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160 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What are the 5 themes of geographic science? |
Location, region, human-earth relationships, movement and place. |
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From the 5 themes, communication and diffusion refer to __________ |
Movement |
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From the 5 themes, latitude and longitude refer to ____________ |
Location |
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From the 5 themes, resource exploitation and hazard perception refer to ____________________ |
Human-earth relationships |
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From the 5 themes of geography, your home address us best described as a ______________ |
Location |
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The development of hypotheses for testing and prediction |
Scientific method |
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Understand the nature and creation of scientific theories (3) |
1) Based on several hypotheses 2) Broad in scope because they unify several known facts about the world 3) Based on natural laws (gravity, atomic theory, etc.) |
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Understand the Earth in terms of open and closed systems (3) |
Earth represents a vast integrated system Open system in terms of energy (rays from sun incoming and rays coming from the earth going out) Closed system in terms of matter |
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Define system equilibrium |
Balance of inputs and outputs |
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Define steady state equilibrium |
Small fluctuations about an average condition |
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Define dynamic equilibrium |
Small fluctuations about an average condition that changes gradually over time. |
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The carbon dioxide that is being added to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels is an example of an _______ variable to the atmosphere and an ________ variable from the lithosphere. |
Input; output |
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Define biotic & abiotic |
Living systems, nonliving systems (3) |
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Earth's circumference is greatest around the ________ |
Equator |
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Science that specifically attempts to determine Earth's shape and size by surveys and mathematics. |
Geodesy |
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How can the position of the sun and stars assist navigation? |
Determining latitude |
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An angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian from the center of Earth is termed: |
Longitude |
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How far north you live from the equator is measured as your _______ whereas an imaginary line marking all those places at the same distance north of the equator is called a _______ |
Latitude, parallel |
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The basis for defining the length of a day is the fact that Earth ______ |
Rotates once on its axis in 24 hours or 15 degrees of longitude per hour |
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The Meridian opposite of Earth's prime meridian (zero degrees longitude) is called the ________ |
International Date Line |
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Define latitude |
The angular distance measured north or south of the Equator |
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The most extreme northern and southern parallels to experience perpendicular rays of the Sun at local noon are located at |
23.5 ° north and south otherwise known as the tropics of Cancer (N) and Capricorn (S) = 47° total = tropics. |
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Define longitude |
Longitude is an angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian |
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What is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer? |
23.5 ° North |
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What is the latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn? |
23.5° South |
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What are the three characteristics of meridian's |
1 all meridians are the same length 2 they are used to measure east to west angular distances 3 they comprise half circles |
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The practice of setting time ahead or behind during the year out of coordination with the sun is called |
Daylight saving time |
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Define cartography |
Cartography is the science of making Maps |
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Define a great circle |
A great circle is a circle of circumference whose Center coincides with the center of the Earth |
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Understand great and Small circles |
Following great circles represents the shortest flight path because of the Coriolis effect and the Arc of the Earth small circles only occur on the latitude parallels and diminish and length in the center as they travel north or south from the equator |
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The larger the scale of a map the _______ the area covered by the map and the _______ detail it provides |
Smaller, more |
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Define equivalence |
The property of equal area in relation to reality on a map |
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Define conformality |
The property of true shape in relation to reality on a map |
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On the Mercator Projection, areas at high latitudes appear _______ |
Larger than areas of the same size located nearer to the equator |
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In plotting true magnetic compass readings or rhumb lines between two points which map projection is generally used? |
Mercator Projection |
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The change in the proportional size of features at high latitudes on a Mercator map occurs because |
Meridian lines are stretched apart at high latitudes compared to reality where they meet at the poles |
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Name the three fundamental classes of map projections |
Cylindrical, planar, conical |
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What is an example of a well-known cylindrical map projection |
Mercator Projection |
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On a topographic map _______ denotes all points at the same elevation |
Contour line |
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Cite several uses of global positioning system or GPS units |
