first exam study guide GEOG 1050

GEOG 1050 – Physical Geography Choose the best answer for each question. 1. Geography is described as a(n) science. A. Earth B. human C. spatial D. physical 2 . If increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to further increases in temperature by promoting the release of even more carbon dioxide from the oceans, this means that ____________ feedback has occurred and that the planet is __________. A. positive, in equilibrium B. negative; out of equilibrium C. negative; in equilibrium D. positive; out of equilibrium 3. A parallel is a line that connects all points along the same longitude. A. True B. False 4. Standard time zones: A. Have yet to be generally established B. Are 15° wide because Earth rotates through that distance in one hour. C. Are only used in developed countries. D. Are spaced at 5° intervals of longitude in North America 5. You are traveling from Japan to San Diego. As you are just about to fly across the International Dateline, it is 7 a.m. Friday. What time and day is it right after you cross the IDL? A. 7 a.m. Saturday B. 8 a.m. Friday C. 6 a.m. Friday D. 7 a.m. Thursday 6. Which of the following is not true of meridians? A. they cross parallels at right angles. B. They are lines which run in an east-west direction. C. All meridians are the same length D. They are used to measure east-west angular distances. 7. If you were standing at 62°S you would be within which latitudinal geographic zone? A. tropical B. midlatitude C. subantarctic D. subarctic 8. If City A is located east of City B, the time at City A is __________ than that at City B because the earth rotates from ________________ when viewed from above the North Pole. A. earlier; west to east (counterclockwise) B. earlier; east to west (clockwise) C. later; west to east D. later; east to west 9. The larger the scale of a map the __________________ the area covered by the map and the ____________ detail it provides. A. larger; more B. smaller; less C. larger; less D. smaller; more 10. Maps and data of a particular area, that are at different scales can be put into a _______ and used for further analysis. A. GPS B. remote sensor C. closed system D. GIS 11. The sun peaks in the ____________ portion of the EM spectrum while the earth peaks in the _____________ portion. By this I am asking Shortwave/longwave differences. A. infrared; visible B. thermal, colored C. visible; infrared D. radio; gamma

12. The solar constant is _______________ and is measured from the ___________________. A. 1372W/m 2 ; earth’s surface B. 1372W/m 2 ; top of earth’s atmosphere C. 1732W/m 2 ; top of the earth’s atmosphere D. 1732W/m 2 ; earth’s surface 13. The earth’s axial tilt is ______________ off the Plane of the Ecliptic. A. 23.5° B . 42° C. 66.5° D. 90° 14. On June 21, the sun never sets at John’s location. Based on this is can be concluded that John lives: A. between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle B. between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle C. north the Arctic Circle D. south the Antarctic Circle 15. Earth is farthest from the Sun at perihelion and closest at aphelion. A. True B. False 16. The uneven distribution of insolation by latitude is primarily a result of _____________. A. tilt of the earth B. the sun doesn’t emit even insolation C. Earth’s shape D. the moon 17. Detroit, MI, experiences direct sunlight over head, thus no shadow, how many times a year? A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3 18. On average, which of the following is true regarding the distribution of shortwave and longwave energy at Earth’s surface by latitude? A. The equatorial zone is a region of net deficits. B. Polar regions are areas of net surpluses. C. The distribution shows an imbalance of net radiation from equator to poles. D. More energy is lost than is gained in the equatorial regions. 19. Based on composition, the atmosphere is divided into A. one continuous region B. two broad classes: homosphere and heterosphere C. the troposphere and the stratosphere D. two broad classes: ionosphere and ozonosphere 20. The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are: A. water vapor and carbon dioxide B. nitrogen and water vapor C. nitrogen and oxygen D. oxygen and carbon dioxide 21. Temperatures increase with increasing altitude in what two atmospheric layers? A. troposphere and mesosphere B. stratosphere and thermosphere C. stratosphere and mesosphere D. troposphere and thermosphere 23. The single most important control of temperature is: A. altitude B. latitude C. evaporation D. cloud cover 24. Because of the great education you received at WMU, you receive four job offers before you graduate! You’ve had it with snow storms and cleaning off your car, so you want to live in a city with the highest temperatures throughout the entire year. Where will you live and what factor should influence your decision the most? A. New Orleans because of the coast B. Rio because of the latitude. C. London because of the cloud coverage. D. Miami because of the altitude. Short Answer Essay. All answers must be on the answer key provided.

