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Solar radiation albedo climate

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 1hrs 9mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What has the highest albedo?

a)

the oceans

b)

Ice in the Arctic or Antarctic

c)

the ground

d)

roads

2.

What heats faster, land or water?

a)

Land

b)

Water

3.
Albedo can best be described as...
a)
the temperature at the equator
b)
the amount of solar radiation absorbed
c)
the amount of solar radiation reflected
d)
the air pressure during El Nino
4.

_______is a measure of the reflective characteristics of the Earth's surface.

a)

Albedo Effect

b)

Greenhouse Effect

c)

Climate Effect

5.
What is the most common gas in the atmosphere?
a)
nitrogen
b)
oxygen
c)
water vapor
d)
carbon dioxide
6.
Oxygen makes up approximately ____% of the gases in the atmosphere.
a)
20
b)
40
c)
60
d)
80
7.

Which of these are the main characteristics that define climate?

a)

weather and humidity

b)

temperature and precipitation

c)

pressure and preciptitation

d)

weather and pressure

8.

Latitude is the distance from the...

a)

equator

b)

prime meridian

c)

mountains

d)

oceans

9.

If your latitude is 90 degrees N, your temperature would be

a)

warm

b)

cool

10.

If you had a latitude of 4 degrees S, your temperature would be

a)

warm

b)

cool

11.

Which of these are true about the difference between weather and climate

a)

weather is long term

b)

weather is short term

c)

climate is short term

12.

Which of these are true about the difference between weather and climate

a)

weather is long term

b)

weather is short term

c)

climate is short term

13.

Why do areas near the coasts have warmer winters?

a)

the water absorbs heat from the air around the coasts

b)

the water releases heat into the air around the coasts

14.

What is the scientific definition of the albedo effect?

a)

How much sunlight an object reflects

b)

How much sunlight an object absorbs

c)

How hot an object gets

d)

How cold an object gets

15.

High or low albedo: snow

a)

high

b)

low

16.

High or low albedo: dirt

a)

high

b)

low

17.

High or low albedo: thick clouds

a)

high

b)

low

18.
What has the highest albedo?
a)
the oceans
b)
 glacial ice
c)
the ground
d)
roads
19.
What heats faster, land or water?
a)
Land
b)
Water
20.
Albedo can best be described as...
a)
the temperature at the equator
b)
the amount of solar radiation absorbed
c)
the amount of solar radiation reflected
d)
the air pressure during El Nino
21.
Which would you expect to have the highest albedo?
a)
dirt
b)
sand
c)
ice
d)
water
22.
Currently, about 10% of Earth is covered with ice year-round. If this ice melts, what could happen to Earth’s temperature?
a)
Increase
b)
Decrease
c)
Remain the Same
d)
Not enough information 
23.

Which has a lower albedo, an asphalt parking lot or a snow-covered field?

a)

Asphalt parking lot

b)

Snow-covered field

c)

They have the same albedo

d)

More information is needed to answer this question

24.
Many clouds have a high albedo and therefore tend to
a)
Absorb sunlight
b)
Reflect sunlight
c)
Transmit sunlight
d)
Radiate sunlight
25.
Weather is 
a)
the weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period
b)
daily conditions of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, pressure, wind, and moisture
c)
Neither of the choices
d)
Both of the choices
26.

What are greenhouse gases?

a)

Gases that help plants stay warm

b)

Gases that absorb UV radiation (sunburn causing radiation)

c)

Gases that cause acid rain

d)

Gases that absorb infrared radiation (heat energy)

27.

Snow on the ground prevents polar climates from gaining heat because of what?

a)

the heating of the Earth by greenhouse gases

b)

heat spreading from the equator

c)

cold spreading from the poles of the Earth

d)

reflection of solar radiation from the surface

28.
Earth’s temperatures are stable because we are surrounded by ________ which allows the right amount of sunlight in to warm the Earth.
a)
A cloud layer
b)
The atmosphere
c)
Gravity
d)
Water
29.

