Geography of Weather and Climate Exam Preparation Guide
Course Introduction
Geography of Weather and Climate explores the spatial patterns and physical processes that govern atmospheric conditions on Earth. This course introduces foundational meteorological concepts such as temperature, pressure, wind, and humidity, and examines their roles in weather phenomena and climate systems. Through studying the interactions between the atmosphere, land, and oceans, students learn about the formation of local and global weather patterns, climatic zones, and long-term climate change. The course also considers how human activities influence weather and climate, and discusses methods of observing, measuring, and predicting atmospheric conditions, equipping students with a holistic understanding of the dynamic nature of Earths environment.
Recommended Textbook
Understanding Weather and ClSMate 7th Edition by Edward Aguado
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17 Chapters
1870 Verified Questions
1870 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Energy and Mass
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110 Verified Questions
110 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (by hemisphere)varies by season because:
A)plants grow in the warm season and not in the cold season.
B)more residential heating is required during the cold season.
C)less plant decay takes place during the cold season.
D)all of the above
Answer: D
Q2) Winter storms create significant issues for air travelers.Describe two such problems. Answer: First,passengers have to wait for hours on crowded planes.Second,flights are canceled.
Q3) The high levels of atmospheric nitrogen are due primarily to the fact that:
A)the earth is constantly bombarded by small, house-sized comets.
B)nitrogen has a very long residence time.
C)nitrogen is the major component of the gas emitted from volcanoes.
D)nitrogen is produced by many species of bacteria.
Answer: B
Q4) The ________ is characterized by the large quantity of charged particles it contains.
Answer: ionosphere
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Chapter 2: Solar Radiation and the Seasons
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108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The relationship between kinetic energy and potential energy is
A)one must have potential energy before kinetic energy can be realized.
B)kinetic energy is proportional to the potential energy.
C)potential energy is the storage state of kinetic energy.
D)in practice, all of a potential energy source is never fully transformed to usable kinetic energy.
E)All of the above are true.
Answer: E
Q2) ________ radiation is used to cook food and ________ radiation causes sunburn.
A)Infrared; ultraviolet
B)Microwave; ultraviolet
C)X-ray; infrared
D)Ultraviolet; infrared
Answer: B
Q3) Electromagnetic radiation provides energy for
A)the movement of the atmosphere.
B)the growth of plants.
C)the evaporation of water.
D)all of the above
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Energy Balance and Temperature
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The sky is black on the Moon because:
A)space reflects all wavelengths of radiation equally.
B)the Moon contains neither oceans nor vegetation.
C)the Moon does not have sufficient gravity to attract visible light.
D)the Moon has no atmosphere.
Answer: D
Q2) Sunsets are red for all of the following reasons except:
A)red light has more energy than blue light.
B)Mie scattering.
C)Rayleigh scattering.
D)light has to travel through more atmosphere to reach the observer.
Answer: A
Q3) The highest temperature ever recorded at the Earth's surface was in A)Death Valley, CA.
B)the Amazon Rainforest.
C)Libya.
D)the Australian Desert.
Answer: C
Q4) The ________ is responsible for presenting conclusions on climate change.
Answer: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Page 5
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Chapter 4: Atmospheric Pressure and Wind
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108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the equation of state p = RT,if pressure remained constant and the temperature increased
A)the density would have to remain constant
B)the density would have to increase
C)the density would have to decrease
D)the constant R would have to change
Q2) Gradient flow:
A)undergoes constant acceleration.
B)is a geostrophic wind.
C)occurs when wind flows parallel to the pressure gradient.
D)maintains the same direction.
Q3) The equation of state is not dependent upon this:
A)the density of the gas.
B)the composition of the gas.
C)the temperature of the gas.
D)the pressure of the gas.
Q4) Isobar spacing on a weather map gives an indication of the ________.
Q5) What conditions lead to supergeostrophic and subgeostrophic flows?
Q6) Why is good weather usually associated with anticyclones?
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Q7) Compare and contrast the important properties of cyclones and anticyclones.
Chapter 5: Atmospheric Moisture
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111 Verified Questions
111 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Briefly describe the three ways air can become saturated with water vapor.
Q2) If water vapor is an invisible gas,then how can satellite images show the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere?
Q3) Absolute humidity is:
A)density of water vapor.
B)the best measure of water content.
C)not affected by changes in volume or pressure.
D)none of the above
Q4) A parcel of rising air is least likely to do this:
A)contract.
B)cool.
C)reach the lifting condensation level.
D)reach an area of lower pressure.
Q5) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)cites ________ as one of the reasons global atmospheric water vapor content is increasing.
Q6) Moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moves west toward the Rocky Mountains,forming ________ fog.
Q7) The change from ice directly to vapor is called ________.
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Q8) The ________ is almost always within a few percent of the specific humidity.
Chapter 6: Cloud Development and Forms
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Sample Questions
Q1) Conditionally unstable air becomes positively buoyant once it reaches the
Q2) ________ occurs when air is displaced upward and undergoes adiabatic cooling.
