Physical Geography
Mid-Term Exam – Summer 2015
A. J. Allred, Adjunct
Student Name ______________________
Mid-Term Exam
1. Scientific evidence supports the belief that in recent decades a positive feedback loop is developing
as polar shelf ice melts. Shelf ice is floating ice, not land ice.
True ___
False ___
2. Freezing water releases heat, adding warmth to nearby objects. Inside a turbulent storm cloud,
condensation also tends to result in warming as latent heat is released.
True ___
False ___
3. Subtropical deserts around the world are produced by _______.
a. anti-cyclones
b. sinking air that is relatively dense
c. dry air
d. Hadley cells
e. All of the above
4. For stormy weather, is the following sequence in proper order?
Step 1: air moves (and evaporates water)
Step 2: air decompresses
Step 3: air rises
Step 4: air cools
Step 5: air condenses, producing clouds
Step 7: precipitation occurs
Yes (True) ___
No (False) ___
5. In the northern hemisphere, looking down on a storm moving northward, which part of the storm
should show the weakest winds?
a. Southwest side (left rear).
b. Southeast side (right rear).
c. Northeast side (right front).
d. Northwest side (left front).
e. Near the ‘eye wall’ of the storm.
6. The north end of Hadley cell movement in the southern hemisphere helps ensure that:
a. Florida and Alabama have a mild “C” climate with plenty of green landscapes.
b. Arizona is dry.
c. regions near the Equator are rainy and humid.
d. Answers ‘b’ and ‘c’ above are correct.
e. Answers ‘a’ and ‘b’ above are correct.
7. In the northern hemisphere, an anti-cyclone involves air that is:
a. turning counter-clockwise while rising.
b. turning clock-wise while sinking.
c. turning counter-clockwise while sinking.
d. rising, and then falling later.
e. answers “a” and “d” above are correct.
8. For general atmospheric patterns, _____________________.
a. climograph temperature curves will be flatter with increasing latitude
b. air temperature varies positively with altitude
c. climograph temperature curves will be steeper with decreasing distance from the ocean
d. the lower the latitude, the longer the day length in summer
e. the higher the latitude, the drier the climate
9. Which of the following statements is/are true?
a. Descending air will tend to become cooler as it sinks.
b. With no change in water in the air, a descending air mass should become relatively less humid.
c. With no change in water in the air, relative humidity should be lower at night.
d. With all other variables held constant, a cloudy night should be colder than a clear night with
stars.
e. All of the above are true.
10. Which of the following is false:
a. Air blowing over a high mountain should be more humid after it descends to the bottom on the
other side.
b. Energy cannot be destroyed, but it can be hidden when it evaporates liquids into vapor. It takes
energy to turn liquid into vapor, but the energy is not lost, nor is the water destroyed. They are
just hidden (latent).
c. A ‘swamp cooler’ (evaporative cooler) converts heat into humidity. Heat and water are ‘hidden’
in the air.
d. The energy required for evaporation is stored as vapor, resulting in lower measured temperature
and higher measured humidity.
e. On the way up the mountain, air will cool by decompression.
11. Spraying water on green plants can help prevent frost damage because freezing water makes heat
available for absorption by nearby objects.
True ___
False ___
12. Based on class discussion, which of the following statements is true?
a. In perfectly dry air, the temperature at 50,000 feet should be 100°F cooler than air at the surface.
b. In perfectly dry air, a ground temperature of 100°F corresponds to a temperature of 80°F at 4,000
feet above that surface.
c. On a hot, sunny day, saturated air at an altitude of 12,000 feet should be frozen.
d. During a weather inversion, air aloft will be cooler than surface air.
e. Cool, dry air will tend to rise easily compared to humid, vapor-saturated air.
13. Which of the following combinations along a weather front boundary is most likely to produce a
severe thunderstorm?
a. 65°F and 35% humidity on one side and 82°F and 10% humidity on the other side.
b. 40°F and 45% humidity on one side and 78°F and 65% humidity on the other side.
c. 40°F and 75% humidity on one side and 50°F and 65% humidity on the other side.
d. All of the conditions above will almost certainly produce severe weather.
e. None of the conditions above are sufficient to produce a storm of any kind.
14. In tropical climates, weather is so monotonous that daily temperature swings are greater than
monthly average variation across an entire year.
