chapter 15

Question 1

. Climate varies

a. spatially (from one location to another).
b. temporally (through time).
c. both spatially and temporally

Answer 1

both spatially and temporally

Question 2

Climate

a. does not change through time.
b. changes everywhere in the same direction.
c. is naturally variable.
d. is determined by latitude alone.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 2

is naturally variable

Question 3

By international agreement, climatic averages are computed from weather records compiled over a ______ year period.

a. 15
b. 20
c. 25
d. 30
e. 100

Answer 3

30

Question 4

For any month across the entire nation, temperature and precipitation anomalies exhibit

a. the same sign (direction) everywhere.
b. the same magnitude everywhere.
c. the same sign but different magnitudes.
d. different signs and different magnitudes.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 4

different signs and different magnitudes

Question 5

Typically, monthly temperature anomaly patterns are ______ rainfall anomaly patterns.

a. more complex than
b. less complex than
c. about as complex as

Answer 5

less complex than

Question 6

The ocean

a. influences radiational heating and cooling of the planet.
b. absorbs a majority of the solar radiation striking Earth’s surface.
c. transfers heat to the atmosphere via latent heating.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct

Answer 6

*d. All of the above are correct.

Question 7

7. The latitude of highest mean annual surface temperature, the heat equator, is located about ______ degrees north of the geographical equator.
   a. 5
   b. 10
   c. 15
   d. 20

Answer 7

*b. 10

Question 8

8. If this morning’s low temperature was 20 °F and this afternoon’s high temperature was 64 °F, the day’s average temperature was ______ °F.
   a. 84
   b. 35
   c. 44
   d. 42
   e. 60

Answer 8

*d. 42

Question 9

9. The spatial variability of annual precipitation can be attributed to
   a. topography.
   b. the distribution of land and sea.
   c. planetary-scale circulation.
   d. All of the above are correct.

Answer 9

*d. All of the above are correct.

Question 10

10. Typically, trends in climate are geographically non-uniform in
    a. magnitude only.
    b. sign (direction) only.
    c. both magnitude and sign (direction).

Answer 10

*c. both magnitude and sign (direction).

Question 11

11. Which of the following climate controls varies in the most regular manner?
    a. solar radiation
    b. monsoon circulation
    c. westerly wave pattern
    d. storm tracks

Answer 11

*a. solar radiation

Question 12

As compared to the climate that prevailed through most of geological time, the climate of the past two million years has

a. had average global temperatures around 10 Celsius degrees higher than in the past.
b. seen an increase in severe weather events.
c. favored the development of continental-scale glacial ice sheets.

Answer 12

favored the development of continental-scale glacial ice sheets.

Question 13

As a rule, ______ skies increase the diurnal (day-to-night) temperature range.

a. overcast
b. clear
c. partly cloudy

Answer 13

*b. clear

Question 14

14. The scientific community did not widely accept the theory of plate tectonics until
    a. the 1960s
    b. the 1930s.
    c. the 1970s.

Answer 14

*a. the 1960s

Question 15

15. An increase in the magnitude of a temperature change with increasing ______ is known as polar amplification.
    a. elevation
    b. albedo
    c. latitude
    d. precipitation

Answer 15

*c. latitude

Question 16

16. Localities downwind of a large body of water are characterized by ______ climates.
    a. continental
    b. maritime

Answer 16

*b. maritime

Question 17

17. Localities in the continental interior of North America and Asia are characterized by ______ climates.
    a. continental
    b. maritime

Answer 17

*a. continental

Question 18

18. The Sun’s energy output varies ______ with sunspot number.
    a. directly
    b. indirectly

Answer 18

*a. directly

Question 19

19. Plate tectonics was an important control of climate
    a. over the past 100 years.
    b. over the past 1000 years.
    c. during the Ice Age.
    d. during the hundreds of millions of years that constitute geologic time.
    e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 19

*d. during the hundreds of millions of years that constitute geologic time.

