Weather Final Review Page 1

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1 Weather Final Review Name 1. Which change would cause a decrease in the amount of insolation absorbed at Earths surface? A) a decrease in cloud cover B) a decrease in atmospheric transparency C) an increase in the duration of daylight D) an increase in nitrogen gas 2. In which diagram is the observer experiencing the greatest intensity of insolation? A) B) C) D) 3. An increase in the amount of which atmospheric gas is thought to cause global climate warming? A) oxygen B) hydrogen C) nitrogen D) carbon dioxide 4. What is the relative humidity of a sample of air that has a dry-bulb temperature of 20ºC and a wet-bulb temperature of 11ºC? A) 9% B) 2% C) 17% D) 30% 5. Scientists are concerned about the decrease in ozone in the upper atmosphere primarily because ozone protects life on Earth by absorbing certain wavelengths of A) x-ray radiation B) ultraviolet radiation C) infrared radiation D) microwave radiation 2014 Page 1

2 6. The diagram below shows a greenhouse. What is the primary function of the clear glass of the greenhouse? A) The glass reduces the amount of insolation entering the greenhouse. B) The glass allows all wavelengths of radiation to enter and all wavelengths of radiation to escape. C) The glass allows short wavelengths of radiation to enter, but reduces the amount of longwavelength radiation that escapes. D) The glass allows long wavelengths of radiation to enter, but reduces the amount of shortwavelength radiation that escapes. 7. Which is the major source of energy for most Earth processes? A) radioactive decay within the Earth's interior B) convection currents in the Earth's mantle C) radiation received from the Sun D) earthquakes along fault zones 8. Which is a form of precipitation? A) frost B) snow C) dew D) fog 2014 Page 2

3 9. Base your answer to the following question on the cross section below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section shows the general movement of air within a portion of Earth s atmosphere located between 30 N and 30 S latitude. Numbers 1 and 2 represent different locations in the atmosphere. The air movement shown in the cross section is due to the process of A) condensation B) conduction C) evaporation D) convection 10. Base your answer to the following question on the diagrams below which show the steps used to determine the amount of heat held by equal masses of iron, copper, lead, and granite. Which substance has the highest specific heat? A) copper B) granite C) iron D) lead 11. Which process requires the addition of energy to water? A) freezing of water B) cooling of water C) vaporization of water D) condensation of water 12. Atmospheric transparency is most likely to increase after A) volcanic eruptions B) forest fires C) industrial activity D) precipitation 2014 Page 3

4 13. Base your answer to the following question on the diagrams and graphs below. The diagrams show the general effect of the Earth's atmosphere on insolation from the Sun at middle latitudes during both clear-sky and cloudy-sky conditions. The graph shows the percentage of insolation reflected by the Earth's surface at different latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere in winter. Which statement best explains why, at high latitudes, reflectivity of insolation is greater in winter than in summer? A) The North Pole is tilted toward the Sun in winter. B) Snow and ice reflect almost all insolation. C) The colder air holds much more moisture. D) Dust settles quickly in cold air. 14. Surface winds on Earth are primarily caused by differences in A) air density due to unequal heating of Earth s surface B) ocean wave heights during the tidal cycle C) rotational speeds of Earth s surface at various latitudes D) distances from the Sun during the year 15. Wind velocity is most directly dependent on the A) gradient of the air pressure field B) value of the Coriolis effect C) moisture content of the air D) rotational velocity of the Earth 16. The primary source of most of the moisture for the Earth's atmosphere is A) soil-moisture storage B) rivers and lakes C) melting glaciers D) oceans 2014 Page 4

5 17. The diagram below shows the noontime shadow cast by a vertical post located in New Jersey. Which letter indicates a location south of the post? A) A B) B C) C D) D 18. Base your answer to the following question on the map below, which shows Earth's planetary wind belts. Which climatic conditions exist where the trade winds converge? A) cool and wet B) cool and dry C) warm and wet D) warm and dry 19. Condensation will most likely occur in a given volume of air when the air is A) saturated and contains no condensation nuclei B) saturated and contains condensation nuclei C) unsaturated and contains no condensation nuclei D) unsaturated and contains condensation nuclei 2014 Page 5

6 20. The diagram below shows the flow of planetary winds over a mountain ridge. As air rises on the windward side of the mountain ridge, the air's temperature decreases. Which process usually causes this temperature decrease? A) expansion of rising air B) compression of rising air C) precipitation from clouds D) evaporation from clouds 21. The graph below represents the average temperature of a city for each month of the year. Where is this city most likely located? A) inland in the Northern Hemisphere, in a middle latitude B) inland in the Southern Hemisphere, in a middle latitude C) on a coast near the Equator D) on a coast in the Antarctic 2014 Page 6

7 22. Base your answer to the following question on the climate graphs below, which show average monthly precipitation and temperatures at four cities, A, B, C, and D. Very little water will infiltrate the soil around city D because the region usually has A) a frozen surface B) nearly flat surfaces C) a small amount of runoff D) permeable soil 2014 Page 7

