Penn earth science lesson 3 700145RR

Question 1

1. Which statement best describes saturation?

A. Saturation refers to the lack of rainfall on a given day.

B. Saturation refers to the total rainfall for a year.

C. Saturation occurs only in hot, dry climates.

D. Saturation is reached when the amount of water vapor in the air has reached the maximum amount.

Question 2

2. In what times of year are tropical cyclones most likely to form?

A. Spring and summer

B. Winter and spring

C. Fall and winter

D. Summer and fall

Question 3

3. The highest point of a wave is called the

A. wavelength.

B. height.

C. trough.

D. crest.

Question 4

4. Which of the following instruments is used to measure air pressure?

A. Anemometer

B. Thermometer

C. Barometer

D. Hygrometer

Question 5

5. Most tornadoes carry wind speeds in the range of _______ km per hour.

A. 1 to 105

B. 267 to 322

C. 105 to 177

D. 178 to 266

Question 6

6. What are downbursts?

A. Strong, localized winds associated with thunderstorms

B. Precipitation in the form of balls or lumps of ice

C. Intense rotating updrafts

D. Storms that occur primarily in the western United States

Question 7

7. How is the Maunder minimum related to climate?

A. The Maunder minimum is unrelated to climate.

B. Changes in the Earth’s orbit correlate to changes in climate.

C. Unusually low sunspot activity correlates to unusually cold climatic events.

D. Changes in the Earth’s tilt correlate to changes in climate.

Question 8

8. A thunderstorm loses energy in the _______ stage.

A. frontal

B. mature

C. dissipation

D. cumulus

Question 9

9. What is a barrier island?

A. A long ridge of sediment that forms when a spit closes off a bay

B. A long ridge of sediment deposited by the longshore current and separated from the mainland

C. A narrow bank of sand that projects into the water from a bend in the coastline

D. A ridge of sand that forms between the mainland and an island connecting the island to the mainland

Question 10

10. Which of the following would be a result of increased solar activity?

A. Shorter summers

B. Longer winters

C. Warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures

D. Colder-than-normal sea surface temperatures

Question 11

11. A _______ is a rhythmic movement that carries energy through space or matter.

A. crest

B. tide

C. trough

D. wave

Question 12

12. About 99% of the atmosphere is composed of

A. argon and carbon dioxide.

B. oxygen and carbon dioxide.

C. nitrogen and oxygen.

D. nitrogen and water vapor.

Question 13

13. A hygrometer measures

A. temperature.

B. air pressure.

C. humidity.

D. wind speed.

Question 14

14. The _______ climates make up the largest climatic zone on Earth.

A. continental

B. polar

C. dry

D. tropical

Question 15

15. In which of the following situations is salinity highest?

A. Precipitation is abundant.

B. A large river system empties into the sea.

C. Evaporation exceeds precipitation.

D. Sea ice is melting.

Question 16

16. The three stages in the development of a full tropical cyclone are formative, mature, and

A. dissipation.

B. frontal.

C. cyclonic.

D. cumulus.

Question 17

17. The _______ is the area in which sediment is deposited along the shore.

A. beach

B. cove

C. cave

D. headland

Question 18

18. Submerged basaltic volcanoes that are higher than 1 km are called

A. hydrothermal vents.

B. guyots.

C. abyssal plains.

D. seamounts.

Question 19

19. Which of the following is an example of a long-term climatic change?

A. La Niña

B. Winter

C. Ice age

D. Summer

Question 20

20. Wind speeds increase higher up from the Earth’s surface because

A. oxygen levels are decreased, making air movement quicker.

B. the atmosphere is composed of heavier molecules at lower atmospheric levels.

C. friction from landscape features doesn’t slow them down.

D. the wind is augmented by the solar wind.