Physical Geography Chapter 5

25 July 2022
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The force exerted by gas molecules on some area of Earth's surface or any other body is called what?
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Atmospheric pressure
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Lines drawn on maps joining areas of equal atmospheric pressure are called what?
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Isobars
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Due to Coriolis force, freely moving objects in the Northern Hemisphere appear to be deflected to
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the right
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The air that descends and spirals out of the subtropical high pressure belt is the source of
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trade winds and westerlies
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A sea breeze is experienced
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during the day
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The semi-permanent area of high pressure over the poles of Earth is an example of
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a thermal high
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An El Niño is observed as
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a warming of eastern equatorial Pacific waters
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Waves in the jet stream pattern are called
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Rossby waves
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Which type of wind is an example of a katabatic wind?
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Bora
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Air which has decreased in density and temperature will
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have a lower air pressure
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A counterclockwise atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is known as a/an
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cyclone
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Sinking air that diverges when it reaches Earth's surface is closely associated with ________.
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anticyclones
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The polar front and subtropical jet streams are both high-altitude flows which circulate ________.
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from west to east
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Flowing air responding to the difference between higher and lower pressure is responding to the ________.
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pressure gradient
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A wet monsoon is associated with high rainfall totals and is caused by ________.
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a seasonal reversal of winds
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The pressure of a gas is proportional to its temperature and ________.
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density
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The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is ________.
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millibars
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Trade winds are found ________.
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between 25 degrees north and south of the Equator
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Which factor is corrected for on most maps of atmospheric pressure?
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altitude
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Cold winds pouring downhill because of gravity are called ________.
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katabatic winds
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A large scale vertical downward motion in the atmosphere is a ________.
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subsidence
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Wind speed may be roughly indicated by ________.
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spacing of isobars on a weather map
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The phenomenon most directly responsible for the seasonally moist climate of northern Australia is
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monsoon
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The "horse latitudes" are zones of minimal winds which are associated with the ________ system.
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subtropical high pressure
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The region in which the intertropical convergence can be found is ________.
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the equator
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Sea breezes rarely penetrate more than ________ kilometers inland.
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30
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Surface westerly winds on a global scale exist because of air flow out of the ________ of the general circulation
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subtropical high pressure
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The jet stream of the midlatitudes can usually be found at elevations ranging from ________ kilometers.
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9 to 12
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The contact zone of warm tropical and cold polar air is known as the
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polar front
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The "mistral", "taku", "bore" are regional names for a gravity flow wind which is properly termed a ________.
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katabatic wind
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________ are map lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure
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Millibars
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Which portion of the United States tends to have the greatest average wind speeds in all seasons?
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the Great Plains
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Geostrophic wind always flows ________.
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parallel to the isobars
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The doldrums are most closely associated with ________.
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ITCZ
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Which of the below is located at the top of the troposphere above the polar front?
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the Rossby waves
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Air in an anticyclone always flows ________ in the Northern Hemisphere
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clockwise
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________ and ________ both occur at night.
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Mountain breezes, land breezes
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An example of a geostrophic wind is ________.
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jet stream
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________ is (are) found in the equatorial zone.
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The intertropical convergence zone
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Katabatic winds are those which ________.
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flow down narrow valleys
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As a general rule, friction is greatest ________.
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near Earth's surface
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Rossby waves are
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large undulations in the upper air westerlies
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Wind speed is determined by ________.
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pressure gradient force
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Surface winds tend to be ________ those at a higher level
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slower than
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Circulation in the troposphere is mainly a(n) ________ system.
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closed
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"Zonal" air flow means a/an ________ flow of air.
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west-east
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Africa's most prominent monsoon circulation can be found in the ________ part of the continent.
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western
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The "snow-eater" wind of the Rocky Mountains is called the ________.
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chinook
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The polar front jet stream is
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described by all of the above
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The so-called "winds of commerce" are the ________ winds.
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trade
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________ knots is the minimum speed for a wind aloft to be termed a "jet stream".
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60
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Divergence is most closely associated with ________.
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surface air in anticyclones
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Rising and falling of air over large areas is most properly known as ________ and ________.
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ascent, subsidence
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At any given time, there are usually ________ Rossby waves in the westerly winds of each hemisphere.
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3-6
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The intertropical convergence zone may be found as far as ________ north of the Equator in July.
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25 degrees
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Most of the broad-scale air-movements that comprise the general circulation are ________.
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horizontal
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Modern wind farms started appearing on the American landscape in the ________.
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1980s
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Above the influence of friction, most winds follow a ________ course.
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geostrophic
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The pressure of a gas is proportional to its density and ________.
