ES-Jan 2015 Q41-50

Base your answers to questions 1 through 4 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.
Which statement best describes the planetary wind belts that produce the winds represented in the cross section above?

• Southwest and northwest winds diverge at the equator and blow toward the west.
• Southwest and northwest winds diverge at the equator and blow toward the east.
• Northeast and southeast winds converge at the equator and blow toward the west.
• Northeast and southeast winds converge at the equator and blow toward the east.

Base your answers to questions 1 through 4 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.
Compared to non-El Niño years, which climatic conditions exist near the equator on the western and eastern sides of the Pacific Ocean during an El Niño event?

• The western Pacific is drier and the eastern Pacific is wetter
• The western Pacific is wetter and the eastern Pacific is drier.
• The western and the eastern Pacific are both wetter.
• The western and the eastern Pacific are both drier.

Base your answers to questions 1 through 4 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.
Which cross section best represents the changed wind conditions and Pacific Ocean temperatures during an El Niño event? [Diagrams are not drawn to scale.]

• diagram 1
• diagram 2
• diagram 3
• diagram 4

Base your answers to questions 1 through 4 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.
During an El Niño year, winter climatic conditions in New York State will most likely be

• colder and wetter
• colder and drier
• warmer and wetter
• warmer and drier

Base your answers to questions 5 through 7 on the cross section of Earth below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section represents the pattern of seismic wave movement away from an earthquake. Point W represents a location at the boundary between two layers of Earth’s interior. Points X, Y, and Z represent seismic stations on Earth’s surface.
Which data best describe the depth below Earth’s surface and the density of Earth’s interior at location W?

• Depth: 600 km
   Density: changes from 3.4 g/cm3 to 5.6 g/cm3
• Depth: 1000 km
   Density: averages 4.5 g/cm3
• Depth: 2900 km
   Density: changes from 5.6 g/cm3 to 9.9 g/cm3
•  Depth: 5100 km
   Density: averages 11.1 g/cm3

Base your answers to questions 5 through 7 on the cross section of Earth below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section represents the pattern of seismic wave movement away from an earthquake. Point W represents a location at the boundary between two layers of Earth’s interior. Points X, Y, and Z represent seismic stations on Earth’s surface.
Which statement best explains why no S-waves were received directly from this earthquake at some seismic stations?

• An interior Earth layer absorbs S-waves.
• Earth’s mantle reflects S-waves.
• S-waves travel slower than P-waves.
• S-waves travel only on Earth’s surface.

Base your answers to questions 5 through 7 on the cross section of Earth below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross section represents the pattern of seismic wave movement away from an earthquake. Point W represents a location at the boundary between two layers of Earth’s interior. Points X, Y, and Z represent seismic stations on Earth’s surface.
The diagram below represents the seismograms of this earthquake recorded at seismic stations X, Y, and Z.Which table best matches each seismic station with its likely seismogram?

• diagram 1 
• diagram 2 
• diagram 3 
• diagram 4 

Base your answers to questions 8 through 10 on the drawing below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The drawing represents a swamp-forest environment that existed in North America at the base of the Acadian Mountains during the Carboniferous Period. Organism A lived in this swamp-forest.
Organism A is a labyrinthodont and is most likely classified as

• a mastodont
• an amphibian
• a dinosaur
•  a mamma

Base your answers to questions 8 through 10 on the drawing below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The drawing represents a swamp-forest environment that existed in North America at the base of the Acadian Mountains during the Carboniferous Period. Organism A lived in this swamp-forest.
The Acadian Mountains were formed as a result of the collision between North America and

• Avalon
• South America
• Pangaea
• Queenston Delta

Base your answers to questions 8 through 10 on the drawing below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The drawing represents a swamp-forest environment that existed in North America at the base of the Acadian Mountains during the Carboniferous Period. Organism A lived in this swamp-forest.
At the time represented by this drawing, the region now known as New York State was inferred to be located

• at 45° S latitude
• at 45° N latitude
• near the equator
• near the North Pole