Need
to contact me? Send me email at:
cerveny@asu.edu
Now with MORE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS!
Accept No Imitations
Tuesday - Thursday Class
(9:15 AM [not 9:20] -10:30 [not 10:20] AM)
(All quotes are fictitious except mine and are meant humorously)
These study questions are to be used to supplement R. Cerveny's
Fall, 2004 Introduction to Physical Geography class. They are not a
substitute. You should still come to class and take good notes. These
study questions may or may not correspond to the material presented by other
lecturers in physical geography. Note they are NOT a complete study guide but
rather highlight major topics that are covered in class. Class attendance is
necessary for complete and comprehensive understanding of material covered for
tests ...
SO COME TO CLASS!!!
"Boy, I've done it now!" - Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (and probably
any intro physical geography student after the first day of class).
1. Physical Geography can best be described as:
A. an easy way
to meet your science requirement
B. a category
on Jeopardy
C. a social
science discipline
D. a humanity
discipline
E. a subject
that requires knowledge of many other disciplines
"Why, sure, a person can switch to geography as a major. Let's get the
paperwork!" - R. Cerveny (to at least 10 students in GPH 111 this
semester—will you be one?)
What are some of the components of physical geography?
Why is the human element of physical geography important?
What other subjects are related to geography?
What jobs are available to geographers? How does a person get those jobs?
"Listen, pardner, one more step into my township and I'll be astringin'
ya up!" - W. Earp
How do we measure position over the Western United States?
What is a township? What is a section? What is a baseline? What is a range
line? How is global position measured?
2. The road south of the Superstition Highway is a:
A. township
B. baseline
C. rangeline
D. a section
E. a volumic
spatial division segment
How did you determine the answer to question #2?
"Good navigation is essential to the quick and efficient completion of
any major ocean voyage." - Ulysses
What is latitude? What are lines of latitude called?
What is the "main" line of latitude called?
What is a "great circle"? What is longitude?
What are lines of longitude called?
What is the "main" line of longitude called?
Why is the London suburb of Greenwich important in determining location?
How would a position located in the Northern and Western Hemispheres be given?
3. In what hemispheres would this location fall: 70°N 25°E?
A. Eastern and
Northern Hemispheres
B. Western and
Northern Hemispheres
C. Southern
and Eastern Hemispheres
D. Southern
and Western Hemispheres
E. That
location can not exist?
"Now how do I get to Mount Olympus? I need to know its latitude &
longtitude!" - Hercules
What is Phoenix's location in latitude / longitude?
What is the International Date Line? Where is it?
Why are there different kinds of map projections?
Name three types of map projections and their attributes.
Why are there different times around the world?
4. I call back to Phoenix. It is 11 AM Phoenix time but 6 PM where I am at.
Where am I most likely be at?
A. New York
City
B. Hawaii
C. London
D. Perth
E. An
impossible situation
"Phoenix, Curfew Laws are in effect ... Children, it's ten o'clock ...
do you know where your parents are?" - public service announcement
How many major time zones does the United States have?
What two systems of measurement are commonly used throughout the world?
What are the units of time?
What are the units of distance?
What are the units of weight?
What are the units of temperature?
5. Which of the following is the correct SI (metric) way of describing my
(hoped for) weight?
A. 175 pounds
B. 12 stone
C. 84
kilograms
D. 23.8 cubic
neo-viols
6. Down in Mexico, a sign says that Rocky Point is 15 kilometers away. About
how far is that in miles?
A. 2 miles
B. 8 miles
C. 15 miles
D. 32 miles
"Revolution? I'll show them the meaning of revolution!" S.
Hussein
What is meant by "the earth's rotation"? What is meant by "the
earth's revolution"?
What is meant by "perihelion"? When does it occur?
What is meant by "aphelion"? When does it occur?
What causes the seasons? What is the current tilt of the earth?
7. The earth's revolution is:
A. once every
24 hours approximately
B. once every
365 days approximately
C. once every
578 years approximately
D. once every
41,000 years approximately
E. when all
the world's governments are overthrown
"Equinox? Didn't I ride him in the '76 Kentucky Derby?" - W.
