) to replace the warmer surface water that was pushed westward. during an el niño event, these...

Name Roy G Biv

1. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and cross section below and onyour knowledge of Earth science. The cross section represents a generalized region of thePacific Ocean along the equator during normal (non-El Niño) conditions. The relativetemperatures of the ocean water and the prevailing wind direction are indicated.

El Niño

Under normal Pacific Ocean conditions, strong winds blow from east to west along theequator. Surface ocean water piles up on the western part of the Pacific due to these winds.This allows deeper, colder ocean water on the eastern rim of the Pacific to be pulled up(upwelling) to replace the warmer surface water that was pushed westward. During an El Niño event, these westward-blowing winds get weaker. As a result,warmer water does not get pushed westward as much, and colder water in the east is notpulled toward the surface. This creates warmer surface ocean water temperatures in theeast, allowing the thunderstorms that normally occur at the equator in the western Pacificto move eastward. A strong El Niño is often associated with wet winters along thenorthwestern coast of South America and in the southeastern United States, and drierweather patterns in Southeast Asia (Indonesia) and Australia. The northeastern UnitedStates usually has warmer and drier winters in an El Niño year.

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Which cross section best represents the changed wind conditions and Pacific Oceantemperatures during an El Nino event? [Diagrams are not drawn to scale.]

Base your answers to questions 2 through 5 on the graphs and map below. The map shows aview of Earth from above the North Pole. Points on the map indicate the positions ofReykjavik, Iceland, and Yakutsk, Russia. The graphs show average monthly air temperature(line graphs) and amount of precipitation (bar graphs) for both locations.

2. Identify one warm and one cool ocean current that affect the climate of Iceland.

Warm: _____________________________

Cool: ______________________________

3. Describe one way the yearly precipitation in Yakutsk differs from that in Reykjavik.

4. Explain why Reykjavik has cooler summers and warmer winters than Yakutsk.

5. Write the two-letter weather map symbol for an air mass that originates over Yakutsk.

6. Base your answer to the following question on the map and passage below. The map showsisolines of average yearly rainfall, in centimeters, for the Congo River region of Africa.

The climate of the Congo River region is mainly influenced by air from two sourceregions. One air-mass source region is over the Benguela Current along the west coast ofAfrica. This air mass moves at low altitudes toward the Congo River region. A secondair-mass source region is located over the South Equatorial Current along the east coast ofAfrica. This air mass moves at higher altitudes over the Congo River region.

Explain why air masses that form over the South Equatorial Current move at higher altitudesthan air masses that form over the Benguela Current.

Base your answers to questions 7 and 8 on the graph below, which shows the averagemonthly temperatures for a year for city X and city Y. Both cities are located at the samelatitude.

7. What evidence shown on the graph indicates that both cities, X and Y, are located in theNorthern Hemisphere?

8. Explain why city X has a greater difference between summer and winter temperatures than cityY.

Base your answers to questions 9 and 10 on the diagram below, which shows the temperature change when a parcel of air warms, rises,and expands to form a cloud. Location A is at the base of the cloud.

9. Assume the cooling rate of the rising parcel of air is constant. Determine the temperature ofthe air parcel at the 3350-foot altitude. Express your answer to the nearest tenth of a degree.

________________ ºF

10. Explain why the warmer air rises.

Base your answers to questions 11 through 13 on the map and data tables below. The mapshows the location of Birdsville and Bundaberg in Australia. Data table 1 shows the averagemonthly high temperatures for Birdsville. Data table 2 includes the latitude and longitude,elevation above sea level, and the average rainfall in January for Birdsville and Bundaberg.

11. On the map, draw the 30° S latitude line.

12. State one reason for the difference in the average January rainfall for Birdsville andBundaberg.

13. State one factor that could account for the difference between the average high temperaturesrecorded in December for Birdsville and Bundaberg.

Base your answers to questions 14 through 16 on the cross section and bar graph below. The cross section shows a portion of Earth's crustalong the western coast of the United States. The points show different locations on Earth'ssurface. The arrows show the prevailing wind direction. The bar below each point shows theyearly precipitation at that location.

14. State one reason why colder temperatures would be recorded at the top of the Sierra NevadaMountain Range than at the top of the Coastal Mountain Ranges.

15. What is the yearly precipitation total for the four points located in the Coastal MountainRanges?

16. Explain why the valleys have lower amounts of precipitation than points on the westernslopes of the mountain ranges.

Base your answers to questions 17 and 18 on the data table below, the map on the following page, and on your knowledge of Earth science.The data table shows the air pressure in the eye (center) and the maximum sustained windspeed around the eye of Hurricane Wilma from October 18 through October 25, 2005. Thedata were collected at the same time each day. The map shows the geographic locations of theeye of Hurricane Wilma from October 18 to October 25.

