Test Bank
to accompany
Ecology, Third Edition
Cain • Bowman • Hacker
Chapter 2: The Physical Environment
TEST BANK QUESTIONS
Multiple Choice
1. Fish such as salmon, which are born in freshwater streams but spend most of their
adult lives in the ocean, are termed
a. catadromous.
b. anadromous.
c. androgynous.
d. oscillatory.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Climate Variation and Salmon Abundance: A Case Study
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
2. Climatic variation occurs over which time scales?
a. Daily time scales only
b. Daily and yearly time scales only
c. Yearly and decade time scales only
d. Across daily, seasonal, and yearly time scales
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
3. Which statement about climate is false?
a. Climate usually has little effect on the rate of periodic disturbances in an area.
b. The timing of changes to the physical environment is often ecologically important.
c. Climate influences the rates of abiotic processes that affect organisms.
d. The distribution of organisms tends to reflect extremes, rather than the averages, in the
climates of particular locales.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
4. Heat loss due to the exchange of kinetic energy by molecules in direct contact with one
another is referred to as
a. latent heat flux.
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
b. convection.
c. conduction.
d. the greenhouse effect.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
5. Earth’s surface releases _______ it receives by solar radiation. Additional energy
inputs to Earth’s surface occur in part from back radiation due to _______.
a. more energy than; evapotranspiration
b. more energy than; greenhouse gases
c. about the same energy as; evapotranspiration
d. less energy than; greenhouse gases
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
6. Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?
a. Carbon dioxide
b. Methane
c. Oxygen
d. Water vapor
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
7. In equatorial regions, the sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface at a more _______ angle
than they do toward the poles. This means that the same amount of energy is spread over
a _______ area in equatorial regions than in polar regions.
a. perpendicular; smaller
b. perpendicular; larger
c. acute (less than 90 angle); larger
d. acute (less than 90 angle); smaller
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
8. Which statement about atmospheric circulation patterns is false?
a. The condensation of water vapor into clouds is a warming process.
b. Cool air can hold more water vapor than warm air can.
c. Thunderclouds potentially reach only to the boundary between the upper region of the
troposphere and the bottom of the stratosphere.
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
d. Air cools due to expansion as it rises in the troposphere.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
9. Which of the following best explains why atmospheric pressure declines with altitude?
a. As altitude increases, there are fewer air molecules pressing down on a given molecule
of air.
b. At higher altitudes, air is cooler and thus does not move around as much as the warmer
air at lower altitudes.
c. As altitude increases, air holds less moisture and thus feels lighter.
d. There is more subsidence as altitude increases.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
10. In the diagram below, what is the name of the circulation pattern indicated by the
black arrow?
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
a. Polar cell
b. Ferrell cell
c. Dobson cell
d. Hadley cell
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
11. If Earth were heated slightly more at the equator, Hadley cells should be become
slightly _______ pronounced, and there would likely be slightly _______ rain at around
30°N.
a. more; more
b. less; more
c. more; less
d. less; less
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
12. Which areas of Earth receive the most precipitation on average?
a. Tropics
b. Temperate zones
c. Regions near 30N and S latitudes
d. Polar zones
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
13. The Coriolis effect causes moving air at Earth’s surface to appear to be deflected
_______ in the Northern Hemisphere and _______ in the Southern Hemisphere.
a. clockwise; clockwise
b. clockwise; counterclockwise
c. counterclockwise; clockwise
d. counterclockwise; counterclockwise
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
14. Suppose Earth’s rotation were somewhat faster than it is now. From the standpoint of
a fixed viewer on Earth’s surface, wind moving south in the Northern Hemisphere would
appear to be deflected to the _______ and it would be deflected to a _______ extent than
it is now.
a. east; greater
b. east; lesser
c. west; greater
d. west; lesser
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
15. Compared with land at the same latitude, ocean waters tend to be _______ in the
winter and _______ in the summer because water has a _______ heat capacity than land
has.
a. warmer; colder; higher
b. colder; warmer; lower
c. warmer; warmer; higher
d. colder; colder; lower
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
16.–18. Below is a map of an imaginary planet that is roughly the same as Earth. Like
Earth, it is tilted on its axis by about 23, and it rotates around a sun-like star in
approximately one year.
