If Earth's history were compressed to a single 24-hour period, human beings would appear on Earth in the last few seconds before midnight.
True False

We are currently living during the Mesozoic era, the Quaternary period and the Holocene epoch.
True False

The peak of the last Ice Age occurred approximately 180,000-220,000 years ago.
True False

You are generally safe inside an automobile during lightning storm because the rubber tires insulate you from the ground.
True False

Oxygen 16 and oxygen 18 are found in roughly equal amounts in ocean water.
True False

Dendroclimatology is the study of annual growth rings on trees as it relates to climate.
True False

During the Pleistocene epoch continental glaciers continuously covered large parts of North America and Europe.
True False

Section 2. Multiple Choice Questions (5 pts. each)

Ski resorts in the Northern Hemisphere are usually located on the north face of a mountain because:
the amount of snow that falls is larger
the vegetation is shorter
the terrain is steeper and it is better for skiing
the slope receives less solar radiation
none of the above

Tucson has a drier climate than San Diego because:
Tucson is located at a higher altitude
San Diego receives more solar radiation than Tucson
Tucson has a drier type of vegetation than San Diego
none of the above

Thunder is caused by:
the collision between two thunderstorms with opposite electrical charge
the rapid heating of air surrounding the lightning channel
the explosion that occurs when + and - charge collide and neutralize each other
turbulent wind motions inside the thunderstorm

When caught in a thunderstorm in an open field, the best thing to do is:
crouch down as low as possible while minimizing contact with the ground
run for cover under the nearest tree
lie down close to the ground
remove all metallic objects from your pockets
none of the above

Which of the following is considered a climatic control?
ocean currents
intensity of sunshine and its variation with latitude
prevailing winds
altitude
all of the above

Homo sapiens first appeared as a new species:
18,000 years ago during the last glacial maximum
between 2.5 and 3.4 million years ago
between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago
before the Pleistocene epoch began
last night before supper

Large volcanic eruptions with an ash veil that enters the stratosphere, tend to___________ at the surface.
increase temperature
increase precipitation
decrease temperature
have no effect
kill the homo sapiens that arrived for supper last night

Precession of the equinox refers to:
changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit as it revolves around the sun
changes in the tilt of the Earth as it orbits the sun
changes in the length of the seasons, especially autumn and spring
the wobble of the earth on its axis
changes in the tilt of the Earth as it orbits the moon

Which of the following inventor-discovery relationships is NOT correct:
Franklin -- studied lightning
Milankovitch -- calculated the effect Earth's orbital cycles
Agassiz -- invented the thermometer
Hadley -- proposed a simple model of the Earth's atmospheric circulation
all of the above

Near the surface between the latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees, you should expect the average winds to blow from the:
north
northeast
south
southwest
northwest

The analysis of air bubbles trapped in the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica provides information about:
past temperatures
past volcanic eruptions
past atmospheric composition
past precipitation patterns
all of the above

The seasonal thermal circulation that occurs over Southern Asia and Western United States during the summer is called:
the monsoon
the Hadley circulation
the trade winds
the Gulf Stream
the Hahmann Havoc

A negative feedback mechanism:
acts to reinforce an initial change
acts to weaken or oppose an initial change
causes a positive change only
causes a negative change only
none of the above

It is believed that the climate conditions of the Pleistocene might have influenced the EVOLUTION of the human species. What are these conditions and how did they influence the early populations?

Suppose you are a sailor living in Europe during the 17th century. The king has ordered you to sail to the New World (say Cuba). Which route would you take (Use the map of the North Atlantic Ocean below)? Why?

Place the following events in chronological order from earliest to more recent:
A. The Holocene Epoch began
B. People crossed the Bering Strait
C. Single large continent splits into several smaller land masses
D. People left Africa for Asia and Europe
E. Extinction of the mammoth in North America
F. Humans domesticated grains and animals
G. Cretaceous mass extinction occurs
H. Earlier humanoids evolve

Below are two diagrams describing feedback processes in the atmosphere. Which of these is a positive feedback? Which is a negative feedback? Explain briefly your answers.

Categorize the following phenomena into weather and climate:
A. today's surface pressure
B. glacier's retreat
C. frequency of tornado occurrence
D. today's record maximum temperature
E. today's minimum temperature