Physical Geography Online Exam Help

Q1. As Earth revolves around the sun, Earth’s axis remains parallel to its former positions. This characteristic is called:

• Constant inclination
• Parallelism
• True bearing
• Angle of incidence

Q2. The constant plane in which Earth travels in its orbit around the sun is called the plane of the

• Equinox
• Inclination
• Declination
• Ecliptic

Q3. The high annual receipt of solar radiation at Earth’s surface in the subtropical desert regions is due to:

• The high reflectivity of sand and desert soils
• Low carbon dioxide concentration in arid areas
• The short path of the solar beam through the atmosphere at these latitudes
• Low cloud amounts

Q4. Solar radiation is considered to be:

• Microwave
• Longwave
• Medium wave
• Short wave

Q5. If C degrees = (F degrees – 32)/1.8 and the Fahrenheit temperature is 100, what is the Celsius temperature?”

• 33
• 38
• 56
• 25

Q6. The Northern Hemisphere of Earth is closest to the sun in ____.

• January
• April
• July
• October

Q7. Closely spaced isobars on a map indicate:

• Strong pressure gradient
• Northerly winds
• Winds of low velocity
• Weak breezes

Q8. The system of dividing the atmosphere into layers depending upon their functional characteristics includes:

• Ionosphere
• Heterosphere
• Mesosphere
• Heterosphere

Q9. “The surface air, after being heated by conduction and radiation:”

• Expands in volume and increases in density
• Expands in volume and decreases in density
• Decreases in volume and increases in density
• Decreases in volume and decreases in density

Q10. Jet streams:

• Are best developed in summer
• Often develop coriolis forces
• Greatly influence our surface weather
• All of these

Q11. Santa Ana (called Chinook in some areas) winds are:

• “Cold, moist up slope winds”
• “Warm, dry downslope winds”
• “Cold, dry downslope winds”
• “Warm, moist up slope wind”

Q12. The zone of low pressure and high precipitation located near the equator is referred to as the:

• Trade Winds
• Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
• Easterlies
• Westerlies

Q13. During the ____________________ , the Arctic Circle experiences 24 hours of darkness.”

• summer solstice
• fall equinox
• winter solstice
• spring equinox

Q14. Which of the following is NOT A REASON for the differential heating and cooling of land and water?

• Higher temperatures over the land in the summer
• Water is more transparent
• Specific heat of water is higher
• The fluid character of water

Q15. The system of dividing the atmosphere into layers depending upon their actual chemical makeup includes:

• Stratosphere
• Heterosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere

Q16. Which of the following is NOT true of winds:

• A cyclone is a converging wind system
• They move from regions of high to low pressure
• Windward refers to the direction from which a wind comes
• They have an apparent deflection into the oceans in the Northern Hemisphere

Q17. In the northern hemisphere the wind circulation in a low is:

• “Counterclockwise, spiraling inward”
• “Clockwise, spiraling inward”
• “Clockwise, spiraling outward”
• “Counterclockwise, spiraling outward”

Q18. Which of the following forces impacts on the direction of surface winds:

• Pressure gradient
• Function
• Analemma
• All the above

Q19. “Of the following, which is NOT an example of a biotic environmental control?”

• Fast-growing trees shading slower growers
• Sheep grazing
• Extended periods of below-normal temperatures
• Coyotes feeding on rabbits

Q20. The four major classes of Earth’s biomes are:

• “Forest, grassland, desert, and highlands”
• “Grassland, desert, tundra, and forest”
• “Forests, shrubs, grasslands and tundra”
• None of these

Q21. Capillary water:

• Can only move downward
• Is responsible for creating caliche
• Is bound to the surface of soil particles by strong electrical forces
• Is the primary agent in transporting soil particles from one level to another

Q22. The largest area of D climates would be found in:

• Asia
• North America
• Antarctic
• South America

Q23. An important role played by humus in the soil is:

• As a catalyst in chemical reactions by which plants extract nutrients from the soil
• As an improver of soil structure and water retention
• As a source of food for microscopic soil organisms
• All of these

Q24. “Which climate type frequently lies poleward from Mediterranean Csb, climates:”

• Savanna Aw
• Marine west coast Cfb
• “Humid continental, Dfb, mild summer”
• steppe BSk

Q25. There are ____ major climatic categories within the simplified version of Köppen’s climatic classification system.

