One of the main roles of plants in biogeochemical cycles is to |
extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. |
The difference between open and closed systems is that |
open systems can acquire matter and energy, but closed systems cannot. |
If two places have the same latitude but different longitudes, |
the two places are directly east or west of each other. |
A dynamic system refers to a system in which |
matter, energy, or both, are constantly changing their position, amounts, or form. |
Which of the following is true of meridians? |
Meridians always follow great circles. |
The significance of any great circle is that it always |
connects two points on the surface of a sphere with the shortest distance. |
Geographic factors are important when considering environmental issues or when evaluating potential sites for a new agricultural area or business because |
location and spatial distributions often affect environmental, social, or economic behavior. |
The "sphere" that intersects with all of the other spheres is the |
biosphere. |
Which of the letters represents the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere? |
C (when just north america is illuminated) |
Which of the water columns would experience the greatest temperature differences with depth? |
B (calm) |
The most important greenhouse gas for retaining a variety of outgoing longwave radiation is |
H2O |
Electromagnetic Radiation. |
is composed of interacting electrical and magnetic fields. |
On equinox. |
tilt is neither inclined toward or away from the sun |
In regard to the shortwave energy entering the earth's atmosphere, most is. |
used to heat either the atmosphere or the ground surface. |
From this graph, one should conclude that |
most of the energy input into the system goes toward changing state, not to change temperature. |
Land heats and cools more rapidly than the ocean because of its |
lower specific heat when compared to the ocean. |
Which of the following involves energy storage in the water molecule in the form of latent heat? |
melting, evaporation, sublimation |
Which location is found at the highest latitude? |
D (insolation and temp are both low) |
Without greenhouse gases, earth's temperature would be |
-18°C. |
As one approaches the equator, the angle of incidence ____ and the atmosphere attenuation ______. |
increases; decreases |
The solar constant is |
consistent amount of energy received at the top of the atmosphere. |
An object emits a range of electromagnetic energy wave lengths because |
not all molecules vibrate at the same speed. |
The only temperature scale that relates changes in internal energy to the absolute amount of heat gained or lost by a system is the |
Kelvin scale. |
What atmospheric layer is the home of weather, has the greatest density of gas molecules, and has a decrease in temperature with height? |
Troposphere |
Which of the following processes is primarily responsible for the sky's blue color? |
scattering |
The earth's radiation balance involves. |
most energy leaving the earth in the form of longwave radiation. |
Which of the following involves the release of latent heat back into the environment? |
deposition |
Ozone thinning is. |
more pronounced in Antarctica than the Arctic. |
Land heats and cools more rapidly than oceans because of |
lack of mixing in soil or rock layers. |
As the zenith angle _____ the amount of energy reaching the surface _____. |
increases, decreases |
During the northern hemisphere's summer, the sun never completely descends beneath the horizon in areas north of the _________ Circle or ________ °N on at least one full day per year (hence the name "Land of the Midnight Sun"). |
Arctic, 66.5 |
Below, you are given the mean monthly temperatures for Memphis, San Francisco, Irkutsk (Russia) and Santos (Brazil). The annual ranges of temperature in Memphis and San Francisco are quite different (calculate them to see the magnitude). Which of the following BEST explains the difference in these ranges? You can refer to a map if you are unfamiliar where any of cities are located. |
Memphis is located in the interior of the continent and therefore more influenced by the seasonal range in solar radiation, while San Francisco is located on the coast of an ocean and more modulated by ocean temperatures. |
Assume you are in the Northern hemisphere, and match the dates with the correct solar positions: |
A)Winter solstice (B)Vernal (spring) and autumnal (fall) equinoxes (C)Summer |
What two factors, both resulting from the earth's tilt, are most important in contributing to the seasons? Together, these two factors determine the total amount of solar radiation incident on the top of Earth's atmosphere. Please choose TWO correct answers. |
length of day, sun angle |
The annual cycle of seasons is primarily caused by __________________. |
the tilt of Earth's axis relative to its orbit around the Sun |