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temperature
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City A has an air pressure of 1,000 millibars. City B has an air pressure of 1004 millibars. The distance between the two cities is 100 kilometers. The difference of 4 millibars over 100 kilometers is known as
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the pressure gradient
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The city of Chicago has a latitude (42°N) within which part of the global circulation?
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westerlies
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Which of the following is TRUE concerning the surface westerlies?
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are composed of winds from all directions
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Which of the following is NOT descriptive of the intertropical convergence zone?
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a cloud-free set of places
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A regular mile an hour is 5,280 feet per hour. A knot is
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slightly faster than a regular mile per hour
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You are standing on a shoreline with the ocean to your west. The wind is traveling from west to east. The wind would be called
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onshore
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Which of the following is the force that initially causes the wind to blow?
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pressure gradient
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Which of the following does NOT act upon winds that blow far above the surface of the Earth?
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friction
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Coriolis effect exists because
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the Earth rotates
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In which situation would Coriolis effect be GREATEST?
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high wind speeds, high latitude
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In a surface cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral
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clockwise and inward
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In a surface anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral
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counterclockwise and outward
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Which of the following is one of the causes of monsoons?
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Continents heat and cool differently than oceans
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The polar front jet stream can be found
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at the boundary between warm and cold air
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The major global wind and pressure systems
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shift with the season
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The antitrade winds can be found
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at great heights over the trade winds
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In the Northern Hemisphere, air converging in a counterclockwise direction, is termed a(n) ________.
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cyclone
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Cyclones, in the Northern Hemisphere, are ________ air flows.
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counterclockwise
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El Niño is most closely associated with
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weakening of a cold current
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Where would be the most likely place to find a subtropical high?
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over subtropical oceans
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The seasonal shift of the intertropical convergence is greatest ________.
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over the continents
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When surface cold air pushes far equatorward and warm air pushes far poleward ________.
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the Rossby waves have great amplitude
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Gas molecules in the lower atmosphere
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are not described by any of the above
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Which of the following occurs closest to the Equator?
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doldrums
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The reason winds exist is ________.
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the unequal heating of the Earth system
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This part of the global circulation is characterized by rising air, widespread cloudiness, precipitation, and migratory storms.
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subpolar low
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A(n) ________ is a linear zone of lower pressure between two areas of high pressure.
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trough
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Which of the following refers only to the horizontal motion of air?
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wind
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La Niña
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is the opposite of El Nino
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A north wind
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is blowing to the south
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The place with the fastest average winds on Earth is
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in Antartica
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A ________ is a seasonal reversal of wind.
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monsoon
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The poles are most closely associated with ________.
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high pressure
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Speed of the wind is unaffected by
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Coriolis effect
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The largest Hawaiian Islands are in the far northern tropics, and so, are in the ________ portion of the global circulation.
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trade wind
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Which of the following is NOT closely related to ENSO?
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North America
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Of the weather elements below, which is the one of which we are usually LEAST aware without the use of weather instruments?
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pressure
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At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a force closest to ________ kilograms per square centimeter.
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1
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The density of a substance might be measured in ________.
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kilograms per cubic meter
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The denser packing of molecules at the bottom of the atmosphere than molecules at the top of the atmosphere is a result of ________.
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gravity
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At Earth's surface, warm temperatures are associated with ________.
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low pressure
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When air is heated it expands and ________.
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lowers its pressure
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An Earth surface pressure of pressure of 1,005 millibars is associated with ________.
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any of the above, depending upon conditions
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The angle of the wind flow across the isobars ________.
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becomes smaller with height
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In the upper troposphere, where is the region of easterly winds?
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at 0-20 degrees from the Equator
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TAO/TRITON is a(n) ________ helping to pinpoint El Niño conditions.
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series of buoys
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The ________ is the boundary between near-surface and cold, deep ocean waters.
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thermocline
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Which of the below is a typical output capacity for a single wind turbine in a modern wind farm?
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1.5 megawatts
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El Niño received its name because of its association with ________.
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Christmas
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El Niño has been noticed for centuries by fishermen in ________.
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Chile
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A "dynamic low" is produced by
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the strong rise of air
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Coriolis effect is NOT closely related to
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wind speed
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Which of the below events takes place in cycles much longer than the time taken by the other two listed below?
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PDO
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The "trigger" of ENSO is
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unknown
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You are in the Northern Hemisphere. The pressure gradient force is from north to south. The surface wind which blows
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is from northeast to southwest
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Which of the following is associated with the wind moving directly from high pressure to low pressure?
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none of the above
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The pressure decrease with altitude in the lower atmosphere ________.
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is proportional to changes in density
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World wind speeds are generally greatest near coastlines and ________.
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in mountains
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If there were no continents and the Earth did not rotate, the surface wind patterns would be simple. Winds would blow from ________.
