Quiz
Geography Midterm
Questions in this quiz (126)
1The average length of time that individual molecules of a given substance remain in the atmosphere is called the:
- Aresidence time
- Bsteady state
- Cthermocline
- Dtravel time
2Methane:
- Ais a permanent gas
- Bis a good reflector of thermal radiation
- Cis removed from the atmosphere by the digestive processes of cattle
- Dhas increased in concentration over the last 50 or so years
3The aurora borealis:
- Ais a different type of physical phenomenon than the aurora australis
- Bgains its energy from sunlight reflected from Earth
- Cis typically strongest near the equator
- Demits light as electrons move from higher orbits around the nucleus to lower ones
4Relatively speaking, the earth's atmosphere is:
- Avery thick when compared to the earth's diameter
- Bvery thin when compared to the earth's diameter
- Cstops at the top of the troposphere
- Dstops when we reach "space"
5The maximum concentrations of ozone are found in the:
- Atroposphere
- Bmesosphere
- Cionosphere
- Dstratosphere
6Which of the following will increase given an increase in pressure?
- Amass
- Bdensity
- Cvolume
- Dnone of the above
7The atmosphere is a mixture of:
- Aprecipitation and air
- Bparticulate matter and water
- Cgas molecules, small particulates, and moisture
- Dmoisture and gas molecules only
8The D-layer of the ionosphere:
- Ahas most of its electrons combines with positively charges ions at night
- Blies above the E-layer
- Cis transparent to AM radio waves
- Dhas no significant effect on AM radio waves
9The four layers of the atmosphere from the top down are:
- Atroposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
- Bthermosphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, troposphere
- Cstratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, troposphere
- Dthermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere
10The thermosphere:
- Ahas a low heat content
- Bwould feel very hot to an austronaut
- Cis characterized by a decrease in temperature as height increases
- Dis part of the homosphere
11Aerosols:
- Ainclude cloud droplets
- Bhave little effect on weather
- Care formed by physical processes, not chemical processes
- Dcan be either solid or liquid
12the troposphere:
- Ahas height that is relatively consistent at about ten kilometers
- Bstays about the same temperate above three kilometers
- Ccontains a bit less than half the atmosphere's mass
- Dis characterized in part by vertical mixing of air
13The "stratosphere" warms because of:
- Adust and dirt deposited by volcanoes
- Bthe interaction of ozone and ultraviolet light
- Cthe interjection of moisture by meteors
- Dthe interjection of moisture by high-flying jet aircraft
14The atmosphere:
- Ahas vertical wind speeds that are typically around one-tenth that of horizontal wind speeds
- Bis about as deep as the planet is wide
- Cis more than 99 percent contained within the first 60 miles from the earth's surface
- Dhas not changed substantially in composition since the earth formed over four billion years ago
15What do you notice concerning the percentage of permanent gasses throughout the atmosphere (all levels)?
- Ait varies significantly from the surface up
- Bit varies significantly only at the troposphere
- Cit is the same throughout the atmosphere from the surface up
- Dit varies only in the mesosphere
16Carbon dioxide:
- Acomprises up to two percent of the atmospheric gases
- Bis being removed from the atmosphere faster than it is being inputted
- Cis removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis
- Dis not present in significant amounts in the atmosphere of Venus
17The stratosphere:
- Ais part of the heterosphere
- Bhas a low moisture content compared to the troposphere
- Ctypically gets colder as elevation increases
- Dis where much of Earth's weather occurs
18The troposphere:
- Ais thinnest at the tropics
- Bmaintains a relatively constant temperature
- Cis thicker in summer
- Doften disappears near the poles in winter
19At a height of 10 miles, what is the density of the atmosphere when compared to sea level?