1. Latitude 2. Altitude and elevation 3. Cloud cover 4. Land-water heating differences 20. Explain why land heats and cools faster than water. 1. Specific heat - amount of energy needed to raise 1g of substance is 1 degree celsius; specific heat of water is 4x as land 2. Water transmits light 3. Water moves naturally 4. Water evaporates 28. On the circle provided, draw a diagram of the Earth at the Winter Solstice and include the following pieces of information. Keep in mind that spelling counts as you are simply copying the names from the exam. The earth has been provided for you. (15 pts.) a. Date b. Equator c. Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn d. Subsolar Point e. Location of the Sun f. Arctic & Antarctic Circles g. Circle of Illumination h. North & South Pole

D) very high above the surface of Earth. 5) Winds are named based on A) the direction they come from. B) the direction they are blowing toward. C) the scientist who first described them. D) the altitude at which they occur. 6) Which of the following is NOT a determinant of wind speed and direction? A) Electromagnetic force B) Pressure gradient force C) Coriolis force D) Friction force 7) Air flow is initiated by the A) Coriolis force. B) pressure gradient force . C) friction force. D) centrifugal force. 8) During summer, cities located near the coast are ________ than those in the interior at the same latitude, while in the winter they are ________. A) warmer; warmer B) warmer; cooler C) cooler; warmer D) cooler; cooler 9) Which is TRUE of air flowing into a low pressure center? A) Air converges and ascends. B) Air diverges and ascends. C) Air converges and descends. D) Air diverges and descends. 10) Which of the following is TRUE of high pressure areas? A) Air converges and ascends within high pressure systems.

B) Air descends and diverges within high pressure systems . C) They generally involve atmospheric pressures lower than 1000 mb. D) They are characteristic for areas along the equator. 11) The dominant surface winds from the subtropics to high polar latitudes are the A) westerlies. B) trade winds. C) polar easterlies. D) geostrophic winds. 12) Which association is INCORRECT? A) Equatorial low — Hot/Dry B) Polar high — Cold/Dry C) Subpolar low — 60° N/S D) Subtropical high — 20-35° N/S 13) As a result of the characteristics of water, cities located near a coast should experience a temperature range that is ________ those of cities located in the interior at the same latitude. A) the same as B) smaller than C) larger than 14) Which of the following is NOT always true of the wind? A) It is initiated by the pressure gradient force. B) It blows from regions of high pressure to regions of low pressure. C) The direction of flow can be affected by the rotation of Earth. D) Air blows from regions of hotter air to regions of colder air. E) Winds are named based on the direction from which they blow. 15) Which of the following describes the pressure gradient force? A) It drives air from areas of higher to lower barometric pressure. B) It decreases with height above the surface. C) It causes apparent deflection of winds from a straight path. D) It is the only force acting on atmospheric flows in the upper troposphere. 16) An isoline of equal pressure plotted on a weather map is known as an A) isotherm. B) equilibrium line. C) isobar. D) isohyet. 17) If there is a steeper pressure gradient, wind will be ________ than in areas with a gradual pressure gradient. A) lighter B) warmer C) stronger D) cooler 18) On a weather map of air pressure, what can you infer from a close spacing of isobars? A) Little without knowing temperature patterns B) A steep pressure gradient creating a slower flow of air C) A steep pressure gradient creating a faster flow of air

