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Physical Geography Exam 1
EXAM ONE
139
Geography
Undergraduate 1
02/23/2010

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Term
At the equator, the rotation of the Earth is
Definition
left to right, or eastward
Term
The arc of a meridian between the equator and a given point on the globe is
Definition
latitude
Term
When the subsolar point is at 23.5 degrees S, the Earth experiences
Definition
December solstice
Term
If you take a plane flight from San Francisco, CA to Seoul, South Korea, as you cross the international dateline the time will
Definition
advance one calendar day
Term
The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted from the plane of the ecliptic by about
Definition
23.5 degrees
Term
A map projection that can portray the entire surface of the Earth without any distortion is the
Definition
there are no map projections that can portray the entire surface of the Earth without any distortion
Term
Parallels run ____ around the globe and ____ the poles
Definition
east-west; around
Term
Meridians run ____ around the globe and ___ at the poles
Definition
north-south; meet
Term
The arc of a parallel between the prime meridian and a given point on the globe is
Definition
longitude
Term
The geoid, a reference surface that closely approximates the shape of the Earth, is based on
Definition
the pull of gravity around the globe
Term
Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?
Definition
violet
Term
On the equator, the sun will reach its highest position in the sky on the
Definition
equinoxes
Term
Air temperatures above low-albedo surfaces tend to be _____ than those over high-albedo surfaced
Definition
warmer
Term
Air temperatures above high-albedo surfaces tend to be ____ than those over low-albedo surfaces
Definition
cooler
Term
Estimates of the Earth's average albedo range between
Definition
.29-.34
Term
Hot objects emit _____ energy than cold objects, and it is of _____ wavelengths
Definition
more; shorter
Term
Cold objects emit ____ energy than hot objects, and it is of _____ wavelengths
Definition
less; longer
Term
The process in which electromagnetic energy is transferred into heat energy when radiation strikes some form of matter is called
Definition
absorption
Term
The amount of insolation received at a location tends to be highest at
Definition
noon
Term
In the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, the sun will reach its highest position in the sky on the
Definition
June solstice
Term
In the southern hemisphere mid-latitudes, the sun will reach its highest position in the sky on the
Definition
December solstice
Term
At the arctic circle, the sun will reach its highest position in the sky on the
Definition
June solstice
Term
______ is a common gas in the atmosphere that does not easily react with other substances
Definition
Nitrogen
Term
______ is a common gas in the atmosphere that is highly chemically active and combines readily with other elements
Definition
Oxygen
Term
The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere is essential for life on the planet because the full intensity of the sun's ultraviolet rays would
Definition
damage skin, crops, and aquatic life
Term
_____ flows from the ocean to the atmosphere when water evaporates
Definition
Water vapor
Term
______ is a very important mechanism for transporting large amounts of energy from one region of the Earth to another
Definition
Latent heat transfer
Term
Fields, forest, and bare ground tend to have albedos that are _____
Definition
average
Term
Black pavement surfaces tend to have albedos that are _____
Definition
low
Term
Snow and ice tend to have albedos that are _____
Definition
high
Term
Clouds can absorb as much as _____ of incoming solar radiation
Definition
5 to 20 percent
Term
The greenhouse effect results from the absorption of ______ in the atmosphere
Definition
long-wave radiation
Term
If the amount of insolation absorbed by the Earth was consistently larger than the amount of longwave energy emitted by the Earth, we would expect
Definition
the Earth's temperature to rise rapidly
Term
On average, the Earth reflects about ______ of the solar radiation it receives back to space
Definition
30 percent
Term
On a warm summer day, latent heat transfers will tend to
Definition
absorb and store heat in a substance as it changes state
Term
If the Earth's axis was perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic, insolation would be
Definition
greatest at the poles
Term
Temperature decrease with elevation because
Definition
pressure is lower
Term
The average environmental lapse rate in the troposphere is about
Definition
6.49 degrees per 1000m
Term
On the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun will reach its highest position in the sky on the
Definition
December solstice
Term
During the day, air near the ground surface is primarily warmed by
Definition
solar radiation
Term
During the daytime, air temperature tends to _____ closer to the ground, and during the night it tends to ______ closer to the ground
Definition
be warmer; be cooler
Term
On high mountains, insolation levels will be _____ the adjacent lowlands
Definition
higher than
Term
Water heats and cools more slowly than land surfaces due to
Definition
the much greater depth that the heat must be distributed in water and hte mixing that occurs
Term
Adjacent water and land locations have quite different temperature ranges due to differences in
Definition
specific heat capacity
Term
The surface layer of a beach would heat up _____ that the adjacent water surface during the day, and cool down ____ during the night, during a summer day-night cycle
Definition
faster; faster
Term
Lines that connect points of equal temperature on a map are called
Definition
isotherms
Term
Temperature tends to _____ with elevation in the mesosphere, and _____ with elevation in thermosphere
Definition
decrease; increase
Term
The layer of the atmosphere in which gases are sorted into layers by weight is the
Definition
heterosphere, specifically hte thermosphere
Term
Temperature decreases with elevation in the troposphere because of
Definition
the decrease in pressure
Term
The tiny particles that float in the atmosphere, held aloft by slight air movements are called
Definition
aerosols
Term
Historical records indicate that global temperatures have been increasing for about the last
Definition
100 years
Term
Oceans, lakes, and rivers return water to the atmosphere through
Definition
evaporation
Term
The absorption of heat and the release of water vapor into the atmosphere occurs in the hydrologic cycle through
Definition
evaporation and transpiration
Term
After precipitation falls to the land surface, surface water can flow off the land, concentrating in streams and rivers. This flow is known as
Definition
runoff
Term
Precipitation that flows on the land into streams and rivers and then eventually to the lakes and oceans is known as
Definition
runoff
Term
What is specific humidity?
