Weather and Climate Quiz

Which of the following best describes the difference between weather and climate?

• Weather is long-term atmospheric conditions, while climate is short-term.

• Weather occurs in the troposphere, while climate occurs in the stratosphere.

• Weather is a specific event, while climate is a long-term average of atmospheric conditions.

• Climate includes only temperature, while weather includes temperature and precipitation.

A large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture content throughout is called:

• A front

• An air mass

• A jet stream

• A pressure system

The primary factor that determines the characteristics of an air mass is:

• Its speed of movement

• The altitude at which it forms

• The surface over which it forms

• The time of year

Which two air masses are most responsible for the weather patterns experienced across much of the eastern United States?

• Continental tropical and maritime polar

• Continental polar and maritime tropical

• Maritime polar and maritime tropical

• Continental polar and continental tropical

A boundary between two air masses with different characteristics is called:

• Cyclone

• Anticyclone

• Front

• Isobar

Hurricanes primarily gain their energy from:

• Strong upper-level winds

• The rotation of the Earth

• The condensation of warm, moist air over tropical oceans

• High-pressure systems moving over land

In which layer of the atmosphere does most weather occur?

• Stratosphere

• Mesosphere

• Thermosphere

• Troposphere

Ozone, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, is concentrated in which atmospheric layer?

• Troposphere

• Stratosphere

• Mesosphere

• Thermosphere

The change of seasons on Earth is primarily caused by:

• Changes in the Earth's orbital speed

• Variations in the sun's energy output

• The tilt of the Earth's axis on its orbital plane

• The changing distance between the Earth and the sun

The Earth's axis is tilted at approximately what angle relative to its orbital plane?

• 15.3 degrees

• 23.5 degrees

• 50.3 degrees

• 90.3 degrees