Laingsburg Middle School Science
Olympiad Invitational Tournament
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Meteorology Event
Name of School ANSWER KEY
Name of Team ____________________
Student(s) Name:
________________________
________________________
1) Serbian mathematician Milutin Milankovitch investigated a close relationship
between systematic changes in the geometry of Earth’s orbit around the sun and
shifts between glacial and interglacial climatic episodes over the past 500,000
years. In doing so, Milankovitch focused on three elements of the Earth-sun
geometry. Name them.
(3 pts each)
a. The wobble or precession of the Earth’s axis of rotation.
b. The tilt of the Earth’s axis (varying between 22.1° and 24.5°.)
c. The eccentricity (departure from a circle) of Earth’s orbit.
2) The photo below shows sunspot activity as of January 13th, 2012. What is a
sunspot? (2 pts)
A sunspot is an area of highly organized magnetic activity on the surface of the
sun.
3) Ninety-nine percent of Earth’s atmosphere is composed of two elements. Name
the elements and the respective percentages. (2 pts)
a. Nitrogen
78%
b. Oxygen
21%
4) Using the diagram below answer the following questions: (3 pts)
a. What type of world climatic model does the diagram below represent?
Koppen Climate Classification System
b. What climatic zone(s) affect Michigan?
Humid Continental Warm (Dfb)
Humid Continental Cool (Dfa)
c. What air mass strongly affects the Louisiana Gulf Coast shown by the
arrow?
Maritime Tropical
5) What type of world climatic model does the diagram below represent? (2 pts)
Thornwait System of Climate Classification
6) What is the main difference between the two world climatic models? (2 pts)
The Köppen classification depends on average monthly values of temperature
and precipitation.
Devised by the American climatologist and geographer C. W. Thornthwaite, this
climate classification method monitors the soil water budget using
evapotranspiration. It monitors the portion of total precipitation used to
nourish vegetation over a certain area.[
7) What is the Greenhouse Effect? (2 pts)
The Earth is heated due to the IR-absorbing atmospheric gases, which in turn help
to heat the atmosphere.
8) Explain the difference between “climate” and “weather.” (2 pts)
Climate- the average weather of some locality over an extended period of time.
Weather-the state of the atmosphere at a some place and some time.
9) Explain the difference between “climatology” and “meteorology.” (2 pts)
Climatology- the study of climate, its controls, and spatial and temporal variability.
Meteorology- the study of Earth’s atmosphere and the processes that cause weather.
10) “Which material --fresh-fallen snow or an evergreen forest-- would have a higher
albedo? Briefly explain why? (2 pts)
Fresh snow, which is white, reflects a larger amount of solar radiation as
opposed to a darker colored evergreen forest, which reflects very little.
11) What is the Daisy World Model and what does it demonstrate? (3 points)
The Daisy World Model is a computer model that uses black and white daisies to
demonstrate what fluxuations in the temperature of Earth’s surface due to the
reflection and absorption of solar radiation. Dark daisies absorb heat making the
Earth warm, while white daisies reflect heat making the Earth cool.
12) What does the following diagram demonstrate? (2 pts)
This diagram represents the thermohaline circulation pattern throughout
the oceans.
13) Use the data below to complete the climograph for San Francisco, CA. (6 pts)
Monthly Average Temperatures and Precipitation for San Francisco, California
Jan
Temp
(°F)
Precip
(inches)
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
58
61
62
65
65
68
68
69
71
70
64
59
4.72
4.13
3.39
1.26
0.55
0.12
0.04
0.08
0.28
1.18
3.31
3.19
14) Use the climograph below to answer the following questions:
a. According to the climograph above, what was the total annual
precipitation for Atlanta, Georgia? (3 pts)
46-50 inches of precipitation
b. Describe the average temperature and amount of precipitation for the
month of September in Atlanta, Georgia. (3 pts)
71-73 degrees and 3.5 inches of precipitation
15) The following diagrams show the El Nino, La Nina oceanic circulation
anomalies. Label which diagram is which and explain the basic weather
characteristics for both. (4 points each)
a.
______________
La Nina follows El Nino, which is a period of unusually strong trade winds and vigorous
upwelling over the eastern tropical Pacific. Colder than usual surface waters and
warmer western waters.
b.
____El Nino__________
Unusually warm waters are blown eastward preventing upwelling along the South
American coast. Southern oscillation. El Nino begins when the pressure gradient across
the tropical Pacific begins to weaken. Scientists refer to this as the ESNO.
Air pressure falls over the eastern tropical Pacific and rises over the western tropical
Pacific. The horizontal air pressure gradient across the Pacific weakens and the trade
winds slacken.
16) List and describe at least two proxy indicators that are used to study
paleoclimatology. (4 points)

Isotopic Geochemical Studies: The study of rock isotopic ratios, ice core bubbles,
deep sea sediments, etc.

Dendochronology: the study of tree rings

Pollen Distribution: the study of plant types and prevalence from pollen found in
sediments, ice, rocks, caves, etc.

Lake Varves: (like dendochronology, but with lake sediments - a varve is an
annual layer of mud in the sediment)

Coral Bed Rings

Fossils: Studies of geological settings, etc.

Historical documents, paintings, evidence of civilizations, etc.
17) Pick and describe (in a brief paragraph) two (2) of the following global climatic
concerns. (4 pts each)
a. Global warming
b. Greenhouse gases
c. Ozone depletion
d. Deforestation
e. Desertification
f. Urban heat island