16. At which site would a high-pressure system be most likely to develop during the
summer?
a. Site A
b. Site B
c. Site C
d. Site D
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
17. At which site would a high-pressure system be most likely to develop during the
winter?
a. Site A
b. Site B
c. Site C
d. Site D
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
18. Which site would mostly likely have the greatest variation in temperature during the
year?
a. Site A
b. Site B
c. Site C
d. Site D
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
19. In comparison to deeper waters, surface oceanic waters are
a. colder.
b. saltier.
c. less dense.
d. Both a and b
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
20. High productivity in the open ocean would most likely be found in
a. polar cells.
b. the South Pacific.
c. the Labrador current.
d. upwelling zones.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
21. Some models of climate change suggest that the Gulf Stream may become weaker as
global temperature increases. Such a weakening in the Gulf Stream would most likely
result in
a. warming in Seattle.
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
b. warming in London.
c. cooling in Seattle.
d. cooling in London.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
22. Which statement about oceanic currents is false?
a. Deep oceanic currents meet surface currents at zones of upwelling.
b. Because they move so slowly, oceanic currents contribute little to the exchange of heat
between the tropics and the polar regions.
c. Oceanic currents can have profound effects on the climates of regions where they flow.
d. Dense downwelling currents move to the equator.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
23.–24. Refer to the map below showing annual seasonal temperature variation (in °C).
23. Which region shows the greatest temperature variation?
a. Region A, in the Sahara Desert
b. Region B, in Siberia
c. Region C, in Japan
d. Region D, in Mexico
Answer: b
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
24. Consider the temperature in Chicago (marked with the yellow star on the map).
Suppose the average temperature in Chicago in January, the coldest month of the year, is
–5C. Based on the map, what should the average temperature be in July, the warmest
month?
a. 10C
b. 25C
c. 40C
d. 45C
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
25. Which continent shows precipitation patterns closest to what would be predicted
based on the positions of the Hadley, Ferrell, and polar circulation cells?
a. Africa
b. Asia
c. Europe
d. North America
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
26. What is measured by the lapse rate?
a. The decline in temperature as one moves away from the equator
b. The decline in temperature as one moves up in altitude
c. The decline in atmospheric pressure as one moves up in altitude
d. The amount of water that air can hold as temperature changes
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
27. The Connecticut River valley in western New England is an area of lowlands in
between hills on both its west and east sides. During the fall and winter, the river valley
will most likely be cooler than the surrounding hill towns
a. when it is raining.
b. during late afternoon.
c. on windy days.
d. on clear, calm nights.
Answer: d
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
28. Vegetation patterns affect the reflectance of solar radiation. The capacity of a land
surface to reflect solar radiation is known as its
a. albedo.
b. evapotranspiration rate.
c. Hadley index.
d. lapse rate.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
29. Snow is white, and thus has a _______ albedo than bare ground. If global warming
decreases snow cover, the resulting change in albedo is likely to _______ further
warming.
a. higher; enhance
b. higher; mitigate
c. lower; mitigate
d. lower; enhance
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
30. Deforestation in the tropics should result in a(n) _______ in the land’s ability to
reflect solar energy and _______ latent heat transfer.
a. increase; increased
b. increase; decreased
c. decrease; increased
d. decrease; more variable
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
31. Re-foresting tropical areas that have been deforested would result in a(n) _______ in
the area’s albedo and a(n) _______ in the area’s evapotranspiration rates that should
cause the area to recover from the slightly _______ regional climate that is a result of
tropical deforestation.
a. decrease; increase; drier
b. decrease; increase; wetter
c. increase; decrease; drier
d. increase; decrease; wetter
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
32. During _______, Earth is closest to the sun. This occurs during the month of
_______.
a. aphelion; January
b. aphelion; July
c. perihelion; January
d. perihelion; April
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
33. If the tilt of Earth’s axis were to decrease,
a. seasonality at the poles would be increased.
