Based on the diagram, how does the Earth-Sun relationship affect the climate of different regions of the world?

• It creates a pattern where different areas of the globe receive differing amounts of sunlight.

• It creates a pattern in which the warm ocean currents bring monsoon rains to some regions.

• It creates a pattern in which the summers and winters are longer than fall and spring seasons.

• It creates a pattern where the eastern and western hemispheres have seasonal differences.

Which of the following is most directly responsible for the variation in seasonal weather patterns?

• Phases of the Moon

• Tilt of the Earth's axis

• Distance from the Sun

• Rotation of the Earth on its axis

The landforms listed in the box are created by the physical process of —

• plate tectonics

• wind erosion

• weathering

• soil-building

Which of the following best describes the physical process of erosion?

• The wearing down of rocks by wind and water.

• The breaking of the Earth’s crust that causes a fault.

• The movement of weathered materials by wind, ice or water.

• The mixing of weathered rock with decayed plant and animal material.

The process of erosion can best be described as the movement of weathered materials by —

• river systems
• tectonic forces

• wind, water, or ice

• human environment interaction

The world's oldest desert, the Namib Desert, has existed for at least 55 million years, and completely lacks surface water. This extremely arid region is made up of shifting sand dunes, gravel plains and rugged mountains. It is divided in half by several dry riverbeds. These riverbeds have some vegetation and are home to a few animals such as zebras, antelopes, and gazelles that can survive with little water. Humans have removed much of the vegetation that once existed in the already dry desert. The southern portion of the desert is extremely dry and even lacks dry riverbeds. The most important feature of the Namib Desert is its sparse and highly unpredictable annual rainfall. The annual average ranges from less than half an inch in the west to over three inches along its eastern limits. There is great variation in rainfall between years, with the driest areas of the desert having the highest variation.

The Namib Desert was formed due to —

• climatic forces

• tectonic forces

• human habitation

• overgrazing by animals

River deltas are found on the lower reaches of rivers, where the flow of water spreads out and slows down, depositing sediments into expanses of wetlands and shallow water. There are two types of deltas: coastal deltas where the river meets the sea and inland deltas where the river fills extensive floodplains and marshes. One of the most famous African examples of an inland delta is the Inner Niger Delta in Mali.

—Wetlands International website

Which physical environmental process is responsible for the creation of the types of landforms described in the excerpt?

• Erosion

• Droughts

• Ocean currents

• Tectonic plate movement

Which physical process is most responsible for the formation of islands in the Pacific Ocean?

• Erosion

• Landslides

• Flood deposits

• Tectonic activity

Which physical process contributes to the reduction in the size of islands in the Pacific Ocean over time?

• Erosion

• Glaciation

• Volcanism

• Deposition

How would this barrier affect the climate on the leeward side?

• The temperatures would be warm and the amount of precipitation low.

• The temperatures would be warm and the amount of precipitation high.

• The temperatures would be very cold and the amount of precipitation high.

• The temperatures would be extremely cold and the amount of precipitation low.