Salt Lake Community College
Geography 1700 – Natural Hazards
Quiz #3, Fall 2012
A. J. Allred, Adjunct Instructor
Student Name __________________
1. The Coriolis force causes winds to move in curves, and can results in higher wind speeds in storms.
True ____
False ____
2. There is generally a positive correlation between the size of mineral or rock particles in soil and the
stability of that soil, especially when water and buildings are added.
True ____
False ____
3. Which transfer process describes how the Earth gets energy from the Sun?
a. Conduction
b. Convection
c. Radiation
d. Thermal
e. All of the above describe ways that the Earth receives energy from the sun
4. The majority of all energy in use on the Earth comes from the Sun. Where does most of the rest of the
Earth’s energy come from?
a. Magnetic fields and gravity
b. Thermal energy from the Earth’s deep interior, produced by radioactive decay
c. Thermal energy from ocean currents
d. Electrical energy from severe weather and storms
e. Wind energy from atmospheric conditions
5. The Earth’s surface receives only part of the Sun’s radiation. What happens to most of the remainder?
a. Absorbed by clouds
b. Reflected back into outer space
c. Absorbed by the Ozone layer
d. Absorbed by atmospheric Nitrogen
e. None of the above
6. What is humidity?
a. A measure of how warm it is outside
b. A measure of how much water vapor there is in the air
c. A measure of how much molecules are moving in the air
d. A measure of how many clouds there are in the area
e. A measure of how much rain there is in the upper atmosphere
7. The weather report refers to relative humidity, not absolute humidity
True ____
False ____
8. Beginning with the industrial revolution, the world’s atmosphere began to attract small amounts of heatabsorbing greenhouse gases. Removing these greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is an ambitious
goal of environmental organizations.
True ___
False ___
9. Stormy weather with precipitation typically includes what conditions?
a. Rising air
b. Relatively high humidity
c. Tornadic, cyclonic or counter-clockwise winds
d. All of the above
e. Only answers a and c above
10. Violent winds in tornadic storms are associated with:
a. Large amounts of latent heat
b. Relatively high humidity
c. Differences between cooler/drier air and warmer/wetter air
d. Relatively low atmospheric pressure and rising air parcels
e. All of the above
11. High pressure weather patterns tend to involve high wind, high humidity, and high rainfall.
True ___
False ___
12. Ozone is often produced by automobiles and industrial processes. Ozone is an especially dangerous
pollutant, and elevated Ozone level is the most common reason for air quality alerts in Utah. Removing
all atmospheric Ozone is a worthy goal, but very difficult to achieve.
True ___
False ___
13. A hurricane condition would be properly represented by about how difference in atmospheric pressure
between southern Florida and northern Florida?
a. 5 mb
b. 50 mb
c. 500 mb
d. 5000 mb
e. None of the above is a reasonable figure
14. Tornadoes are “fueled” by atmospheric water (latent heat). The U.S tornado season begins when snow
and ice storms are occurring across much of the country.
True ___
False ___
15. Doppler radar can detect a tornadic condition in thunderstorms by measuring the difference in time
required for radio signals to bounce back from water vapor that is moving in opposite directions.
True ___
False ___
16. As program funding becomes available (such as for purchasing Doppler radar), weather forecasters
should begin providing tornado warnings to the widest possible area whenever tornadic rotation is
detected in clouds and thunderstorms.
True ___
False ___
17. A heat index chart showing a temperature of more than 100 degrees will also provide an estimate how
much comfort or relief can be provided by adding a large amount of water vapor (humidity).
True ___
False ___
18. Drought probably affects more people in the United States than any other natural hazard. Flooding is
probably the most common natural disaster experienced by people in the United States.
True ___
False ___
19. Based on Chapter 8, the factors that make a good farm soil are also the most important criteria for
judging the stability of soil as a foundation for buildings, roadways and other man-made structures.
True ___
False ___
20. Blizzards require substantial amounts of atmospheric heat.
True ___
False ___
Extra credit (1-5 points). Describe how a swamp cooler is similar to atmospheric processes:
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