Climate Multiple Choice

The data table below compares the climates of two United States cities located at
approximately 43° north latitude. The data are based on a 30-year period.

1 Which statement best explains the climate variation between these two cities?
?
(1) City A and city B are located at the same longitude.
(2) City A is located at a high elevation, and city B is located at sea level.
(3) City A is located far inland, and city B is located near a large body of water.
(4) City A is located on the east coast, and city B is located on the west coast.

2 Which statement best explains why location A has a cooler climate than location B?
?
(1) Location A has a longer duration of insolation each day.
(2) Location A is influenced by a cold ocean current.
(3) Location B is farther from the equator.
(4) Location B has less intense insolation each day.

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 3 Which ocean current carries cool water toward Earth’s equator?
?
(1) Alaska Current (3) Peru Current
(2) East Australia Current (4) North Atlantic Current

Base your answers to questions 4 through 7 on the climate graphs below, which show
average monthly precipitation and temperatures at four cities, A, B, C, and D.

4 City A has very little variation in temperature during the year because city A is located
?
(1) on the dry side of a mountain
(2) on the wet side of a mountain
(3) near the center of a large landmass
(4) near the equator

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 5 During which season does city B usually experience the month with the highest
? average precipitation?

(1) spring (3) fall

(2) summer (4) winter

6 It can be concluded that city C is located in the Southern Hemisphere because city C
? has

(1) small amounts of precipitation throughout the year

(2) large amounts of precipitation throughout the year
(3) its warmest temperatures in January and February
(4) its warmest temperatures in July and August

7 Very little water will infiltrate the soil around city D because the region usually has
?
(1) a frozen surface (3) a small amount of runoff
(2) nearly flat surfaces (4) permeable soil

8 Which statement best summarizes the The arrows on the cross section below show
? general effects of ocean currents at 20° S the prevailing wind that flows over a
latitude on coastal regions of South mountain. Points A and B represent
America? locations on opposite sides of the mountain.

(1) The east coast and west coast are both

warmed.

(2) The east coast and west coast are both

cooled.

(3) The east coast is warmed and the west

coast is cooled.

(4) The east coast is cooled and the west

coast is warmed. 9 Which statement correctly describes the
differences in the climates of locations A ?
and B?

(1) Location A is warmer and drier than

location B.
(2) Location A is cooler and wetter than
location B.
(3) Location B is warmer and wetter than
location A.
(4) Location B is cooler and drier than
location A.

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 10 The coldest climates on Earth are 12 Compared to an inland location, a
? located at or near the poles primarily location on an ocean shore at the same ?
because Earth’s polar regions elevation and latitude is likely to have

(1) receive mostly low-angle insolation (1) cooler winters and cooler summers
(2) receive less total yearly hours of daylight (2) cooler winters and warmer summers
(3) absorb the greatest amount of insolation (3) warmer winters and cooler summers
(4) are usually farthest from the Sun (4) warmer winters and warmer summers

11 Which two ocean currents are both 13 During a dry summer, the flow of most
warm currents that primarily flow away large New York State streams generally ?
from the equator?
(1) continues because some groundwater
(1) Guinea Current and Labrador Current seeps into the streams
(2) Brazil Current and Agulhas Current (2) increases due to greater surface runoff
(3) Alaska Current and Falkland Current (3) remains unchanged due to transpiration
(4) Canaries Current and Gulf Stream from grasses, shrubs, and trees
Current (4) stops completely because

15 Which diagram best illustrates how air rising over a mountain produces precipitation?
?

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 16 Why are the beaches that are located The cross section below shows how
? on the southern shore of Long Island prevailing winds have caused different
often considerably cooler than nearby climates on the windward and leeward sides
inland locations on hot summer of a mountain range.
afternoons?

(1) A land breeze develops due to the lower

specific heat of water and the higher
specific heat of land.

(2) A sea breeze develops due to the higher

specific heat of water and the lower
specific heat of land.
18 Why does the windward side of this ?
(3) The beaches are closer to the Equator mountain have a wet climate?
than the inland locations are.
(1) Rising air compresses and cools, causing
(4) The beaches are farther from the the water droplets to evaporate.
Equator than the inland locations are.
(2) Rising air compresses and warms,
causing the water vapor to condense.

(3) Rising air expands and cools, causing the

water vapor to condense.

(4) Rising air expands and warms, causing

the water droplets to evaporate.

17 On a clear summer day, the surface of 19 Which graph best shows the average
? land is usually warmer than the surface annual amounts of precipitation received ?
of a nearby body of water because the at different latitudes on Earth?
water

(1) receives less insolation

(2) reflects less insolation
(3) has a higher density
(4) has a higher specific heat

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 20 Very cold climates occur at Earth’s 21 Which ocean current transports warm
? North and South Poles because the water away from Earth’s equatorial ?
polar regions region?

(1) are usually farthest from the Sun (1) Brazil Current (3) Falkland Current
(2) absorb the greatest amount of insolation (2) Guinea Current (4) California Current
(3) receive the most hours of daylight
(4) receive low-angle insolation

The map below shows the locations of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Springfield, Missouri.

22 Virginia Beach experiences cooler summers and warmer winters than Springfield
? because Virginia Beach

(1) is located closer to the Atlantic Ocean

(2) is located closer to the equator
(3) has a greater average yearly duration of insolation
(4) has a greater average yearly intensity of insolation

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 The arrows labeled A through D on the map below show the general paths of abandoned
boats that have floated across the Atlantic Ocean.

23 Which sequence of ocean currents was responsible for the movement of these boats?
?
(1) South Equatorial → Gulf Stream → Labrador → Benguela
(2) South Equatorial → Australia → West Wind Drift → Peru
(3) North Equatorial → Koroshio → North Pacific → California
(4) North Equatorial → Gulf Stream → North Atlantic → Canaries

Base your answers to questions 24 and 25 on the map below, which represents an
imaginary continent. Locations A and B are on opposite sides of a mountain range on a
planet similar to Earth. Location C is on the planet’s equator.