17. State the compass direction in which Hurricane Wilma moved from October 22 throughOctober 25.

18. Identify the latitude and longitude of the eye of Hurricane Wilma on October 24. Label youranswer with the correct units and directions.

19. Base your answer to the following question on the data table below and on your knowledge of Earth Science. The table shows the area, inmillion square kilometers, of the Arctic Ocean covered by ice from June through November.The average area covered by ice from 1979 to 2000 from June to November is compared tothe area covered by ice in 2005 for the same time period.

Scientists have noted that since 2002, the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by ice duringthese warmer months has shown an overall decrease from the long-term average(1979-2000). State one way in which this ice coverage since 2002 and the ice coverageshown in the 2005 data above provide evidence of global warming, when compared to thislong-term average.

Base your answers to questions 20 and 21 on the climate graph below, which shows theaverage monthly precipitation and average monthly air temperatures at city X. City X islocated near a mountain range in the Southern Hemisphere.

20. Below state whether the climate of city X is dry or wet. Then, on the cross section, place an Xon Earth’s surface to indicate the most likely location of city X.

21. What evidence shown on the graph indicates that city X is located in the SouthernHemisphere?

Base your answers to questions 22 through 24 on the map and passage below.

A Lake-Effect Snowstorm

A snowstorm affected western New York State on October 12 and 13, 2006. A blendof weather conditions caused more than 24 inches of heavy, wet, lake-effect snow,bringing much of western New York to a standstill. The New York State Thruway wasclosed to traffic between exits 46 and 59, which are circled on the map. The isolines onthe map show the amount of snowfall, measured in inches, resulting from this storm.Points A and B represent locations on Earth's surface.

22. Identify the most probable direction from which the wind was blowing to produce the patternof snowfall shown on the map.

23. Identify two hazards to human life or property that can result from a snowstorm of this size.

24. On the grid, construct a profile of the snowfall amounts along line AB by plotting the isolineamounts that cross line AB. The amounts for points A and B have been plotted. Complete theprofile by connecting all the plots with a line.

25. Base your answers to the questions below on the information below.

The climate of an area is affected by many variables such as elevation, latitude, and distanceto a large body of water. The effect of these variables on average surface temperature andtemperature range can be represented by graphs on grids that have axes labeled as shownbelow.

a) On Grid I, draw a line to show the relationship between elevation and average surfacetemperature.

b) On Grid II draw a line to show the relationship between latitude and average surfacetemperature.

c) On Grid III draw a line to show the relationship between distance to a large body of waterand temperature range.

d) Explain why the climate near the Equator is warm and moist.

26. Base your answer to the following question on Read the passage below:

Greenhouse Effect

The warming of Earth's surface and lower atmosphere tends to intensify with anincrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The atmosphere allows a large percentage of thevisible light rays from the Sun to reach Earth's surface. Some of this energy is reradiatedby Earth's surface in the form of long-wave infrared radiation. Much of this infraredradiation warms the atmosphere when it is absorbed by molecules of carbon dioxide andwater vapor. A similar warming effect is produced by the glass of a greenhouse, whichallows sunlight in the visible range to enter, but prevents infrared radiation from leavingthe greenhouse. The absorption of infrared radiation causes Earth's surface and the lowest layer ofEarth's atmosphere to warm to a higher temperature than would otherwise be the case.Without this "greenhouse" warming, Earth's average surface temperature could be as lowas –73°C. The oceans would freeze under such conditions. Many scientists believe that modern industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels(coal, oil, and natural gas) have increased the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Thisincrease may result in an intensified greenhouse effect on Earth causing significantalterations in climate patterns in the future. Scientists estimate that average globaltemperatures could increase by as much as 5°C by the middle of the 21st century.

State one possible change humans could make to significantly reduce the amount ofgreenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year.

27. Base your answer to the following question on on the passage and map below. The mapshows the average yearly precipitation in New York State measured in inches.

Landscapes and Precipitation

Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean is carried to New York Stateby storm systems and air currents. Rain and snowfall amounts vary by region. Heavysnow belts are located near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario as well as in the plateau regionsof eastern and northern New York State. Long Island and New York City usuallyexperience lighter snowfalls. Snowfall amounts are converted to inches of water todetermine yearly precipitation.

On the map below, draw one arrow to show the path that air travels to produce heavylake-effect snowfall in Oswego, New York.

Base your answers to questions 28 through 31 on the magazine article and diagram below.