1 recently found the correct height of Mount Everest to be 8850 meters or 29035 feet 2 show your location accurate to 100 meters 3 used in Precision agriculture 4 used by surveyors in the military |
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Define remote sensing |
Remote sensing is the monitoring of a distant object without physical contact |
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What is a common example of an active remote sensing device |
Radar |
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Understand capabilities of a geographic information system 4 |
1 production of specialized Maps suited to the needs of specific users 2 rapid production of maps based on continuously updated information 3 analysis of spatial information 4 creation of data overlay showing the spatial relationships between variables |
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True or false latitude is easily determined using celestial objects whereas longitude is not easily calculated in such a manner and requires time-keeping devices |
True |
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Coordinated universal time is the present name for World Standard Time true or false |
True |
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The Prime Meridian and the 180th Meridian are opposite halves of the same great circle true or false |
Troop |
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In order for shape to be preserved on a map the parallels and meridians must intersect at right angles true or false |
Truth |
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Maps that are intended to show special distributions should be based on projections that minimize area Distortion rather than shape Distortion true or false |
True |
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A circular surface area when drawn on a map designed to preserve area might appear as an oval true or false |
Truth |
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A landsat or weather satellite image is an example of passive remote sensing true or false |
True |
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Define system |
Any ordered interrelated set of objects and attributes as distinct from their surrounding environment |
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Define model |
Represents an idealized apart of the real world greatly simplified |
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Name Earth's four systems |
Atmosphere hydrosphere lithosphere ecosphere |
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What are the three methods of expressing scale on maps |
Written graphic representative fraction |
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Geography is a _______ science and the part of geography that involves mapmaking is _______ |
Spatial cartography |
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How does the sun produce energy |
Through Fusion processes |
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4 things about the Milky Way galaxy |
Spiral-shaped Galaxy, it is one of millions of galaxies in the universe, it contains approximately 300 billion stars, our solar system is on a trailing edge of the Milky Way galaxy |
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How did the Sun and Earth form |
From a nebula of dust and gases |
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What is the speed of light in kilometers per second and in miles per second |
300000 kilometers per second or 186,000 miles per second |
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The plane of Earth's orbit about the sun is called _______ |
The plane of the ecliptic |
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What is the process by which energy is produced inside of stars |
Hydrogen is fused together to form helium |
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What is not a consequence of the solar wind |
The creation of Earth's magnetosphere |
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What creates the Aurora Borealis |
The solar wind |
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Define insolation |
Intercepted solar radiation |
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Where is the solar constant measured at |
Thermopause, the edge of the Earth's atmosphere |
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What causes the uneven distribution of insolation by latitude |
Earth's sphericity, which presents varied angles to parallel solar rays |
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Define subsolar point |
The name of the location on the surface of Earth that receives insolation when the sun's rays are perpendicular to the surface |
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On the Northern hemisphere's summer solstice the North Pole region receives _______ daily insolation than areas near the equator because _______ |
More, the sun does not set |
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The sun's declination migrates through _______ degrees |
47 degrees around the equator |
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The people living at 40 degrees north or south latitude experience _______ hours difference in day length from winter to summer |
6 |
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At all times during the year the circle of Illumination divides Earth between equal _______ |
Equal halves of lightness and darkness |
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Define Sun's altitude |
The angular height of the sun above the horizon |
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What does Earth's revolution determine |
The timing of seasons and length of the year |
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Which way does the Earth rotate |
From west to east |
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What parallel designates the farthest Northern subsolar point during the year |
Tropic of Cancer |
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What day has equal day and nights everywhere on Earth |
March 21st |
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The longest days of the year in the northern hemisphere are experienced during the _______ |
Time that the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer |
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Where is the Tropic of Capricorn located |
23.5 degrees south latitude |
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How many hours of day and night are on an equinox |
12 |
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The longest days of the year in the southern hemisphere are experienced during the northern hemisphere's _______ |
Winter solstice |
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Explain the relationship of latitude to Dawn and Twilight |
The duration of both increases with increasing latitude |
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What is the air in the troposphere made of |
A mixture of gases that behaves as if it were a single gas |
