Download Ch 8 Homework Answers

PSc 201
Chapter 8 Homework Answers
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
a) Sunlight is spread over a greater area at high latitudes so it is less intense, there is less energy per
m2.
b) Sunlight passes through more atmosphere at higher latitudes so more of the sunlight is scattered
to the sides and back out to space, less energy per m2 reaches the Earth’s surface.
c) More sunlight reflects from the ocean and the land at higher latitudes because of the angle, so less
energy per m2 is absorbed by the Earth’s surface.
2.
a) A lot of solar energy goes into the evaporation of ocean water in the warmer tropical regions.
Winds then carry some of this water vapor to higher latitudes and when this water vapor condenses
the energy is released.
b) Ocean water is warmed in the warmer tropical regions and ocean currents carry this water to
higher latitudes where it gives up some of its heat.
3.
See Fig. 8.7
4.
See Fig. 8.8
5.
at San Diego
6.
west
7.
a) the Tropical cell (also called the Hadley cell, but Tropical is easier to remember)
b) the Mid-latitude cell (also called the Ferrel cell, but Mid-latitude is easier to remember)
c) the Polar cell
8.
a) the meteorological equator, the equatorial low, the Doldrums, the Intertropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ)
b) rising
c) low
d) frequent clouds and rain because the rising air cools as the pressure drops with increasing height
and water vapor condenses into droplets to form clouds and rain
e) light and variable, bad for sailing ships which is why the region is called the Doldrums - if sailing
ships were delayed for a long time in the doldrums at least they did not run out of drinking water
because of the frequent rain
9.
a) the subtropical high, the Horse Latitudes
b) falling
c) high
d) dry, little precipitation because the air is falling and compressing as atmospheric pressure
increases closer to the surface - the compression causes heating which allows the air to hold more
water vapor so if there are tiny droplets in clouds they tend to turn into water vapor
e) light and variable, bad for sailing ships - if sailing ships were delayed for a long time in the Horse
Latitudes they could run out of drinking water because there was not much rain - horses need to
drink a lot of water, so the horses would be thrown overboard (those that were not eaten) and ships
sailing through the Horse Latitudes often encountered floating dead horses, which is where the name
came from
10. a) the Polar Front
b) rising
c) low
d) stormy, cloudy, a lot of rain because the rising air cools as the pressure drops and water vapor
condenses to form clouds and rain
e) light and variable, bad for sailing ships
11. a) falling
b) high
c) very cold and very dry, little precipitation because the air is compressed and heated as it falls
causing any cloud droplets to evaporate - sometimes called the polar desert
d) the wind near the poles typically blows toward the equator
12. see the drawing of the surface winds I did in class
13. a) the northeasterly trade winds
b) the southeasterly trade winds
c) the prevailing westerlies - these winds were important to sailing ships but were not reliable like the
trade winds
d) the Polar easterlies
14. The winds would blow from the poles directly toward the equator. In the northern hemisphere they
would probably be called northerlies and in the southern hemisphere they would probably be called
southerlies.
15. see fig. 8.17 a
16. The monsoon occurs during the late spring and early summer. The sun heats the land much more
than the ocean causing air to warm and expand and rise over the land, which creates a low pressure
region over the land. Moist air from over the ocean flows over the land and as this air rises it cools
and water vapor condenses and heavy rain occurs.
17. a) hurricane
b) typhoon
c) tropical cyclone
d) willi-willi
18. clockwise
19. the shell will hit to the east of the target
20. the surface water temperature must be greater than 26º C (79º F)
21. the energy comes from the heat released when water vapor condenses as warm moist air rises and
cools
22. the maximum sustained wind speed at the time
23. because the source of energy is the condensation of water vapor from warm moist ocean air and once
it is over land the cyclone can no longer draw in this warm moist ocean air
24. a) wind, rain, and storm surge
b) the storm surge
c) a high tide - a big storm surge on top of a high tide is the worst possible situation
25. to the right of the eye since the winds blow counterclockwise and the winds to the right of the eye
will be blowing the water toward the shore and piling the water up against the coast as a storm surge
26. Global warming is causing warmer ocean surface water, and that should make it easier for tropical
cyclones to form and to gain energy and become stronger. If global warming continues there will
probably be more and stronger tropical cyclones, and we may or may not be seeing that affect
already.