True ___
False ___
15. After June 21 in the southern hemisphere _______________.
a. days get shorter
b. weather tends to get cooler
c. nights get longer
d. days start getting longer
e. Answers ‘a’ and ‘c’ are both correct.
16. Areas near the Equator exhibit masses of rising air that collide with cool, dry air to provoke
widespread frontal or wedge thunderstorms.
True ___
False ___
17. For Singapore, and other places at the ocean and at the Equator ________________.
a. hurricanes bring vast changes in monthly average precipitation
b. the hottest and coldest months of the year are about the same
c. there is a strong dry season twice a year
d. cold, wintry weather is likely when the ITCZ is located to the south
e. Westerly winds and mid-latitude cyclones dominate weather patterns
18. Compared to ground-level ozone, atmospheric ozone ___________.
a. is lighter-weight
b. is produced by automobile exhaust interacting with sunshine
c. is a serious air quality problem during the Utah winter “inversion season”
d. Answers ‘b’ and ‘c’ above are both true.
e. None of the above are true in regard to atmospheric ozone.
19. For climographs, which of the following is true?
a. Places near the ocean will have a steep ‘curve’ for temperature.
b. Places near the Equator will have a somewhat flat line for annual rainfall.
c. A location far south of the Equator will likely have a very flat temperature ‘curve’.
d. Places deep within a continent and far from ocean will have a steep temperature ‘curve’.
e. All of the above are true.
20. Which of the following best describes the diameter of the Earth?
a. 24,000 times π
b. 7,923 divided by 3.1415
c. C times π
d. 24,800 divided by 7,900
e. Circumference divided by π
21. Based on class discussion, which of the following represents the highest absolute humidity?
a. 7/10
b. 6/8
c. 1/5
d. 2/4
e. 5/5
22. Ice releases heat during evaporation, and vapor releases heat when it condenses into liquid.
True ___
False ___
23. The chemical quality of water supports which of the following statements?
a. Icebergs will raise ocean levels when they melt.
b. Fog tends to form in humid air when night-time radiation warms the air.
c. When water boils, covalent bonds are created and vapor condenses to liquid
d. Solid icebergs are less dense than surrounding water.
e. Steam fog requires temperatures at least 212 F.
24. In the northern hemisphere, a location near the ocean will usually have a climograph with a
relatively steep annual temperature curve.
True ___
False ___
25. Mid-latitude cyclones are common in the United States. An occluded front has at least one thing in
common with a “dirty air” inversion: air aloft is temporarily warmer than at the surface.
True ___
False ___
26. Hurricanes help transfer energy away from equatorial regions and help prevent drought in
Florida.
True ___
False ___
27. Atmospheric ozone:
a. is air pollution produced by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
b. helps keep the surface of the Earth warmer than otherwise.
c. is corrosive, poisonous and noxious.
d. b and c above are true.
e. a and c above are true.
28. Which of the following tends to reduce the amount of solar energy that reaches Earth’s surface?
a. long-term restrictions on CFC production and use.
b. collision between solar ultraviolet energy and atmospheric oxygen at high altitude.
c. dust and other aerosols in the atmosphere.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
29. A weather pattern that mixes ‘cT’ and/or ‘cP’ air masses with an ‘mT’ air mass is most likely to
produce ________.
a. mild, sunny weather that dominates much of Mexico and other dry sub-tropics
b. some of the world’s most severe weather.
c. a mid-latitude anti-cyclone
d. high-speed jet stream flow
e. All of the above except ‘a’
30. Which of the following lines are part of “Great Circles” of the Earth?
a. the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
b. any line of latitude.
c. a typical, unadjusted time zone boundary.
d. the Arctic Circle (or Antarctic Circle).
e. All of the above
31. The inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is related to:
a. Masses of rising air and precipitation in areas near the Equator.
b. Rainy conditions underneath and nearby.
c. Alternating periods of drought or flooding at latitudes just higher than reached by the ITCZ.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
32. A weather map showing a steep pressure gradient generally indicates high pressure, calm weather
and fair skies.