- A1%
- B10%
- C50%
- D90%
20The evolution to an oxygen-rich atmosphere:
- Awas heavily dependent upon aerobic bacteria
- Bwould have occurred even if carbon dioxide had not been present
- Coccurred at the same time the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide were decreasing
- Drequired large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen
21This is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere
- Anitrogen
- Boxygen
- Ccarbon dioxide
- Dwater vapor
22The heterosphere:
- Alies below the homosphere
- Bcontains primarily heavy gases
- Cis populated primarily by variable gases
- Dis names for its chemical homogeneity
23The recent alternative explanation for the disappearance of Earth's early atmosphere sees this as the primary causative agent:
- Avolcanic outgassing
- Bcollisions of Earth with other large bodies
- Cperiodic energy pulses from the surface of the Sun
- Dgravitational attraction of the Moon
24Which of the following gases is crucial to the existence of all forms of life?
- Anitrogen
- Boxygen
- Ccarbon dioxide
- Dargon
25The ozone layer:
- Ais in the troposphere
- Bis composed of nearly half ozone
- Cabsorbs ultraviolet energy
- Dradiates gamma rays toward Earth
26The increase in carbon dioxide concentration since the 1950s is NOT the result of which of the following:
- Aan increase in the burning dirty fossil fuels like coal
- Ban increase in the burning of cleaner fossil fuels like natural gas
- Cdeforestation of large tracts of woodland
- Dnone of the above
27The most costly average annual weather event is:
- Atornadoes
- Bhurricanes
- Cextreme hot or cold episodes
- Dfloods
28The atmosphere is held in place by:
- Aan invisible force of ion attraction
- Bgravity
- Cthe hydrostatic balance of water vapor and carbon dioxide
- Dcompression of the ionosphere by the solar wind
29The Martian atmosphere:
- Ais not capable of producing clouds of water vapor
- Brecaptures nearly all the heat radiated from the planet's surface
- Cconsists primarily of carbon dioxide
- Dis nearly as dense as that of Earth
30Volcanic outgassing:
- Acreated the earth's first atmosphere
- Bhas had little effect on the earth's atmosphere
- Cemits large amounts of water vapor
- Demits very little carbon dioxide
31The Northern Hemisphere has its maximum tilt toward the Sun on the:
- ADecember solstice
- BMarch equinox
- CSeptember equinox
- DJune solstice
32According to Wien's law:
- Athe wavelength of peak radiation is proportional to temperature
- Bthe Sun's energy intensity peaks in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
- Cthe radiation emitted from Earth must be 4 micrometers or longer
- Dwavelength is proportional to the fourth power of the intensity of radiation
33Choose the correct listing of radiation from the longest wavelengths to the shortest wavelengths:
- Aradio, gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, x-rays
- Bgamma rays, radio, ultraviolet, infrared, visible, x-rays
- Cx-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays, visible, radio
- Dradio, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays
34The solar angle:
- Ais the same at the Arctic Circle and at the equator on the solstices
- Baffects the degree of beam spreading
- Cis lowest in the Northern Hemisphere during its winter
- Dis lowest at the North Pole during its summer
35An electron orbiting a hydrogen atom:
- Ais restricted to a single energy state
- Bcannot be removed from that atom unless that atom combines with another hydrogen atom to form a hydrogen molecule
- Chas greater energy when it is further away from the nucleus
- Dcan absorb and emit photons of nearly any wavelength
36Incoming solar radiation is often referred to as:
- Aconduction
- Bdiffused radiation
- Cinsolation
- Dalbedo
37Energy is traditionally defined as the ability to:
- Ado work
- Bcreate movement
- Ccause acceleration
- Dnone of the above
38The peak of the Earth's emission is ______, while the sun's peak is .5 microns
- A.1 microns
- B1 micron
- C10 microns
- D100 microns
39The Earth is actually the farthest from the sun on:
- AJanuary 3rd
- BApril 1st
- CJuly 4th
- DDecember 25th
40Electromagnetic radiation is the energy for
- Athe movement of the atmosphere
- Bthe growth of plants
- Cthe evaporation of water
- Dall of the above
41At which point during the year can we have 24 hours of daylight and 1 day of 24 of darkness in the northern hemisphere?