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Based on composition the atmosphere is divided into _______ |
2 Broad classifications homosphere and heterosphere |
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Define homosphere |
The region of the atmosphere that is so evenly mixed that it behaves as if it were a single gas |
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Define heterosphere |
The layer of the atmosphere in which the gases are poorly mixed because of the influence of gravity which causes gases of different weight to separate into layers |
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What are the gases in the atmosphere |
Nitrogen and oxygen |
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Which of these gases listed below has accumulated in the atmosphere as a result of biological processes argon oxygen nitrogen or water vapor |
Oxygen |
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Understand the key points about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 4 |
One it is critically important in regulating the temperature of the Planet 2 it is a natural product of life processes 3 it occurs in small amounts in the atmosphere compared to the important role it plays in the life processes and in regulating the temperature of the planet for the amount of carbon dioxide has increased as a result of human activities |
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Where does the atmospheric portion of the biosphere occur in |
The troposphere |
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Define refraction |
When light passes from one medium to another refraction occurs a process that is important to the formation of rainbows and separating light into its different colors or Spectrum |
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Because of the process known as _______ the Sun appears above the Horizon _______ it has actually risen |
Refraction before |
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Define Albedo |
The reflective quality of a surface |
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If the surface of the Earth were to suddenly turn white the temperature of the planet would _______ because _______ insolation would be absorbed |
Decrease less |
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An increase in the earth's Albedo would _______ |
Cool the planet |
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Why is the sky blue |
The sky is blue because the atmosphere scatters blue light more than any other visible wavelength |
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Define conduction |
Conduction refers to the molecule to molecule transfer of heat energy that diffuses through material |
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Define convection |
A vertical air current that is generated by temperature induced density differences is an example of heat transfer by convection |
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The relationship between the insulation curve and the air temperature curve on a graph of daily surface energy exhibits what |
A lag of several hours between the plotted lines |
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As the kinetic energy of the air increases what happens to its temperature |
The temperature increases |
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When and where was the lowest temperature recorded on earth to date |
Antarctica in July |
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What is the significance of the minus 273 degrees Celsius or minus 459.4 degrees Fahrenheit |
zero degrees absolute temperature |
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When water evaporates the energy that was used to evaporate the water is stored as _______ |
As latent heat in the evaporated water |
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Official temperatures are measured using thermometers placed in shelters that are blank |
White |
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Based on information discussed earlier in the course you know that seasonal variation in day length _______ with increasing distance from the equator because _______ |
Increases, Earth's axis is tilted relative to the plane of the ecliptic |
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Name a fact regarding clouds |
They act like insulation and that they have a moderating influence on temperatures |
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The temperature on a cloudy night is likely to be _______ than those on a clear night all other factors being equal |
warmer than |
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What is the link between evaporation and temperature land vs ocean |
Evaporation tends to lower temperatures more over water bodies than Overland |
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As a result of the characteristics of water cities located near a coast should experience a temperature rain that is _______ than those of cities located in the interior at the same latitude |
Smaller than |
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During summer cities located near the coast are _______ than those in the interior at the same latitude while in the winter they are _______ |
Cooler, warmer |
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Understand the link between the Gulf Stream and temperatures in Western Europe |
The gulf stream moves north and east |
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Which of the following would experience the least continentality Central Nevada North Central Asia a tropical island 200 kilometres Inland from the Gulf of Mexico |
A tropical island |
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Identify the regions of the earth that experience the greatest continentality |
Large inland areas furthest away from large bodies of water |
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The highest maximum temperatures on earth occur in interior deserts during July because |
Insulation is greater than the other latitudes the skies are cloudless little evaporation occurs just Supply moisture to the atmosphere |
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The reflective quality of a surface is Squall called Albedo and is expressed as a percentage true-false |
True |
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High latitudes have a higher Albedo in Winter than do low latitudes true false |
True |
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The coldest time of year of the Year occurs in December at the time of the winter solstice true false |
False |
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The energy received in just 35 minutes at the surface of the u.s. exceeds the amount of energy derived from burning fossil fuels in a year true-false |
True |
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There is as yet no scientific consensus concerning the idea that Earth is warming as a result of human activities true-false |