What is climate?

a)

weather

b)

rain, sleet, snow, or hail

c)

average weather in a region over a long period of time

d)

the amount of ice cream available in a city

30.

What does "latitude" refer to?

a)

the distance away from the Equator

b)

how much rain a place gets

c)

how high up a mountain a place is

d)

the number of seasons a place gets

31.

The higher the altitude of a city, the _______________ the temperatures are.

a)

hotter

b)

colder

c)

more consistent

d)

weirder

32.

What has the highest albedo?

a)

the oceans

b)

Ice in the Arctic or Antarctic

c)

the ground

d)

roads

33.

Which would you expect to have the highest albedo?

a)

dirt

b)

sand

c)

ice

d)

water

34.

Which would you expect to have the lowest albedo?

a)

dirt

b)

sand

c)

ice

d)

water

35.

___________ ice caps will cause the poles to have a lower albedo.

a)

Freezing

b)

Melting

c)

Same

36.

Which statement about the albedo of ocean water and sea ice in the summer is correct?

a)

The low albedo of ocean water means the heated water will sink and form ocean currents.

b)

The albedo of sea ice is lower than the albedo of ocean water, leading to the melting of sea ice.

c)

Sea ice absorbs less radiation, making it warmer than ocean water.

d)

Ocean water absorbs more radiation and is warmer than sea ice.

37.

Which of these are true about the difference between weather and climate

a)

weather is long term

b)

weather is short term

c)

climate is short term

d)

weather is climate

38.

If humans didn't exist, would there still be a Greenhouse Effect?

a)

No, it is only caused by humans releasing greenhouse gases

b)

Yes, the greenhouse effect is caused by naturally occurring gases

c)

No, there is no evidence that the greenhouse effect exists

d)

Yes, the greenhouse effect is caused by plants

39.

Which of these is not a greenhouse gas?

a)

Oxygen

b)

Methane

c)

Carbon dioxide

d)

Water vapor

e)

Nitrous oxide

40.

When the Sun's energy is trapped by greenhouse gases, the temperature on Earth will

a)

Decrease

b)

Stay the same

c)

Increase

d)

Fluctuate or change

41.

What are greenhouse gases?

a)

Gases that help plants stay warm

b)

Gases that absorb UV radiation (sunburn causing radiation)

c)

Gases that cause acid rain

d)

Gases that absorb infrared radiation (heat energy)

42.

What is albedo?

a)

How much solar radiation a surface reflects

b)

How much solar radiation a surface absorbs

c)

The amount of solar radiation that makes it to Earth's surface

d)

None of these

43.

The average U.S. temperatures over 50 years is an example of what?

a)

climate

b)

weather

c)

climate change

d)

albedo

44.

The average temperature of Hanford over two months is an example of what?

a)

albedo

b)

weather

c)

climate

d)

climate change

45.

If more energy is absorbed by the Earth than released, what will happen to global temperatures?

a)

They will increase

b)

They will decrease

c)

They will fluctuate (change over time)

d)

They will stay the same

46.

If more energy is released by the Earth than absorbed, what will happen to global temperatures?

a)

They will increase

b)

They will decrease

c)

They will fluctuate (change over time)

d)

They will stay the same

47.

When humans produce more greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels than are produced by natural processes, what can happen to the Earth's temperature?

a)

It can decrease

b)

Burning fossil fuels does not increase greenhouse gases

c)

It will stay the same

d)

It can increase

48.

What is one example of a NATURAL way that carbon dioxide is added to the Earth's atmosphere?

a)

Photosynthesis by plants

b)

Respiration (or breathing) by animals

c)

Burning fossil fuels

d)

Deforestation

49.

If an aerosol reflects sunlight, it can ___ the planet.

a)

cool

b)

warm

c)

insulate

d)

protect

50.

The Earth's albedo is relatively low, because the albedo of land and water is much lower than the albedo of _____.

a)

forests

b)

cities

c)

clouds