Environmental Science Questions

The ___________ is noted for the fact that air warms as altitude increases to a height of about thirty miles (50 kilometers). thermosphere troposphere mesosphere stratosphere

A temperature inversion occurs when _______________. warm air lies atop cold air near the stratosphere cold air lies atop warm air near the stratosphere cold air lies atop warm air next to the ground warm air lies atop cooler air next to the ground

The hydrologic cycle does not include atmospheric processes. True False

Variations in specific humidity vary primarily as a function of longitude. True False

Public/domestic use and industrial uses represent the two largest usages of freshwater in the U.S. True False

Drought can be caused by persistent low pressure and its corresponding rising air. True False

Which of the following is a correctly described part of the hydrologic cycle? Groundwater only flows from one place to another in the subsurface. More precipitation and evaporation takes place over the oceans than over land. Movement of water is restricted to rainfall and rivers. Raindrops form through the process of evaporation.

Groundwater is the part of the subsurface water that fully saturates the pore spaces in bedrock, regolith, or soil, and so becomes part of the _______________. infiltration water the unsaturated zone the saturated zone water table

Atmospheric pressure remains constant with increasing altitude. True False

Since large bodies of water heat and cool more ____________ compared to land surfaces, monthly temperature maximums and minimums tend to be delayed at coastal stations. constantly rapidly randomly slowly

This changing state of water involves the transition from a solid to a gaseous state. deposition evaporation sublimation melting

An example of a primary effect of drought is: low amounts of dissolved oxygen in some lakes crop damage rolling blackouts a decrease in tourism

A strong trough in a Rossby Wave occurs when the jet stream: bends toward the poles. bends away from the poles. does not bend but maintains a west to east flow. does not bend but maintains an east to west flow.

The wet (saturated) adiabatic lapse rate is lower than the dry (unsaturated) adiabatic lapse rate because when condensation occurs, latent heat is released. True False

In essence, the adiabatic process involves: the motionless effect of rising air and the active effect of descending air the cooling effect of sinking air and the warming effect of ascending air the drying effect of rising air and the saturating effect of descending air the cooling effect of rising air and the warming effect of descending air

Winds are caused by unequal heating of the earth's surface and in response to air pressure differences. Winds tend to move from high to low pressure until air pressures are equal. True False

The Ogallala Aquifer, which has experienced a significant amount of drops in water levels due to overpumping, is especially important for what reason? It replenishes key lake regions around the U.S. It is an important source of irrigation in agriculture. It feeds springs for the largest trout farms in the world. It is an important source of coal and hydroelectric power.

A mountain or katabatic breeze is created when air from: lower elevations is cooled more efficiently and rises, creating an upslope breeze. lower elevations is heated more efficiently and rises, creating an upslope breeze. higher elevations is heated more efficiently and sinks, creating a downslope breeze. higher elevations is cooled more efficiently and sinks, creating a downslope breeze.

Geographers apply the term _______________ to a landform type that possesses limestone bedrock and is gradually dissolved by water and its associated chemical reactions with rocks and minerals. travertine dolomite karst carbonate

_______________ fog forms when warm, moist air moves over a colder surface. Radiation Advection Compression Sublimation