Definition
the actual quantity of water held in the atmosphere
Term
Blanket-like, layered clouds that cover large areas are called
Definition
stratus
Term
The two basic classes of cloud families are
Definition
stratiform and cumuloform
Term
The dry adiabatic rate is
Definition
10 degrees per 1000 meters
Term
Dew-point is the temperature at which
Definition
the air is completely saturated and can hold no more moisture
Term
Subsurface water found under the surface in soil and rock is known as
Definition
soil moisture
Term
The largest portion of fresh water today is located in
Definition
glaciers
Term
Thin, high wispy clouds composed almost entirely of ice crystals are called
Definition
cirrus
Term
Clouds are grouped on the basis of two criteria:
Definition
height and form
Term
Normally, a parcel of air will ____ if it is warmer than the surrounding air, conversely, the air parcel will _____ if it is cooler than the surrounding air
Definition
rise; descend
Term
Rain shadows are found
Definition
on the dry side of the mountain, the side opposite which the cloud has formed over a large body of water
Term
The most violent of all storms are associated with ________ clouds
Definition
tall, dense cumulonimbus
Term
Evaporation involves the ______ of latent heat and a change in state from the ______ phase to the gaseous phase
Definition
absorption; liquid
Term
Condensation involves the ______ of latent heat and a change in state from the ______ phase to the liquid phase
Definition
release; gaseous
Term
_________ is when ice changes directly from the solid phase to the gaseous phase without a transitional liquid phase
Definition
Sublimination
Term
Water vapor changing directly to the liquid phase is knows as _______
Definition
condensation
Term
Which cloud sometimes produces thunder and lightening?
Definition
cumulonimbus
Term
Water changing to the gaseous phase is known as
Definition
evaporation
Term
In a thunderstorm, the release of latent heat ______ the temperature of a parcel of air and causes the parcel of air to _____ if it is warmer than the surrounding air
Definition
increases; rise
Term
If the environmental lapse rate is significantly less than the dry adiabatic rate, a parcel of air will be
Definition
conditionally unstable
Term
Microscopic particles, such as dust particles and sea salt crystals, are known as ______ and serve as "landing pads" on which water vapor can condense
Definition
aerosols
Term
When a through flowing current of moist air is forced to move upward over a mountain barrier, the process is referred to as _______
Definition
orographic
Term
The California Current is a cold current off the west coast of California. If a cool, moist air mass passed over this colder current, what would probably result?
