MIDTERM

Name: Date:

1. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the Earth Science Reference Tables, thediagram below, and your knowledge of Earthscience. The diagram represents a model of theEarth-Moon system as viewed from above theNorth Pole. The numbers 1 through 8 representpositions of the Moon as it revolves around Earth.The parts of the diagram lettered A through Dshow hoe the Moon’s phases to an observer inNew York State.

The time required for the Moon to complete onecycle of phases is about one

A. day B. week C. month D. year

2. As the Moon’s phase changes from first quarter tolast quarter, the visible portion of the Moon asobserved from Earth will

A. decrease, only

B. increase, only

C. decrease, then increase

D. increase, then decrease

3. Which motion causes the Moon to show phaseswhen viewed from Earth?

A. rotation of Earth

B. revolution of Earth

C. rotation of the Moon

D. revolution of the Moon

4. The apparent changing direction of a large, freelyswinging pendulum can be used as evidence thatthe Earth is

A. rotating

B. revolving

C. tilted on its axis

D. wobbling on its axis

5. Which New York State landscape region is locatedat 42◦N 75◦W?

A. Erie-Ontario Lowlands

B. the Catskills

C. Hudson-Mohawk Lowlands

D. Tug Hill Plateau

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6. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the diagram below, which represents anexaggerated view of Earth revolving around theSun. Letters A, B, C, and D represent Earth’slocation in its orbit on the first day of each of thefour seasons.

Which observation provides the best evidence thatEarth revolves around the Sun?

A. Stars seen from Earth appear to circle Polaris.

B. Earth’s planetary winds are deflected by theCoriolis effect.

C. The change from high ocean tide to lowocean tide is a repeating pattern.

D. Different star constellations are seen fromEarth at different times of the year.

7. A student read in a newspaper that the maximumlength of the daylight period for the year inSyracuse, New York, had just been reached. Whatwas the date of this newspaper?

A. March 22 B. June 22

C. September 22 D. December 22

8. Which planet has the most eccentric orbit?

A. Mercury B. Venus

C. Neptune D. Pluto

9. To an observer on Earth, how many degrees doesthe Sun appear to move across the sky in 4 hours?

A. 96◦ B. 60◦ C. 48◦ D. 4◦

10. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the Earth Science Reference Tables, thediagram below, and your knowledge of Earthscience. The diagram represents the Sun’sapparent path in relation to a house on June 21and on December 21.

For the roof of this house, which color wouldabsorb the most insolation and also reradiate themost energy?

A. white B. green C. grey D. black

11. On which side of the house should a solarcollector be installed to absorb the greatest amountof insolation?

A. north B. south C. east D. west

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12. On which day of the year does New York Statehave the fewest hours of daylight?

A. April 21 B. June 21

C. October 21 D. December 21

13. The accompanying diagram illustrates three stagesof a current theory of the formation of theuniverse.

A major piece of scientific evidence supportingthis theory is the fact that wavelengths of lightfrom galaxies moving away from Earth in stage 3are observed to be

A. shorter than normal (a red shift)

B. shorter than normal (a blue shift)

C. longer than normal (a red shift)

D. longer than normal (a blue shift)

14. Which star is cooler and many times brighter thanEarth’s Sun?

A. Barnard’s Star B. Betelgeuse

C. Rigel D. Sirius

15. Which planet’s diameter is approximately fourtimes Earth’s diameter?

A. Venus B. Jupiter

C. Saturn D. Uranus

16. Which atmospheric conditions are necessary forcondensation?

A. saturated air and dewpoint temperature muchlower than air temperature

B. unsaturated air and dewpoint temperaturemuch higher than air temperature

C. saturated air and equal dewpoint and airtemperatures

D. unsaturated air and equal dewpoint and airtemperatures

17. The primary cause of surface ocean currents is

A. atmospheric winds

B. atmospheric precipitation

C. ocean water evaporation

D. ocean floor earthquakes

18. Which ocean current cools the climate of somelocations along the western coastline of NorthAmerica?

A. Florida Current B. California Current

C. Canaries Current D. Alaska Current

19. Which ocean current flows northeast along theeastern coast of North America?

A. Gulf Stream B. North Equatorial

C. California D. Labrador

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20. Which soil condition allows the most infiltrationof precipitation?

