Download Practice TEST all short answer

Name
Roy G Biv
1. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and cross section below and on
your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section represents a generalized region of the
Pacific Ocean along the equator during normal (non-El Niño) conditions. The relative
temperatures of the ocean water and the prevailing wind direction are indicated.
El Niño
Under normal Pacific Ocean conditions, strong winds blow from east to west along the
equator. Surface ocean water piles up on the western part of the Pacific due to these winds.
This allows deeper, colder ocean water on the eastern rim of the Pacific to be pulled up
(upwelling) to replace the warmer surface water that was pushed westward.
During an El Niño event, these westward-blowing winds get weaker. As a result,
warmer water does not get pushed westward as much, and colder water in the east is not
pulled toward the surface. This creates warmer surface ocean water temperatures in the
east, allowing the thunderstorms that normally occur at the equator in the western Pacific
to move eastward. A strong El Niño is often associated with wet winters along the
northwestern coast of South America and in the southeastern United States, and drier
weather patterns in Southeast Asia (Indonesia) and Australia. The northeastern United
States usually has warmer and drier winters in an El Niño year.
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Which cross section best represents the changed wind conditions and Pacific Ocean
temperatures during an El Nino event? [Diagrams are not drawn to scale.]
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Base your answers to questions 2 through 5 on the graphs and map below. The map shows a
view of Earth from above the North Pole. Points on the map indicate the positions of
Reykjavik, Iceland, and Yakutsk, Russia. The graphs show average monthly air temperature
(line graphs) and amount of precipitation (bar graphs) for both locations.
2. Identify one warm and one cool ocean current that affect the climate of Iceland.
Warm:
Cool:
3. Describe one way the yearly precipitation in Yakutsk differs from that in Reykjavik.
4. Explain why Reykjavik has cooler summers and warmer winters than Yakutsk.
5. Write the two-letter weather map symbol for an air mass that originates over Yakutsk.
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6. Base your answer to the following question on the map and passage below. The map shows
isolines of average yearly rainfall, in centimeters, for the Congo River region of Africa.
The climate of the Congo River region is mainly influenced by air from two source
regions. One air-mass source region is over the Benguela Current along the west coast of
Africa. This air mass moves at low altitudes toward the Congo River region. A second
air-mass source region is located over the South Equatorial Current along the east coast of
Africa. This air mass moves at higher altitudes over the Congo River region.
Explain why air masses that form over the South Equatorial Current move at higher altitudes
than air masses that form over the Benguela Current.
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Base your answers to questions 7 and 8 on the graph below, which shows the average
monthly temperatures for a year for city X and city Y. Both cities are located at the same
latitude.
7. What evidence shown on the graph indicates that both cities, X and Y, are located in the
Northern Hemisphere?
8. Explain why city X has a greater difference between summer and winter temperatures than city
Y.
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Base your answers to questions 9 and 10 on
the diagram below, which shows the temperature change when a parcel of air warms, rises,
and expands to form a cloud. Location A is at the base of the cloud.
9. Assume the cooling rate of the rising parcel of air is constant. Determine the temperature of
the air parcel at the 3350-foot altitude. Express your answer to the nearest tenth of a degree.
ºF
10. Explain why the warmer air rises.
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Base your answers to questions 11 through 13 on the map and data tables below. The map
shows the location of Birdsville and Bundaberg in Australia. Data table 1 shows the average
monthly high temperatures for Birdsville. Data table 2 includes the latitude and longitude,
elevation above sea level, and the average rainfall in January for Birdsville and Bundaberg.
11. On the map, draw the 30° S latitude line.
12. State one reason for the difference in the average January rainfall for Birdsville and
Bundaberg.
13. State one factor that could account for the difference between the average high temperatures
recorded in December for Birdsville and Bundaberg.
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Base your answers to questions 14 through 16 on
the cross section and bar graph below. The cross section shows a portion of Earth's crust
along the western coast of the United States. The points show different locations on Earth's
surface. The arrows show the prevailing wind direction. The bar below each point shows the
yearly precipitation at that location.
14. State one reason why colder temperatures would be recorded at the top of the Sierra Nevada
Mountain Range than at the top of the Coastal Mountain Ranges.
15. What is the yearly precipitation total for the four points located in the Coastal Mountain
Ranges?
16. Explain why the valleys have lower amounts of precipitation than points on the western
slopes of the mountain ranges.
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Base your answers to questions 17 and 18 on
the data table below, the map on the following page, and on your knowledge of Earth science.
The data table shows the air pressure in the eye (center) and the maximum sustained wind
speed around the eye of Hurricane Wilma from October 18 through October 25, 2005. The
data were collected at the same time each day. The map shows the geographic locations of the
eye of Hurricane Wilma from October 18 to October 25.
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17. State the compass direction in which Hurricane Wilma moved from October 22 through
October 25.
18. Identify the latitude and longitude of the eye of Hurricane Wilma on October 24. Label your
answer with the correct units and directions.
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19. Base your answer to the following question on
the data table below and on your knowledge of Earth Science. The table shows the area, in
million square kilometers, of the Arctic Ocean covered by ice from June through November.
The average area covered by ice from 1979 to 2000 from June to November is compared to
the area covered by ice in 2005 for the same time period.
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Scientists have noted that since 2002, the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by ice during
these warmer months has shown an overall decrease from the long-term average
(1979-2000). State one way in which this ice coverage since 2002 and the ice coverage
shown in the 2005 data above provide evidence of global warming, when compared to this
long-term average.
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Base your answers to questions 20 and 21 on the climate graph below, which shows the
average monthly precipitation and average monthly air temperatures at city X. City X is
located near a mountain range in the Southern Hemisphere.
