest albedo?

Accepted Answer

A) A field of black soil 
B) A snowfield 
C) A dark forest 
D) An asphalt parking lot 
E) A grass field 
A) A field of black soil 
B) A snowfield 
C) A dark forest 
D) An asphalt parking lot 
E) A grass field

Question 20

Albedo is a term describing the Earth's

Accepted Answer

A) Reflection of solar radiation 
B) Refraction of energy 
C) Production of radiant heat 
D) Use of energy in biomass production 
E) Outgoing infrared energy 
A) Reflection of solar radiation 
B) Refraction of energy 
C) Production of radiant heat 
D) Use of energy in biomass production 
E) Outgoing infrared energy

Exam 15: Climate Change

Ocean circulation patterns have no effect on climate conditions on land.

Convection currents are the driving force(s) of the hydrologic cycle.

The boundary between two air masses of different temperature and density is known as a

Eventually, all of the energy that reaches the Earth's surface is

The earth's earliest atmosphere was probably composed mainly of __________, which has/have since largely dissipated into space.

Why don't storms over land have as much energy as storms over oceans?

Elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur were added to the Earth's early atmosphere through _______________.

Which of the following is NOT an important greenhouse gas?

The correct sequence of atmospheric zones upward from the earth's surface is

If you see high wispy cirrus clouds with layers of other clouds in a wedge shape, you can expect ________ due to a/an ____________.

Which of the following events is NOT part of the explanation of how tornadoes form?

The purpose of ice core drilling is to analyze trapped ancient bubbles of atmosphere for ________ and ____________.

The atmospheric zone where most weather events occur is the ________________.

Rising, expanding air masses create a region of

Monsoons occur over India when air heated over the Indian subcontinent and the Indian Ocean

A cold front is a situation in which cold air

The Keeling graph of Carbon Dioxide concentrations form a pattern that goes up and down each year.What is the cause of this oscillating pattern?

The Keeling graph, although it has yearly oscillations, shows that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere __________.

Which of the following would have the highest albedo?

Albedo is a term describing the Earth's

Understanding Our Environment

Principles of Science and Systems

Matter, Energy, and Life

Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions

Biomes

Population Biology

Human Populations

Environmental Health and Toxicology

Food and Hunger

Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices

Biodiversity

Biodiversity: Preserving Landscapes

Restoration Ecology

Geology and Earth Resources

Air Pollution

Water Use and Management

Water Pollution

Conventional Energy

Sustainable Energy

Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste

Urbanization and Sustainable Cities

Ecological Economics

Environmental Policy, Law, and Planning

What Then Shall We Do

Filters

If you see high wispy cirrus clouds with layers of other clouds in a wedge shape, you can expect due to a/an ____.

The purpose of ice core drilling is to analyze trapped ancient bubbles of atmosphere for and ____.

The Keeling graph, although it has yearly oscillations, shows that the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere __________.