Definition
Advection fog
Term
Particles, such as tiny salt crystals or dust particles, that absorb water are called
Definition
raindrops
Term
The transfer of water from land and ocean to the atmosphere and back again to land and oceans in a never ending cycle is
Definition
hydrologic cycle
Term
The wet adiabatic rate for a rising parcel of air is less than the dry rate because
Definition
latent heat is released when condensation occurs
Term
The temperature of a rising parcel of air ______ as it ascends
Definition
decreases
Term
The Lifting Condensation Level is the altitude at which
Definition
condensation begins in the atmosphere
Term
The amount of moisture in the atmosphere is called
Definition
humidity
Term
The return of precipitation to the atmosphere as water vapor occurs through
Definition
evaporation
Term
Water vapor that changes state to form a cloud is an example of
Definition
condensation
Term
The weight force exerted by a column of air on a surface is called
Definition
atmospheric pressure
Term
Air pressure is caused by
Definition
the force of gravity acting upon the overlying column of air
Term
Atmospheric pressure at sea level is about
Definition
1 kg/cm^2
Term
The changing weather conditions of monsoon circulation are associated with shifts in the position of the
Definition
ITCZ
Term
A dry, hot local wind system that contributes to wildfire problems in southern California is the
Definition
Santa Ana Winds
Term
The magnitude of the Coriolis force is largest at the
Definition
poles
Term
Surface ocean currents in the northern hemisphere tend to flow
Definition
clockwise
Term
In the southern hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes winds and currents to veer to the
Definition
left
Term
In an anticyclone located in the northern hemisphere winds spiral
Definition
clockwise
Term
In an anticyclone located in the southern hemisphere winds spiral
Definition
counterclockwise
Term
The zone where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge is the
Definition
ITCZ
Term
The gulf stream carries _____ water to the _______
Definition
warm; Northern Atlantic Ocean
Term
The polar jet stream tends to reach its furthest south position during the ______ months
Definition
winter
Term
The band of rapidly flowing air found aloft above the polar front is a
Definition
jet stream
Term
Rossby waves form along the
Definition
polar front
Term
In a cyclone located in the southern hemisphere winds spiral
Definition
clockwise
Term
In a cyclone located in the northern hemisphere winds spiral
Definition
counterclockwise
Term
In the northern hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes winds to veer
Definition
to the right
Term
The differences between northern and southern hemisphere circulation patterns is strongly influenced by differences in
Definition
the tilt of the Earth
Term
The low-latitude atmospheric circulation cell with rising air over the equatorial trough and sinking air over the subtropical high pressure belts is the
Definition
Hadley cell
Term
The intertropical convergence zone migrates approximately between the
Definition
40 degrees north and south latitudes
Term
Mountain sickness or altitude sickness, which can occur at elevations above 3000m, is caused by
Definition
lower pressure
Term
Rossby waves are undulations in the flow path of the
Definition
upper westerlies
Term
A device used to measure air pressure is the
Definition
barometer
Term
_______ is when water vapor changes directly from the gaseous phase to the solid phase without a transitional liquid phase
Definition
Deposition
Term
An extensive body of air in which temperature and moisture characteristics are fairly uniform is an
Definition
air mass
Term
Which type of front tends to cause the most rapid lifting?
Definition
Cold front
Term
The city of New Orleans was badly damaged as a result of hurricane
Definition
Katrina
Term
As a result of global warming, global cloud cover is expected to
Definition
increase
Term
The energy that powers a tropical cyclone comes from
Definition
extremely low pressure
Term
The center of a tropical cyclone is known as the
Definition
eye
Term
The most powerful and destructive type of cyclonic storm is the
Definition
tropical cyclone
Term
Key factors that determine the characteristics of an air mass are the _____ and _____ of the formation area
Definition
latitude; source region
Term
The major criteria used to identify air masses are
Definition
surface temperature and surface-specific humidity
Term
Weather conditions associated with an anticyclone include
Definition
fair weather
Term
We are currently experiencing _____ of hurricane activity
Definition
increases
Term
In the north Atlantic, the peak of hurricane season occurs during
Definition
September
Term
In the United States, tornadoes occur most frequently in the _____ states
Definition
plain
Term
The lowest central pressures are found in a
Definition
cyclone
Term
Air masses move in response to
Definition
changes in pressure
Term
The coastal-continental location of a place has a strong influence on
Definition
temperature variation
Term
The annual cycle of prevailing weather conditions at a given place based on long-term conditions is known as
Definition
climate
Term
A continental tropical air mass would tend to bring ______ conditions when it arrived in an area
Definition
warm, dry
Term
A maritime tropical air mass would tend to bring ________ conditions when it arrived in an area
Definition
warm, moist
Term
A maritime equatorial air mass would tend to bring ______ conditions when it arrived in an area
Definition
warm, moist
Term
A continental polar air mass would tend to bring ______ conditions when it arrived in an area
Definition
cold, dry
Term
A continental arctic air mass would tend to bring _______ conditions when it arrived in an area
Definition
cold, dry
Term
A major feature of weather in the mid-latitude climates is
Definition
wave cyclones
Term
The temperature regime that experiences the smallest amount of seasonality is the
Definition
equatorial
Term
In the United States, the moist continental climate covers most of the
Definition
Northeast
Term
A maritime polar air mass would tend to bring _______ conditions when it arrived in an area
Definition
cold, moist
Term
The _______ and ______ characteristics of an air mass tend to reflect the characteristics of its source region
Definition
temperature; moisture
Term
The temperature regime that experiences the coldest annual temperature is the
Definition
ice sheet
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