D) a result of equalized pressure across the surface. 27) Normal sea level pressure has a value of A) 1013.2 millibars. B) 28.50 inches of lead. C) 32.01 millibars of mercury. D) 500 mb. 28) The normal range for air pressure at sea level is A) 500 to 1000 mb. B) 100 to 650 mb. C) 980-1050 mb. D) 1060-2010 mb. 30) The intertropical convergence zone is characterized by A) convergence and uplift of warm surface air. B) convergence and subsidence of cold surface air. C) divergence and uplift of warm surface air. D) divergence and subsidence of cold surface air. 31) Which of the following is NOT true of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)? A) Consistent high Sun altitude and daylength make large amounts of energy available. B) Warm, moisture-laden air converges along the ITCZ. C) A band of precipitation is associated with the ITCZ. D) The ITCZ is stationary throughout the year. 32) The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is associated with A) the horse latitudes. B) the principal midlatitude circulations.

C) the equatorial low-pressure trough. D) subtropical high-pressure development. 33) The winds flowing from the subtropical high and converging at the equatorial low are known as A) polar easterlies. B) westerlies. C) doldrums. D) trade winds. 34) The tropical atmospheric circulation associated with rising winds along the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and descending air in the subtropics is called A) polar cells. B) Ferrel cells. C) Rossby waves. D) Hadley cells. 35) Which of the following is TRUE of Hadley cells? A) They dominate the polar circulation. B) They appear most vertically and symmetrically on either side of the equator at the equinoxes. C) They are associated with the subpolar low pressure systems. D) They occur at great depth in the oceans. 36) Which of the following is associated with deserts such as the Sahara or the Arabian Desert? A) Subpolar lows B) World's equatorial rain forests C) Subtropical high pressure D) Major agricultural regions 37) Winds that blow predominantly from the northeast to the equator and from the southeast toward the equator are the A) westerlies. B) polar easterlies. C) horse latitudes. D) trade winds. 38) On Earth between 30° and 60° north latitude, winds flow from the ________ as they flow out of the ________ pressure zone toward the ________ pressure zone. A) northeast; subtropical high; subpolar low B) west-southwest; subtropical high; subpolar low C) northeast; subpolar low; subtropical high D) west-southwest; subpolar low; subtropical high 41) Imagine two hypothetical cities, both located at 12° N latitude. However, one is located near sea level, while the other at an elevation of 4,000 m (13,123 ft) above sea level. Which of the following is likely TRUE? A) The climates of the two cities are quite similar. B) Annual temperatures for the city at the lower elevation are lower than those at the city at the higher elevation. C) The city at the higher elevation has extremely cold winters similar to those in the Arctic. D) Though both cities are within the tropics, the city at the higher elevation has both average monthly and yearly temperatures lower than the city near sea level.

B) Southern Hemisphere temperatures are more strongly dominated by continentality than are Northern Hemisphere temperatures. C) The Northern and Southern hemispheres are dominated equally by maritime influences. D) The Northern and Southern hemispheres are dominated equally by continentality. 51) Sea-breezes A) result from water heating and cooling faster than land surfaces. B) form because of higher pressure over the land than the sea. C) involve onshore (toward the land) air flows that develop in the afternoon. D) occur because warmer air is denser and settles to the surface of the land. 52) During the day along the coast, the wind tends to blow toward the ________ because ____ A) land; land heats more rapidly than water B) land; land heats more slowly than water C) water; water heats more slowly than land D) water; water heats more rapidly than land

54) Which of the following is TRUE regarding the Asian monsoons shown above? A) 4.20a shows the Northern Hemisphere summer position of the ITCZ. B) 4.20b shows the Northern Hemisphere winter position of the ITCZ. C) 4.20a shows the Northern Hemisphere spring position of the ITCZ. D) 4.20b shows the Northern Hemisphere summer position of the ITCZ. 55) Monsoonal winds are A) katabatic in nature. B) regional wind systems that vary seasonally. C) limited to the Indian subcontinent. D) a form of mountain-valley wind.