b. seasonality at the poles would be reduced.
c. the Intertropical Convergence Zone would move more.
d. Both a and c
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
34. Which statement about ice is true?
a. It is less dense than liquid water.
b. It has a higher albedo than open water has.
c. Ice formation at the surface of ponds prevents warming of the waters below.
d. All of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
35. During the summer, temperatures and plankton activity in temperate lakes are highest
in the _______. This is also the period of _______ lake stratification.
a. epilimnion; highest
b. epilimnion; lowest
c. thermocline; highest
d. thermocline; lowest
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
36. The mixing that occurs at fall and spring turnover replenishes _______ in the
epilimnion and increases the level of _______ in the hypolimnion.
a. nutrients; sediments
b. nutrients; oxygen
c. oxygen; nutrients
d. oxygen; biological activity
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
37. On what time scale does the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occur?
a. Daily
b. Monthly
c. Seasonal
d. Between 2 and 10 years
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
38. On what time scale do Milankovitch cycles occur?
a. Less than a decade
b. On the order of a century
c. Between 20,000 and 200,000 years
d. More than a million years
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
39. Which of the following is a major cause of the periodic glacial advances and retreats
that have occurred over the last two million years?
a. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
b. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
c. Periodic changes of Earth’s orbit from more circular to more elliptical
d. Changes in the rate of continental drift
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
40. When Earth’s orbit becomes more circular (i.e., compared with a more elliptical
orbit), the distance between Earth and the sun at aphelion _______. This change leads to
a(n) _______ in the intensity of solar radiation at aphelion, and thus _______ seasonality.
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
a. increases; increase; increases
b. increases; increase; decreases
c. decreases; increase; increases
d. decreases; increase; decreases
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
41. The pH of a sample of water that had 10 times the concentration of H+ ions as a
sample with a pH of 5.8 would be
a. 3.8.
b. 4.8.
c. 6.8.
d. 15.8.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.6 Salinity, acidity, and oxygen concentrations are major
determinants of the chemical environment
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
42. In which aquatic ecosystems are oxygen concentrations in the water usually highest?
a. Rapidly running rivers
b. Deep lakes
c. Slowly running rivers
d. Deep oceans
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.6 Salinity, acidity, and oxygen concentrations are major
determinants of the chemical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
43. Which statement about the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is false?
a. It is a major driver of salmon populations in the Pacific.
b. It is an oscillation of sea surface temperature and atmospheric pressure.
c. Its cycles typically do not last as long as those of ENSO and other similar oscillations.
d. Evidence that it has occurred over many centuries has been gathered from tree ring
data.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: A Case Study Revisited: Climatic Variation and Salmon Abundance
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Short Answer/Essay
1.–7. You are one of a team of scientists studying a newly-discovered planet. You are
receiving data from a probe that was landed on the planet by an unmanned mission. Your
team is working with the little data you have from the probe to learn as much as you can
about its basic characteristics. The graphs below illustrate data collected by the probe in
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
the same location on the planet during what you suspect are two different seasons (season
A and season B).
Figure 1
1. Do you think the planet is tilted on its axis? Describe how the data supports your
hypothesis.
Answer: The planet does not appear to be tilted on its axis because although the
temperature and amount of incoming solar radiation differ from season A to season B, the
length of the daylight period remains the same. If the planet were tilted on its axis, this
large difference in temperature and solar radiation could occur, but the number of
daylight hours during season B would be much shorter.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
2. Create a hypothesis about the shape of the planet’s orbit, and describe how the data
supports your hypothesis.
Answer: The planet most likely has a highly elliptical orbit around its sun. The
temperature and amount of solar radiation differs drastically between season A and
season B, but based on the number of daylight hours, it does not appear that this is driven
by the tilt of the planet’s axis. A likely explanation is that the planet grows warmer as its
orbit takes it closer to its sun and becomes colder when its orbit takes it farther from the
sun.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
3. Do you think that the planet’s atmosphere contains greenhouse gases? Why or why
not?
