Chapter 3: Temperature
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
1) Locations on Earth which have the largest annual temperature change from summer to
winter are
A) near an ocean.
B) at low altitudes.
C) at high latitudes.
D) very humid.
E) at the equator.
4) A poleward moving (northward moving in the Northern Hemisphere) ocean current is:
A) warm in summer and cold in winter B) a warm current
C) either a warm or a cold current D) a cold current
6) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Land tends to cool to a warmer temperature than water.
B) Land cools more slowly than water.
C) Land heats more slowly than water.
D) a, b, and c
E) none of these is true
7) Daily and seasonal temperature cycles depend primarily on
A) only solar radiation.
B) friction between the wind and Earth surface.
C) distance from the sun.
D) the combined effects of solar and terrestrial radiation.
E) only terrestrial radiation.
8) A location on a windward coast refers to a place where the prevailing wind is
A) from the north
B) away from land
C) strong
D) toward the land
E) always light or calm
9) The daily maximum temperature occurs at the time
A) of maximum incoming radiation.
B) near 12:00 noon.
C) when outgoing radiation equals incoming.
D) when incoming radiation first exceeds outgoing radiation.
11) A location along a seacoast will probably have summer temperatures that are
________, compared to an inland location.
A) similar B) cooler C) warmer D) none of these.
13) Temperatures at the Earth's surface tend to decrease when solar radiation
A) is increasing.
B) exceeds Earth radiation
C) is less than the Earth's outgoing radiation.
D) is equal to Earth radiation.
15) In the course of an average 24-hour period, the ocean will warm
A) about 7degreeC
B) less than 1degreeC
C) about 5degreeC
D) about 10degreeC
E) about 3degreeC
18) The annual temperature range at most latitudes in the southern hemisphere is much
smaller than in the northern hemisphere. Why?
A) There is less desert area in the southern hemisphere.
B) There is more area covered by water in the southern hemisphere.
C) There is more mountainous area in the southern hemisphere.
D) Earth is closer to the sun during southern hemisphere summer.
E) Rainfall and cloudiness are greater in the southern hemisphere.
21) The most important cause of temperature variations is
A) altitude
B) differential heating of land and water
C) ocean currents
D) differences in receipt of solar radiation
E) cloud cover and albedo
22) A primary reason why land areas warm up more rapidly than water areas is that
A) evaporation is usually greater on land.
B) land absorbs more solar energy.
C) on land, all solar energy is absorbed in a shallow layer.
D) heat from Earth's interior warms the land.
E) land is a better emitter of energy.
24) Summer temperatures along the California coast are cooler than along the coast of
So. Carolina, due to the influence of
A) altitude
B) specific heat
C) latitude
D) ocean currents
E) evaporation
25) The annual temperature range is quite small near the equator. This is true primarily
because
A) the elevation of most land areas there is near sea level.
B) solar radiation is nearly uniform all year.
C) low pressure systems are almost never present.
D) the Earth emits more infrared energy at these locations.
E) wind speeds tend to be always slow.
27) Reason(s) for the definite contrast in temperatures over land and water include(s)
A) greater total heat content of oceans.
B) mixing of water from surface and lower layers.
C) greater reflectivity of soil.
D) lower specific heat of soil.
E) both b) and d).
Answer: E
31) A primary reason for drawing isotherms on a map of temperature values is to allow
A) elimination of extreme values B) determination of temperature ranges
C) recognition of temperature patterns D) calculation of mean values
33) Widely spaced isotherms indicate
A) the absence of a temperature gradient
B) a gradual temperature change rate
C) the presence of a mountain range
D) an impending weather shift
E) none of these
37) The minimum temperature usually occurs just after sunrise because
A) reflection of solar radiation is a maximum
B) atmospheric path is longest
C) sun angle is lowest then
D) Earth experiences a net loss of radiation until then
38) A place located along a windward coast:
A) will probably have summer temperatures that are very similar to an inland place at the
same latitude
B) will probably have cooler summer temperatures than an inland place at the same
latitude
C) will probably have warmer summer temperatures than an inland place at the same
latitude
D) none of these
39) The effect of urban heat production on the urban heat island is greatest in the:
A) winter
B) there is no particular season when the effect is greatest
C) spring and/or fall
D) summer
45) The annual temperature range at most latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere is much
smaller than that in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason for this is that:
A) rainfall and cloudiness are greater in the Southern Hemisphere
B) less area is covered by desert in the Southern Hemisphere
C) there is a greater percentage of water surface in the Southern Hemisphere
D) a greater proportion of the land surface is mountainous in the Southern Hemisphere
E) the Earth is closest to the sun during the Southern Hemisphere summer
48) The specific heat of water is high; what does this mean?
A) water must gain or lose large amounts of energy when its temperature changes.
B) water will always be warmer than other materials for the same energy gain or loss.
C) water can always serve as a source of heat.
D) water has a high density.
49) An energy surplus in the atmosphere from solar radiation occurs
A) in the afternoon
B) between sunset and midnight
C) in the morning
D) exactly at midnight
E) between midnight and dawn
51) The heat transport carried out by air and oceanic circulations serves to
A) limit the production of clouds.
B) increase solar radiation.
C) keep the tropics from becoming warmer.
D) keep the poles from becoming colder.
E) both c) and d).