20. Below state whether the climate of city X is dry or wet. Then, on the cross section, place an X
on Earth’s surface to indicate the most likely location of city X.
21. What evidence shown on the graph indicates that city X is located in the Southern
Hemisphere?
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Base your answers to questions 22 through 24 on
the map and passage below.
A Lake-Effect Snowstorm
A snowstorm affected western New York State on October 12 and 13, 2006. A blend
of weather conditions caused more than 24 inches of heavy, wet, lake-effect snow,
bringing much of western New York to a standstill. The New York State Thruway was
closed to traffic between exits 46 and 59, which are circled on the map. The isolines on
the map show the amount of snowfall, measured in inches, resulting from this storm.
Points A and B represent locations on Earth's surface.
22. Identify the most probable direction from which the wind was blowing to produce the pattern
of snowfall shown on the map.
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23. Identify two hazards to human life or property that can result from a snowstorm of this size.
24. On the grid, construct a profile of the snowfall amounts along line AB by plotting the isoline
amounts that cross line AB. The amounts for points A and B have been plotted. Complete the
profile by connecting all the plots with a line.
25. Base your answers to the questions below on the information below.
The climate of an area is affected by many variables such as elevation, latitude, and distance
to a large body of water. The effect of these variables on average surface temperature and
temperature range can be represented by graphs on grids that have axes labeled as shown
below.
a) On Grid I, draw a line to show the relationship between elevation and average surface
temperature.
b) On Grid II draw a line to show the relationship between latitude and average surface
temperature.
c) On Grid III draw a line to show the relationship between distance to a large body of water
and temperature range.
d) Explain why the climate near the Equator is warm and moist.
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26. Base your answer to the following question on Read the passage below:
Greenhouse Effect
The warming of Earth's surface and lower atmosphere tends to intensify with an
increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The atmosphere allows a large percentage of the
visible light rays from the Sun to reach Earth's surface. Some of this energy is reradiated
by Earth's surface in the form of long-wave infrared radiation. Much of this infrared
radiation warms the atmosphere when it is absorbed by molecules of carbon dioxide and
water vapor. A similar warming effect is produced by the glass of a greenhouse, which
allows sunlight in the visible range to enter, but prevents infrared radiation from leaving
the greenhouse.
The absorption of infrared radiation causes Earth's surface and the lowest layer of
Earth's atmosphere to warm to a higher temperature than would otherwise be the case.
Without this "greenhouse" warming, Earth's average surface temperature could be as low
as –73°C. The oceans would freeze under such conditions.
Many scientists believe that modern industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels
(coal, oil, and natural gas) have increased the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This
increase may result in an intensified greenhouse effect on Earth causing significant
alterations in climate patterns in the future. Scientists estimate that average global
temperatures could increase by as much as 5°C by the middle of the 21st century.
State one possible change humans could make to significantly reduce the amount of
greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year.
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27. Base your answer to the following question on on the passage and map below. The map
shows the average yearly precipitation in New York State measured in inches.
Landscapes and Precipitation
Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean is carried to New York State
by storm systems and air currents. Rain and snowfall amounts vary by region. Heavy
snow belts are located near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario as well as in the plateau regions
of eastern and northern New York State. Long Island and New York City usually
experience lighter snowfalls. Snowfall amounts are converted to inches of water to
determine yearly precipitation.
On the map below, draw one arrow to show the path that air travels to produce heavy
lake-effect snowfall in Oswego, New York.
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Base your answers to questions 28 through 31 on
the magazine article and diagram below.
Lake-Effect Snow
During the cold months of the year, the words "lake effect" are very much a part of the
weather picture in many locations in New York State. Snow created by the lake effect
may represent more than half the season's snowfall in some areas.
In order for heavy lake-effect snow to develop, the temperature of the water at the
surface of the lake must be higher than the temperature of the air flowing over the water.
The higher the water temperature and the lower the air temperature, the greater the
potential for lake-effect snow.
A lake-effect storm begins when air flowing across the lake is warmed as it comes in
close contact with the water. The warmed air rises and takes moisture along with it. This
moisture, which is water vapor from the lake, is turned into clouds as it encounters much
colder air above. When the clouds reach the shore of the lake, they deposit their snow on
nearby land. A typical lake-effect storm is illustrated in the diagram below.
The area most likely to receive snow from a lake is called a "snowbelt." Lake Ontario's
snowbelt includes the counties along the eastern and southeastern ends of the lake.
Because the lake runs lengthwise from west to east, the prevailing westerly winds are able
to gather the maximum amount of moisture as they flow across the entire length of the
lake. There can be lake-effect snowfall anywhere around the lake, but the heaviest and
most frequent snowfalls occur near the eastern shore.
In parts of the snowbelt, the lake effect combines with a phenomenon known as
orographic lifting to produce some very heavy snowfalls. After cold air has streamed over
the length of Lake Ontario, it moves inland and is forced to climb the slopes of the Tug
Hill Plateau and the Adirondack Mountains, resulting in very heavy snowfall.
28. State the relationship that must exist between water temperature and air temperature for
lake-effect snow to develop.
29. State why locations east and southeast of Lake Ontario are more likely to receive lake-effect
snow than are locations west of the lake.
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30. State the name of the New York State landscape region that includes location A shown in the
diagram.
31. State why very heavy snowfall occurs in the Tug Hill Plateau region.
26. Graph the data below for Death Valley, California 36°N, 116°W
(12pts)
27. Provide a rationale (evidence) naming the factors which
contribute to the climate of this location.
KEY:
Temperature
Precipitation
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