8 23. Base your answer to the following question on the map provided below, which shows weather station models and some weather variables for a portion of the United States. Selected weather stations are labeled A, B, and C. The city represented by weather station B is currently being affected by an air mass that originated over the Gulf of Mexico. What is the two-letter air-mass symbol used to represent this air mass? 24. Why do clouds usually form at the leading edge of a cold airmass? A) B) C) D) Cold air flows over warm air, causing the warm air to descend and cool. Cold air flows under warm air, causing the warm air to rise and cool. Cold air contains more dust than warm air does. Cold air contains more water vapor than warm air does. 25. Cloud formation is likely to occur in rising air because rising air A) expands and cools C) contracts and cools 2014 B) expands and warms D) contracts and warms Page 8

9 26. Base your answer to the following question on the water cycle diagram shown below. Some arrows are numbered 1 through 4 and represent various processes. The clouds have formed primarily because moist air A) rises, expands, and cools B) rises, expands, and warms C) sinks, compresses, and cools D) sinks, compresses, and warms 27. Cities A, B, C, and D on the weather map below are being affected by a low-pressure system (cyclone). Which city would have the most unstable atmospheric conditions and the greatest chance of precipitation? A) A B) B C) C D) D 2014 Page 9

10 Base your answers to questions 28 through 30 on the cross section and bar graph below. The cross section shows a portion of Earth s ernst along the western coast of the United States. The points show different locations on Earth s surface. The arrows show the prevailing wind direction. The bar below each point shows the yearly precipitation at that location. 28. State one reason why colder temperatures would be recorded at the top of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range than at the top of the Coastal Mountain Ranges. 29. Explain why the valleys have lower amounts of precipitation than points on the western slopes of the mountain ranges. 30. What is the yearly precipitation total for the four points located in the Coastal Mountain Ranges? 31. The map below represents a portion of an air-pressure field at the Earth's surface. At which position is wind speed lowest? A) A B) B C) C D) D 2014 Page 10

11 32. The map below shows surface air temperatures, in degrees Fahrenheit, reported by weather stations in the north-central United States. Letter X represents an air mass moving in the direction shown by the arrow. A line marks a frontal boundary advancing in a southeasterly direction. Which weather-map symbols best represent air-mass X and the frontal boundary shown on the map? A) B) C) D) 2014 Page 11

12 33. Which map best shows the general surface wind pattern in a low-pressure system located over the eastern United States? A) B) C) D) 34. The graph below shows the air temperature and dewpoint temperature at one location at four different times during one morning. At what time was the chance of precipitation the greatest? A) 1 a.m. B) 5 a.m. C) 3 a.m. D) 7 a.m Page 12

13 35. Base your answer to the following question on the weather map below, which shows two fronts associated with a low-pressure system. Which type of weather front has entered New York State? 2014 Page 13

14 36. Base your answer to the following question on the atmospheric cross section below, which represents a winter storm system. Zones A, B, C, and D are located on a west to east line at approximately 43 N latitude across New York State. This cross section shows how solid and liquid forms of precipitation depend on the air temperature above Earth s surface. The storm is moving from west to east. As the storm moves eastward, the type of precipitation received in Syracuse changes. State the type of precipitation that will immediately follow freezing rain Page 14

15 37. In the diagram below, arrows represent air movement near an ocean coastline on a summer afternoon. Compared to the air over the ocean, the air over the land has a A) lower temperature and lower barometric pressure B) lower temperature and higher barometric pressure C) higher temperature and lower barometric pressure D) higher temperature and higher barometric pressure 38. Base your answer to the following question on the weather map provided, which shows partial weather-station data for several cities in eastern North America. State the actual air pressure, in millibars, shown at Miami, Florida Page 15

16 Base your answers to questions 39 through 42 on the model and data table shown below. A student constructed a model to demonstrate how water is recycled by natural processes on Earth. The model consisted of a clear plastic tent over a pan containing a bowl of water. The model was sealed so no air could enter or leave the tent. The data table shows the observations recorded when the model was placed in direct sunlight for 60 minutes. 39. If the model is changed and the bowl of water is replaced with a green plant, by which process would the plant supply water vapor to the air inside the tent? 40. How much heat energy, in joules per gram, is released as water droplets are formed on the inside walls of the tent? 41. Identify the process that caused the water level in the bowl to decrease Page 16

17 42. A student glues a Y-shaped piece of plastic, as shown below, near the top of the inside of the tent and repeats the demonstration. Drops of water are seen dripping from the bottom of they after 60 minutes. Which process of the water cycle is represented by the dripping water? 2014 Page 17

18 Base your answers to questions 43 through 46 on the map below, which shows a portion of the United States where 148 tornadoes occurred during a 24-hour period in April The paths of the tornadoes are shown. 43. Explain why all the tornadoes moved toward the northeast. 44. A school receives a tornado warning. Describe one emergency action that a teacher and the students in a classroom should immediately take to protect themselves from injury. 45. Describe the air movement most likely found within these tornadoes. 46. Most of these tornadoes occurred with thunderstorms along cold fronts. Identify the water cycle process that forms clouds along cold fronts Page 18

