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Science 100 Final
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Which of the following is considered to be a boundary between two different air masses? | Both warm front and cold front. |
The air masses that have the greatest influence on weather conditions in the central United States are ________. | cP and mT |
Most severe thunderstorms that occur in the middle latitudes form along or ahead of cold fronts. | True |
Precipitation associated with a cold front is usually more intense and shorter in duration than precipitation generated by a warm front. | True |
In some parts of the world hurricanes are called typhoons or cyclones. | True |
On a weather map, ________ fronts are shown by a line with semicircles extending from one side. | warm |
Which of the following should have the steepest pressure gradient? | tornado |
This air mass is the source of much of the moisture for precipitation in the central and eastern United States. | mT |
A cT air mass is ________. | warm and dry |
A tropical depression has stronger winds than a tropical storm. | False |
When an area is experiencing several consecutive days of rather constant weather, it is probably ________. | air-mass weather |
As a result of global warming, a significant melting of glaciers is expected during the next century. | True |
After the center of a mature wave cyclone passes, you should expect ________. | barometric pressure to rise |
A tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service after a tornado has been sighted in an area or is indicated by weather radar. | True |
Surface cyclones are accompanied by divergence aloft. | True |
Tornadoes most often move TOWARDS what direction? | northeast |
When an active cold front overtakes a warm front ________. | an occluded front forms |
Continental polar air masses seldom influence the weather south of the Great Lakes. | False |
If an observer sees cirrus clouds, followed later by cirrostratus, and then altostratus, he or she is witnessing the approach of a ________ front. | warm |
Cold fronts usually move more slowly than warm fronts. | False |
Most of the Moon's craters were produced by ________. | the impact of debris (meteoroids) |
The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of gases and dispersed solid particles. | nebular hypothesis |
The Sun produces energy by converting ________. | hydrogen nuclei to helium nuclei |
The Sun's surface has a grainy texture produced by numerous bright markings called ________. | granules |
The layer of the Sun that radiates most of the light that reaches Earth is called the ________. | photosphere |
Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding solar surface. | True |
Of the terrestrial planets, Mercury exhibits the greatest extremes in surface temperatures. | True |
Streams of protons and electrons emitted from the Sun produce ________. | the solar wind |
________ refers to the bright head of a comet. | Coma |
During periods of high solar activity, huge cloudlike structures that appear as great arches extending from the Sun are often produced. These solar features are called ________. | prominences |
The high surface temperatures of this planet have been attributed to the greenhouse effect. | Venus |
Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in the solar system. | True |
The layer of the solar atmosphere directly above the photosphere is referred to as the ________. | chromosphere |
Vast, circular to elliptical dark-colored, smooth areas of the Moon are known as ________. | lunar maria |
The Martian polar caps are thought to be mainly frozen methane and ammonia. | False |
Saturn's rings are clusters of relatively small, individual particles; the rings observed on Jupiter are violent storm clouds swirling above the polar regions of the planet. | False |
Large impact craters and large, domal features (probably representing viscous Large impact craters and large, domal features (probably representing viscous lava flows) have been imaged on the surface of Venus. | True |
An extreme example of the greenhouse effect is thought to be associated with an abundance of carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere. | False |
The surface features of ________ are known only through satellite radar mapping. | Venus |
The most conspicuous features on the surface of the Sun are dark areas called ________. | sunspots |
Stars spend most of their life span as main-sequence stars. | True |
The larger the magnitude number, the brighter will be the star. | False |
The hottest main-sequence stars are also the most massive. | True |
A star in which light cannot escape because of the immense gravitational pull at its surface is called a ________. | black hole |
The point in stellar evolution when a star has used up all its fuel and is radiating away its remaining thermal energy as light is the ________ stage. | white dwarf |
The most dense stars known to exist are ________. | neutron stars |
Which color stars have the coolest surface temperature? | red |
The greatest number of galaxies belong to the type known as elliptical galaxies. | True |
These stars are produced during a supernova event. | black hole |
Based on the observed red shifts in the spectral lines of distant galaxies, astronomers conclude that ________. | the universe is expanding |
Stars having the same surface temperature radiate the same amount of energy per unit area. | True |
The Sun is considered an average star. | True |
Most galaxies in the universe are moving away from us. | True |
The Sun belongs to this class of stars. | main-sequence star |
Stars with a surface temperature 3000 K appear red in color. | True |
The measure of a star's brightness is called its magnitude. | True |
Hubble's law states that galaxies are receding from us at a speed that is proportional to their ________. | distance |