Lake-Effect Snow

During the cold months of the year, the words "lake effect" are very much a part of theweather picture in many locations in New York State. Snow created by the lake effectmay represent more than half the season's snowfall in some areas. In order for heavy lake-effect snow to develop, the temperature of the water at thesurface of the lake must be higher than the temperature of the air flowing over the water.The higher the water temperature and the lower the air temperature, the greater thepotential for lake-effect snow. A lake-effect storm begins when air flowing across the lake is warmed as it comes inclose contact with the water. The warmed air rises and takes moisture along with it. Thismoisture, which is water vapor from the lake, is turned into clouds as it encounters muchcolder air above. When the clouds reach the shore of the lake, they deposit their snow onnearby land. A typical lake-effect storm is illustrated in the diagram below. The area most likely to receive snow from a lake is called a "snowbelt." Lake Ontario'ssnowbelt includes the counties along the eastern and southeastern ends of the lake.Because the lake runs lengthwise from west to east, the prevailing westerly winds are ableto gather the maximum amount of moisture as they flow across the entire length of thelake. There can be lake-effect snowfall anywhere around the lake, but the heaviest andmost frequent snowfalls occur near the eastern shore. In parts of the snowbelt, the lake effect combines with a phenomenon known asorographic lifting to produce some very heavy snowfalls. After cold air has streamed overthe length of Lake Ontario, it moves inland and is forced to climb the slopes of the TugHill Plateau and the Adirondack Mountains, resulting in very heavy snowfall.

28. State the relationship that must exist between water temperature and air temperature forlake-effect snow to develop.

29. State why locations east and southeast of Lake Ontario are more likely to receive lake-effectsnow than are locations west of the lake.

30. State the name of the New York State landscape region that includes location A shown in thediagram.

31. State why very heavy snowfall occurs in the Tug Hill Plateau region.

Answer KeyClimate all short answer

1. 22. – Warm:

NorwegianCurrent or NorthAtlantic Current –Cool: EastGreenland Current

3. — Yakutskreceives lessprecipitationduring the yearthan Reykjavik. —Yakutsk receivesmore of itsprecipitation insummer than inwinter. —Yakutsk receives ahigher percentageof precipitation assnowfall.

4. — Reykjavik has amaritime climate.— The oceanaround IcelandmoderatesReykjavik'sclimate. —Reykjavik islocated near alarge body ofwater which heatsand cools moreslowly than inlandlocations. —Yakutsk is locatedfarther inland.

5. – cA or cP

6. – Warm air fromover the SouthEquatorial Currentis less dense. –The air mass iswarmer.– More moisture ispresent in thewarmer air overthe SouthEquatorialCurrent. – TheBenguela Currentcauses the air to becooler.

7. Both cities havetheir highesttemperatures inJune, July, andAugust.

8. Examples: –CityX is locatedfarther inland fromthe ocean. –City Yis located closer toa large body ofwater.

9. 43.5°F10. Examples: —

Warmer air risesbecause it is lessdense. — Astemperatureincreases, densitydecreases.

11.

12. Examples: – Bundaberg islocated near theocean. – Birdsvilleis located inland. –The warm oceancurrent affects theclimate ofBundaberg. –Bundaberg islocated on thewindward side ofthe mountain.

13. Examples: – Birdsville islocated inland nearthe center of thecontinent. –Bundaberg islocated near alarge body ofwater (the ocean)that moderatesclimatetemperatures.

14. Responses include,but not limited to:The Sierra NevadaMountain Range ishigher inelevation; Higherelevation havelowertemperatures;Expansionalcooling increaseswith highermountains.

15. 134 4 in.

16. Responses include,but are not limitedto: The air on thewestern slopes ofthe mountains isrising; The valleysare located on theeastern side of themountain rangeswhere air issinking; Air iswarmed bycompression as itdescends themountain slopes,so relativehumiditydecreases.

17. – Northeast18. – Latitude - 27° N,

Longitude - 80°W19. –The area covered

by ice in 2005 wasless than theaverage areacovered by icefrom 1979 to2000. –The areacovered by icewas less, showingevidence of globalwarming. –Moreice melted in 2005than the averagethat melted from1979 to 2000.–The ice capswere melting,causing lesssurface ice in2005. –There wasless ice in 2005.

20.

Answer KeyClimate all short answer

21. — Its warmestmonths are inJanuary andFebruary. — Itscoldest months arein June and July.— The warm andcold times of theyear are theopposite of NewYork’s.

22. – southwest –SW– west southwest –WSW

23. – car accidents –power outages –damage to homes–flooding – treesfalling onelectricallines/houses/cars –heart attack fromshoveling – carbonmonoxidepoisoning – noheat in thebuilding

24.

25.

26. –Pass a law tolimit greenhousegas emissions.–Stop burning therain forests.–Increase carpool/mass transituse.

27. An arrow thatcrosses LakeOntario andgenerally pointstowards Oswego isshown.

28. Examples: – Thetemperature of thelake water at thesurface must behigher than thetemperature of theair flowing overthe water. –Water temperatureis warmer than airtemperature.

29. Examples: –prevailing winds –Lake Ontario runslengthwise fromwest to east, andthe prevailingwinds pick upmoisture as theyflow across theentire length.

30. Erie-OntarioLowlands

31. rising or coolingair or increasedcondensation ororographic lifting

) to replace the warmer surface water that was pushed westward. during an el niño event, these...

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