Shoemaker
What is "a circle of illumination"? What is a subsolar point?
What is an "equinox"? When does it occur?
What is a "solstice"? When does it occur?
Where is the sun overhead on March 21? on June 21? on September 23?
on December 23?
8. The two solstices are:
A. March 21
and June 21
B. March 21 and
September 23
C. June 21 and
September 23
D. June 21 and
December 23
E. September
23 and December 23
"I'm not paid to figure out elevation angles! I'm not a geographer!"
– K. Bryant
Calculate the elevation angles for the following locations and times:
Phoenix AZ on March 21. on June 21. on September 23. on December 23?
41°N 110°W on June 21 on December 23 on March 21
78°S 23°E on June 21 on December 23 on March 21
31°S 113°W on June 21 on December 23 on March 21
9. I am at 43.5°S on March 21. How high is the sun at noon?
A. 21.2°
B. 70.0°
C. 67.0°
D. 46.5°
"I know it's a 'class M' planet, Spock, but can our female ensigns wear
their minis comfortably on it?" Capt. J.T. Kirk
What is lapse rate? Describe the troposphere?
What does the tropopause do? Where is the stratosphere?
What is the lapse rate in the mesosphere? What is the thermosphere?
List the major gases in our atmosphere Which gas is most variable?
Why is ozone important? Where is ozone found?
What is ozone's significance to Arizona?
10. What is the correct order from ground up of the major temperature divisions
in the atmosphere?
A. stratosphere,
mesosphere, troposphere, thermosphere
B. thermosphere,
mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere
C. troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
D. mesosphere,
troposphere, thermosphere, stratosphere
"Heat transfer? That's my specialty!" - L. Lovelace
Give an example showing all three major methods of transfer.
What method is important for heat transfer by solids?
What method is important for heat transfer for liquids or gases?
What method has heat transferred in the form of waves?
11. The type of radiation most likely to penetrate completely through your
body?
A. microwaves
B. visible
light
C. infrared
D. ultraviolet
E. gamma rays
"GAMMA
RAYS! GAMMA RAYS! THAT MAKES ME VERY ANGRY!!" – T.I.
Hulk
What is radiation? In what units do we measure it?
Describe what is important about the Stefan-Boltzmann law?
What is a wavelength of a radiation? How does the electromagnetic spectrum
related to wavelength?
What does Wien's Law tell us about the difference in radiation of the earth and
the sun?
12. Wien's Law says that the sun puts most of its radiation out at which
wavelength?
A. microwave
B. infrared
C. yellow
light
D. ultraviolet
E. blue light
"Greenhouse? Last time I looked it was painted white!" – G.W.
Bush
What factors influence the amount of incoming solar radiation?
Why is the sky blue in color?
Which has the higher albedo: a white surface or a black surface?
Describe what is meant by "counterradiation"?
Why is "thermal blanket" a better term than "greenhouse
effect" for what is going on in the earth's atmosphere?
13. The technical term for the sky being blue is called:
A. Raleigh
scattering
B. Boltzmann
scattering
C. oxy-silicate
scattering
D. J-scattering
E. Wein
scattering
"But it's a dry heat!" - Arizona Tourist Industry
What makes up "net radiation"?
Why does the hottest daily temperature occur after the time of greatest solar
radiation?
Why does the coldest daily temperature generally occur in the early morning?
Why does the coldest annual temperature occur in January-February?
Why does the warmest annual temperature occur weeks after the solstice?
Why is San Diego more moderate in temperature than Phoenix?
14. Think of "continentality", which of the following would
show the greatest temperature variability?
A. Miami
B. Sidney,
Australia
C. Tokyo,
Japan
D. Little Rock
Arkansas
E. Washington,
D.C.
"Don't worry, Dad ... a strong pressure gradient, a good tailwind and
the sky's the limit" - Icarus
How do we measure wind? With what instruments?
What is air pressure? How do we measure it?
What is the initial cause of all air motion?
