Environmental Science
Exam Materials
Course Introduction
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary field that explores the interactions between humans and the natural environment. The course covers key topics such as ecosystems, biodiversity, energy resources, pollution, climate change, and sustainable development. Through a combination of scientific principles and case studies, students learn how physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment are impacted by human activities. Emphasis is placed on understanding environmental issues, evaluating potential solutions, and considering the social, economic, and ethical aspects of environmental decision-making.
Recommended Textbook
Extreme Weather and Climate 1st Edition by C. Donald Ahrens
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15 Chapters
633 Verified Questions
633 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3773
Page 2
Chapter 1: The Turbulent Atmosphere
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) At night,when the weather is extremely cold and dry,
A)atmospheric pressure increases with increasing altitude.
B)atmospheric pressure remains constant with increasing altitude.
C)atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude.
D)atmospheric pressure first increases,then decreases with increasing altitude.
Answer: C
Q2) Under what circumstances might a person breathe stratospheric air? How often is it likely to happen in a student's lifetime?
Answer: no answer
Q3) The word "weather" is defined as:
A)the average of the weather elements.
B)the climate of a region.
C)the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place.
D)any type of falling precipitation.
Answer: C
Q4) Water vapor shows more variation from place to place and from time to time than any other atmospheric gas.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
3
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Chapter 2: Energy That Drives the Storms
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49 Verified Questions
49 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Air that rises always:
A)contracts and warms.
B)contracts and cools.
C)expands and cools.
D)expands and warms.
Answer: C
Q2) Without the atmospheric greenhouse effect,the average surface temperature would be:
A)higher than at present.
B)lower than at present.
C)the same as it is now.
D)much more variable than it is now.
Answer: B
Q3) Heat is energy in the process of being transferred from:
A)hot objects to cold objects.
B)low pressure to high pressure.
C)cold objects to hot objects.
D)high pressure to low pressure.
E)regions of low density toward regions of high density.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Temperature and Humidity Extremes
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) An important reason for the large daily temperature range over deserts is:
A)there is little water vapor in the air to absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation.
B)the light-colored sand radiates heat very rapidly at night.
C)dry air is a very poor heat conductor.
D)free convection cells are unable to form above the hot desert ground.
E)the ozone content of desert air is very low.
Answer: A
Q2) The maximum in daytime surface temperature typically occurs _______ the earth receives its most intense solar radiation.
A)before
B)after
C)exactly when
Answer: B
Q3) The strongest radiation inversions occur when:
A)skies are overcast.
B)skies are partly cloudy.
C)skies are clear.
D)precipitation is falling.
Answer: C
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Condensation in the Atmosphere
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) How can you visually distinguish between cumulus,altocumulus,and cirrocumulus clouds?
Q2) On a cold,winter morning the most likely place for radiation fog to form is:
A)at the top of a hill or mountain.
B)in a valley.
C)along the side of a hill.
D)over a body of water.
Q3) Cirrus clouds are composed primarily of:
A)water droplets.
B)water vapor.
C)ice particles.
D)salt aerosols.
Q4) When radiation fog "burns off",the fog tends to dissipate:
A)from the bottom up.
B)from the top down.
C)starting at the middle,and working both upward and downward.
Q5) Particles that serve as surfaces on which water vapor may condense are called condensation nuclei.
A)True
B)False
6
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Chapter 5: Clouds and Stability
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43 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain how the stability of the atmosphere can affect the types of clouds that form.
Q2) An air parcel that is warmer than its surroundings will rise.What force accounts for this upward motion?
Q3) If the environmental lapse rate is 5<sup>o</sup> C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25<sup>o</sup> C,then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is 20<sup>o</sup> C.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following sets of conditions would produce a cumulus cloud with the lowest base?
A)air temperature 90<sup>o</sup> F,dew point temperature 50<sup>o</sup> F
B)air temperature 90<sup>o</sup> F,dew point temperature 40<sup>o</sup> F
C)air temperature 90<sup>o</sup> F,dew point temperature 60<sup>o</sup> F
D)air temperature 90<sup>o</sup> F,dew point temperature 20<sup>o</sup> F
Q5) What types of clouds might you expect to see form when a cold mass of air moves over warmer water?
Q6) Explain how lifting an air layer can steepen the environmental lapse rate and make the layer more unstable.
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Chapter 6: Precipitation Extremes
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40 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Rain which falls from a cloud,but evaporates before reaching the ground is called virga.
A)True
B)False
Q2) It is never too cold to snow.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Cloud seeding using silver iodide works well in warm clouds composed entirely of water droplets.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Cumulus congestus clouds often produce drizzle.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The growth of a precipitation particle by the collision of an ice crystal (or snowflake)with a supercooled liquid droplet is called deposition.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Design an automated device for measuring snowfall.How might it work?
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Atmospheric Motions
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45 Verified Questions
45 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) On an isobaric weather chart,the spacing of the height contours indicates the magnitude of the __________ force.
A)pressure gradient
B)Coriolis
C)thermal
Q2) A surface low pressure center is generally associated with __________ on an upper level isobaric chart.
A)a trough
B)a ridge
C)zonal flow
D)convergence
Q3) On an upper-level chart the wind tends to blow:
A)at right angles to the isobars or contour lines
B)parallel to the isobars or contours
C)at an angle between 10 and 30 to the contours and towards lower pressure
D)at constant speed
Q4) The vertical pressure gradient force is directed downward.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Under what conditions (if any)might you record a station pressure of 750 mb?