19 Base your answers to questions 47 and 48 on the information and weather map below. The weather map shows the center of a low-pressure system. The dashed line represents the dry line which separates ct and mt air masses. Isobars are drawn at intervals of 4 millibars. Letter A indicates a weather station model. 47. The atmospheric conditions in eastern Nebraska are represented on the map by a station model labeled A. Below, fill in the correct information for each weather variable, based on station model A. Air temperature: Dewpoint: Wind direction from: Wind speed: F F knots Cloud cover: % 48. Compared to the temperature and humidity of the air on the east side of the dry line, describe the temperature and humidity of the air on the west side Page 19

20 49. The flowchart below shows part of Earth's water cycle. The question marks indicate a part of the flowchart that has been deliberately left blank. Which process should be shown in place of the question marks to best complete the flowchart? A) condensation B) deposition C) evaporation D) infiltration 50. Base your answer to the following question on the table below. The table shows air temperatures and air pressures recorded by a weather balloon rising over Buffalo, New York. This rising weather balloon also recorded dewpoint temperatures. If the dewpoint at 1,500 meters was 12 C, what was the relative humidity of the air at 1,500 meters above sea level? 2014 Page 20

21 51. Base your answer to the following question on the data table and map below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The data table shows the altitude of the top of a thunderstorm cloud and the probability of hail being formed for a location in New York State. The map shows the average number of days per year hail strikes the ground in different regions of the United States. Describe the relationship between the altitude of the top of a thunderstorm cloud and the probability that hail will be produced by that cloud Page 21

22 52. Base your answer to the following question on Read the passage below: Greenhouse Effect The warming of Earth s surface and lower atmosphere tends to intensify with an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The atmosphere allows a large percentage of the visible light rays from the Sun to reach Earth s surface. Some of this energy is reradiated by Earth s sur face in the form of long-wave infrared radiation. Much of this infrared radiation warms the atmosphere when it is absorbed by molecules of carbon dioxide and water vapor. A similar warming effect is produced by the glass of a greenhouse, which allows sunlight in the visible range to enter, but prevents infrared radiation from leaving the greenhouse. The absorption of infrared radiation causes Earth s surface and the lowest layer of Earth s atmosphere to warm to a higher temperature than would otherwise be the case. Without this greenhouse warming, Earth s average surface temperature could be as low as 73 C. The oceans would freeze under such conditions. Many scientists believe that modern industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) have increased the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This increase may result in an intensified greenhouse effect on Earth causing significant alterations in climate patterns in the future. Scientists estimate that average global temperatures could increase by as much as 5 C by the middle of the 21st century. State one possible change humans could make to significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year. Base your answers to questions 53 and 54 on the diagram below, which shows the frontal boundary between mt and cp air masses. 53. If the front at ground level is moving toward city B. which type of weather front is shown? A) cold front B) warm front C) occluded front D) stationary front 54. Why do clouds and precipitation usually occur along the frontal surface? A) The warm air rises, expands, and cools. B) The warm air sinks, expands, and warms. C) The cool air rises, compresses, and cools. D) The cool air sinks, compresses, and warms Page 22

23 Answer Key Weather Regents Review 1. B 2. D 3. D 4. D 5. B 6. C 7. C 8. B 9. D 10. B 11. C 12. D 13. B 14. A 15. A 16. D 17. A 18. C 19. B 20. A 21. A 22. A 23. mt or MT 24. B 25. A 26. A 27. B 28. Responses include, but not limited to: The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is higher in elevation; Higher elevation have lower temperatures; Expansional cooling increases with higher mountains. 29. Responses include, but are not limited to: The air on the western slopes of the mountains is rising; The valleys are located on the eastern side of the mountain ranges where air is sinking; Air is warmed by compression as it descends the mountain slopes, so relative humidity decreases in. 31. C 32. A 33. B 34. D 35. a warm front. 36. sleet 37. C mb 39. transpiration joules per gram. 41. evaporation. 43. Examples: The tornadoes are located within the SW wind belt. The planetaiy winds moved them toward the northeast. 44. Examples: go to the structurally strongest area in the school nearest your location go to the lowest level in the school 45. Examples: counterclockwise toward the center 46. condensation (gas to liquid) 47. — Air Temperature: 50ºF — Dewpoint: 44ºF — Wind direction from: SE or Southeast — Wind Speed: 10 Knots — Cloud cover: 100% 48. Temperature: — The air on the west side of the dry line is cooler — Lower Humidity: — lower on the west side — drier — less 49. C % relative humidity 51. Example: The higher the altitude of the top of the cloud, the greater the probability that hail will be produced. direct relationship 52. Pass a law to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Stop burning the rain forests. Increase car pool/mass transit use. 53. B 54. A 42. precipitation 2014 Page 23