Topic 3A Debrief

Which best describes the current weather conditions in Portland? 

• 
  cold, dry and cloudy

• warm and rainy

• cold and snowy

• warm and sunny with few clouds

Answer explanation

The key information here is TEMPERATURE and AIR PRESSURE.

Temperature is above freezing, so the weather will be warm.

Air pressure is high, so it will be a clear day.

Hail forms when warm rising air carries particles and clouds up past the freezing level, and layers of ice form on the particles.  When the particles become too heavy, they fall as hail.  Sleet forms when snow that has fallen from a cloud starts to melt, but then refreezes when it passes through a layer of cold air.  What season is it if it is sleeting outside? 

• Winter, because ice will only form when it is very cold outside.

• Summer, because the ice is very small and must have melted.

• Winter, because sleet is made from snow, which forms when it is cold.

• Summer, because hail is made from particles carries by warm air.

Air feels humid when it holds a lot of evaporated water in it.  Swamps are areas of land that are saturated with water, and many mountains have rivers and streams on them.  Why are most swamps, humid, but most mountains are NOT? 

• Mountains are drier, because tall trees block rainfall.

• 
  Mountain are drier, because they are higher in elevation.

• Mountains are drier, because soil retains warmth from the Sun.

• Mountains are drier, because they are taller than their surroundings.

Which statement best describes the temperature of the water in a swamp?

• The water in a swamp is cooler than the land around it because the sun warms land more than it does water.

• The water in a swamp is warmer than the land around it because the sun warms water more than it does the land.

• The water in a swamp is warmer than the land around it because the water holds warmth from the sun longer than the land.

• The water in a swamp is cooler than the land around it because the land holds warmth longer than it does water.

Look at the map of the world’s climate zones.

 

Which best describes the climate at point X? 

• hot

• very cold

• moderate

• warm and wet

Answer explanation

Point X is in a TEMPERATE climate zone, which means there will be a moderate climate (warm summers and cool winters).

Sydney lives on the east coast of Florida. During the summer, Sydney notices that on some days the breeze outside is hot and humid, while on other days the breeze is hot and dry.

 

Which of the following is the most likely reason for the differences in the breezes that Sydney feels?

• Wind coming from the ocean is hot and dry, and wind coming from inland is cold and wet.

• Wind coming from the ocean is cold and dry, and wind coming from inland is cold and wet.

• Wind coming from the ocean is hot and dry, and wind coming from inland is hot and humid.

• Wind coming from the ocean is hot and humid, and wind coming from inland is hot and dry.

Which type of climate is known for always being very cold and dry? 

• polar

• temperate

• tropical

• valley

One afternoon Jerry looks out the window and observes falling precipitation. The temperature is 22°C (72°F,) and the wind speed is 5 kilometers (3 miles) per hour to the north. What type of precipitation does Jerry most likely observe?

• hail

• rain

• sleet

• snow

Which conditions are most likely to produce precipitation that falls to the ground as hail? 

• Moderate temperatures, overcast, with no wind 

• Cooling temperatures, high clouds, with strong winds

• Cold temperatures, mostly cloudy, with mild wind 

• Hot temperatures, partly cloudy, with occasional wind 

Which description best represents a rainforest located in the tropics? 

• low average rainfall and high daytime temperatures 

• 
  high average rainfall and high average temperatures 

• 
  high average rainfall and moderate daily temperatures

• low average rainfall and moderate daily temperatures