If we see alot of "H"s and "L"s on a weather
map, what can we say about the winds?
15. Air around a high pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere flows
A. counterclockwise
B. clockwise
C. widdershins
D. retroregessive
E. geostrophic
"Love makes the world go around" - NASA press release
The apparent deflection of air on the earth is caused by what effect?
The bending created by this effect in the Northern Hemisphere is in what
direction?
The bending created by this effect in the Southern Hemisphere is in what
direction?
The geostrophic wind is created by a balance between what two forces?
If I stand in Phoenix with my back to the wind, low pressure is in what
direction from me?
16. The merry-go-round effectively demonstrates what force or effect?
A. Friction
B. Coriolis
effect
C. Pressure
Gradient force
D. accelerative
cyclonic force
E. stomach
upheaval effect
"Circulation models? Exactly what would we circulate?" - C.
Crawford
What is the global circulation trying to do with regard to heat? What is a
circulation cell?
What assumptions are made with the single cell circulation model?
Draw a single-cell circulation model of the earth.
What assumptions are made with the multiple cell circulation model?
Draw a multiple-cell circulation model of the earth.
List the winds in each of the earth's circulation cells.
List the direction of the winds at the following locations: 0°, 30°N, 60°S,
90°N
Where do we find the following: ITCZ, doldrums, horse latitudes, polar front,
polar high?
17. The correct order from the equator to the north pole of the surface winds
are:
A. doldrums,
polar easterlies, westerlies, northeast trades
B. northeast
trades, polar easterlies, doldrums, westerlies
C. doldrums,
westerlies, northeast trades, polar easterlies
D. doldrums,
northeast trades, westerlies, polar easterlies
E. polar
easterlies, doldrums, northeast trades, westerlies
"A rose by any other name ... will still have thorns." - W. Shakespeare
Why are there more than one way to measure atmospheric moisture?
Who would use absolute humidity?
What is vapor pressure?
What is relative humidity?
Why is dew point a better measure of moisture than relative humidity?
18. Which of the following has more water in the air around it?
A. a polar
expedition with a relative humidity of 50%
B. the Death
Valley archaeological expedition with a relative humidity of 50%?
19. Which of the following is true about dew point?
A. It depends
on the air temperature
B. it is a
measure of the relative amount of moisture in the air
C. it is
measured in percent
D. It is the
temperature at which dew would form
E. It is the
air pressure at which dew would form
"I think I shall never see a cloud as lovely as a tree …” The Garden
Guy
What are the two visual types of clouds?
What are the three elevation classes of clouds?
Define the following types: cumulonimbus, stratocumulus, cirrostratus,
nimbostratus, altostratus
What is fog?
List the three main types of fog.
Which fog is most common? Which is found in alpine areas? Which is found along
ocean coasts? Which is most common is the Midwest during the springtime?
20. Which of the following refers to a high flat cloud?
A. cirrostratus
B. nimbostratus
C. altocumulus
D. cirrocumulus
E. altostratus
"You mean I'm suppose to also give the location of cold fronts? I
thought I was hired just to announce little old ladies' birthdays!" -
W. Scott
What separates different air masses? Name the four types.
Describe the clouds and precipitation associated with a warm front.
Describe the winds and weather before, during and after a cold front passage
A sideview of an occluded front resembles what letter? Why does an occluded
front look like that?
How fast does a stationary front move? What is its weather?
Sketch the steps associated with cyclogenesis.
23. Cyclogenesis for the United States often begins in what state?
A. Arizona
B. Nebraska
C. Colorado
D. Ohio
E. New York
"Greta
Flabbie , bless her heart, is 111 today and thunderboomers will be found in the
midwest ..." - W. Scott
24.
Lightning does NOT involve which of the following?
A. A stepped
leader
B. A return
stroke
C. An arc
D. A dart leader
E. A
fractoleader
"A hurricane hit ME?... yah, sure, and I've got some swampland in
Florida for sale, too!" - Real Estate Developer, Miami
By what names are tropical cyclones called around the world?
How do tropical cyclones differ from their mid-latitude counterparts?