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Wind Systems
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The majority of the United States lies within this wind belt:
A)westerlies
B)easterlies
C)northerlies
D)trades
E)southerlies
Q2) The summer monsoon in eastern and southern Asia is characterized by dry weather and winds blowing from land to sea.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In south Florida the prevailing winds are northeasterly.Because of this,the strongest sea breeze is usually observed on Florida's __________ coast,and the strongest land breeze on Florida's __________ coast.
A)east,west
B)west,east
C)west,west
D)east,east
Q4) What is meant by the term monsoon wind system? How is this wind system different from a land-sea breeze?
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Chapter 9: Air Masses and Fronts
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Sample Questions
Q1) The origin of cP and cA air masses that enter the United States is northern Siberia.
A)True
B)False
Q2) List the four basic types of air masses.Give an example of where each type could originate and describe how each air mass could affect local weather conditions if it moved into your region.
Q3) When a warm and cold air mass collide,why is the warm air is forced upward?
Q4) Occluded fronts may form as:
A)a cold front overtakes a warm front.
B)a warm front overtakes a cold front.
C)a cold front overtakes a squall line.
D)overrunning occurs along a warm front.
Q5) The air mass with the highest actual water vapor content is:
A)mT
B)cT
C)mP
D)cP
Q6) Explain why the observation of a halo around the moon or sun could forewarn of the arrival of a warm front.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Mid-Latitude Cyclonic Storms
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Suppose you observe a middle-latitude cyclone on the surface weather chart.What kind(s)of weather chart(s)would you want to examine to determine whether the cyclone is likely to strengthen or decay over the next 24 hours? What information would you hope to gain from each chart type?
Q2) When an upper-level low lies directly above a surface low:
A)the surface low will probably weaken.
B)thunderstorms will develop.
C)a wave cyclone will begin to form.
D)the pressure of the surface low will decrease.
E)cyclogenesis will occur.
Q3) The piling up of air above a region is called thickening.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Atmospheric shortwaves usually move __________ at a speed that is __________ than longwaves.
A)east to west,faster
B)west to east,faster
C)east to west,slower
D)west to east,slower
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Chapter 11: Thunderstorms
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lightning may occur:
A)within a cloud
B)from a cloud to the ground
C)from one cloud to another cloud
D)all of the above
Q2) Severe thunderstorms often occur where the dryline intersects a front or an outflow boundary.
A)True
B)False
Q3) All thunderstorms require:
A)hot,humid air
B)divergence of the air aloft
C)lifting along some barrier such as a mountain or front
D)surface heating
E)rising air
Q4) The warm temperatures of a heat burst (a very warm thunderstorm downdraft)are caused by evaporative warming.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is wind shear? Why does wind shear represent a hazard to aviation?
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Tornadoes
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) At home,when confronted with an approaching tornado,you should:
A)open the windows right away.
B)grab a video camera and start filming.
C)listen to see whether the tornado has an audible roar.
D)seek shelter immediately.
Q2) Even if distinctive features that might indicate a tornado are observed on radar,a tornado must be observed visually before a tornado warning is issued.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In the United States,tornadoes are most frequent during the __________,and least frequent during the __________.
A)summer,fall
B)spring,winter
C)spring,fall
D)summer,winter
E)winter,fall
Q4) Warm,humid air spins when drawn into a supercell thunderstorm.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Hurricanes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hurricane season for the tropical North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans normally runs from June through November.Why don't hurricanes form in these locations at other times of the year?
Q2) List and describe some of the conditions that are favorable to hurricane development.What atmospheric conditions inhibit hurricane formation and growth?
Q3) The strongest winds in a hurricane heading westward toward Florida would most likely be found on the __________ side.
A)northern
B)southern
C)eastern
D)western
Q4) In the Northern Hemisphere,hurricanes and middle latitude cyclones are similar in that both:
A)have surface weather fronts.
B)intensify with increasing height above the ground.
C)have winds that blow counterclockwise around their centers.
D)will generally move from west to east.
Q5) In what ways are weather conditions in the tropics and at middle latitudes different?
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Chapter 14: Weather Forecasting
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41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Low 1000-500 mb thicknesses correspond to cold air,while high thicknesses correspond to warm air.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Describe four different types of weather forecasting methods and give an example of each.
Q3) Suppose it is warm and raining,and a cold front is moving toward your location.Directly behind the cold front it is cold and snowing.Still further behind the front the weather is cold and clearing.If the front is scheduled to pass your area in 6 hours,a persistence forecast for your area for 12 hours from now would be:
A)cold and snowing.
B)cold and clearing.
C)cold and cloudy.
D)warm and raining.
E)not enough information on which to base a forecast.
Q4) What local signs would you look for to predict the approach of a low pressure center or a weather front?
Q5) Explain how observed teleconnection patterns can help in the preparation of a seasonal weather forecast.
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Chapter 15: The Earths Changing Climate
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50 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) If the earth were in a cooling trend,which process below would most likely act as a positive feedback mechanism?
A)increasing the snow cover around the earth
B)increasing the water vapor content of the air
C)decreasing the amount of cloud cover around the globe
D)increasing the carbon dioxide content of the air
Q2) The Milankovitch Theory proposes that climatic changes are due to particles suspended in the earth's atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Volcanoes that have the most impact on global climate seem to be those rich in:
A)nitrogen
B)water vapor
C)carbon dioxide
D)sulfur
E)oxygen
Q4) Assume that you have 100 years of continuous temperature records from your local weather service office.Discuss some of the difficulties you might have trying to determine whether average temperatures have increased during this period.
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