.This element is a more accessible alternative to drag & drop reordering.
Geography 1000 – Physical Geography
AJ Allred, Adjunct
Fall, 2015
Quiz 12 Explanations
Question 1
Which of the following is NOT a control of climate?
longitude
atmospheric circulation
ITCZ
continental position
prevailing winds
Latitude is like a ladder, with rungs that run east—west but measure distances north and south.
With the Sun overhead most of the time near the Equator, and with so much water near the
Equator, climate there tends to be humid and mild, not too cold, and not too hot. Water “takes
the heat” for us.
Longitude doesn’t help us understand climate, because a different longitude faces the Sun each
hour of the day. Going 30 degrees west or east does not have a corresponding effect on climate:
we might find ourselves over land, over mountains, over water.
In contrast, if we go north or south climate does change. Passing beyond the tropics we go
through dry country, centered at about 30 degrees north and south. From there we enter the midlatitudes, with four distinct seasons and cyclones that can bring hazardous storms. Finally, we
reached the poles, where lack of solar energy means intensely cold winters.
The ITCZ draws in warm, humid air for frequent rain storms. There is little or no Coriolis effect,
and no cold, dry air masses, so cyclones do not occur there. Cyclones occur when tropical air
(warm, humid) leaves the tropics and clashes with colder, drier air in the mid-latitudes. Tornadic
storms can result.
Question 2
Hurricanes and tornadoes occur often at the Equator because ________________.
Sunshine is abundant
water is abundant
Coriolis force is strong
All of the above explain why powerful tornadic (cyclonic) storms occur all the time at the
Equator.
None of the above. There are NO tornadoes or hurricanes at the Equator.
See Question 1 above.
Question 3
The Koppen classification system _______.
is based on latitude, temperature and precipitation
ranges from 1 to 10.
is based on soil moisture and angle-of-repose.
is based on the distribution of plants and animals around the world.
All of the above
The Koppen climate rating system starts with bands of latitude, as described above: A, B, C, D,
E and H for highland zones (mountains). Subset classifications are about precipitation and
seasonal temperature.
Question 4
Inversion weather occurs in Salt Lake valley when _________________.
hot summer days create ozone pollution that is hazardous to our health
hot weather causes ultraviolet solar energy to interact with oxygen molecules in Earth's
atmosphere
warm air at the valley floor is trapped beneath cold air near mountain tops
Cold air near the valley floor does not rise or circulate very much
All of the above help explain inversion weather.
On a normal day anywhere on Earth, solar energy heats up land and water and air near the surface.
Warmth leads to expansion and rising air. So, life on Earth is unstable, with daily breezes as air rises and
falls. Inversion means “inverted” wherein colder air dominates at the surface, and warmer air aloft.
Colder air has no basis to rise above warmer air, and warm air has no basis to sink, so layering occurs.
Inversions can happen anytime, but most typically during winter in mid to high latitudes, where Sun angle
is low in winter, reducing the amount of solar energy available to help surfaces and air warm up enough
to rise. Valley floors are in shadow or night most of the time, so they stay cold, especially when night-time
brings loss of heat to outer space and canyon breezes that deliver another dose of cold air.
Question 5
According to the Koppen classification system, tropical climates are classified in which climatic group?
W, for wet
T, for tropical
E, for Equatorial
A, for tropical
R, for rainy
See Question 8.
Question 6
Energy that is taken up during evaporation of water can be called _____________.
latent heat
incoming solar short-wave radiation
long-wave radiation, also called reflection
sensible heat that we can feel
All of the above describe evaporation
Vaporization requires lots of energy, and the kinetic motion required for vaporization converts energy we
can feel into energy we cannot feel. That heat becomes latent, or hidden until condensation occurs and
invisible vapor turns back into liquid we can see – and heat we can feel.
Question 7
Climate zones that tend to be dry or arid are probably located at about ______________.
five degrees north and south of the Equator
60 degrees north only, with no deserts in the southern hemisphere
10-15 degrees north and south of the Equator
30 degrees west longitude (west of London or GMT)
about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator
Hadley cells draw in surface air to the ITCZ and then carry it away to about 30 degrees north and south
latitude where it sinks back to the surface. Sinking air is dry, having lost most moisture back at the
tropics. Sinking air also warms by compression as it sinks, so deserts or otherwise dry climates prevail at
about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator.
Lines of longitude run east and west, and mark time zones as the Sun moves east to west each day.
There is regular pattern or correlation between time zones and climate. At any longitude, there might be
mountains (H climate), ocean or land.
Question 8
The ITCZ is most closely associated with which of the Koppen system's major climate types?
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Evaporation of water tends to occur wherever the Sun is overhead. The convergence zone (ITCZ) where
solar energy causes vast evaporation runs roughly along the Equator, where there is plenty of water for
evaporation. Abundant sunshine is absorbed through evaporation, leading to milder temperatures and
relatively high humidity. Tropical ‘A’ climates dominate.
Question 9
Cloud formation and condensation tend to occur within high pressure cells or air masses.
True
False
Cooling leads to air that is not warm enough to hold moisture as invisible vapor with latent (hidden) heat.
Clouds tend to form when humid air lifts, decompresses and cools to the point where vapor converts back
to liquid clouds that may rain or snow.
High air pressure tends to concentrate energy in a smaller mass of warm, resulting in warmer air that can
hold a lot more water than can low-pressure air that cools as it decompresses with rising altitude.
Question 10
Westerly winds (from the west) contribute to mid-latitude cyclones by bringing warm, wet air to central and
southern U.S. states.
True
False
Most dry land is found in the northern hemisphere, and westerly winds prevail at latitudes like
Salt Lake City (40° north). Westerly winds deliver mildness and water from the ocean as the
pass over coastlines. Climates along western coastlines, like Oregon, California and western
Europe tend to be mild. However, as these winds continue to the east, moisture and energy are
lost along the way, so Utah, Wyoming and the Dakotas tend to exhibit severe weather (Bs and D
climates).
Westerly winds have dried out before they reach the east coast of the USA. Likewise, easterly
winds dry out before they reach Utah.
Meanwhile, easterly trade winds (from the east) at about 20° north latitude bring warmth and
humidity to places like the U.S. west coast. These winds penetrate deeply into the southeastern
USA, but fade out before reaching across Texas and New Mexico. So, Utah is dry from both
directions: easterly and westerly moisture doesn’t reach Utah very much.
Mid-latitude cyclones are the dominant weather pattern across large, northern hemisphere
continents. Cyclones are counter-clockwise weather patterns that often bring clouds, wind and
precipitation as cooler air drives under warmer, wetter air.