Describe the major features of a hurricane.
List the steps from an "easterly wave" to "hurricane"
What kills a hurricane?
What causes the most damage during a hurricane?
Where should you go if your area is in a hurricane warning?
What was worst hurricane to hit the United States?
25. Andrew was what class hurricane?
A. class 0
B. class 1
C. class 3
D. class 5
E. class 7
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" - D. Gale
What country in the world experiences the most tornadoes?
During what time of year do the worst tornadoes hit?
The Midwest / Great Plains has most of its tornadoes at what time of day? What
about the South?
What scale do we use to rank tornadoes?
What conditions are necessary for tornadoes to form?
What causes the most damage in a tornado?
Why are the old safety instructions of going to the SW corner of the basement
WRONG?
Here in Arizona, what weather-event kills more people than any other weather
event.
26. What is the most popular state (per area) for tornadoes?
A. Ohio
B. Oklahoma
C. Rhode
Island
D. Florida
E. Washington
"Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get." - M.
Twain
27.
Which of the following is not a stage of tropical cyclone:
A. easterly
wave
B. mesoscale complex
C. tropical
depression
D. tropical storm
E. hurricane
28. Climate Change involves what three areas?
A. reconstruction,
history and theory
B. weather
observations, theory and hydrology
C. hydrology,
theory, reconstruction
D. reconstruction,
theory and hydrology
E. hydrology,
history and theory
"Climate Change Insurance? Naw, I don't need anything like that."
- T. Rex
Describe the climate of each of the following:
a) The early earth (4.6-2 billion years ago)
b) The Cretaceous (age of dinosaurs) (100 million years ago)
c) The "K/T boundary" (65 million years ago)
d) The Pleistocene (1.7 million to 10,000 years ago)
e) What is the last 10,000 years called?
In recorded history, describe the weather of the following:
a) The Egyptian empire (5000 years ago)
b) The Dark ages (500-1000 A.D.)
c) The period of the Vikings (1000 A.D.)
d) The Renaissance (1400-1550 A.D.)
e) The Little Ice Age (1550-1850 A.D.)
f) The last ten years (1982-1992)
29. Was, in general, the period of the Renaissance associated with warm or cold
weather?
A. warm
B. cold
"It's elementary: Mr. Plum did it with a deep-sea core during the
Little Ice Age!" - S. Holmes
What is a climate proxy and how can it tell us about the weather?
How can tax records be used as a climate proxy?
List 4 physical climate proxies and describe how each may be used to tell us
about climate
What does oxygen-18 have to do with climate?
30. Which of the following would give us the longest proxy record?
A. tree rings
B. historical
diaries
C. actual
weather records
D. ice cores
"There's often a big step between theory and application." -
Icarus
What is the ice-snow-temperature feedback?
What does volcanism do to the climate?
Why is sunspot theory not yet credible?
What did Milankovitch suggest as major control of climate?
Define each of the following:
a) precession of the equinox
b) eccentricity
c) obliquity
What will the future hold: warming due to greenhouse or cooling due to
Milankovitch mechanisms?
Part 3: Sample Questions for the Third Test
31. Volcanoes influence climate by:
A. adding heat
to the atmosphere
B. shielding
the sun by sulfur particles
C. changing
global hydrology
E. blocking
circulation regimes via mountain building
"Water, water everywhere ... and not a drop to drink." - Capt.
Bligh (ret.)
Where is the most water in the world found? The most fresh water? What
component of the earth/atmosphere system holds the least water?
What is stream discharge?
What is a drainage basin? A stream network?
What is the order of the river at the spot marked "X" (assume
river streams follow according to the arrows)
Sketch a stream hydrograph for a rural area.
What things influence the shape of a hydrograph
32. The quicker, bigger flood would likely occur in:
A. rural area
B. Urban area
33. Which is the bigger river?
A. 1st order
B. 2nd order
C. 3rd order
D. 4th order
"It's simply amazing what a little water in the right place can do."
- Noah
Name a fluvial erosional feature. Name a fluvial depositional feature.
