1. What is the zenith angle at noon in Melbourne, Australia (38°S) on June 21? A. 38° B. 14.5° C. 61.5° D. 23.5° 2. During the northern hemisphere's summer, the sun never completely descends beneath the horizon in areas north of the Circle or

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Home >Geography homework help >1. What is the zenith angle at noon in Melbourne, Australia (38°S) on June 21? A. 38° B. 14.5° C. 61.5° D. 23.5° 2. During the northern hemisphere's summer, the sun never completely descends beneath the horizon in areas north of the Circle or

1. What is the zenith angle at noon in Melbourne, Australia (38°S) on June 21?

	A.	38°
	B.	14.5°
	C.	61.5°
	D.	23.5°

2. During the northern hemisphere's summer, the sun never completely descends beneath the horizon in areas north of the Circle or °N on at least one full day per year (hence the name "Land of the Midnight Sun").

3. What is the zenith angle at noon in Gainesville (rounded to 30°N) on the northern hemisphere summer solstice?

	A.	23.5°
	B.	6.5°
	C.	30°
	D.	12.5°

4. Please match the dates with the subsolar point (the latitude where the sun lies directly overhead at noon) on that day.

	Match		Choice
1.	June 21	A.	Tropic of Cancer
2.	December22	B.	23.5 °S
3.	September 21	C.	Equator

5. At the equator (0°), which of the following is TRUE? Select the best answer.

	A.	Places receive 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness no matter the time of year.
	B.	Noontime zenith angles are small (never more than 23.5 degrees).
	C.	The supply of energy is going to be very constant, with little seasonality.
	D.	All of the above.
	E.	A and C only.
	F.	None of the above.

6. The three sinks of insolation are: 1) Sensible Heat Flux - changing the temperature of the air, 2) Ground Heat Flux - changing the temperature of the planetary surface (including continents and oceans), and 3) Latent Heat Flux - changing the state of water without any change in temperature.

In regards to latent heat, energy that has been 'stored' in the higher energetic states of water (gas/water vapor, liquid) is released when the water changes state back to the lesser energetic states (liquid, solid ice).

Which of the following is (are) FALSE statement(s) about latent heat and latent heat flux? Choose the one best answer.

(Lecture 17 and 18)

	A.	One of the drivers of storm winds is the release of energy from water vapor condensing into droplets (clouds). This energy heats the atmosphere above the storm, and this warm air rises creating a low pressure area. Surrounding air rushes in (from high to low pressure), causing storm-related winds.
	B.	Farmers sometimes spray plants with water on cold nights to protect them from freezing. As the water freezes, it releases a small amount of energy, which in the right conditions can be enough to prevent the plant itself from freezing.
	C.	Latent heat flux can be measured with a thermometer.
	D.	A and C.

7. On December 22 (solstice), which one of the following is FALSE?

	A.	It is the first day of solar summer in the southern latitudes.
	B.	Places in the Northern hemisphere spend less than 12 hours in a day in darkness.
	C.	Places south of the Antarctic Circle have daylight for 100% of the day.
	D.	Places in the Southern hemisphere spend more than 12 hours in a day in light.
	E.	At noon on the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun is directly overhead

8. The Greenhouse Effect is a natural occurrence on Earth, where certain gases partially block outgoing longwave radiation, keeping the Earth warmer than it otherwise would have been. The effect is increased when there are higher concentrations of these greenhouse gases, for example, the excess gases produced by human activities such as burning of fossil fuels.

Which of the following are TRUE statements about the Greenhouse Effect? Choose the BEST answer.

	A.	On cold nights, farmers like to see clear weather because the still air traps more heat. Also if it rained, the water would absorb too much heat from its surroundings while it evaporated.
	B.	Increasing the quantity of greenhouse gases will reduce the amount of direct outgoing longwave radiation. This excess longwave radiation will warm the atmosphere, which will therefore emit more radiation. Eventually a new equilibrium between incoming and outgoing radiation will be established (assuming no other changes).
	C.	In addition to blocking longwave radiation, greenhouse gases also block a great deal of the shortwave radiation, including the ranges of visible light.
	D.	Oxygen and ozone block both very short radiation (e.g. gamma rays) and some longwave radiation.
	E.	The releases of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) bind with critical greenhouse gases and create a hole in the Greenhouse Effect, causing decreased temperatures in the region around Irkutsk, Russia and also Northern Mongolia.
	F.	C and D.
	G.	B and D.

9. South of 30º S, we might expect north-westerly winds from the high pressure belt at 30º S to blow to the low pressure areas of the southern "Planetary Front". However, we actually see more westerly winds. Why?

(Lecture 25)

	A.	The Coriolis effect is weaker closer to the poles, which is why we also see strong easterly winds in the northern hemisphere, north of the "Planetary Front".
	B.	The massive continent of Antarctica diverts air north of it, and then the continents of Africa, Australia, and South America divert air south of them - both funneling into the Westerlies. The air flows from the west because of the Coriolis effect deflecting the wind to the right.
	C.	We actually see the expected northwesterly winds. They are flowing from the high pressure band at 30º S to the low pressure of the "Planetary Front", and are slightly diverted to the left due to the Coriolis Effect.
	D.	That part of the world is mostly water, without any major land masses. The air flows unobstructed without any physical obstructions (land, mountains, trees, etc.) or thermal gradients caused by differences in ground and water (specific heat, latent heat, etc.), which increases the velocity of the air flow. Finally, there is increased Coriolis effect at higher linear velocities of wind.

