Download Weather Test

TEST NAME: Weather Take Home Test
TEST ID: 753682
GRADE: 09 ­ Ninth Grade
SUBJECT: Life and Physical Sciences
TEST CATEGORY: School Assessment
Weather Take Home Test
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Student: Class:
Date:
1. Over geologic time, global mean sea level has varied significantly. Which change is most likely responsible
for an increase in global mean sea level?
A.
erosion of sediment from a mountain range
B.
mass extinction of marine organisms
C.
formation of an ocean trench
D.
melting of polar ice caps
2. Scientists think that the rise in global temperature during the last one hundred years is due to an increase of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Which question would best help scientists assess the claim that humans
are responsible for the rising global temperature?
A.
What is the mechanism by which carbon dioxide heats Earth?
B.
What is the source of most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
C.
What is the source of the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
D.
What is the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
3. The table below shows lowest air pressure recorded for four hurricanes.
Rita
Katrina
Hugo
Karl
895 mbar (hPa);
26.43 (inHg)
902 mbar (hPa);
26.64 (inHg)
918 mbar (hPa);
27.11 (inHg)
956 mbar (hPa);
28.23 (inHg)
Which hurricane had the highest wind speed?
A.
Rita
B.
Katrina
C.
Hugo
D.
Karl
4. How does air density affect air pressure in a cyclonic storm?
A.
Warm air rises, creating an area of low pressure under it.
B.
Cool air rises, creating an area of low pressure under it.
C.
Warm air rises, creating an area of high pressure under it.
D.
Cool air rises, creating an area of high pressure under it.
5. Which activity affects the atmosphere most?
A.
drilling for oil
B.
transporting oil
C.
using oil as fuel for trucks
D.
spraying oil on dirt roads
Weather Take Home Test
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6. How do hurricanes form and move?
A.
The storms form at the equator and initially move west.
B.
The storms form at the equator and initially move south.
C.
The storms form at the northern midlatitude and initially move west.
D.
The storms form at the northern midlatitude and initially move south.
7. What causes the differences in the air masses that permit hurricanes to form over oceans?
A.
Ocean water is cool and cools the air above it.
B.
Ocean water is warm and heats the air above it.
C.
Ocean water contains salt that reacts with air, changing the air pressure.
D.
Ocean water contains algae that make oxygen, changing the air’s composition.
8. Visible light reaches Earth’s surface while infrared light is trapped as heat. Which characteristic of Earth’s
atmosphere causes this to happen?
A.
the ozone hole
B.
the inversion layer
C.
the greenhouse effect
D.
the atmospheric continuum
9. Some cyclonic storm data are shown below.
Wind Speed
Barometric
Pressure
125 mph (110
920 mbar (hPa)
kts)
Direction of
Rotation clockwise
Where is this storm?
A.
Eastern Hemisphere
B.
Western Hemisphere
C.
Northern Hemisphere
D.
Southern Hemisphere
10. The air masses that interact to form hurricanes and cyclones rise and fall due to changes in air density and
air pressure. Why do these storms also spin?
A.
Ocean currents drag the air above them in circles.
B.
The Moon’s gravity pulls air currents with the tides.
C.
Low pressure air pushes high pressure air sideways.
D.
Earth’s rotation causes the air to turn as it moves north.
11. The average temperature of Earth’s surface has increased approximately 1°C in the past century. Which of
the following can best explain this increase in temperature?
A.
higher levels of oxygen in the atmosphere
B.
lower levels of ozone in the atmosphere
C.
higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
D.
lower levels of nitrogen in the atmosphere
Weather Take Home Test
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12. Which of these events is an example of a change in climate?
A.
Afternoon clouds form and block the sunlight.
B.
A series of tornadoes occurs over a one­week period.
C.
An overnight temperature drop causes frost to form.
D.
The average amount of annual precipitation decreases.
13. Which form of water, when present in the atmosphere, is most likely to contribute to global warming?
A.
cloud
B.
rain
C.
vapor
D.
snow
14. The diagram illustrates an airflow pattern that occurs near the equator.
Rising moist air causes the frequent occurrence of which weather condition at Location X?
A.
high surface pressure
B.
cloudy and rainy
C.
cool and dry
D.
low evaporation rate
15. On December 12th a snowstorm in a city produced 20 centimeters of snowfall. When can this event be used
to describe the climate of the region?