A. saturated soil

B. a steep soil surface

C. a coarse-grained soil

D. an impermeable surface

21. During which phase change of water is the mostenergy released into the environment?

A. water freezing

B. ice melting

C. water evaporating

D. water vapor condensing

22. At which latitude and on which date does thesurface of Earth receive the greatest intensity ofinsolation?

A. the Tropic of Cancer (23-1/2◦N) onDecember 21

B. the Equator (0◦) on September 23

C. the Antarctic Circle (66-1/2◦S) on June 21

D. the South Pole (90◦S) on March 21

23. On a clear summer day, the surface of land isusually warmer than the surface of a nearby bodyof water because the water

A. receives less insolation

B. reflects less insolation

C. has a higher density

D. has a higher specific heat

24. A desert often forms on the leeward side of amountain range, as shown in the accompanyingcross section.

After most of the moisture is removed from theair on the windward side, deserts form on theleeward side because the sinking air

A. compresses and warms

B. compresses and cools

C. expands and warms

D. expands and cools

25. An air mass classified as mP usually forms overwhich type of Earth surface?

A. warm land B. warm ocean

C. cool land D. cool ocean

26. Compared to the climate conditions of dry inlandlocations, the climate conditions of locationsinfluenced by a nearby ocean generally result in

A. hotter summers and colder winters, with alarger annual range of temperatures

B. hotter summers and colder winters, with asmaller annual range of temperatures

C. cooler summers and warmer winters, with alarger annual range of temperatures

D. cooler summers and warmer winters, with asmaller annual range of temperatures

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27. Mt. Marcy often has the coldest nighttimetemperatures in New York State because of its

A. latitude and planetary winds

B. latitude and elevation

C. longitude and planetary winds

D. longitude and elevation

28. Which two gases in Earth’s atmosphere arebelieved by scientists to be greenhouse gases thatare major contributors to global warming?

A. carbon dioxide and methane

B. oxygen and nitrogen

C. hydrogen and helium

D. ozone and chlorine

29. A parcel of air has a dry-bulb temperature of16◦C and a wet-bulb temperature of 10◦C. Whatare the dewpoint and relative humidity of the air?

A. −5◦C dewpoint and 33% relative humidity

B. −5◦C dewpoint and 45% relative humidity

C. 4◦C dewpoint and 33% relative humidity

D. 4◦C dewpoint and 45% relative humidity

30. The cross section below shows a weather front.The large arrow shows the direction of themovement of the cool air mass.

Which type of weather front is shown?

A. warm front B. cold front

C. occluded front D. stationary front

31. A low-pressure system near Utica, New York,causes heavy precipitation. If this system followedthe usual track, which city most likely had thesame weather conditions a few hours earlier?

A. Syracuse B. Kingston

C. Albany D. Plattsburgh

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32. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the diagram below, which represents theplanetary wind and moisture belts in Earth’sNorthern Hemisphere.

The climate at 90◦North latitude is dry becausethe air at that location is usually

A. warm and rising B. warm and sinking

C. cool and rising D. cool and sinking

33. The paths of the surface planetary winds arecurved due to Earth’s

A. revolution B. rotation

C. circumference D. size

34. The tropopause is approximately how far abovesea level?

A. 12mi B. 12 km C. 60mi D. 60 km

35. Which map view best shows the movement ofsurface air around a low-pressure system in theNorthern Hemisphere?

A. B.

C. D.

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Base your answer(s) to question(s) on the maps and the passage below. The maps show differences in trade windstrength, ocean current direction, and water temperature associated with air-pressure changes from normal climateconditions to El Nino conditions.

Normal Climate Conditions

El Nino Conditions

El Nino conditions occur with a buildup of warm water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America.The immediate cause of this buildup is a change in air pressure that weakens the southern trade winds. These are theplanetary winds that move air from 30◦ S to the equator. Normally, these strong, steady winds, with the help of theircounterparts in the Northern Hemisphere, push equatorial water westward away from South America. But, at intervalsof two to seven years, these winds weaken, causing the westward water flow to reverse. This results in an accumulationof unusually warm water on the east side of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This warm water not only changes thecharacteristics of the air above it, but also is thought to be the cause of weather changes around the world. El Ninoconditions may last only a few months, but often last a year or two.

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36. During El Nino conditions, air above the PacificOcean moving over the land on the equatorialwest coast of South America is likely to be

A. a) cooler and drier than usual

B. a) cooler and wetter than usual

C. a) warmer and drier than usual

D. a) warmer and wetter than usual

37. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the diagram of an ellipse below.

Calculate the eccentricity of the ellipse, followingthe directions below.

a) Write the equation used to determineeccentricity.

b) Based on measurements of the diagram,substitute values into the equation.

c) Calculate the eccentricity of the ellipse.

38. State how the eccentricity of the given ellipsecompares to the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit.

39. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the cross section provided, which represents ahouse at an ocean shoreline at night. Smoke fromthe chimney is blowing out to sea.

Label the two lines provided on the cross sectionto show where air pressure is relatively “high” andwhere it is relatively “low.”

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40. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the magazine article and diagram below.

Lake-Effect Snow

During the cold months of the year, thewords “lake effect” are very much a partof the weather picture in many locationsin New York State. Snow created by thelake effect may represent more than half theseason’s snowfall in some areas.