- AArctic CIrcle
- BNorth Pole
- CAntarctic Circle
- DTropic of Capricorn
42The solar constant:
- Ais the same throughout the solar system
- Bvaries inversely with the fourth power of an object's distance from the Sun's surfare
- Cis independent of the Stefan-Boltzmann law
- Dis higher for Earth than for Mars
43On the June solstice:
- Athe solar declination is 23.5 degrees North
- Bthe Southern Hemisphere overall receives more energy than does the Northern Hemisphere
- Cthe South Pole experiences 24 hours of daylight
- Dthe subsolar point is on the Tropic of Capricorn
44The Stefan-Boltzmann law:
- Agives energy intensities in watts per square meter
- Bdemonstrates that a cooler body will radiate with greater intensity than will a hotter body
- Cdoes not apply to black bodies
- Dis derived from Wien's law
45The Stefan-Boltzmann Law gives the relationship between:
- Asolar energy and temperature
- Btemperature and long-wave radiation
- Cthe intensity of radiation and the temperature of an object
- Demissivity and wavelength
46Which of the following has the longest wavelength?
- AThermal infrared
- Bradio
- Cgamma
- Dultraviolet
47The single factor that determines how much energy a blackbody radiates is its:
- Asize
- Bdistance
- Cdiameter
- Dtemperature
48All of the following about equinoxes is true, except:
- Athe solar declination is zero degrees
- Bboth hemispheres receive the same amount of insolation
- Cevery place has 12 hours of daylight
- Dthe solar angle at the North Pole is 90 degrees
49Black bodies:
- Acan only approximate the Stefan-Boltzmann law
- Bare hypothetical, they don't actually exist
- Cemit the same amount of energy regardless of their temperatures
- Ddo not emit radiation as well as gray bodies do
50Energy created by the sun travels from the surface of the solar:
- Acore
- Bcorona
- Cphotosphere
- Dchronosphere
51In the innermost portion of the Sun, the core, extremely high temperatures and high densities lead to the energy-creating process of:
- Anuclear fission
- Bnuclear fusion
- Cthe big bang
- Dnuclear differentiation
52Convection:
- Adoes not involve an actual transfer of energy
- Binvolves potential energy only
- Cinvolves mixing in a fluid
- Dis another term for conduction
53This is a form of potential energy:
- Aelectromagnetic radiation
- Bboiling water
- Cfood
- Da water wheel in motion
54Temperatures within these feature can reach 100 million degrees Kelvin:
- Agranules
- Bflares
- Csunspots
- Dthe solar wind
55This method of energy transfer does not involve the net movement of particles or waves in the direction of energy transfer:
- Aconduction
- Bconvection
- Cradiation
- Dall three of the above involve the movement of particle
56The standard unit of energy in the International System(SI) used in scientific applications is the:
- AWatt
- Bampere
- Cjoule
- Dohm
57Energy:
- Aoccurs at only one scale
- Boccurs at more than one scale
- Coccurs only at scales that are very small
- Doccurs only at scales that are very large
58The earth's axis of rotation is tilted roughly this number of degrees away from a line perpendicular to the plane of the earth's orbit
- A5.3
- B11.2
- C23.5
- D90
59Power is:
- Athe same as energy
- Bthe rate at which energy is released
- Cmeasured in joules
- Dthe ability to do work
60Energy transfer processes include:
- Aonly those processes that can be seen
- Benergy that is transferred at the molecular level only
- Cconduction, convection, and radiation
- Donly the energy interaction between the earth and the atmosphere
61Sunsets are red for all of the following reasons except
- Ared light has more energy than blue light
- Bmie scattering
- Crayleigh scattering
- Dlight has to travel through more atmosphere to reach the observer
62The earth-atmosphere thermal equilibrium temperature is maintained because:
- Aenergy radiated equals energy absorbed
- Bthe polar ice caps are melting in order to maintain ocean temperatures
- Cglobal warming is driving the earth-atmosphere system closer to a pure blackbody
- Dof the movement of latent heat from north to south across the equator
- Enone of the above
63Temperatures at any point on the face of the earth are influenced by:
- Alatitude
- Baltitude
- Cproximity to water
- Dall of the above
64A "greenhouse" works because:
- Aof the difference in the solar constant
- Bshort wave lengths of energy pass through the glass but longer ones can't
- Cthe windows of the greenhouse only allow green light wavelengths to pass through
- Dall greenhouses face south and into the maximum angle of solar energy
65The reason that the daily maximum temperature is after the maximum solar heating is because:
- Athe Sun has more energy when shining from the west
- Bthe atmosphere is "thinner" in the afternoon
- Cthere is a thermal "lag" in the heating of the atmosphere
- DNone of the above. There is no relationship between the maximum amount of sunshine and the time of maximum daily temperature
66The atmosphere is a(n):
- Aselective absorber
- Bblackbody absorber
- Cinferior absorber of x-rays
- Dabsorber of all radiation equally
67The process by which solar energy interacts with the atmosphere is:
- Ascattering
- Babsorption
- Creflection
- Dall of the above
68Looking at global temperature distributions, it is seen that:
- Atemperatures over land are colder than those over water at the same latitude in winter
- Btemperatures increase poleward
- Cthe latitudinal temperature gradient is weakest in the hemisphere experiencing winter
- Dit is difficult to explain the behavior of isotherms over the continents
69This works primarily on shorter-wavelength radiation:
- ARayleigh scattering
- Bmie scattering
- Cnonselective scattering
- Dinfrared absorption
70Compared to land, water bodies:
- Aare more greatly influences by continentality
- Bhave a lower specific heat
- Cwarm more quickly
- Dcool more slowly
71Sweating cools people because:
- Ait releases latent heat
- Bit changes the heat capacity of the body
- Ccolder molecules in a passing wind adhere to the wet skin
- Dit involves a transfer of sensible heat
72The scattered energy that reaches the earth's surface is called:
- Adirect radiation
- Bdiffused radiation
- Calbedo
- Dultraviolet light
73Insolation reaching the surface of the earth:
- Ais absorbed by the earth
- Brepresents about 50 percent of the amount that was at the top of the atmosphere
- Cis unaffected by earth's albedo
- Dhas not yet been affected by backscattering
74A clear, dry atmosphere might transmit what percentage of the incoming solar radiation as direct beam radiation without scattering or absorption?
- A20%
- B50%
- C80%
- D100%
75Regarding latitudinal variations in radiation gain and loss, it is true that:
- Aduring the Northern Hemisphere summer, the Southern Hemisphere gains more energy than it loses
- Bduring the Southern Hemisphere winter, the area of net radiation gain lies north of the equator
- Cglobal winds are the only significant method for redistributing heat toward the poles
- Dthe equator experiences a net radiation loss for six months out of the year
76Density = mass/volume, what type of scale is this?
- Aratio scale
- Bordinal scale
- Cnominal scale
- Dinterval scale
77Scattering by clouds is sometimes called:
- Arayleigh
- Bmie
- Cconvection
- Dnon-selective
78Forced convection:
- Ais a form of laminar flow
- Bresults from vertical temperature differentials
- Coccurs when a fluid breaks into eddies
- Dis a major cause of upper-level aircraft turbulence
79The radiation emitted by earth:
- Ais primarily absorbed by the atmosphere
- Bis in the form of radio waves
- Chas little effect on the earth's energy budget
- Dhad its origin in radioactive elements in the earth's interior
80The sky is black on the Moon because:
- Aspace reflects all wavelengths of radiation equally
- Bthe Moon contains neither oceans nor vegetation
- Cthe Moon does not have sufficient gravity to attract visible light
- DThe Moon has no atmosphere
81Ocean currents are generated by:
- Athe rotation of the earth
- Bthe gravitational attraction of the Moon
- Cthe gravitational attraction of the continents
- Dthe drag of wind blowing across the water's surface
82On average, the atmosphere absorbs roughly this percentage of the solar radiation that reaches the top of the atmosphere
- A5%
- B14%
- C25%
- D50%
83In the Southern Hemisphere, south-facing slopes:
- Aare more likely to have more vegetation
- Breceive more solar radiation than do north-facing slopes
- Cwill typically look the same as north-facing slopes, except near the equator
- Dare most lush in subtropical regions
84Absorption:
- Ais performed quite well by the atmosphere for visible wavelengths
- Bis done to differing degrees by different gases
- Cdoes not prevent most ultraviolet light from reaching earth's surface
- Dis typically greater in desert areas than in humid areas
85Latent heat:
- Ahas only small effect on the atmosphere
- Bis the same for all substances undergoing the same phase change
- Cis more important for the atmosphere when released through evaporation rather than through melting
- Dis the amount of heat needed to raise on kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius
86The laminar boundary layer is important to which of the following processes?
