The seasons and temperature self test

Click on the correct answer

1 During the course of a year the sun will disappear from view at the SOUTH pole on what date?
June 21
September 23
December 23
January 1
March 21
2 The latitude at which there is a yearly balance between incoming and outgoing radiation is about
0 degrees
23 1/2 degrees
37 degrees
50 degrees
90 degrees
3 During an equinox:
the days and nights are roughly of equal length except at the poles.
at noon the sun is overhead at the equator.
the angle of tilt of the earth is 0 degrees.
all of the above
only (a) and (b) are correct
4 During the winter solstice (Northern Hemisphere)
astronomical winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere.
the noon sun is over latitude 23 1/2 degrees S.
at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the longest night of the year.
all of the above.
only (a) and (b) are correct.
5 Which below might help to explain why even though high northern latitudes experience 24 hours of continuous sunlight on June 22, they are not warmer than latitudes farther south?
Solar energy is spread over a larger area in northern latitudes.
Some of the sun's energy is reflected by snow and ice in northern latitudes.
An increased cloud cover reflects solar energy in the northern latitudes.
Solar energy is used to melt frozen soil in northern latitudes.
All of the above.
6 The north-facing side of a hill in a mountainous region tends to:
receive less sunlight during a year than the south-facing side.
grow a variety of trees that are typically observed at a higher elevation.
be a better location for a ski run than the south-facing side.
have snow on the ground for a longer period of time in spring compared to the south-facing side.
all of the above.
7 The sun is directly overhead at Mexico City (latitude 19 degrees N):
once a year
twice a year
three times a year
four times a year
never
8 On what day would you expect the sun to be overhead at Lima, Peru (latitude 12 degrees S)?
August 15
December 22
February 17
March 10
April 21
9 On which date would the sun be highest in the sky at noon in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere?
March 21
June 21
July 1
July 21
August 1
10 About how high above the southern horizon will the sun be at Noon on December 22 at New York City (latitude 40 1/2 degrees N)?
17 degrees
26 degrees
39 degrees
54 degrees
64 degrees
11 The sun will pass directly overhead at noon at Miami, Florida (latitude 26 degrees N):
once a year
twice a year
three times a year
four times a year
never
12 Where are the days and nights of equal length all year long?
North Pole
66 1/2 degrees
30 degrees
23 1/2 degrees
Equator
13 Which of the latitudes below would experience the fewest hours of daylight on December 22?
60 degrees S
20 degrees S
0 degrees (equator)
20 degrees N
60 degrees N
14 Which latitude below would be described as the "Land of the Midnight Sun" on September 21?
66 1/2 degrees N
23 1/2 degrees N
0 degrees (equator)
23 1/2 S
None of the above
15 In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere on June 22, the sun may be described as:
rising in the east and setting in the west
rising in the southeast and setting in the southwest
rising in the northeast and setting in the northwest
rising in the northeast and setting in the southwest
rising in the southeast and setting in the northwest
16 In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, each year between Christmas and New Year's the length of daylight __________ each day.
increases
decreases
shows no change
17 When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ______________ and ____________ in the Southern Hemisphere.
January and summer
January and winter
July and summer
July and winter
18 In the Southern Hemisphere, we can expect the day with the longest number of daylight hours to occur around
June 22
December 22
September 23
July 4
August 1
19 At the North Pole the sun will rise above the horizon on _______________ and set below the horizon on __________________.
June 22, September 23
September 23, December 22
March 21, September 23
June 22, December 22
March 21, December 22
20 Although the polar regions radiate away more heat energy than they receive by insolation in the course of a year, they are prevented from becoming progressively colder each year by the
conduction of heat through the interior of the earth.
absorption of heat by snow and ice surfaces.
circulation of heat by the atmosphere and oceans.
storage of heat in the soil beneath the snow cover.
release of latent heat to the atmosphere when the polar ice melts.
21 The earth is tilted at an angle of 23 1/2 degrees. If the amount of tilt was decreased to 10 degrees, we would expect in middle latittudes
hotter summers and colder winters than at present.
cooler summers and milder winters than at present.
hotter summers and milder winters than at present.
cooler summers and colder winters than at present.
no appreciable change from present conditions.
22 Suppose you drive to and from work on a street that runs east to west. What time of the year would you most likely have the sun shining directly into your eyes while driving to work in the morning?
summer solstice
autumnal equinox
winter solstice
vernal equinox
both (b) and (d)
23 In middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere we can expect the day with the shortest number of daylight hours to be around
June 22
December 22
September 23
January 1
February 3
24 The earth is tilted at an angle of 23 1/2 degrees. If the amount of tilt were increased to 40 degrees, we would expect in middle latitudes
hotter summers and colder winters than at present
cooler summers and milder winters than at present
hotter summers and milder winters than at present
cooler summers and colder winters than at present
no appreciable change from present conditions
25 Solar insolation from middle latitudes is less in winter than in summer because
the sun's rays slant more and spread their energy over a larger area
the sun's rays are weakened by passing through a greater thickness of atmosphere
the cooler air lowers the intensity of solar radiation in winter
all of the above
only (a) and (b)
26 The main reason(s) for warm summers in middle latitudes is that:
The earth is closer to the sun in summer
The sun is higher in the sky and this causes more intense radition
The days are longer than in winter
all of the above
only (b) and (c)
27 The lowest tmperature is usually observed:
sunset
midnight
in the middle of the night
around sunrise
several hours after sunrise
28 During the afternoon, the greatest temperature differnece between the surface and the air in a Stevenson Screen occurs on a :
clear, calm afternoon
clear, windy afternoon
cloudy, calm afternoon
cloudy, windy afternoon
29 In summer, humid regions typically have ___________ diurnal (daily) temperature ranges and ___________ maximum tempertures then dry regions.
lower, lower
lower, higher
higher, lower
higher, higher
30 Which of the statements below is (are) true?
If you travel from Dallas to Superior in winter you will experience greater temperature change than if you made the same trip in July
Annual temperature ranges are higher in Des Moines than in New York (both 42oN)
If two cities have the same mean annual temperatures then their temperatures throughout the year are quite similar
All above
Only (a) and (b)
31 Deserts have a high duirnal temperature range because:
there is little water vapor in the air to absorb terrestrial radiation at night -- so minimum temps are low
the dry conditions result in higher daytime temps because latnet heat losses are low due to lack of moisture
sand has a high albedo
all of the above
Only (a) and (b)
32 The effect of urban heat production on the urban heat island is greatest:
In summer
In winter
No one season