24 Compared to the climate at location A, the climate at location B would most likely be
?
(1) warmer and more humid (3) cooler and more humid
(2) warmer and less humid (4) cooler and less humid

25 Location C most likely experiences

?
(1) low air pressure and low precipitation
(2) low air pressure and high precipitation
(3) high air pressure and low precipitation
(4) high air pressure and high precipitation

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 The arrows in the cross section below show London, England, is located at approximately
the prevailing winds moving across northern 51° 30' north latitude and 0° longitude.
New York State into Vermont during the Elmira, New York, is located at
summer. approximately 42° 10' north latitude and 76°
54' west longitude.
26 Compared to the climate of location A,
the climate of location B is 29 What is one reason why London has a
?
warmer average winter temperature
(1) warmer and wetter than Elmira?
(2) warmer and drier
(3) cooler and wetter (1) London is located closer to the equator.
(4) cooler and drier (2) London is located at a higher elevation.
(3) London’s climate is modified by the North
Atlantic Ocean Current.
(4) London’s climate is modified by its longer
duration of insolation.

The cross section below shows the flow of 30 Which cold ocean current affects the
?
winds over a mountain ridge. climate of the northeastern coast of North
America?

(1) Gulf Stream (3) Labrador

(2) Canaries (4) North Atlantic

27 The heaviest rainfall would most likely

? occur on which side of this mountain
and in which type of air mass?

(1) on the leeward side, in a mP air mass

(2) on the leeward side, in a cT air mass
(3) on the windward side, in a mT air mass
(4) on the windward side, in a cP air mass

28 Which ocean current flows northeast 31 Which surface ocean current transports
? along the eastern coast of North warm water to higher latitudes? ?
America?
(1) Labrador Current (3) Gulf Stream
(1) Gulf Stream (3) California (2) Falkland Current (4) West Wind Drift
(2) North Equatorial (4) Labrador

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 Base your answers to questions 32 through 34 on the diagram below, which represents the
planetary wind and moisture belts in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere.

32 The climate at 90° north latitude is dry because the air at that location is usually
?
(1) warm and rising (3) cool and rising
(2) warm and sinking (4) cool and sinking

33 The paths of the surface planetary winds are curved due to Earth’s
?
(1) revolution (3) circumference
(2) rotation (4) size

34 The tropopause is approximately how far above sea level?

?
(1) 12 mi (3) 60 mi
(2) 12 km (4) 60 km

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 Base your answers to questions 41 through The cross section below shows the direction
42 on the map below. The map shows an of air flowing over a mountain. Points A and
imaginary continent on Earth. Arrows B are at the same elevation on opposite
represent prevailing wind directions. Letters sides of the mountain.
A through D represent locations on the
continent. Locations A and B are at the
same latitude and at the same elevation at
the base of the mountains.

43 Compared to the air temperature and

humidity at point A, the air temperature ?
41 Over the course of a year, compared to and humidity at point B are usually
? location B, location A will have
(1) cooler and drier (3) warmer and drier
(1) less precipitation and a smaller (2) cooler and wetter (4) warmer and wetter
temperature range
(2) less precipitation and a greater The diagram below shows how prevailing
temperature range winds cause different weather conditions on
(3) more precipitation and a smaller the windward and leeward sides of a
temperature range mountain range.
(4) more precipitation and a greater
temperature range

42 The climate at location C is much drier

? than at location D. This difference is best
explained by the fact that location C is
located

(1) farther from any mountain range

(2) closer to a large body of water
(3) at a latitude that experiences longer
average annual daylight 44 Clouds usually form on the windward
(4) at a latitude where air is sinking and sides of mountains because this is where ?
surface winds diverge air

(1) rises and cools (3) sinks and cools

(2) rises and warms (4) sinks and warms

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 45 Which ocean current brings warm water 47 Which two gases have been added to
? to the western coast of Africa? Earth’s atmosphere in large amounts and ?
are believed to have increased global
(1) Agulhas Current warming by absorbing infrared radiation?
(2) North Equatorial Current
(3) Canaries Current (1) neon and argon
(4) Guinea Current (2) chlorine and nitrogen
(3) hydrogen and helium
(4) methane and carbon dioxide

46 Compared to the climate conditions of 48 The California Ocean Current, which

? dry inland locations, the climate flows along the west coast of North ?
conditions of locations influenced by a America, is a
nearby ocean generally result in
(1) cool current, flowing north
(1) hotter summers and colder winters, with (2) cool current, flowing south
a larger annual range of temperatures (3) warm current, flowing north
(2) hotter summers and colder winters, with (4) warm current, flowing south
a smaller annual range of temperatures
(3) cooler summers and warmer winters,
with a larger annual range of
temperatures
(4) cooler summers and warmer winters,
with a smaller annual range of
temperatures

49 The cross sections below show different patterns of air movement in Earth’s
? atmosphere. Air temperatures at Earth’s surface are indicated in each cross section.
Which cross section shows the most likely pattern of air movement in Earth’s
atmosphere that would result from the surface air temperatures shown?

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 50 Surface ocean currents located at 40º
? south latitude, 90° west longitude
generally flow toward the

(1) northeast (3) southwest

(2) southeast (4) west

The arrows on the two maps below show how the monsoon winds over India change
direction with the seasons.

51 How do these winds affect India’s weather in summer and winter?

?
(1) Summer is cooler and less humid than winter.
(2) Summer is warmer and more humid than winter.
(3) Winter is warmer and less humid than summer.
(4) Winter is cooler and more humid than summer.

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