- Aradiation
- Btransmisison
- Cconduction
87On which of these dates would the earth have the most energy available?
- Aperihelion
- Bsummer sosltice
- Caphelion
- Dvernal equinox
88A greenhouse:
- Ais impermeable to shortwave radiation
- Bblocks the transfer of longwave radiation
- Callows the loss of sensible heat
- Dallows the loss of latent heat
89Latent heat:
- Ais moved via advection from place to place on the earth
- Bserves as a way of moving energy from place to place without disturbing areas in between
- Cprovides the fuel for literally all mid-latitude storms
- Dcan be traces to the hydrological cycle
- Eall of the above
90The atmospheric window:
- Ais caused by the absence of certain gasses
- Bis a local phenomenon similar to the ozone hole that opens over Antarctica in winter
- Cis located at a band of wavelengths between 2 and 6 micrometers
- Dallows certain wavelengths of longwave radiation to pass through the atmosphere
91Wind systems are generated by:
- Adifferent pressures in different places
- Bthe drag on the atmosphere caused by the earth's rotation
- Cthe interaction of the atmosphere with the charged particles of the solar wind
- Dthe movements of ocean currents
92This was probably the predominant gas in Earth's earliest atmosphere:
- Aargon
- Bhydrogen
- Cwater vapor
- Dnitrogen
93Ozone:
- Aabsorbs ultraviolet light
- Btypically reaches its greatest concentrations near the ground and near major cities
- Cis very difficult to split into diatomic oxygen and monatomic oxygen
- Dexists primarily in the troposphere
94The percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (by hemisphere) varies by season because:
- Aplants grow in the warm season and not in the cold season
- Bmore residential heating is required during the cold season
- Cless pliant decay takes place during the cold season
- Dall of the above
95The temperature is lowest here:
- Amesopause
- Bstratopause
- Ctropopause
- Dstratosphere
96Respiration:
- Aoccurs only when the Sun is shining
- Breleases oxygen into the air
- Cmust give off less carbon than is fixed through photosynthesis if a plant is to experience net growth
- Ddoes not affect the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
97Atmospheric gas:
- Awill, for a given amount of gas, experience an increase in pressure if the volume of the gas is decreased
- Bundergoes abrupt pressure changes as height above the surface of the earth increases
- Chas a smaller mean free path at higher elevations than at lower elevations
- Dhas no significant effect on sports events played at different elevations
98The "ionosphere" is so designated because:
- Asatellites have a difficult time flying through it
- Bvisible sunlight is deflected by it
- Cof the electrical charges of atoms associated with it
- Dno radio waves can pass through it
99The most destructive tornadoes are rated as a:
- AF1
- BF2
- CF4
- DF5
100Aerosols are typically removed from the atmosphere by:
- Afalling precipitation
- Bsettling to the ground due to the influence of gravity
- Cchemical decomposition
- Dtraveling higher and higher above the earth until they escape into space
101This is NOT a variable gas:
- Awater vapor
- Bargon
- Cozone
- Dcarbon dioxide
102The Sun's chronosphere:
- Alies above the corona
- Blies below the Sun's atmosphere
- Ccannot be viewed by Earth-based observers
- Daffects the earth's ionosphere
103The Sun's photosphere:
- Areceives the energy from the Sun's core in a matter of minutes
- Bradiates much of the energy the earth receives
- Cdecreases in density closer to the Sun's core
- Dlies above the chronosphere
104Sunspot activity:
- Atypically varies in number on a roughly eleven-year cycle
- Bwas first observed in the late nineteenth century
- Ctypically has the same number of sunspots per year
- Dhas been conclusively linked to climate changes
105Sunspots are associated with the solar:
- Acore
- Bcorona
- Cphotosphere
- Dchronosphere
106All of the following are true statements about electromagnetic radiation, except:
- Ait moves at the speed of light
