Unit 6: Climate Review

Which statement best describes the climate of an area?

• At 3:00 a.m. a winter storm warning was issued for Lake Tahoe.

• At 4:00 p.m. the relative humidity in southern Nevada was 10%.

• The average yearly rainfall in Nevada is approximately 23 cm.

• The lowest temperature last week in Carson City was 9°C.

An area is described as having mild temperatures in the summer and being cool and rainy in the winter. On a day in May, the area experienced snow. Which best describes this day in terms of weather and climate?

• The weather was different from the normal climate for the area.

• The climate was different from the normal weather for the area.

• Weather and climate were different from the normal properties for the area.

• Climate and weather were changing into a new set of normal properties for the area.

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?

• local weather

• local climate

• regional weather

• regional climate

A rain gauge measures the amount of rainfall at one location over a short time period. How can a rain gauge be most effectively used to provide a partial description of climate?

• by making a single, very accurate observation

• by making many observations over many years

• by determining how much rain it takes to fill the rain gauge

• by determining the average amount of rain per rainstorm

The student examines the information and concludes that the data is incomplete because the

• x- and y-coordinates are scaled differently.

• x-coordinate gives average monthly temperatures.

• information shows the daily high and low temperatures.

• average temperature continues to drop during September through December.

When compared to current average conditions, which term would best describe conditions in Earth’s lower atmosphere if greenhouse gases were absent?

• denser

• cooler

• wetter

• cloudier

In the Sahara Desert of Africa, great sandstorms stir dust into the atmosphere where it travels west across the Atlantic Ocean. This dust can affect the chemical composition of water and soil, decrease air quality, and impact climate as far away as the Caribbean and Florida. Which is the most likely way Saharan dust impacts climate in southern Florida?

• Dust reflects solar radiation, cooling the surface.

• Dust absorbs moisture in the clouds, reducing rainfall.

• Dust decreases static discharge, preventing lightning storms.

• Dust slows airflow, causing weather systems to stall over land.

Scientists believe continental drift over Earth’s geological history has had a significant impact on Earth’s cycles of warmer and cooler climates. Which statement describes a characteristic of Earth’s continents that is most likely to cause changes in global climate when continents drift?

• The location of the continent affects its surface reflectivity.

• Continental plate depth determines its specific heat.

• Continental drift absorbs large amounts of kinetic energy.

• The temperature of a continent is affected by its nearest ocean.

Which form of water, when present in the atmosphere, is most likely to contribute to global warming?

• cloud

• rain

• vapor

• snow

Raising livestock, such as sheep and cattle, results in the production of large amounts of methane gasMethane has the same effect in the atmosphere as carbon dioxideAs more livestock are raised to provide food for humans, what is the most likely effect of the increase in methane?

• acid rain

• ozone thinning

• water pollution

• global warming