10. The annual cycle of seasons is primarily caused by __________________.

	A.	variations in total solar radiative energy output
	B.	Changes in Earth's magnetic field
	C.	the tilt of Earth's axis relative to its orbit around the Sun
	D.	Earth's elliptical orbit and associated variations in Earth-Sun distance
	E.	sunspot activity

11. Albedo refers to the reflectivity of features on the Earth’s surface and in the atmosphere. Which of the following statements regarding albedo is NOT TRUE? (Lecture 17)

	A.	The 10-20° latitude belt has a slightly lower albedo than the equatorial belt.
	B.	Antarctica is almost always covered by snow and ice for the whole year and for this reason has a higher albedo than the Arctic.
	C.	Some of the plants in tropical rainforests have waxy leaves which can reflect more insolation back to the atmosphere.
	D.	The North Pole has a higher albedo than the South Pole because ocean currents bring warmer water from lower latitudes toward the North Pole area.

12. Which of the following statements are TRUE? Select all of the correct statements.

1. The Earth is closest to the sun during the perihelion.

2. The Earth is closest to the sun during the aphelion.

3. Both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience summer at the same time.

4. The Earth is closest to the sun during Northern Hemisphere winter.

5. The tilt in the Earth's axis is what causes Earth's seasons.

6. Earth's proximity to the sun is what causes Earth's seasons.

If needed, review material on the cause of seasons by watching the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUd5du0T08&feature=relmfu

	A.	1, 4 & 5
	B.	1 & 6
	C.	None of them are true.
	D.	2, 3 & 6
	E.	All of them are true.
	F.	1, 2 & 6

13. Which of the following statements are FALSE?

1. The South Pole receives 24 hours of sunlight on December 22.

2. The North Pole receives 24 hours of sunlight on June 21.

3. The tilt in the Earth's axis (~23.5 degrees) changes throughout the year.

4. A city like Anchorage, Alaska will have more daylight per 24 hour period in January compared July.

5. During December, the Southern Hemisphere receives a larger percent of the sun's energy than does the Northern Hemisphere.

6. On June 21st, a city that lies on the Tropic of Capricorn will find the sun almost directly overhead at noon.

7. On June 21st, a city that lies on the Tropic of Cancer will find the sun almost directly overhead at noon.

If needed, review material on the cause of seasons by watching the following video:

A. 3, 4, & 6

B. 1, 2, 3 & 6

C. 1, 2, 5 & 7

D. All of them are false

E. 1 & 4

F. 2, 3 & 6

G. 1, 3 & 7

14. The Earth receives energy in the form of electro-magnetic radiation from the Sun. Select all of the following statements that are TRUE.

1. The Earth receives energy in mostly short wave radiation around 0.5 microns, and also the Earth itself emits energy in mostly long wave radiation (10 microns).

2. The Earth receives energy from Sun, which is then trapped forever within the Earth's atmosphere.

3. The Earth receives energy in mostly long wave radiation around 10 microns, and then the Earth itself emits energy in mostly short wave radiation (0.5 microns).

4. Most of the energy received from the Sun is in the visible light spectrum.

5. Earth's atmosphere blocks the shortest wave radiation such as gamma rays, x-rays, and some ultraviolet radiation from reaching the surface of the Earth.

	A.	1, 2 & 3
	B.	2, 3 & 5
	C.	3, 4 & 5
	D.	1, 4 & 5
	E.	2 & 3

15. In the lectures, we've explored the relationship between latitude and zenith angles. There is another common concept called 'noon sun angle', which is simply the complement of the zenith angle to the horizon. Noon sun angle = 90 - Zenith angle.

You can visit this website to visually see and explore the relationship between latitude, zenith angle and noon sun angle.

http://www4.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/manuals/instructor_manual/how_to/calculating_nsa.html

What is the zenith angle at noon in Providence, RI (rounded to 42°N) on the spring equinox?

	A.	65.5°
	B.	98.6°
	C.	18.5°
	D.	30°
	E.	42°

16. Stefan-Boltzmann's Law describes how MUCH energy is given off as related to the surface temperature of an object.

E = d * T4

where E = Total energy emitted, T = Surface temperature of the radiating object, and d = Stefan-Boltzman’s constant.

Wien's Law describes the TYPE (wavelength) of radiation given off based on the surface temperature of an object.

Wmax = 2898 / T

where Wmax is the wavelength at which an object emits the maximum quantity of its energy but not exclusively so, and T = Surface temperature of the radiating object.

Based on these two laws, what can we conclude? (Choose all that are true.)

1. Hot objects emit an exponentially larger quantity of energy than cooler objects.

2. Hotter objects emit most of their energy at shorter wavelengths.

3. The energy released has a linear relationship with the surface temperature of an object.

4. Cool objects emit energy mostly at longer wavelengths than hot objects.

5. The hotter the object, the more energy the radiation has, and therefore the longer the wavelength.

A. 1, 3 & 5

B. 1, 2 & 4

C. 3 & 4

D. 1 & 5

E. 2, 3 & 5

17. A small zenith angle means what?

A. The sun is closer to the horizon.

B. The sun is close to directly overhead.

C. The sun is at about a 45 degree angle to the observer.

D. It depends on if you are in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

E. The zombocalypse is nigh.

18. Which means of energy transfer can occur through a vaccuum?

	A.	Advection
	B.	Radiation
	C.	Conduction
	D.	Convection

19. Coriolis effect is the _____ deflection of objects moving across the surface of the Earth from their ______ path.

	A.	observed, global
	B.	actual, physical
	C.	apparent, intended
	D.	physical, linear