Benchmark Review

How does air density affect air pressure in a cyclonic storm?

• Warm air rises, creating an area of low pressure under it.

• Cool air rises, creating an area of low pressure under it.

• Warm air rises, creating an area of high pressure under it.

• Warm air rises, creating an area of high pressure under it.

At a city council meeting, a developer outlines plans for a new shopping area. Residents speaking at the meeting voice their concerns that the development will increase runoff and pollute bodies of water in the area. The developer could address their concerns by proposing the addition of which of the following to the plans?

• private wells that provide water to each store

• sprinklers that hose down parking lots daily

• flower gardens that are planted near each store

• wetlands that surround the development

What causes the differences in the air masses that permit hurricanes to form over oceans?

• Ocean water is cool and cools the air above it

• Ocean water is warm and heats the air above it.

• Ocean water contains salt that reacts with air, changing the air pressure.

• Ocean water contains algae that make oxygen, changing the air’s composition.

Auroras occur where Earth’s magnetosphere traps high-energy particles in which region of the atmosphere?

• troposphere

• stratosphere

• thermosphere

• exosphere

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?

• ocean currents and temperature

• seasonal distance from the Sun

• thickness of the ozone layer

• angle of sunlight on Earth

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?

• chemical composition

• thermal conductivity

• density differences

• specific heat

Which BEST explains why population growth can result in water shortages and rationing in certain areas?

• Aquifers recharge slowly.

• Lake water is reserved for recreation.

• Increasing biomass decreases evaporation rates.

• Tall buildings impede the development of rain clouds.

Which human activity directly affects the quality of freshwater resources?

• depleting the ozone layer

• burning gasoline in car engines

• throwing trash out of car windows

• allowing runoff from agricultural fields

Residents in a seaside town experience onshore breezes from the ocean during hot sunny days and offshore breezes from the land during cool nights. How does the ocean affect this pattern?

• Warm air sinks over the ocean and moves onto land.

• Cold air rises over the land and moves over the ocean.

• The land heats and cools faster than the ocean heats and cools.

• The ocean heats and cools faster than the land heats and cools.

What are the characteristics of maritime polar air masses?

• cool and dry

• warm and dry

• cool and humid

• warm and humid