Climatology Practice Questions
Course Introduction
Climatology is the scientific study of climate, including the statistical analysis of long-term weather patterns, the factors that influence climate variability, and the ways in which climate systems interact across the globe. This course explores the fundamental principles of climatology, such as atmospheric composition, energy balance, climate classification, and the mechanisms driving climate change. Through analysis of historical and contemporary data, students will examine global and regional climate patterns, investigate the impacts of human activity on climate, and learn to interpret climate models and predictions. The course provides essential knowledge for understanding the complexities of Earth's climate system and its vital importance to environmental and societal well-being.
Recommended Textbook
Visualizing Physical Geography 2nd Edition by Timothy Foresman
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1832 Verified Questions
1832 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Discovering the Earths Dimensions
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Earth's shape is closer to an oblate ellipsoid than a sphere.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The Earth is perfectly spherical.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Daylight Savings Time gives us an extra hour of daylight during the _______ months.
Answer: summer
Q4) Which of the following includes the structural rock formation of the earth's surface?
A)atmosphere
B)lithosphere
C)biosphere
D)hydrosphere
Answer: B
Q5) Lines of latitude are called _______.
Answer: parallels
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Chapter 2: The Earths Global Energy Balance
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129 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Unlike nitrogen and oxygen, the proportion of water vapor found in the atmosphere varies significantly from place to place and over time.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the longest wavelength?
A)ultraviolet
B)infrared
C)microwaves
D)visible light
Answer: C
Q3) The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Earth is __________ radiation. Answer: longwave
Q4) Some forms of air pollution, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have caused damage to the _____ layer.
Answer: ozone
Q5) The most common gas in the atmosphere is ________. Answer: nitrogen
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Chapter 3: Air Temperature
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157 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The temperature change in equatorial regions from January to July is __________ the change in mid-latitude regions.
A)much larger than B)much smaller than C)slightly larger than D)about the same as
Answer: B
Q2) The process by which plants lose water to the atmosphere by evaporation through leaf pores is called evapotranspiration.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) If the air temperature was 10 C just above the ground and 14 C at an elevation of 100m, which of the following would be true?
A)It is daytime.
B)It is night time.
C)The measurements were collected over a water body.
D)A temperature inversion is present.
Answer: D
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation
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Sample Questions
Q1) The circulation of Earth's water supply among the oceans, atmosphere, and continents is referred to as the evapotranspiration cycle.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Water vapor that changes state to form a cloud is an example of:
A)condensation
B)temperature
C)melting
D)evaporation
Q3) Prepare a debate script for coal industry executives and for EPA justifying the construction of a new coal fired power plant. How will the environment be safe guarded from acid deposition (acid rain).
Q4) ________________________ process is a heating or cooling process that occurs solely as a result of a pressure change within the air parcel.
Q5) __________________ precipitation occurs when a through-flowing current of moist air is forced to move up and over a mountain range.
Q6) Water changing from a liquid to a gas is known as ______________ and requires the absorption of latent heat.
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Chapter 5: Global Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation
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138 Verified Questions
138 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the Asiatic monsoon:
A)humid winds blow onshore during winter
B)humid winds blow onshore during winter.
C)dry winds blow onshore during winter.
D)dry winds blow offshore during winter.
Q2) The subtropical high pressure belts are zones of:
A)rising air and frequent rain
B)rising air and clear conditions
C)descending air and frequent rain
D)descending air and clear conditions
Q3) The Coriolis effect deflects winds to the ______ in the northern hemisphere.
Q4) Rossby waves form along the:
A)polar front
B)tropical high pressure belt
C)equatorial easterlies
D)none of the above
Q5) Ocean currents play an important role in transferring heat from low to high latitudes.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Weather Systems
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130 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Air masses that form over continents are classified as "dry" air masses.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Easterly waves occur:
A)only at the equator
B)between about 5 and 30 latitude
C)between about 20 and 40 latitude
D)none of the above
Q3) Tornadoes tend to occur in advance of a:
A)cold front
B)warm front
C)stationary front
D)occluded front
Q4) Polar outbreaks are tongues of exceptionally warm tropical air that occasionally penetrate into the polar latitudes.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The surface of contact between two different air masses is called a front.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Global Climates and Climate Change
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148 Verified Questions
148 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain the two major factors that influence temperature.
Q2) An air mass that does not dominate the monsoon and trade-wind coastal climate is:
A)maritime equatorial
B)maritime tropical
C)continental tropical
D)continental equatorial
Q3) The air mass(es)important to the moist continental climate is/are:
A)continental polar
B)maritime tropical
C)continental arctic
D)all of the above
Q4) Which of the following air masses does not influence the climate of Antarctica?
A)cAA
B)mP
C)cP
D)none of the above
Q5) Highland climates tend to be relatively warm due to ascending air flows.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Earth From the Inside Out
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79 Verified Questions
79 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following elements are abundant in the crust?
A)titanium
B)gold
C)oxygen
D)nitrogen
Q2) What evidence did Wegner use to support the existence of Pangaea?
A)plant and animal fossils
B)coastline orientations
C)mountain ranges
D)all of these
E)none of these
Q3) To be considered a mineral, a naturally occurring inorganic solid must have a specific chemical composition and a characteristic ______ structure.
Q4) Which of the following is classified as a metamorphic rock?
A)limestone
B)schist
C)diorite
D)basalt
Q5) _____ and silicon are the two most common elements in Earth's crust.
Q6) What holds rocks together?