Question 20

The creation of national weather services and the foundation of the International Meteorological Organization (today’s WMO) have provided us with detailed temperature records for the past __________ years.

a. 1000 or so
b. 100 or so
c. 10,000 or so

Answer 20

*b. 100 or so

Question 21

21. The peak of the last major glacial advance over North America occurred about ______ years ago.
    a. 1 million
    b. 2 million
    c. 100,000
    d. 18,000-20,000
    e. 10,500

Answer 21

*d. 18,000-20,000

Question 22

A climatic episode favoring the thinning and retreat of existing glaciers is

a. a glacial climate.
b. a maritime climate.
c. an interglacial climate.
d. the Hypsithermal.
e. the Medieval Warm Period.

Answer 22

*c. an interglacial climate.

Question 23

Polar amplification of climate change

a. likely took place during the Pleistocene Ice Age.
b. consists of an increase in the magnitude of climate change with increasing latitude.
c. is an example of the geographical nonuniformity of climate change.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 23

all a. likely took place during the Pleistocene Ice Age.

b. consists of an increase in the magnitude of climate change with increasing latitude.
c. is an example of the geographical nonuniformity of climate change.

Question 24

The Younger Dryas

a. was a period of cooler conditions.
b. triggered re-advances of glacial ice sheets.
c. was relatively short-lived.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 24

all

a. was a period of cooler conditions.
b. triggered re-advances of glacial ice sheets.
c. was relatively short-lived.

Question 25

The Little Ice Age

a. lasted from about 1400 to 1900.
b. was a period of renewed continental-scale glaciation over the northern United States.
c. was caused by volcanic eruptions.
d. was a period when the globe was at least 6 Celsius degrees colder than at present.
e. took place long before civilization was established.

Answer 25

lasted from about 1400 to 1900.

Question 26

The Medieval Warm Episode lasted from about ______ to ______.

a. 1400……………1900
b. 950……………1250
c. 1945……………1978
d. 1850……………1950
e. 720……………. .1853

Answer 26

950…….1250

Question 27

A period when the global average annual temperature trended downward was

a. 1980s through the 1990s.
b. 1880s through the 1930s.
c. 1960s through the 1970s.

Answer 27

*c. 1960s through the 1970s.

Question 28

From the 1980s into the early 21st century, the trend in global average annual temperature was

a. upward.
b. downward.

Answer 28

*a. upward.

Question 29

Climate change may consist of

a. more frequent weather extremes.
b. an upward trend in mean temperature.
c. less frequent drought.
d. a downward trend in mean monthly precipitation.
e. Any of the above is correct.

Answer 29

Any of the above is correct.

a. more frequent weather extremes.
b. an upward trend in mean temperature.
c. less frequent drought.
d. a downward trend in mean monthly precipitation.

Question 30

A possible source of error in the long-term, instrument-based climate record:

a. changes in reliability of weather instruments
b. gaps in monitoring networks
c. moderating influence of urbanization
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 30

all a. changes in reliability of weather instruments

b. gaps in monitoring networks
c. moderating influence of urbanization

Question 31

A possible source of error in the long-term, instrument-based climate record:

a. changes in reliability of weather instruments
b. gaps in monitoring networks
c. moderating influence of urbanization
d. All of the above are correct.

Answer 31

all . changes in reliability of weather instruments

b. gaps in monitoring networks
c. moderating influence of urbanization

Question 32

A statistically significant cycle in the instrument-based climatic record is

a. the annual radiation/temperature cycle.
b. the diurnal radiation/temperature cycle.
c. both are correct

Answer 32

both are correct

a. the annual radiation/temperature cycle.
b. the diurnal radiation/temperature cycle.

Question 33

Numerical global climate models predict that a __________ change in the Sun’s energy output could significantly alter the mean temperature of the Earth-atmosphere-ocean system.

a. 1%
b. 10%
c. 25%
d. 5%

Answer 33

1%

Question 34

The Sun’s total output of radiation

a. varies slightly with sunspot number.
b. varies slightly from one year to the next.
c. is most accurately measured by instruments onboard Earth-orbiting satellites.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 34

all of the above

a. varies slightly with sunspot number.
b. varies slightly from one year to the next.
c. is most accurately measured by instruments onboard Earth-orbiting satellites.