A.
if the snowfall set a record
B.
if the snowfall was unusual for the area
C.
if the snowfall was consistent with weather in December over time
D.
if the snowfall remained on the ground for longer than one month
16. A student writes the following statement in a journal: “It was 84°F at 3 p.m. on Tuesday in the schoolyard.”
This statement best describes which system?
A.
local weather
B.
local climate
C.
regional weather
D.
regional climate
Weather Take Home Test
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17. Convection currents are formed in the atmosphere when cold air pushes warm air upward.
Which property of the air is most responsible for the formation of convection currents?
A.
chemical composition
B.
thermal conductivity
C.
density differences
D.
specific heat
Weather Take Home Test
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18. Tornadoes can occur throughout the United States. One area where most of the tornadoes occur is known
as Tornado Alley.
Which environmental factors most likely impact the formation of tornadoes in this area?
A.
high pressure systems colliding with other high pressure systems
B.
cold dry air and warm dry air moving towards each other
C.
low evaporation rates and windy conditions
D.
cool dry air colliding with warm moist air
19. The arrows on the map represent the movement of air masses across North America.
Air mass 1 would most likely bring which weather conditions to a region?
A.
cool and dry
B.
warm and dry
C.
cool and humid
D.
warm and humid
Weather Take Home Test
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20. Hurricanes typically form during predictable times of year and in certain locations on Earth. Which factor
best enables climatologists to forecast the time and location of hurricane formation?
A.
water current and temperature
B.
distance of area from the Sun
C.
jet stream altitude and speed
D.
angle of sunlight on Earth
21. Which statement best explains why the force of a hurricane diminishes as the hurricane moves over land?
A.
A high pressure area develops.
B.
The sea level rises on the coast.
C.
The winds start to spin clockwise.
D.
The supply of warm, moist air decreases.
22. When a cold front moves over a land region that has warm, moist air, a transfer of energy occurs. Cold air
sinks and pushes warmer air upward. As energy is removed from the air, which change will most likely take
place?
A.
Ozone in the atmosphere will decrease.
B.
Less ultraviolet radiation will reach the land.
C.
More water will be absorbed from the area lakes.
D.
Water in the atmosphere will undergo a phase change.
23. A high pressure system (H) is moving to the southeast as shown on the weather map. Cold air is usually
found north and west of a high pressure system. Warm air is to the south and east of the front.
Based on this information, what is the best prediction for weather on the day after the system passes the
point marked X?
A.
wet air with cooler temperatures
B.
drier air with cooler temperatures
C.
wet air with warmer temperatures
D.
drier air with warmer temperatures
Weather Take Home Test
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24. Air masses have the same properties as the surface over which they develop.
If an air mass develops over Region 1, which properties will it most likely have?
A.
hot and dry
B.
cold and dry
C.
hot and moist
D.
cool and moist
25. High­pressure systems stop air from rising into the colder regions of the atmosphere where water can
condense. What will most likely result if a high­pressure system remains in an area for a long period of
time?
A.
fog
B.
rain
C.
drought
D.
tornado
26. The diagram below shows a very cold air mass moving over a large, warm lake.
When cold air in the winter passes over large bodies of warm water, moisture is picked up. As the air rises
rapidly over land,
A.
lightning generally occurs.
B.
precipitation generally occurs.
C.
cold fronts become warm fronts.
D.
hurricanes are formed.
Weather Take Home Test
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27. As a warm moist air mass moving northward collides with a strong cold air mass moving southward, what
observations will most likely be made?
A.
Thick fog develops.
B.
Temperatures increase.
C.
Clouds begin to form.
D.
Winds die down.
28. What is the main source of energy that drives all weather patterns?
A.
the Sun
B.
oceans
C.
the Moon
D.
mountains
29. Winds blowing inland from oceans tend to have greater moisture than winds blowing over land. How does
the high moisture content affect the coastal area climate?
A.
There is less condensation.
B.
There are fewer hurricanes.
C.
There is greater precipitation.
D.
There are more smog­filled areas.
30. Clay is watching the weather to prepare for a trip to the beach tomorrow. The forecast predicts that a low­
pressure system will move in overnight. Which type of weather can Clay most likely expect in the morning?
A.
foggy
B.
sunny
C.
clear and colder
D.
cloudy and rainy
Weather Take Home Test
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