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the north in the Northern Hemisphere
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The chinook of the Rocky Mountains is the same thing as the foehn wind of the European Alps.
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true
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La Niña is usually just as prominent as El Niño.
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false
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In the lower atmosphere, molecules collide much more often than in the upper atmosphere.
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true
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The lower layers of the atmosphere are characterized by greater density of its constituent gases.
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true
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A millibar is the same thing as an isobar on a map or chart.
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false
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Long waves are also known as Rossby waves.
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true
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A geostrophic wind results when the pressure gradient force is equaled by the Coriolis effect.
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true
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Winds are named for the direction toward which they flow.
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false
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Westerly winds generally occupy the zone 30° to 60° north and south latitude.
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true
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The polar front is usually underneath a Rossby wave.
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true
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Cold air drainage is the nighttime sliding of cold air downslope to collect in low areas.
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true
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Atmospheric pressure is closely associated with collisions of gas molecules.
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true
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Jet streams are the fastest portions of the atmosphere's general circulation.
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true
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The subtropical high pressure zones tend to be centered over land in both June and January.
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false
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Atmospheric pressure is dependent on both density and temperature.
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true
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In the upper troposphere over the middle latitudes, winds are generally westerly.
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true
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Mountain slopes generally heat faster than valley floors.
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true
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Monsoons bring general devastation to all regions they pass over, with few beneficial side effects.
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false
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The general circulation of the atmosphere is the main means of longitudinal and latitudinal heat transfer on the globe.
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true
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Subtropical high pressure systems are associated with storm formation.
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false
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Land breezes are usually weaker than sea breezes.
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true
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The atmospheric pressure is force per area exerted by air.
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false
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A barometer measures pressure.
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true
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Geostrophic winds and surface winds usually blow in approximately the same direction
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false
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Geostrophic winds flow parallel to the isobars.
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true
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Coriolis effect deflects wind to the left of its original direction of motion in the Southern Hemisphere.
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true
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In the mid 2000s, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation was clearly switching to the negative phase.
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false
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Air rises in the centers of cyclones.
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true
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The "friction layer" extends to approximately 1,000 meters above the ground.
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true
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The average annual wind velocity over the surface of the Earth is close to 30 knots.
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false
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Very dry, "desert" islands are common in the zone of the trade winds.
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true
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There is no apparent Coriolis deflection at the Equator.
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true
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Any free-moving object will appear to be deflected to the left in the Northern Hemisphere.
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false
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Diverging air flowing off the Polar High in the Northern Hemisphere follows a counterclockwise direction.
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false
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There are two jet streams in the world, one in the northern and one in the Southern Hemisphere.
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false
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The Coriolis effect tends to keep the wind from flowing down the pressure gradient.
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true
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The subtropical high-pressure zones are mainly continuous over continents in the summer.
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false
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More than half the world's population lives in climates dominated by the monsoon.
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true
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Trade winds are commonly called the most "reliable" of the world's major wind systems.
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true
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The "friction layer" contains geostrophic winds.
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false
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The terms bora and taku are synonyms for cyclonic storms.
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false
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Localized wind systems like sea breezes and chinooks can sometimes be much faster than general circulation flows like the westerlies and polar easterlies.
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true
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In an upper air cyclone of the Southern Hemisphere, there is a ________ flow paralleling the isobars.
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clockwise
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At the surface, air ________ into the center of a cyclone and then rises.
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converges
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________ are semipermanent areas of high pressure centered over oceans.
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Subtropical highs
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The ________ is the part of the global circulation with an average position near the Equator.
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intertropical convergence zone
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In the Northern Hemisphere, ________ is the direction of the trade winds.
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northeast
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________ refers to a seasonal reversal of winds and is derived from an Arabic term.
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Monsoon
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The origin of monsoons is not fully understood but is believed to be related to ________.
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the upper air or jet stream or presence of the Himalayas
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Explain why coastal areas tend to have higher winds than either the land or water regions nearby.
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steeper pressure gradients because of land/water heating contrasts
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The two enormous "convective" circulations of the tropics are known as ________ .
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Hadley cells
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The chinook is the American equivalent of the European wind known as the ________.
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foehn
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The ________ is associated with Greenland and has a "warm" and a "cold" phase.
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Arctic Oscillation
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The gas law relates density, temperature, and ________ in the atmosphere.
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pressure
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In the trade wind portion of the Northern Hemisphere, the wind in the upper troposphere blows from the ________ while the surface winds are blowing from the northeast.
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southwest
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The "geographic problem" with wind power is that
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the U.S. population is not in the region with the best wind
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Wind farms are located on high ground because the wind speeds and power production are higher.
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true
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Typical large wind turbines have output capacities that are measured in _____.
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megawatts
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Electrical wind generation was first used in the
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1880s