What is accelerated erosion. Name a place that has it.
Name three mechanisms of stream material transport.
Sketch the William Morris Davis sequence of stream gradiation.
Describe a knickpoint. How do they form?
Sketch a river channel. Label the thalweg, the cutbanks and the sandbars
What is the difference between a meandering stream and a braided stream?
Where are deltas found?
34. A river's delta is a place of:
A. high stream
flow
B. low stream
flow
C. a
knickpoint
D. a thalweg
E. none of the
above
"Whose
got the Bengay? - Atlas
What two elements make up most of the earth?
What's the difference between a rock and a mineral?
Name the three classes of rocks. Give an example of each.
What two layers make up the earth's crust?
Who is Alfred Wegner? What did he contribute to human knowledge?
If two plates of the same density hit, what is the result?
If two plates of different density hit, what is the result?
If two plates pull apart from each other, what is the result?
Name three proofs of plate tectonic theory.
35. The west coast of the United States is an example of:
A. two land
plates pulling apart
B. two ocean
plates crashing into each other
C. a land
plate going on top of an ocean plate
D. an ocean
plate going on top of a land plate
E. hot spot mountain
building
"Suppose to be a pretty good party up on the mountain this weekend,"
- unknown teenager, Pompeii, 79 A.D.
Name two types of volcanic activity. What is tepha?
Describe a composite volcano. Give an example.
Describe a shield volcano. Give an example.
Describe a basalt flood. Give an example.
What is a caldera? Do we have any in Arizona?
What kind of fault is the Mogollon Rim?
What kind of fault is the San Andreas?
What are the best safety instructions for an earthquake?
36. The most explosive volcano would be:
A. composite
B. shield
C. basalt
flood
"... and, in the case of extensive landslides, public officials are to
notify appropriate relief agencies and standby for further instructions ..."
- State of Mississippi Employee Training Manual
Name and describe 4 types of energy
Mass wasting involves transfer of energy from what to what?
What is a landslide?
What landforms are created by mass wasting?
What is soil creep?
What is an earth flow? A mud flow? Are these examples of mass wasting? Why or
why not?
37. Water is needed for:
A. mud flow
B. landslide
C. soil creep
D. vibratory
transmigration
"Naw, I would never consider beaching myself ... it's just a passing
fade." - M. Dick
What causes tides? What is a fetch? Why is it important to surfers? Sketch the
three major types of waves. What is a groin? Describe major coastal landforms.
How do the longshore current and beach drifting contribute to beach movement?
38. Which does not involve tides?
A. spring tide
B. neap tide
C. tidal wave
"... seven stranded castaways here on Gilligan's Isle." -
ancient tribal chant
What is a spit?
What is a lagoon?
What is a tombolo?
What is a barrier island?
What is an atoll?
What are the three kinds of reefs?
39. Which is organic in nature?
A. a spit
B. a lagoon
C. a tombolo
D. a barrier
island
E. an atoll
40. The east coast's barrier islands were
A. The beaches
of the last ice age
B. the sand
created by urban pollution
C. The result
of erosion of northern coasts
D. Made up of
coral skeletons
"Well, it all began with a wrong turn during a trip to the beach ..."
- T. Lawrence (Arabia)
What is an aeolian process?
What are two types of wind erosion?
What is a blowout?
What are the current driving instructions in Arizona when encountering a dust
storm?
What are the four major types of dunes?
What is a stardune mountain?
41. Which dune is associated with the Sahara desert?
A. a crescent
dune
B. a parabolic
dune
C. an Arrakis
dune
D. a
longitudinal dune
"Never put your tongue on a glacier" - Cavemother's advise
(attributed to G. Larson)
What is a glacier?
What two types of glaciers exist in the world today?
42. Which glaciers are the biggest?
A. continental
B. alpine
43. The name of the continental glacier over northeast North America in the
last ice age?
A. Scandinavian
B. Laurentide
C. Himalayan
D. Greenlandic
"Because it was there? Nah, I was just trying to find a good snow cone."