Q3) One of the most detrimental effects on developing cumulus clouds is:
A)the addition of more moisture to the developing cloud.
B)an injection of warm air into the center of the developing cloud.
C)a weak vertical atmospheric wind profile.
D)entrainment.
Q4) When the environmental lapse rate exceeds both the dry adiabatic lapse rate and the wet adiabatic lapse rate of a parcel of air,that air parcel contains:
A)absolutely stable air.
B)conditionally unstable air.
C)absolutely unstable air.
D)air that cannot reach the lifting condensation level.
Q5) You would most likely expect a rain shadow on the:
A)east side of the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest.
B)west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
C)west side of the Andes.
D)west side of the Coast Range in California.
Q6) Compare and contrast static and potential stability.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Precipitation Processes
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114 Verified Questions
114 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following cloud constituents would have the highest terminal velocity?
A)condensation nuclei
B)raindrops
C)hailstones
D)ice crystals
Q2) Describe two types of rain gauges and two types of snow gauges.
Q3) Cloud droplets fall slowly because they:
A)are small.
B)carry an electric charge.
C)easily get caught in downdrafts.
D)have not adhered to condensation nuclei.
Q4) In comparison to liquid water,the density of the ice in hail is:
A)50% of water.
B)70% of water.
C)90% of water.
D)no difference
Q5) What are the main steps in the collision-coalescence process?
Q6) Cloud droplets begin forming on ________.
Q7) What are the factors that can affect the size and shape of snow crystals?
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Atmospheric Circulation and Pressure
Distributions
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Sample Questions
Q1) The polar front:
A)is not associated with the polar jet stream.
B)is a region of small changes in the slope of pressure surfaces.
C)is a region marked by a sharp change in horizontal temperature.
D)is a boundary between two regions of cold air.
Q2) In what ways does the three-cell model agree with scientific observations of weather,climate,wind speed and direction,pressure values,and atmospheric circulation? In what ways does it disagree?
Q3) While following an Ekman spiral,ocean currents will have turned about this many degrees upon reaching a depth of approximately 100 meters: ________.
Q4) The rate at which a Rossby wave propagates is NOT dependent upon this factor:
A)the amplitude of the wave.
B)the wavelength of the wave.
C)the wave's latitudinal position.
D)the westerly component of the wave's internal wind speed.
Q5) Explain how upwelling along the western coast of South America contributes to the dryness of the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Q6) Describe the role of the Santa Ana in contributing to California wildfires.
Q7) Use the Sahel region to explain the consequences of the migration of the ITCZ.
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Chapter 9: Air Masses and Fronts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Continental polar air masses that form in summer are
A)less humid than winter cP air masses.
B)colder than winter cP air masses.
C)more likely to stay at higher latitudes than winter cP air masses.
D)less cloudy than winter cP air masses.
Q2) Maritime tropical masses reach North America from all of the following areas except
A)the northern Pacific.
B)the eastern Pacific.
C)the Gulf of Mexico.
D)the Middle Atlantic.
Q3) The passage of a front often brings A)strange odors.
B)clear skies.
C)abrupt changes in temperature, humidity and wind.
D)abrupt changes in atmospheric composition.
Q4) This type of front moves very slowly,if at all: ________ front.
Q5) Give the typical characteristics of mT air masses and describe the nature of the precipitation it would typically bring to the southeastern United States.
Q6) List the sources of maritime air masses that affect North America.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Midlatitude Cyclones
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119 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When was it discovered that storms move from place to place?
A)1600s
B)1700s
C)1800s
D)1900s
Q2) The Bergen scientists developed the idea of ________ to explain the formation of mid-latitude cyclones.
Q3) Anticyclones
A)often bring calm weather.
B)are not affected by upper-level conditions to the same degree as cyclones are.
C)rarely remain in one place for more than a few hours.
D)only appear in the Southern Hemisphere.
Q4) During cyclogenesis,cloud formation will be least intense here.
A)at the center of the low-pressure area
B)along the boundary of the cold front
C)just outside the center of the low-pressure area
D)along the boundary of the warm front
Q5) The two sources of relative vorticity are ________ and ________.
Q6) A surface low-pressure system that results from motions in the upper troposphere is called a ________.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Lightning, thunder, and Tornadoes
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116 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Mesoscale convective complexes are self-sustaining because
A)wind shear is typically absent.
B)downdrafts from individual cells become warmer as the precipitation evaporates.
C)downdrafts from individual cells rise over the outflow boundary.
D)downdrafts from individual cells combine with surface winds to create updrafts and wind shear.
Q2) This type of lightning extends up to 95 kilometers above the top of a thunderstorm,and it resembles a jellyfish:
A)sprite.
B)St. Elmo's fire.
C)ball lightning.
D)sheet lightning.
Q3) What is the main difference between a tornado and a funnel cloud?
Q4) Thunder exhibiting a prolonged,rumbling sound
A)is likely originating from multiple lightning bolts.
B)is likely originating from different regions of a single lightning stroke.