• 2
• 4
• 6
• 8

Q26. The coldest temperature ever recorded occurred in a (an) ____ climatic region.

• Marine west coast Cfb climate
• Subarctic Dfd climate
• Tundra ET climate
• Ice-sheet EF climate

Q27. The most important factor in determining the differential climatic zonation of highland H mountain areas is:

• Elevation
• Sun or shadow slope location
• Windward or leeward slope location
• Latitude

Q28. The Milankovich hypothesis regarding variation in the tilt of Earth’s axis is called the:

• Precession cycle
• Eccentricity cycle
• Obliquity cycle
• Unicycle

Q29. Ice cores for climate analysis are drawn primarily from

• Iceland and Greenland
• The Arctic and the Antarctic
• Greenland and the Arctic
• Antarctica and Greenland

Q30. Soil air supplies plants and microorganisms with what gases needed for life processes?

• Nitrogen and helium
• Oxygen and methane
• Carbon dioxide and oxygen
• Nitrogen and carbon dioxide

Q31. On a global scale, grasslands tend to be found:”

• In continental interiors where most rainfall occurs in summer
• In continental interiors where most rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year
• On coastlines with excessive orographic precipitation
• Anywhere on a continent as long as most rainfall occurs in summer

Q32. The physical geographer would be most interested in studying which of the following types of vegetation?

• Grasses and shrubs domesticated by humans
• Grains and fruits grown for human consumption
• “Flowers, shrubs and grasses growing in their natural environment”
• Grains and grasses grown for livestock

Q33. Which of the following is true?

• Young soils are characterized by well-developed horizons
• Soils become mature when they are ten thousand years old
• “The older the soil, the more parent material influences soil characteristics”
• Some of the world’s best soils are formed from young volcanic and transported parent material

Q34. Which of the following has not been useful in the study of climate change resulting in glaciation?

• Radiocarbon dating
• Jet stream analysis
• Tree rings
• Oxygen-isotope analysis

Q35. What capital letter does the Köppen system use to identify a tropical climate:

• E
• A
• H
• D

Q36. A soil rich in organic material will be:

• Black or dark brown
• Gray
• Red
• Yellow

Q37. Which of the following is a true statement concerning energy flow in ecosystems?

• The biomass usually increases with each successive trophic level
• There is energy loss within each successive trophic level
• There is an increase in energy when an organism at one trophic level feeds on another
• The greatest amount of energy and biomass is concentrated at the heterotroph level

Q38. “Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detrivores are subclasses of which one of the four components of a typical ecosystem?”

• Abiotics
• Autotrophs
• Decomposers
• Heterotrophs

Q39. Vultures are considered

• herbivores
• carnivores
• ominivores
• scavengers

Q40. Those heterotrophs which eat only living plant material are termed:

• Omnivores
• Vegevores
• Carnivores
• Herbivores

Q41. The most common minerals found in soils are combinations of which four elements most commonly found in Earth’s crust?

• “Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen”
• “Silicon, aluminum, oxygen, iron”
• “Potassium, zinc, copper, iodine”
• “Silicon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen”

Q42. Which of the following factors prohibits the marine west coast climate, Cfb, of the U.S. from extending farther inland?”

• Latitude
• Ocean currents
• Prevailing winds
• Mountain barriers

Q43. Short-grass prairies:

• Are often cultivated without irrigation
• Grow in areas where the subsoil is permanently dry
• Cannot support grazing animals
• Tend to coincide with areas of tropical monsoon climate

Q44. In the Af climates:

• Only winter months receive more than 2.4 in of precipitation
• Only summer months receive more than 2.4 in of precipitation
• All months receive more than 2.4 in of precipitation
• Total annual rainfall must exceed 71.6 in

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