Sir E. Hillery
List the three types of alpine glaciation. What is the highest?
Is glacial ice made up of snow?
The zone of melting ice is called?
What is a Bergschrund?
Are alpine glaciers safe places to hike? Why or why not?
What part of a glacier moves fastest?
What two methods of erosion exist?
What is a moraine?
What three types of moraines exist in an alpine glacier?
What replica of a glacial feature is found in Disneyland? What is this glacial
feature?
What well-known glacial features are found in Norway?
What letter is associated with a river valley?
44. Which of the following can be found at the top of a glacier?
A. terminal
moraine
B. lateral
moraine
C. A
bergschrund
D. An ablation
zone
E. a valley
glacier
45. Geographically, a horn is
A. A musical
instrument (no)
B. A mountain
peak formed by glaciers
C. A mountain
ridge formed by glaciers
D. A mountain
valley formed by glaciers
"Ignoring the trumpeting of the mammoths and the growl of the
saber-tooth tigers, Oog, carrying the fat moose carcass, crawled over the huge
ice sheet that prevented him from reaching home by sunset." - Bare
Cave Clan Chronicles
What two continental glaciers exist today? Have there been other continental
glaciers?
Are continental glaciers more or less than a mile thick?
Isostatic Depression. What is it? Can it be prevented? Where are icebergs
found? Why?
What kind of rivers are associated with glaciers? Do they contain the "virgin
pure" waters necessary for good beer?
Name the largest landform created in North America by the last glaciation.
What is an erratic? What are the types of moraines associated with continental
moraines? What is an esker? What is an drumlin?
46. Which of the following states has the most landforms created by continental
glaciation?
A. New York
B. Mississippi
C. Arizona
D. Texas
C. Virginia
"Although neighboring places are often fun to visit, there is no place
like home." - S. Hussein
Gallup, New Mexico is located on what type of landform?
What local Phoenix suburb is named after a geologic landform? How is this
landform created?
A-Mountain is what kind of geologic landform?
47. The correct sequence of desert landform development (biggest to smallest)?
A. plateau,
mesa, butte
B. mesa,
plateau, butte
C. butte,
plateau, mesa
D. mesa,
butte, plateau
E. butte,
mesa, plateau
Examples of Comprehensive type of Questions on the Final:
48. You are an engineer designated to build a mountain range for Florida. How
do you do it?
A. Slam Europe into Florida
B. Pull
Florida apart
C. ram the
Atlantic Ocean Basin into Florida
49. Mark Twain could have sailed on several Mississippi meander scar
50.
What is the most basic thing have you learned in this class?
A. drumlin in
a new form of rockabilly
B. 3/4 of the
earth is covered by land
C. That the
earth's environment is a complex system of processes that we all need to learn
about
D. That
getting my science credit was funnier than I originally thought
NAME THAT LATITUDE!! (OR WIND ZONE!)
Directions: Give the name of each of the latitudes:
For example, 90°N - North Pole
For the wind zones on the left side of the globe drawing, give the name of the
wind zone for each of the bracketed area. Example: zones such as the southeast
trade winds, etc.
HINT: remember that HIGH pressure is found at 30° and 90°, LOW pressure is
found at 0° and 60°. From that and remembering the pressure gradient force and
Coriolis effect, you should be able to draw in the winds.
________________________________________________________________________
Answers to objective questions:
1E,2B,3A,4C,5C,6B,7B,8B,9D,10C,11E,12C,13A,14D,15B,16B,17D,18B,19D,20A,21A,
22.(1) STABLE, NONE, 14,CLEAR (2) UNSTABLE, 1KM,19°C, THUNDERSTORM (3)
CONDITIONAL UNSTABLE, 1/2 KM, 19°C, POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM IF LIFTING MECHANISM
IS PRESENT, 23C,24E,25D,26B,27B,28A,29A,30D,31B,The stream order is 5th order
at the "X",32B,33D,34B,35C,36A,37A,38C,39E,40A,41A,42A,43B,44C,45B,46A,47A,48A,49B,
50C BUT ALSO HOPEFULLY D.