Answer: It appears that the atmosphere contains greenhouse gases; the atmosphere is
insulated from daily heat loss, and while temperatures are cooler at night and warmer
during the day, this is a gradual process that doesn’t result in drastic or extreme
temperature differences. If the atmosphere contains greenhouse gases, this would have an
effect similar to that recorded by the probe.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
4. If plants from Earth’s temperate deciduous forests could grow on this new planet,
during which season(s) would they most likely show the most active growth? What other
information would be required to determine probable growth patterns?
Answer: Plants on Earth are usually most active when during periods when temperatures
are moderate and water is readily available, and would most likely also be most active on
the new planet under similar conditions. It would be important to know if the planet has
wet and dry seasons, and how these correspond to the planet’s cold and warm seasons to
better determine probable growth patterns.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
5. Based on what you have inferred from the data in the figure, sketch a new figure (this
will be referred to as Figure 2) of the hypothetical orbit of this planet around its sun.
Sketch the planet at four different locations of its orbit relative to its sun (at 12:00, 3:00,
6:00, and 9:00, in relative position to the sun). Label the seasons (A or B) at each of these
four locations.
Answer:
Figure 2
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
6. Based on your sketch (Figure 2) and the data sent back by the probe, how many
growing seasons would the planet have during one complete orbit of its sun?
Answer: It would experience two complete growing seasons during one complete orbit of
its sun.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
7. The average daily temperature of the probe during season A is about 19°C while the
average temperature of the same location in season B is 2°C. Imagine instead that the
averages recorded were 40°C in season A and –20°C in season B. List three
characteristics of the planet that, if they were different, could cause these more extreme
seasonal differences. Justify your answers.
Answer: If the planet had a more pronounced elliptical orbit, it would be much closer to
the sun in season A, and much farther away from it in season B. This would change the
incoming solar radiation levels, with much more coming in during season A and much
less energy coming in during season B. If the planet was tilted on its axis, it might have
more extreme seasons (similar to those experienced on Earth), because the number of
hours of incoming solar radiation (day length) would be different in seasons A and B. If
the atmospheric composition changed or fluctuated with the seasons, this could cause
changes in temperature. If more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere during
season A, this stronger greenhouse effect could cause much higher average temperatures
on the planet. If atmospheric greenhouse gases leave the atmosphere during season B and
their concentration decreases, colder temperatures may occur because much more heat
would be lost.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
8.–9. A leak from an oil pipeline is flowing into an Alaskan lake that is approximately 1
km wide and 20 m deep. When oil spills into a body of water, much of it floats on top but
some can adhere to tiny particles in the water column and be carried into deeper water.
8. Suppose that the oil could move into deeper water. During which season(s) would the
oil most likely remain on the surface and be easiest to clean up? Why? During which
season would you expect the most oil to move into deeper water? Why?
Answer: The best seasons to clean up the oil would be during the summer or winter
because this is when lakes in polar regions are stratified and little mixing occurs (they are
less stratified in winter than they are in summer, but even so, there is little turnover in
winter). Even if oil did adhere to particles in the lake, these particles are not likely to mix
into deeper water during these seasons. This would make it easier to contain the oil.
Much higher rates of mixing occur during spring and fall when lakes undergo turnover
and the layers become mixed, making it more difficult to contain the oil.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
9. Suppose the oil leak occurs during early summer. The oil impacts not only the lake but
also the surrounding vegetation, causing trees, bushes, and other plants to die off over the
course of the summer. What effect would this have on the local albedo and
evapotranspiration around the lake? Would you expect the lake to heat up more or less
than it would during normal years? Which layer of the lake would be most affected?
Answer: The loss of vegetation and increase in bare ground would lead to a higher albedo
because bare ground reflects more solar radiation than vegetation does. However, this
effect would be offset by a decrease in evapotranspiration which would reduce surface
cooling and result in a net increase in energy absorption in the affected area. Thus, the
lake might heat up more than it normally would. This increase in temperature would be
most pronounced in the epilimnion.