In order for heavy lake-effect snow todevelop, the temperature of the water at thesurface of the lake must be higher than thetemperature of the air flowing over the water.The higher the water temperature and thelower the air temperature, the greater thepotential for lake-effect snow.

A lake-effect storm begins when airflowing across the lake is warmed as itcomes in close contact with the water. Thewarmed air rises and takes moisture alongwith it. This moisture, which is water vaporfrom the lake, is turned into clouds as itencounters much colder air above. Whenthe clouds reach the shore of the lake, theydeposit their snow on nearby land. A typicallake-effect storm is illustrated in the diagrambelow. The area most likely to receive snowfrom a lake is called a “snowbelt”. LakeOntario’s snowbelt includes the countiesalong the eastern and southeastern ends ofthe lake. Because the lake runs lengthwisefrom west to east, the prevailing westerlywinds are able to gather the maximumamount of moisture as they flow across theentire length of the lake. There can belake-effect snowfall anywhere around thelake, but the heaviest and most frequentsnowfalls occur near the eastern shore.

In parts of the snowbelt, the lakeeffect combines with a phenomenon knownas orographic lifting to produce some veryheavy snowfalls. After cold air has streamedover the length of Lake Ontario, it movesinland and is forced to climb the slopes ofthe Tug Hill Plateau and the AdirondackMountains, resulting in very heavy snowfall.

State the relationship that must exist between watertemperature and air temperature for lake-effectsnow to develop.

41. State why locations east and southeast of LakeOntario are more likely to receive lake-effect snowthan are locations west of the lake.

42. State the name of the New York State landscaperegion that includes location A shown in thediagram.

43. State why very heavy snowfall occurs in the TugHill Plateau region.

44. The accompanying weather data was collected atBoonville, New York.

Air temperature 65◦F

Dewpoint 64◦F

Visibility 2 miles

Present weather drizzle

Wind direction from the west

Wind speed 5 knots

Amount of cloud cover 100%

Barometric pressure 996.2 millibars

On the station model below, using the properformat, record:

a) the amount of cloud cover

b) the barometric pressure

c) the symbol for the present weather

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45. The map provided shows six source regions fordifferent air masses that affect the weather ofNorth America. The directions of movement ofthe air masses are shown. Using the standardtwo-letter air-mass symbols from the Earth ScienceReference Tables, label the air masses by writingthe correct symbol in each circle on the map.

46. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the cross section below, which shows a typicalcold front moving over New York State in earlysummer.

Explain why the warm, moist air is rising at thefrontal boundary.

47. State one process that causes clouds to form inthis rising air.

48. Central Canada was the geographic source regionfor the cP air mass shown in the cross section.Identify the most likely geographic source regionfor the mT air mass shown in the cross section.

49. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the weather map below, which shows twofronts associated with a low-pressure system.

On the weather map below, write the air-masssymbols to indicate the most likely locations of thecontinental polar air mass and maritime tropicalair mass that have formed this low-pressuresystem.

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50. Base your answer(s) to the following question(s)on the information and weather map below. Theweather map shows the center of a low-pressuresystem. The symbol represents thedry line which separates cT and mT air masses.Isobars are drawn at intervals of 4 millibars.Letter A indicates a weather station model.

The atmospheric conditions in eastern Nebraskaare represented on the map by a station modellabeled A. Fill in the correct information for eachweather variable, based on station model A.

Air temperature: ◦F

Dewpoint: ◦F

Wind direction from:

Wind speed: knots

Cloud cover: %

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MIDTERM 03/05/2013

1.Answer: C

2.Answer: D

3.Answer: D

4.Answer: A

5.Answer: B

6.Answer: D

7.Answer: B

8.Answer: D

9.Answer: B

10.Answer: D

11.Answer: B

12.Answer: D

13.Answer: C

14.Answer: B

15.Answer: D

16.Answer: C

17.Answer: A

18.Answer: B

19.Answer: A

20.Answer: C

21.Answer: D

22.Answer: B

23.Answer: D

24.Answer: A

25.Answer: D

26.Answer: D

27.Answer: B

28.Answer: A

29.Answer: D

30.Answer: B

31.Answer: A

32.Answer: D

33.Answer: B

34.Answer: B

35.Answer: A

36.Answer: D

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

Teacher’s Key Page 2

43.

44.

45.Answer:

46.Answer: Warm, moist air is less dense than

cold, dry air. Cold air is moving underthe warm air and forcing the warm airupward.

47.Answer: expanding air cooling to the dewpoint

condensation sublimation

48.Answer: Gulf of Mexico a warm ocean surface

49.

50.Answer: Credit if all five responses are correct,

as shown below.

Air temperature: 50◦F

Dewpoint: 44◦F

Wind direction from: SE or southeast

Wind speed: 10 knots

Cloud cover: 100%