- Bit is often measured in micrometers
- Cits energy is inversely proportional to its amplitude
- Dits energy does not decrease with distance
107The single factor that determines how much energy a blackbody radiates is its:
- Atemperature
- Bmass
- Cvolume
- Ddensity
108Sunspot numbers were lowest in this century
- A17th
- B18th
- C19th
- D20th
109If object A is at 400K, and object B is at 800 K, then the radiation intensity of object A will be this amount of that the radiation intensity of object B:
- A1/2
- B1/4
- C1/8
- D1/16
110Sunspots:
- Aare caused by locally intense magnetic fields
- Bappear in the chronosphere
- Care warmer than the material surrounding them
- Dtend to be less than 100 miles in diameter
111This is a form of kinetic energy:
- Aa charged battery not in use
- Bfirewood
- Cwater behind a dam
- Delectrical power
112The warmest period of the day:
- Atypically occurs at noon
- Boccurs when incoming radiative energy is exactly balances by outgoing radiative energy
- Coccurs during the time of maximum insolation
- Doccurs when the surface energy budget is running a surplus
113Net radiation is:
- Aradiation that is left over after a solar flar
- Bdefined as the difference between absorbed and emitted radiation
- Cthe solar energy that exceeds the solar constant
- Dthe sole cause of global warming
114Near-infrared radiation represents what proportion of the total energy emitted by the sea?
- A1/10
- B1/4
- C1/2
- D3/4
115The planetary albedo of the earth is:
- A7%
- B15%
- C30%
- D50%
116Convection:
- Ais less important to making up the atmosphere's radiative energy deficit than is conduction
- Btypically transfers heat downward during the day
- Cplays no significant role at night
- Dhelps circulate heat throughout the atmosphere
117The percentage of visible light reflected by an object or substance is called its:
- Aalbedo
- Bemission
- Cabsorption
- Dsecondary reflectance
118Greenhouse gases:
- Akeep the earth at a comfortable temperature
- Bdid not exist in significant concentrations until the coming of the Industrial Age
- Care good absorbers of shortwave radiation
- Dcause the earth to have much wider swings in daily temperature ranges than if the gases were not present
119Measuring Earth's equilibrium temperature without an atmosphere
- Ais easily done using Wien's law
- Bis best done assuming the earth is a flat disk
- Cis complicated by uncertainty over the value of the earth's albedo
- Dcan be done only by assuming the earth does not approximate a black body
120Which of the following is NOT a warm current?
- ANorth Equatorial current
- BSouth Equatorial current
- CGulf Stream
- DFalkland current
121If the Sun increased its radiative output:
- Athe earth would undergo an uncontrollable greenhouse effect
- Bthe earth would eventually reach a higher equilibrium temperature
- Cthe amount of longwave energy radiated from Earth's surface would decrease
- Dthe earth would have a surplus of incoming radiation energy compared to outgoing radiation energy until the Sun finally burned itself otu
122What is the makeup of land vs. water on the Earth?
- A34% land
66% water - B50% land
50% water - C29% land
71% water - D25% land
75% water
- A34% land
123What portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is of importance to humans?
- Agamma ray, x-ray, radio
- Bshortwave, infrared, visible
- Cradio, infrared
- Dx-ray, radio, shortwave
124Measuring temperature is an example of which scale?
- Aratio
- Bordinal
- Cnominal
- Dinterval
125Questions that have answers that fit into categories (i.e. boy/girl, freshman/sophomore/junior/senior) are examples of which scale?
- Anominal
- Bratio
- Cinterval
- Dordinal
126Questions that ask you to rate something (1-10 for example) are examples of which scale?
- Aordinal
- Bnominal
- Cinterval
- Dratio
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- Geography Quiz on Geography Midterm, created by Natalie Stake-Mitchell on 09/09/2018.
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- Natalie Stake-Mitchell
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