Name: Karla Osolin

Physical Geography Spring 2014

Exam #1
Due April 6, 2014 - Midnight

Part 1: Essay
Directions: Answer each question to the best of your ability using complete sentences with
proper grammar and punctuation. If you are using references other than the course book, notes
or PowerPoints provide a citation. Each answer should be approximately 3-5 sentences long.
Be sure to answer ALL parts of each question.

1. Describe and explain the four factors in Earth-sun relations associated with the change of
seasons:
The four factors in Earth-sun relations associated with the change of seasons are:

Rotation is what causes all parts of Earth's surface except the poles to move in circle
around Earth's axis. Earth rotates from west to east on its axis and does so in a counterclockwise
direction. It requires 24 hours to happen.
Revolution is when Earth orbits around the sun. This takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 min,
46 seconds or 365.24 years, known as a tropical year.
Inclination of Earths axis is the tilt of Earths rotation axis. It is 23.5 degrees from the
perpendicular and the title is maintained throughout year.
Polarity (parallelism) of Earths axis this is the characteristic that makes Earth's
rotation axis parallel to its orientation at all times; Earth is always pointed in the same direction
toward the North Star.

How do the changing latitudes of the vertical rays of the sun change through the year?

In terms of the change of seasons, explain the significance of the Tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn, and the Arctic and Antarctic Circle.

What would be the effect on the annual march of the seasons if Earths axis was not
inclined relative to the plane of the ecliptic?

2. What is the reason for the difference in wind flow patterns in the Northern Hemisphere
and the Southern Hemisphere? The reason for the difference in wind flow patterns in the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres are determined by the pressure gradient, Coriolis
effect and friction. A total of eight circulation patterns are possible. Four in the Northern
Hemisphere and four in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Describe the pattern of vertical air movement within a high pressure system and a low
pressure system. In a high pressure system upper air sinks down into the center of the high
and then diverging near the ground surface. In a low-pressure the air converging
horizontally into the cyclone and then rising. Basically, high pressure has descending air
and low pressure has rising air.

How are high pressure and low pressure systems connected?

Describe the general location and characteristics of the following atmospheric circulation
components:
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) the zone where the air from the Northern
Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere meet; gy clouds, thunderstorms and rain.
generally found near the equator. Weather is characterized

Trade winds - These winds cover the Earth between about latitude 25 No and
latitude 25 So. They are prominent over oceans but tend to be significantly interrupted
and modified over landmasses. They blow most of the time in the same direction at the
same speed, day and night, \summer and winter. They originate as warming, drying winds
capable of holding an enormous amount of moisture. As they blow across the tropical
oceans, they evaporate vast quantities of moisture and therefore have a tremendous
potential for storminess and precipitation. They are usually heavily laden with moisture,
but usually do not produce clouds and rain unless forced to rise.

Subtropical highs they are generally located over the ocean, just off the west coasts
of continents at about 25D to 30D N and S. The weather is characterized as being sunny
and dry.

Westerlies.- These prevailing winds basically flow basically from west to east around
the world in the midlatitudinal zone between about 30D and 60D both north and south of
the equator.

3. Describe and contrast the portions of the electromagnetic spectrum referred to as
shortwave radiation and longwave radiation (terrestrial radiation). Shortwave radiation is
emitted by the Sun and includes ultraviolet, visible, and short (near) infrared wavelengths
of electromagnetic radiation. Longwave radiation is emitted by Earths surface and
atmosphere and consists of thermal infrared (far infrared).

What is insolation? Insolation is the incoming solar radiation.

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What are two dominant mechanisms of heat transfer around the world? The two
dominant mechanisms of heat transfer around the world are atmospheric and oceanic
circulation.

How would global temperature patterns be different without this heat transfer? If it were
not for these mechanisms of energy transfer, the tropics would be warmer than they
actually are and the poles would be colder.

4. What is the relative temperature of the ocean current flowing along with west
coast of a continent in the midlatitudes? The relative temperature of the ocean current
flowing along the west coast of a continent is cool.

Along the east coast of a continent? The relative temperature of the ocean current
flowing along the east coast of a continent is warm.

How do these ocean current temperatures reflect themselves on the climate of continents?
Particularly that of western North America and eastern North America
Particularly that of western North America and eastern North America.

5. Describe the roles that water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone and particulates
(aerosols) play in atmospheric processes.

Water vapor has a significant effect on the weather and climate (heating and cooling
processes). It condenses into liquid water in a cool atmosphere and forms clouds and
precipitation.
Carbon dioxide has the ability to absorb infrared radiation and it helps warm the
lower atmosphere. With all other factors being equal, more CO2 in the atmosphere means
higher temperatures on the Earths surface.
Ozone is a gas composed of molecules consisting of three atoms of oxygen, O3. It is
an excellent absorber of ultraviolet solar radiation. It filters out enough of this radiation ot
project life forms from potentially deadly effects.
Particulates (aerosols) are non-gaseous particles in the atmosphere. There are
human-induced and nature types. They hygroscopic particulates absorb water and help
form clouds. Some reflect and absorb sunlight.

What is the ozone layer, where is it located, why is it important in the atmosphere?

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The ozone layer is a layer of ozone between 15 and 48 kilometers (9 to 30 miles) up,
and is sometimes called the ozonosphere. Despite its name, the ozone layer is not
composed primarily of ozone. It gets is name because that is where the concentration of
ozone relative to other gasses is at it maximum. Even in the section of the ozone layer
where the ozone attains it sgreatest concentration, at about 25 kilometers (15 miles) above
sea level, this gas only accounts for no more than about 15 parts per million of the
atmosphere. Because the layer of the ozone protects everything living on the Earth from
harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the Sun, it would be impossible for anything to survive
on Earth without it.