C)indicates a reduced intensity of the associated lightning strike.
D)indicates a higher-temperature thunderstorm.
Q5) Cloud-to-cloud lightning is called ________.
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Chapter 12: Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
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116 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hurricanes lose strength when they
A)move over cooler water.
B)move over warmer water.
C)move over land.
D)move over cooler water or move over land.
Q2) The marine layer
A)is warm.
B)is dry.
C)lies above the tradewind inversion.
D)increases in height in a westerly direction.
Q3) The most important condition for the formation of a hurricane is
A)the strength of the Coriolis force.
B)distance from the equator.
C)a deep surface layer of warm ocean water.
D)stable conditions in the upper portion of the troposphere.
Q4) Over the Indian Ocean the strongest tropical storms are called A)hurricanes.
B)typhoons.
C)inta'akas.
D)cyclones.
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Chapter 13: Weather Forecasting and Analysis
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121 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) This map is commonly used to represent conditions in the middle atmosphere.
A)200 mb
B)500 mb
C)700 mb
D)850 mb
Q2) Currently,forecasts are least accurate in predicting A)temperature.
B)wind.
C)pressure distributions.
D)precipitation amounts.
Q3) What is the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS)and how is it used in weather forecasting?
Q4) What is the main difference in operation between the current NEXRAD Doppler radar and the dual-polarization radars of the future?
Q5) The primary professional organization for professional meteorologists in the United States is the ________.
Q6) What is the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)and what is their main function?
Q7) A ________ stays far above a fixed point on the earth.
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Chapter 14: Human Effects on the Atmosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain the basic cause of the urban heat island.
Q2) If scientists did not account for the urban heat island effect when tracking changes in global temperature over time,they would most likely ________ the magnitude of global warming.
Q3) Define and distinguish between primary pollutants and secondary pollutants.
Q4) Regarding urban heat islands,it is true that
A)scientists who study climate change have not taken into account the impact of urban areas on temperature readings of weather stations there.
B)the highest temperatures are typically found on the edges of a city.
C)the highest temperature increases relative to surrounding rural areas are found in cities with both large areas and large populations.
D)soil typically has a greater heat storage capacity than most building materials.
Q5) Urban-rural temperature differences are lowest
A)around noon.
B)in the evening.
C)late at night.
D)in summer.
Q6) Discuss the effects of acid precipitation on the environment.
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Chapter 15: Earths Climates
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Sample Questions
Q1) A vegetation type that occurs in a tropical climate and consists of grasslands and interspersed trees is the ________.
Q2) In the Koeppen system,the type of climates that are unique because their distribution is not governed by geographic location but by topography,are the A)ice cap climates.
B)tundra climates.
C)humid continental climates.
D)highland climates.
Q3) For each climate subtype give a one-sentence summary of precipitation and temperature characteristics.
Q4) Los Angeles,California,has this type of climate: ________.
Q5) Koeppen based the boundaries between climate classes on changes in A)type of vegetation.
B)elevation.
C)precipitation.
D)land use by humans.
Q6) The statistical properties of the atmosphere of a region is that region's ________.
Q7) Seattle,Washington,has this type of climate: ________.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Climate Changes: Past and Future
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Sample Questions
Q1) How can ice-albedo feedback affect climate?
Q2) During the last glacial maximum
A)there were four main pulses of glaciation.
B)Scandinavia was relatively ice-free.
C)sea level was about 20 feet lower than now.
D)higher latitude regions were drier than they are now.
Q3) Carbon dioxide
A)is a noble gas.
B)is a solid that contributes very little to atmospheric and climatic change.
C)is a greenhouse gas that may hold the key to important climatic changes.
D)has become so thick that certain insects can no longer fly but are forced to crawl.
Q4) Describe important characteristics of the last glacial maximum,including ice extent and thickness,crustal deformation,and changes in air temperature and sea level.
Q5) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)is primarily mandated to A)assess the present state of knowledge concerning climate change.
B)report on the human and environmental impacts of climate change.
C)offer mitigation strategies to deal with climate change.
D)All of these are correct.
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Chapter 17: Atmospheric Optics Online Only in
Masteringmeteorology
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62 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Characterize the conditions of the atmosphere that are favorable for the formation of an inferior mirage.
Q2) The bending of light as it passes around water droplets is known as ________.
Q3) When the Sun is positioned slightly below the horizon,its direct rays cannot be seen at the surface,but diffuse radiation can illuminate the sky to create ________ conditions.
Q4) Describe the atmospheric conditions under which a superior mirage would form.
Q5) Why does refraction occur?
A)Some wavelengths are more absorbed than other.
B)because radiation speed varies with density of the atmosphere
C)because the denser the atmosphere is the higher the speed that light is transmitted D)none of these
Q6) Halos are associated with A)stratus clouds. B)thunderstorms.
C)cumulus clouds.
D)cirrostratus clouds.
Q7) Explain how a primary rainbow is formed.
Q8) The brightest and most common rainbows are ________. Page 19
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Page 20