One of the most common units used to express stellar distance is the ________. | light-year |
The final stage in the evolution of a star like our Sun is a neutron star. | False |
Which color stars have the highest surface temperature? | blue |
Which main-sequence stars are the most massive? | blue |
The final stage in the evolution of the most massive stars is a ________. | black hole |
Most stars are in this stage of evolution. | main-sequence star |
The Sun belongs to this class of stars. | main-sequence star |
Stars spend most of their life span as main-sequence stars. | True |
Because of the Coriolis effect, surface ocean currents are deflected to the ________ of their path of motion in the Southern Hemisphere. | right |
Large estuaries are more common on a(n) ________ coastline | submergent |
Neap tides occur about the time of the first quarter and third quarter phases of the Moon. | True |
An isolated remnant of wave erosion is a ________. | sea stack |
Desalination is currently our most productive and efficient source of fresh water. | False |
The height, length, and period of a wave depend upon the ________. | all of these |
Thermoclines in the ocean are best developed at ________. | lower latitudes |
A rapid change in density with depth in the ocean is called the ________. | pycnocline |
The smallest daily tidal range is during ________ tide. | neap |
Which of the following is a tidal current? | both flood and ebb tide |
Longshore sand transport and longshore currents depend on waves impinging parallel to a shoreline. | False |
The proportion of dissolved substances in seawater is expressed as 0/00, which is the same as ________. | parts per thousand |
Choose the best answer. The zigzag movement of sand grains along a beach is ________. | called beach drift |
The rapid change in temperature with depth in the ocean is called the pycnocline. | False |
A baymouth bar is a manmade feature designed to control wave erosion. | False |
Tidal flats are submerged during ebb tide. | False |
Waves begin to "feel bottom" when the depth of water is ________. | equal to half the wavelength |
The dissolved materials in seawater originate primarily from chemical weathering of rocks on the continents and from ________. | outgassing of elements from Earth's interior |
Salinity in the ocean is highest in regions where ________ is high and ________ is low. | evaporation; precipitation |
Halite (sodium chloride) is the most abundant salt found in seawater. | True |
A flat, bench-like surface cut in rock along a coast is a ________. | wave-cut platform |
The dissolved materials in seawater originate primarily from chemical weathering of rocks on the continents and from ________. | outgassing of elements from Earth's interior |
The speed of sound in the ocean has been measured to determine changes in the ________ of the ocean. | temperature |
The horizontal distance separating successive wave crests is called the wave period. | False |
The turbulent water created by breaking waves is called surf. | True |
Waves begin to "feel bottom" when the depth of water is ________. | equal to half the wavelength |
When the tide rises, water flows in toward the shore as the ebb tide. | False |
Because of the Coriolis effect, surface ocean currents are deflected to the ________ of their path of motion in the Northern Hemisphere. | right |
Groins are constructed for the purpose of maintaining or widening beaches that are losing sand. | True |
Which of the following is designed to reduce shoreline erosion? | all of these |
Although the Sun influences the tides, its effect is considerably less than the effect of the Moon. | True |
The movement of sand parallel to the shore ________. | all of the above |
Fetch refers to ________. | a large expanse of open water over which the wind blows and generates waves |
Large estuaries are more common on a(n) ________ coastline. | emergent |
The most abundant salt in seawater is ________. | NaCl |
Surface ocean circulation is also called thermohaline circulation. | True |
A poleward-moving ocean current is ________. | warm |
Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay are ________. | all of the above |
If stormy weather were approaching, the pressure tendency would probably be ________. | falling |
If the barometer indicated 1020 millibars, air pressure would be considered high. | True |
The force that generates wind is ________. | pressure gradient force |
Closely spaced isobars indicate high wind speeds. | True |
High pressure systems are usually associated with stormy weather. | False |
Standard sea level pressure in millibars is ________. | 1013 mb |
The Coriolis effect is strongest at the equator and diminishes in strength poleward. | False |
A sea breeze usually originates during the ________. | day and flows toward the land |
Standard sea level pressure in inches of mercury is ________. | 29.92 inches |
What is the technical name for a high pressure center? | anticyclone |
In the Southern Hemisphere, the winds associated with a low pressure system blow ________. | clockwise and toward the center |
An isobar is a line connecting places of equal humidity. | False |
A steep pressure gradient ________. | produces strong winds |
Low pressure systems are usually associated with clear weather. | False |
In the Northern Hemisphere, the winds associated with a low pressure system blow ________. | counterclockwise and toward the center |
Most of the United States is situated in which zone of prevailing winds? | westerlies |
Upper air winds ________. | are generally faster than surface winds |
When are upper air winds fastest? | in winter |
The subpolar low (polar front) is ________. | a zone where the polar easterlies and the westerlies converge |
Anticyclones characteristically have winds blowing out from their centers. | True |