APES unit 4 Test

 The diagram below is an illustration of global atmospheric circulation.

Which of the following is a biome found at 30°N and 30° S, as seen in the diagram?

• Rain forests

• Tundras

• Coniferous forests

• Deserts

 The diagram below is an illustration of global atmospheric circulation.

Which of the following causes the air to rise high into the atmosphere in the areas labeled A, B, and C on the diagram?

• El Niño circulation patterns

• The rotation of Earth shifting the direction of the air upward

• Warm, moist air that is less dense than the surrounding air

• Rain shadows over mountain ridges

 The diagram below is an illustration of global atmospheric circulation.

Which of the following is the source of energy driving the circulation pattern labeled C in the diagram?

• The Coriolis effect

• Solar radiation

• Earth’s magnetic field

• The spinning core of Earth

Answer explanation

The light warms Earth’s surface, creating rising air currents, as seen in the diagram.

The graph below shows the altitude and temperature for different layers of Earth’s atmosphere.

Based on the diagram, which of the following identifies a characteristic of the atmosphere between the stratopause and the tropopause?

• Cloud formation occurs in the stratosphere.

• The warmest air is found in the mesosphere.

• The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

• The troposphere is the closest layer to the sun.

Answer explanation

The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere. Stratospheric ozone absorbs both UVBand UVC rays from the Sun, and the energy causes those molecules to move faster, thus warming the air in the stratosphere.

Most of the Earth's deserts are at approximately 30° latitude, north and south, because these latitudes are characterized by

• generally warm ocean currents

• descending dry air currents

• predominantly low atmospheric pressure

• slow-moving jet streams

Most deserts on Earth are located near the 30° north and 30° south latitudes because humidity is lower at 30°. The best explanation for the lower humidity is that

• warm air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks at 30° latitude

• warm air rises at 90° latitude, cools, and sinks at 30°

• cool air rises at 30° latitude, warms, and sinks at the equator

• trade winds transfer moisture away from 30° latitude

Based on the data in the diagrams, in which layer of the atmosphere would short wave radio signals be reflected?

• Stratosphere

• Mesosphere

• Thermosphere

• Exosphere

Answer explanation

Model A shows that the thermosphere is 87−500km above Earth, and according to Model BB , that encompasses the distance ( 250km) above Earth where radio waves will be reflected.

In which of the following atmospheric layers does most weather occur?

• Troposphere

• Stratosphere

• Mesosphere

• Thermosphere

Answer explanation

As the lowest atmospheric layer, the troposphere is most influenced by reradiated heat from Earth’s surface, which makes the base of the troposphere warmer than the top layer. This leads to convection, turbulence, and clouds, which cause most weather phenomena.

Which of the following best explains why the lower portion of the troposphere is warmer than the upper portion?

• The lower portion of the troposphere is separated by the ozone layer from the upper portion, so the lower portion absorbs more sunlight, increasing the temperature.

• The air in the lower portion of the troposphere is less dense than the air in the upper portion, leading to a higher temperature in the lower portion.

• The surface of Earth absorbs sunlight, heating the lower portion of the troposphere more than the upper part.

• The troposphere is the highest layer of the atmosphere, so the lower portion is warmed more than the upper part by rising air.

Answer explanation

Warm air does rise, but the troposphere is the atmospheric layer closest to Earth and thus is not heated by the energy in the air of any lower atmospheric layers.

In the desert regions of the southwestern United States, daily high and low temperatures will frequently fluctuate by 40°F (33°C) or more. Which statement below best explains the large variation in temperature?

• There are no bordering oceans or large bodies of water to provide a stabilizing humidity to the air.

• The nearby Rocky Mountain range provides a rain shadow effect in the evenings to the west.

• The flat, light-colored sand formations typical in deserts reflect light from the Sun during the day, but not at night.

• Desert plants have long tap roots that pull water from deep in the soil, cooling the desert at night.

Answer explanation

Humidity in the air tends to stabilize temperature and prevent large fluctuations. Temperatures in regions with dry air will increase and decrease rapidly.