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
COMPANION WEBSITE QUIZ QUESTIONS
1. Sensible heat flux includes convection and
a. conduction.
b. evapotranspiration.
c. upwelling.
d. continental drift.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
2. In the absence of greenhouse gases, Earth would be about _______ than it is now.
a. 2C warmer
b. 3C cooler
c. 13C cooler
d. 33C cooler
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
3. Cool air is _______ dense than warm air; as air cools, it _______.
a. more; rises
b. more; sinks
c. less; rises
d. less; sinks
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.1 Climate is the most fundamental component of the
physical environment
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
4. Named for their importance to shipping, the trade winds blow to the _______ in the
Northern Hemisphere, to the _______ in the Southern Hemisphere, and _______ the
equator.
a. west; east; away from
b. east; west; toward
c. west; west; toward
d. east; west; away from
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
5. During January, in which location would you expect a strong high-pressure system to
develop?
a. In the United States, around Colorado
b. In the Atlantic Ocean, near Bermuda
c. In South America, around the equator
d. In South Africa
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.2 Winds and ocean currents result from differences in
solar radiation across Earth’s surface
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
6. The greatest seasonal variation of temperature is most likely to be seen over
a. oceans at low latitudes.
b. land at low latitudes.
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
c. land near oceans at low latitudes.
d. land in the middle of a continent at high latitudes.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
7. High-pressure systems typically form over the Atlantic Ocean during the summer. If
such systems did not form as often, _______ would become _______.
a. South Carolina; wetter
b. Toronto; wetter
c. South Carolina; drier
d. Paris; wetter
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.3 Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation
patterns establish global patterns of temperature and precipitation
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
8. Boston, Massachusetts, and Albany, New York, are at about the same latitude, but
Albany is farther inland. Based on this, you would expect Albany to have _______
humidity and _______ variation in temperature than Boston.
a. less; more
b. less; about the same
c. more; less
d. more; more
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
9. The side of a mountain range that faces into the prevailing winds is called the _______
side. This usually receives _______ precipitation than the other side of the mountain.
a. leeward; more
b. leeward; less
c. starboard; less
d. windward; more
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.4 Regional climates reflect the influence of oceans and
continents, mountains, and vegetation
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
10. If perihelion were in July instead of January, seasonality would _______ in the
Northern Hemisphere and _______ in the Southern hemisphere.
a. increase; decrease
b. increase; increase
c. decrease; increase
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
d. decrease; decrease
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
11. El Niño events are associated with
a. greatly increased upwelling in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
b. much reduced or absent upwelling in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
c. flooding in Indonesia and parts of Australia.
d. droughts in the southeastern United States.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
12. Which of the following is not associated with Milankovitch cycles?
a. Changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit
b. Changes in the degree of tilt of Earth’s axis
c. Changes in the intensity of solar radiation at high latitudes
d. Changes in the speed of continental drift
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.5 Seasonal and long-term climate variation are associated
with changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
13. Suppose water sample A has a pH of 4.3. The pH of a sample of water that has 10
times a lower concentration of H+ ions as sample A would be
a. 3.3.
b. 3.8.
c. 5.3.
d. 14.3.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.6 Salinity, acidity, and oxygen concentrations are major
determinants of the chemical environment
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
14. In wetland sediments, the physiological functioning of organisms is most likely to be
negatively affected by _______ conditions.
a. anoxic
b. anadromous
c. alkaline
d. photic
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 2.6 Salinity, acidity, and oxygen concentrations are major
determinants of the chemical environment
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
15. Over the last century, which cycle has had the greatest effect on cycles of salmon
production in the North Pacific?
a. ENSO
b. PDO
c. Cycles in sunspot activity
d. Milankovitch cycles
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: A Case Study Revisited: Climatic Variation and Salmon Abundance
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
© 2014 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