Question 35

The temperature of a sunspot is ______ the temperature of the Sun’s photosphere, giving the sunspot a dark appearance.

a. lower than
b. about the same as
c. higher than

Answer 35

lower than

Question 36

The sunspot cycle is approximately ______ years.

a. 11
b. 22
c. 44
d. 68
e. 100

Answer 36

11

Question 37

Solar energy output ______ as the sunspot number decreases.

a. increases
b. decreases
c. does not change

Answer 37

decreases

Question 38

The Maunder minimum

a. refers to a period of greatly diminished sunspot activity.
b. occurred during the Little Ice Age.
c. is linked to changes that took place on the Sun.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. None of the above is correct.

Answer 38

all of the above

a. refers to a period of greatly diminished sunspot activity.
b. occurred during the Little Ice Age.
c. is linked to changes that took place on the Sun.

Question 39

Milankovitch argued that regular changes in the Earth-Sun geometry explained the large-scale climatic fluctuations during the Ice Age primarily by

a. altering the solar constant.
b. changing the seasonal and latitudinal distribution of solar radiation on Earth.
c. producing sunspots.
d. increasing the planetary albedo.
e. altering the aerosol content of the troposphere.

Answer 39

b. changing the seasonal and latitudinal distribution of solar radiation on Earth.

Question 40

Evidence from ______ firmly established Milankovitch cycles as a cause of climatic fluctuations.

a. tree growth-ring records
b. deep-sea sediment cores
c. ancient pollen records
d. records of grape harvests on Cape Cod
e. volcanic lava flows

Answer 40

deep sea sediment cores

Question 41

As the tilt of the Earth’s axis increases, winters become ______ and summers become ______ in both hemispheres.

a. colder……warmer
b. warmer……colder

Answer 41

colder—–warmer

Question 42

The large-scale climatic impact of violent volcanic eruptions depends on the volume of ______ injected into the stratosphere.

a. CFCs
b. sulfur oxide gases and aerosols
c. methane
d. carbon dioxide
e. ash

Answer 42

sulfur oxide

Question 43

the residence time of an aerosol in the stratosphere is generally longer than its residence time in the troposphere because

a. there is no precipitation in the stratosphere.
b. the stratosphere is extremely stable.
c. little exchange of air occurs between the stratosphere and the troposphere.
d. All of the above are correct.

Answer 43

all

a. there is no precipitation in the stratosphere.
b. the stratosphere is extremely stable.
c. little exchange of air occurs between the stratosphere and the troposphere.
d. All of the ab

Question 44

A more reflective Earth (higher planetary albedo) is a ______ Earth.

a. warmer
b. cooler

Answer 44

cooler

Question 45

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have been rising primarily because of

a. burning of coal and other fossil fuels.
b. clearing of forests.
c. the greenhouse effect.
d. increasingly widespread use of CFCs.

Answer 45

burning of coal and other fossil fuels.

Question 46

All other factors unchanged, rising levels of carbon dioxide will likely cause surface air temperatures to continue to

a. rise.
b. fall.
c. remain at current levels.

Answer 46

rise

Question 47

Levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide ____________ during the growing season and ____________ in winter.

a. rise……………fall.
b. fall……………rise.

Answer 47

fall…………..rise

Question 48

The net effect of more sulfate aerosols in the troposphere:

a. an enhanced greenhouse effect
b. lower air temperatures
c. a lower planetary albedo

Answer 48

lower air temperatures

Question 49

Sea level rise would

a. disrupt coastal ecosystems.
b. ruin agricultural lands.
c. threaten historical, cultural, and recreational resources.
d. All of the above are correct.

Answer 49

all

b. ruin agricultural lands.
c. threaten historical, cultural, and recreational resources.

Question 50

. If global warming persists, sea level is expected to rise because of

a. partial melting of the polar ice caps.
b. thermal expansion of sea water.
c. Both of the above are correct.

Answer 50

both
partial melting of the polar ice caps.
thermal expansion of sea water