Why is ozone harmful if it is close to the ground? The ozone layer closest to the
ground is the troposphere. This ozone pollutes the air is harmful to breathe and causes
damage to vegetation. It also causes smog.


6. Explain why the sky is blue. The sky is blue because of the greater prevalence
of blue wavelengths in solar radiation and because our eyes are less sensitive to violet light.
Were blue light not scattered by the atmosphere, the sky would appear black.

What is the name of the phenomenon responsible? The sky is blue because of a
phenomenon known as Raleigh Scattering. This is when the shortest wavelengths of visible
light violet and blue are scattered more easily in all directions by the gas molecules in the
atmosphere than are the longer wavelengths of visible light orange and red

What can cause skies of different colors, for example red or green? This happens when
the Sun is low in the sky, the light has passed through so much atmosphere that nearly all
of the blue wavelengths have been scattered away, leaving only the longest wavelengths of
visible light, orange and red-the dominant colors of light we see at sunrise and sunset.

What color would the sky be if it were not for the phenomenon responsible? If it
werent for this phenomenon, the sky would be black

What is happening when the sky looks gray rather than blue? When the atmosphere
contains large quantities of larger particles, such as suspended aerosols, all wavelengths of
visible light are more equally scattered; a process known as Mie scattering, leaving the sky
looking gray rather than blue.

7. Weather and climate are separate, but related, terms. What is the difference
between weather and climate? Weather is a short-run atmospheric condition that exists for
a given time in a specific area and includes temperature and pressure. Climate is the
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aggregate of day-to-day weather conditions over a long period of times and it includes wind
and moisture content. What sets them apart is the difference between immediate specifics
and protracted generalities.

What are some elements of weather and climate? The four elements of weather and
climate are: temperature, moisture content, pressure and wind.

Briefly describe dominant controls of both.

Water vapor has a significant effect on the weather and climate (heating and cooling
processes). It condenses into liquid water in a cool atmosphere and forms clouds and
precipitation.
Carbon dioxide has the ability to absorb infrared radiation and it helps warm the
lower atmosphere. With all other factors being equal, more CO2 in the atmosphere means
higher temperatures on the Earths surface.
Ozone is a gas composed of molecules consisting of three atoms of oxygen, O3.
Particulates (aerosols) are non-gaseous particles in the atmosphere. There are
human-induced and nature types. They hygroscopic particulates absorb water and help
form clouds. Some reflect and absorb sunlight.

8. Why is it impossible for a map of the world to portray Earth as accurately as can
be done with a globe? It is impossible for a map of the world to portray Earth as accurately
as can be done with a globe because a map is 2-dimensional and is just drawn to scale, and
the earth is 3-dimensional.
What is a map projection and what is its purpose? A map projection is a system
whereby the spherical surface of Earth is transformed to display it on a flat surface. The
purpose of a map projection is to try to combine the geometric exactness of a globe with the
convenience of a flat map. It assists is transferring data from a spherical surface to a flat
map with a minimum of distortion.
What are the two main type classes of projections? The two main typles of classes of
map projections are equivalent map projection and conformal map projection.
What are their differences? The differences are an equivalent map projection is a
projection that maintains constant area relationships over the entire map, whereas a conformal
map projection is a projection that maintains proper angular relationships over the entire map;
over limited areas shows the correct shapes of features shown on a map.
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What are some positives and negatives of each? Some of the positives and negatives
are that Equivalent projections are very desirable because with them, misleading
impressions of size are avoided; they are very accurate with regard to size. A negative is
that equivalence is difficult to achieve on small-scale maps because correct shapes must be
sacrificed in order to maintain proper area relationships. Most equivalent world maps
show distorted shapes of landmasses especially in the high latitudes.
Some of the positives and negatives are that conformal maps depicts accurate
shapes, but the sizes are severely exaggerated in high latitudes. The main problem is that
the size of an area must often be considerable distorted to depict the proper shape. Thus,
the scale necessarily changes from one region to another.

9. Briefly describe how water moves through the hydrologic cycle. Through the
hydrologic cycle, water moves among the ocean, atmosphere and land through evaporation,
precipitation, transpiration, from plants, then runoff, sinks into soil, and recharges of
groundwater.

Pure water has no color or no taste or smell. It turns solid at 0C (32F) and boils at
sea level at 100C (212F). The density of liquid water at 4Cis 1 gram per cubic centimeter,
but the density of ice is only 0.92 g meaning that ice floats in liquid water. Water has a
very high heat capacity and is an extremely good solvent. It has the ability to move
updated in narrow openings. Water sets the stage for the evolution of life and is st ill an
essential ingredient of life today.


Part 2: Fill in the blank/short answer
Directions: Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question.

1. The key to the production of lightning seems to be the build-up of particles at the
bottoms of thunderstorm clouds.

2. The Coriolis effect causes wind to move right of its original direction of motion
in the Northern Hemisphere.

3. A large body of air with internal homogeneous characteristics is known as an Air
Mass.

4. The ionosphere aids long distance communication in by reflecting radio waves
back to Earth.

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5. Nighttime outgoing longwave radiation is usually greatest over subtropical and
midlatitude desert regions in the southwestern United States, northern Africa, and east-
central Eurasia regions of Earth.

6. A(n) anticyclone is a high-pressure disturbance of the average flow of the surface
westerlies and is so large that it takes more than a day to pass over a location.

7. In the low latitudes, more energy leaves the top of the atmosphere than is
received at the top of the atmosphere during a year.

8. The treaty called the Kyoto Protocol addresses global warming.

9. Low clouds are associated with somber skies and drizzly rain.

10. Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from a line perpendicular to the Plane of the
Ecliptic.