False |
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The average annual temperature of a location is controlled primarily by latitude true-false |
True |
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Clouds moderate temperatures producing lower daily maximums and higher nightly minimums true false |
True |
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You would expect a tropical island have a high degree of Continental ality true false |
False |
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The southern hemisphere is dominated by Maritime influences whereas the northern hemisphere is dominated by continentality true false |
True |
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Heat energy can be transferred through what four ways |
Conduction convection advection radiation |
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Airflow is initiated by the _______ |
Pressure gradient Force |
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As air temperature increases the speed of the molecules in a mass of air _______ and the air pressure _______ |
Increases increases |
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What basically happens to air due to the pressure gradient Force |
It drives air from areas of higher to lower barometric pressure |
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On a weather map of air pressure what can you infer from a closer spacing of isobars |
A steep pressure gradient creating a faster flow of air |
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The deflection produced by the Coriolis a force is caused by |
The fact that Earth's rotation decreases in speed toward the poles |
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The effect of the Coriolis force is _______ in the upper atmosphere because _______ |
Enhanced there is less friction |
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The wind belts used by Mariners to travel from Europe to North America during the days of sailing ships were the |
Northeast trades |
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During the day along the coast the wind tends to blow toward the _______ because _______ |
Land land Heats more rapidly than water |
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Which of the following is a benefit of wind power as opposed to other more traditional power sources it does not produce radioactive waste it is renewable it does not produce pollution or acid rain does not require mining |
All of the above |
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Torricelli invented a device used for the measurement of air pressure true-false |
True |
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Wind speed is measured with a barometer true-false |
False |
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Winds are named for the direction in which they are blowing not from where they originated true-false |
False |
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The pressure gradient Force drives air from areas of higher pressure to of lower pressure true-false |
True |
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The Coriolis force is responsible for the direction water rotates when flowing into a drain true or false |
False |
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Friction creates a deflection in Wind movements that is always to the right in the northern hemisphere true-false |
False |
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The forces that control the wind include the pressure gradient Force coriolis force and friction Force true-false |
True |
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A line connecting points of equal pressure on a weather map is called an isobar true-false |
True |
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The effect of surface friction extends to a height of about 500 meters or 1640 feet although it may vary with wind speed season time of day and pressure patterns true-false |
True |
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A primary low pressure area occurs from 20 degrees to 35 degrees north latitude and south latitude true-false |
False |
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The dynamic secondary pressure areas located around 60 degrees north latitude are subpolar low pressure centers true false |
True |
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The intertropical Convergence Zone itcz shifts as far north as the Persian Gulf region in July even though it is associated with equatorial circulation true-false |
True |
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Subtropical high-pressure systems generate both the trade winds and the westerlies true-false |
True |
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The doldrums are associated with the subtropical pressure belt and the horse latitudes are associated with the equatorial belt true false |
False |
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In India Monsoon rains come in the winter season true-false |
False |
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Ocean currents play a relatively small role in regulating climate true-false |
False |
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Areas in which Gravity Drainage of error occurs would make potentially good sides for wind turbines true-false |
True |
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In Minnesota a single wind turbine can generate $20,000 of electricity each year true false |
True |
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The two countries with the most wind power capacity in Europe are Germany and Spain true-false |
True |
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The global potential for wind energy is enough to meet a little less than half the planet's energy |
False |
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Wind power is more expensive than nucular or cold energy true false |
False |
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The El Nino Southern oscillation involves a pool of warm water shifting North and South across the Pacific Ocean true-false |
False |
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The horizontal motion of air across Earth's surface is called |
Wind |
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Wind speed is measured with an |
Anemometer |
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Wind direction is measured with |
Wind vane |
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A descriptive scale useful in visually estimating wins is the traditional |
Beaufort wind scale |
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Name the four forces that shape the speed and direction of winds |
Gravity pressure gradient Force coriolis Force friction |
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Continentality |
The greater range between max & min tempt on both a daily & yearly basis in areas inland or distant from other large water bodies |