Name:
Date:
Weather & Climate Test
1. Weather is a condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place. Wind, rain,
and cloud formations are all forms of weather phenomena. What is the primary
source of energy for weather phenomena?
A. tidal movements
B. magnetic fields
C. geothermal energy
D. solar radiation
2. Hurricanes are storms that bring rain and very high wind speeds to the Gulf and
Atlantic coastlines of the United States.
How do ocean currents influence the strength of a hurricane when it makes landfall?
A. Currents force hurricanes to travel due north to southern coastlines.
B. Currents are the force that pushes a hurricane across the ocean.
C. Currents take energy from hurricanes, slowing them down.
D. Currents can provide warm water that gives hurricanes energy.
3. The atmosphere is heated both by the Sun and by the Earth's surface. Water radiates
heat differently than land, so the air temperature over the ocean is usually different
than the air temperature over land.
The difference in air temperature over land compared to over water causes
convection currents in the atmosphere. How would a person at the beach experience
these convection currents?
A. They would feel that the water is cold.
B. They would feel wind as the air moves.
C. They would feel that the sand is hot.
D. They would feel the heat of the Sun.
4. Which property of oceans best explains why they have a major effect on climate?
A. They hold a large amount of heat energy.
B. They have a constant tidal movement.
C. They contain large amounts of dissolved salt.
D. They absorb gases from the atmosphere.
5. Ocean currents and global wind patterns, which are caused by convection currents,
most strongly affect a region's
A. latitude.
B. climate.
C. day length.
D. population size.
6.
It is a cold, but sunny day. There are almost no clouds in the sky.
What type of system is associated with the weather described above?
A. none of these
B. low pressure system
C. circulatory system
D. high pressure system
7. What is the original source of the energy that drives changes in the weather?
A. the Sun
B. air temperature
C. ocean currents
D. the Earth's core
8. Local weather is affected by changes in
A. wind
B. humidity
C. atmospheric pressure
D. all of these
9.
This image is courtesy of NOAA.
In the weather map above, most of the severe thunderstorms are likely to occur as
a _______ front pushes through the central part of the U.S.
A. warm
B. low
C. high
D. cold
10.
This image is courtesy of NOAA.
In which approximate direction is the warm front in the upper left of the weather map
moving?
A. west
B. south
C. north
D. east
11. James measures the humidity of the air in his back yard each morning for four days.
His data is recorded below.
Day Humidity
I.
52%
II.
46%
III.
75%
IV.
98%
On which day could James predict rain?
A. Day III
B. Day IV
C. Day II
D. Day I
12. An air mass that formed over land is going to bring _______ weather.
A. warm
B. moist
C. cold
D. dry
13.
Look at the map above. What type of weather is the northeast having?
A. snowy weather
B. warm weather
C. foggy weather
D. cold weather
14. The doldrums region on Earth is created by an amount of heating from the Sun that
results in the rising of warm, moist air, low air pressure, cloudiness, high humidity,
and numerous forms of severe weather, such as thunderstorms. Hurricanes originate
in this region. The doldrums are also noted for calms, periods when the winds
disappear, trapping sailing vessels for days or weeks. Where are the doldrums found?
A. the North Pole
B. the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire
C. the South Pole
D. the Equator
15. I am fueled by the warm water of the ocean. As the warm water evaporates it rises
until there is an enormous amount of heated moist air that is being twisted in the
atmosphere. I have at least 74 mph winds. I like to form during the summertime in
the doldrums region. What am I?
A. tornado
B. Coriolis Effect
C. doldrums
D. hurricane
16. Which of the following arranges the latitudinal climate zones in order of increasing
amounts of received sunlight?
A. temperate, tropical, polar
B. tropical, temperate, polar
C. tropical, polar, temperate
D. polar, temperate, tropical
17. The average monthly rainfall during the summer months in Boulder, Colorado and in
Madison, Wisconsin are shown in the graph below.
Which of the following conclusions could be made from this data?
A. Madison's summer climate is wetter than Boulder's.
B. It is hotter in Madison than in Boulder during the summer.
C. It is hotter in Madison than in Boulder during the winter.
D. Madison's summer climate is drier than Boulder's.
18. The average monthly temperatures in Lima, Peru are graphed below.
Which of the following conclusions could be made from this data?
A. It tends to rain more in February than in August.
B. It tends to rain more in July than in December.
C. It tends to be warmer in February than in August.
D. It tends to be warmer in July than in December.
19. The average annual snowfall values in four different cities are shown in the table
below.
City
Snowfall (inches)
Green Bay
47.7
Bristol
46.8
Buffalo
93.6
Kalamazoo
68.8
Which of the following conclusions could be made from this data?
A. It snows less in Green Bay than in Kalamazoo on average.
B. It snows more in Green Bay than in Buffalo on average.
C. It snows more in Kalamzoo than in Buffalo on average.
D. It snows less in Buffalo than in Bristol on average.
20. The pattern of _______ in an area over a long period of time is called _______.
A. climate, temperature
B. climate, weather
C. weather, rain
D. weather, climate