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Is there a connection between the distribution of earthquakes and the boundaries of the lithospheric plates? If so, please explain.
Q2) A strike-slip fault can also be called a __________ fault.
A)transcurrent (transform)
B)overthrust
C)normal
D)reverse
E)none of the above
Q3) Explosive or voluminous eruptions may cause the volcano to collapse into the floor of the empty magma chamber below, producing a very large depression called a:
A)crater
B)lahar
C)vent
D)caldera
Q4) The 2011 earthquake in Japan was one of the largest (in magnitude)in recorded history.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is the primary difference between a normal fault and a reverse fault?
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Chapter 10: Weathering and Mass Wasting
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Sample Questions
Q1) The small spaces between mineral grains are called _______.
A)pores
B)flow
C)slump
D)regolith
E)soil
Q2) What role does climate play in weathering?
Q3) Flowing regolith that is not saturated with water is known as a _______.
A)landslide
B)slurry
C)slump
D)creep
E)gradient
Q4) Explain the similarities and differences between root wedging and frost wedging.
Q5) Dissolution is a good example of mechanical weathering.
A)True
B)False
Q6) _______ is the process of ice splitting rocks during freeze/thaw cycles.
Q7) Explain the similarity and a difference between a flow and a slide.
Q8) Discuss the difference between earthflow and creep.
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Chapter 11: Fresh Water of the Continents
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67 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ridge and valley system of Appalachia which has parallel hills and valleys would have which type of drainage pattern?
A)dendritic
B)trellis
C)annular
D)radial
Q2) The __________ is below the water table in which all the pore spaces are filled with water.
Q3) The drainage pattern that you would find along a dome shape rock would be:
A)dendritic
B)trellis
C)annular
D)radial
Q4) The water table is located at the top of the zone of saturation.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Transpiration is the process in which plants take in water and pass it directly into the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Land-Forms Made by Running Water
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following fluvial processes leads to the formation of potholes?
A)aggradation
B)silt depositon
C)abrasion
D)dissolution
Q2) Which of the following sediment loads do streams have the most difficulty moving?
A)suspended load
B)virtual load
C)dissolved load
D)bed load
Q3) A __________ is the flat, low-lying area adjacent to a stream channel that receives overbank flow.
A)flood
B)floodplain
C)oxbow lake
D)levee
E)zone of aeration
Q4) __________ are the flat, low-lying areas adjacent to streams that receive overbank flow.
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Chapter 13: Landforms Made by Wind and Waves
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the typical characteristics of loess deposits? Be sure to describe their process of formation and distribution.
Q2) Consider the following statements and select the answer that is not consistent with loess.
A)loess is composed of clays and silts
B)loess can form vertical cliffs
C)loess is generated by glacial activity
D)loess particles are not cohesive
E)loess provides fertile soil for agriculture
Q3) Why do desert sand dunes take on several specific shapes?
Q4) Sea level is relatively higher than during the last ice age.
A)True B)False
Q5) Star dunes are considered one of the prominent natural dune features in arid environments. Describe the characteristics of this dune type.
Q6) Transverse, parabolic, and barchan are all examples of sand dunes.
A)True B)False
Q7) Corals have a symbiotic relationship with ___________.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Glacial and Periglacial Landforms
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Sample Questions
Q1) Since the Wisconsin Glaciation ended, the Earth has been in a period of interglaciation known as the _______________________________
Q2) The astronomical hypothesis attempts to explain:
A)why the Ice Age occurred
B)the distribution of glacial and interglacial events
C)why glaciers are currently retreating
D)why glaciers are currently advancing
Q3) Ground moraine is made of till.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A deep, steep-sided rock trench formed by erosion from alpine glaciers is a(n):
A)arête
B)horn
C)moraine
D)glacial trough
Q5) Glacial ice makes the Earth's albedo lower.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Sharp ridges in between two corresponding cirques are known as
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Global Soils
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137 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Permanently frozen ground is called:
A)muck
B)peat
C)permafrost
D)gellisol
Q2) Cold, humid climates typically have soils that are alkaline.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A __________ is a soil that contains a proportion of each of the three grades that is most effective at storing moisture.
Q4) The soil in which minerals are weathered to an extreme degree, with the color red, yellow, or yellow-brown, and that has a low base status is:
A)spodosol
B)oxisol
C)mollisol
D)histosol
Q5) Animals have little to no importance to soil forming processes.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Biogeographic Processes
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Sample Questions
Q1) An organism's tolerance and response to moisture and temperature changes are part of its ecological niche.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Humans consume approximately 35 percent of freshwater runoff.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The chemical reaction of photosynthesis is H O + O + light energy HOH + O .
A)True
B)False
Q4) Trees that shed their leaves seasonally are called:
A)epiphytes
B)evergreen
C)succulents
D)deciduous
Q5) The differences that arise between parent and offspring are:
A)dispersal
B)biomass
C)variation
D)speciation
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Chapter 17: Global Biogeography
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Sample Questions
Q1) The tundra biome is BEST associated with:
A)ice-sheet climate
B)succulents
C)permafrost
D)dry mid-latitude climate
Q2) The two types of ecosystems are called:
A)humid and arid
B)terrestrial and aquatic
C)polar and tropical
D)plant and animal
Q3) Sclerophyll scrub with tough, wiry shrubs is:
A)lianas
B)tundra
C)chaparral
D)cacti
Q4) Mid-latitude deciduous forest is found in:
A)eastern North America
B)western Europe
C)northeastern China
D)ALL of these
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