Climate Quiz 1

Which of the following describes weather for a particular area?

• Cold Decembers.

• Typically rainy and cloudy.

• Warm in the summer.

• Sunny on June 19

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'Sunny on June 19', describes a specific weather condition for a particular day, while the other options refer to general climate characteristics.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Which of the following describes climate for a particular area?

• August weather is generally quite warm.

• Yesterday it was 47 degrees outside.

• Tomorrow it will be clear and sunny.

• The humidity is less than one percent.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'August weather is generally quite warm,' describes climate as it refers to typical weather patterns over a period, unlike the other options which describe specific weather conditions.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which of the following describes weather for a particular area?

• Tomorrow it will be overcast with a 50% chance of rain.

• January weather is generally mild.

• It is typically rainy and cloudy this time of year.

• Summers are usually quite warm.

Answer explanation

The correct choice describes specific weather conditions for tomorrow, indicating it will be overcast with a 50% chance of rain, which directly relates to the weather for that day.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Which of the following has the least impact on a region's climate?

• population

• latitude

• mountains

• elevation

Answer explanation

Population has the least impact on a region's climate compared to latitude, mountains, and elevation, which directly influence temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Everett receives about 38 inches of rain per year. Sequim, about 50 miles west of Everett, receives only 12 inches per year. The best explanation for this is:

• Sequim is at the same latitude.

• Sequim is next to Puget Sound.

• Sequim is close to the Pacific Ocean.

• Sequim is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains.

Answer explanation

Sequim is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which blocks moist air from reaching the area, resulting in significantly less rainfall compared to Everett.

Mt. Kilimanjaro in Central Africa has glaciers on it. This is because:

• It is far from the equator.

• It is close to the Indian Ocean, so it receives lots of snow.

• It has a high elevation.

• It is very cloudy in Africa, so there is not much sunlight to melt the glaciers.

Answer explanation

Mt. Kilimanjaro has glaciers due to its high elevation, which allows temperatures to remain low enough for ice to persist, despite being near the equator. The other options do not accurately explain the presence of glaciers.

Which substance generally decreases its temperature the slowest?

• There’s no difference.

• water

• sand

• soil

Answer explanation

Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it can absorb and retain heat longer than sand or soil. This property allows water to decrease its temperature more slowly compared to other substances.

A high coastal mountain range is on the western coast of a continent. Warm moist air blows from west to east over the mountains. From this information, you would expect the western side of the mountain range to ___________ compared to the eastern side of the mountain range.

• be colder in the winter

• be similar in weather

• have drier weather

• be warmer in the summer

• have more rain

Answer explanation

The warm moist air rises over the mountains, cooling and condensing to form precipitation on the western side, leading to more rain there compared to the drier eastern side, which is in the rain shadow.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Two students decided to study the effect of elevation on climate. Red Mountain has an elevation of 6,120 feet. Green Mountain has an elevation of 4,525 feet. The two mountains are land locked and at the same latitude. What would the students most likely find out if they studied climate at the tops of the mountains?

• Red Mountain is sunnier than Green Mountain.

• There is almost no difference between Red Mountain and Green Mountain.

• Red Mountain has colder temperatures than Green Mountain.

• Red Mountain has warmer temperatures than Green Mountain.

• Red Mountain is cloudier than Green Mountain.

Answer explanation

Higher elevations typically have colder temperatures due to the decrease in atmospheric pressure and temperature with altitude. Therefore, Red Mountain, being higher than Green Mountain, would have colder temperatures.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Two cities are located at about the same latitude. City A is located on an island in the ocean, and city B is located in the middle of a continent. Both cities are at the same elevation above sea level. All other aspects of their physical environment are the same. Which is probably true about cities A and B?

• The two climates would be the same because the cities are at the same latitude and elevation.

• City A would have warmer summers and cooler winters than city B.

• City A would have less precipitation than city B.

• City A would have cooler summers and warmer winters than city B.

Answer explanation

City A, being on an island, is influenced by oceanic conditions, leading to milder temperatures. This results in cooler summers and warmer winters compared to city B, which experiences more extreme continental climate variations.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6