True ___
False ___
33. A map of sunny, mild weather is likely to show widely spaced isobars and no isohyets.
True ___
False ___
34. A map of closely spaced isobars in concentric circles and a pressure reading of 900mb in the center
most likely indicates _________________.
a. a tornado
b. a micro burst downdraft
c. Both ‘a’ and ‘b’ are equally possible
d. Neither option is reasonable
35. A weather inversion will exhibit:
a. mountain air temperature warmer than valley air.
b. poor air quality in valleys.
c. little chance of precipitation.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
36. Inside your house, which of the following effects is likely?
a. Air touching the glass can cool by conduction and then flow downward by convection to the
floor.
b. Radiation from inside the house can pass through a glass window, causing a loss of energy to the
outdoors.
c. During the day, solar energy can radiate inward through the glass and be absorbed by solid
objects on the inside.
d. Solar energy can reflect off a glass window and back into outer space.
e. All of the above are likely.
37. A span of 85 degrees of longitude represents:
a. A little bit less than six time zones.
b. About eight time zones at the Equator, and about 12 time zones at locations halfway to the poles
c. About 1/3 of a full day of Earth rotation.
d. At least 10 hours of Earth rotation, considering convergence of longitude lines near the poles.
e. Answers ‘b’ and ‘d’ above are both correct.
38. The hurricane season peaks when days are longest and the most solar energy is available.
True ___
False ___
39. Hail is caused when lightning rapidly expands an air mass, allowing empty space to fill with ice.
True ___
False ___
40. Lightning is caused by thunder that travels at the speed of sound (about 1,100 feet per second).
True ___
False ___
41. A ‘micro burst’ of high-speed wind results from ____________.
a. jet airplanes that leave condensation trails of cooler, denser air that sinks rapidly
b. rapidly rising air that is more humid and warmer than surrounding air
c. the fact that what goes up must come down. Gravity and rain can help sinking air go faster
d. thunderstorms that produce lightning, and lightning creates empty air space that falls
e. All of the above can cause micro burst conditions
42. A dust devil and a tornado are the same phenomenon and both require the same energy inputs.
The only difference is that dust devils kick up dust in dry regions where there is not enough grass
to cover bare earth.
True ___
False ___
43. Coriolis force is a primary cause of severe storms in equatorial regions. Mid-latitude cyclones are
the primary cause of severe storms in mid-latitude regions.
True ___
False ___
44. Scientific evidence that Earth temperature is warming may not ever be proven, but is consistent
with _________________.
a. the fact that motor vehicles and power plants exhaust vast amounts of oxides that include sulfur,
carbon and nitrogen that are good at absorbing and holding some forms of energy
b. the alleged loss of polar ice cover and the decline in number and size of mountain glaciers
c. evidence that the recent Pleistocene epoch appears to have ended
d. evidence that Earth climate has changed countless times over millions of years.
e. Al of the above.
45. A tornado funnel cloud will have a diameter or about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of an average hurricane.
True ___
False ___
46. Current weather in the United States includes ______________.
a. jet stream flow far to the north of Utah and the western states
b. jet stream flow near or directly above eastern U.S. states
c. severe weather, including tornadoes in the eastern half of the United States
d. drought conditions across much of the western United States due to high air pressure
e. All of the above.
47. The fact that some glaciers are increasing in size or moving faster is proof that the theory of global
warming is not a clear, consistent story and may not even be true.
True ___
False ___
48. Which of the following statements is/are true of hurricanes and tornadoes?
a. Hurricanes at the Equator rely on vast amounts of warm, humid tropical air.
b. Hurricanes and tornadoes at the Equator are strengthened by the presence of Coriolis force and
masses of adjacent cold/dry air.
c. Tornadic winds are based on Coriolis effect that deflects wind in circles to the right (northern
hemisphere).
d. Tornado season peaks after hurricane season because dry land takes a long time to warm up each
spring, whereas ocean waters hold vast thermal energy all year.
e. None of the above statements is true.
49. Each year, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises and falls because:
a. the northern hemisphere produces more greenhouse gas during summer.
b. southern latitude growing seasons dominate world atmospheric carbon dioxide absorption by
growing plants.
c. equatorial latitudes consume (absorb) much more atmospheric carbon dioxide during summer
than during winter.
d. northern hemisphere land masses vary widely in seasonal absorption of carbon gases
e. None of the above are true.
50. Which of the following is (are) true of monsoon conditions:
a. If the ITCZ is not far enough north in June, places like India will probably experience drought.
b. Utah and Arizona can receive a bit of ‘monsoon’ effect when the ITCZ rises northward during
our longest days of the year.
c. The ITCZ undulates north and south, roughly following the Sun’s relative position in the sky.
d. In the northern hemisphere, the south end of Hadley cells will tend to be rainy.
e. All of the above are true.