The correct answers are given in green.
Your copy of the exam may have these questions in a slightly different order.

Multiple Choice. Write the letter that gives the best answer to each question provided. (1 pt each).

1.  Which layer of the atmosphere is closest to the earth?

a. Stratosphere
b. Troposphere
c. Exosphere
d. Heterosphere

2. The tilt of the Earth’s axis affects each of the following except:

a. Length of day
b. Sun’s zenith angle
c. amount of atmosphere which sunlight passes through
d. distance from the sun

3.  A maximum thermometer is:

a. A liquid in glass thermometer with a constriction.
b. A liquid in glass thermometer with a barbell float.
c. A liquid in glass thermometer with a wet bulb.
d. Not a liquid in glass thermometer.

4. The hydrologic cycle refers to cycling of ________________ in our atmosphere.

a. Carbon dioxide
b. Air
c. Water
d. Solar energy

5. Which of the following list the permanent gases of our atmosphere in order of decreasing amounts?

a. Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Chlorofluorocarbons
b. Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon
c. Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon dioxide
d. Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Argon

6. If the sun were to become hotter, the wavelength of maximum radiation emitted by the sun would  ___________.

a. become shorter
b. become longer
c. remain the same
d. none of the above

a. Averaging each of the monthly mean temperatures.
b. Averaging the highest and lowest monthly mean temperatures.
c. Averaging the maximum and minimum temperature for one day.
d. None of the above.

8. Assuming that the actual moisture content of the air remains constant, what happens to the relative humidity if the temperature increases:

a. the relative humidity increases
b. the relative humidity remains the same
c. the relative humidity decreases
d. the relative humidity becomes larger than 100%

9. Which of the following layers is associated with a temperature inversion?

a. Troposphere and Stratosphere
b. Troposphere and Mesosphere
c. Stratosphere and Mesosphere
d. Stratosphere and Thermosphere

10. The amount of incoming solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere is known as:

a. The solar wind
b. The solar cycle
c. The solar constant
d. The solar amount

11. Temperature inversions that occur on a clear night near the surface of the earth are due to:

a. incoming solar radiation
b. the greenhouse effect
c. evaporative cooling
d. radiational cooling.

12. Which of the following is NOT a large-scale control on temperature:

a. longitude
b. proximity to large bodies of water
c. ocean currents
d. latitude

13. Which of the following is a device for measuring humidity

a. thermometer
b. barometer
c. hygrometer
d. anemometer

14. Meteorologists report wind direction as:

a. the direction the wind is blowing towards
b. the direction the wind is coming from
c. the direction of the sun
d. the direction of the angle

a. the Earth is closest to the sun
b. the sun’s energy output is lowest
c. the Earth’s axis is tilted
d. the Earth is farthest from the sun

16. The greenhouse effect occurs because:

a. gases in our atmosphere are selective absorbers of visible radiation
b. gases in our atmosphere are selective absorbers of infrared radiation
c. gases in our atmosphere are selective absorbers of ultra-violet radiation
d. there is global warming.

17. Saturation vapor pressure is:

a. the partial pressure of water vapor in the air
b. the partial pressure of nitrogen in the air
c. the partial pressure of water vapor in the air, if it were saturated
d. the partial pressure of water vapor in the air during the day

18. The Stefan-Boltzman radiation law states that:

a. the hotter and object the less radiation it emits
b. the hotter an object the more radiation it emits
c. the cooler and object the more radiation it emits
c. the temperature of an object does not affect the radiation it emits

19. The energy balance at the Earth’s surface consists of which of the following except:

a. outgoing longwave radiation absorbed by the atmosphere
b. outgoing longwave radiation emitted to space
c. longwave radiation emitted by the atmosphere toward the ground
d. outoing longwave radiation emitted by the atmosphere toward space

20. During which of the following phase changes of water is energy taken from the environment:

a. deposition
b. freezing
c. condensation
d. evaporation

21. The phase change of ice to water vapor is:

a. sublimation and energy is taken from the environment in this process
b. sublimation and energy is given to the environment in this process
c. deposition and energy is taken from the environment in this process
d. deposition and energy is given to the environment in this process

22. Which of the following is a high cloud with a lumpy appearance:

a. Cirrus
b. Cirrostratus
c. Cumulus
d. Cirrocumulus

23. Which of the following specialty clouds looks like a “flying saucer”

a. lenticular
b. contrail
c. pileus
d. mamamatus

24. Which heat transfer process is due to the movement of a fluid or gas?

a. Radiation
b. Conduction
c. Convection
d. none of the above

25. If the Earth did not have greenhouse gases in the atmosphere the global average temperature would:

a. be colder
b. be warmer
c. remain the same
d. be absolute zero

a. temperature of the water
b. wind
c. humidity of the air
d. the amount of condensation nuclei

27. London, England and Edmonton, Alberta are nearly at the same latitude. London has warm and mild winters due to:

a. latitude
b. ocean currents
c. elevation
d. vegetation

28. Which of the following fogs occur when warm moist air flows over a cold surface:

a. radiation fog
b. advection fog
c. evaporation fog
d. upslope fog

29. Cloud condenstion nuclei such as dust, smoke and sea salt:

a. provide pollution to the atmosphere
b. provide a location for water to condense
c. provide a location for water to evaporate
d. block ultra-violet light in the stratosphere.

30. If today’s daily mean temperature is 25 F, (HDD = 65 – T daily mean , CDD = T daily mean – 65).

a. there would be 40 heating degree days and zero cooling degree days
b. there would be zero heating degree days and zero cooling degree days
c. there would be 40 heating degree days and 40 cooling degree days
d. there would be zero heating degree days and 40 cooling degree days.