State Lab
Seasons
Carbon Cycle
Weather
Misc
100
Compare the porosity of the two images
Porosity will be the same for both because they are both sorted. This means that they should hold the same amount of water despite the difference in sediment size
100
Which letter is receiving the most direct sunlight?
C; Direct sunlight refers to the area with 90° angle of sunlight, which will be more condensed. This direct sunlight will lead to more heat.
100
Identify one way that living organisms partake in the carbon cycle.
Photosynthesis, respiration, deposition of shelly materials etc
Living organisms are reservoirs of carbon
100
Which type of front creates heavy rain?
Cold front, air is forced up creates heavy rain/ thunderstorms
100
Why does the ocean cool slower than land?
Water has a high specific heat so it takes more energy to heat up and cool down
200
Which of the following best represents chemical weathering?
a) Table salt dissolving in water
b) Limestone dissolving in acid rain
c) Outside of a stream breaking apart due to moving water
d) Limestone crushed and ground by animals
B)
Dissolving of limestone represents an acid/base reaction. Calcium carbonate reacts with acid rain breaking apart the carbonate. CO2 is emitted as part of the chemical reaction (limestone bubbles with acid)
200
What evidence suggests that this is either the first day of Fall or the first day of Spring?
Looking at the poles, the North Pole is pointing up (not towards or away from the Sun). This implies it is an equinox, which will mean that there are 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night.
200
Compare the time scale of carbon storage by plants and its change due to deforestation
Plants take a long time to grow but deforestation can quickly cut down trees that take decades to form
200
What are the three indicators of rain on a station model?
Cloud cover (overcast)-> clouds= rain
Temperature and dew point are similar= aka high relative humidity
Low pressure (Under 1000 mb)= low pressure leads to air rising which leads to clouds
200
Despite being closer to the Sun during winter, it is colder. Why?
Angles
High angles= more direct sunlight= more energy= more heat
Winter has low angles therefore less energy and less heat
300
Why does the second image have greater permeability?
Despite having the same porosity, the permeability of the second container is greater. There is greater connectivity between each individual pore space is greater because each individual pore space is larger.
300
Assume that this is the first day of a season. Based on the tilt, which latitude is receiving the most sunlight?
23.5°N. This is summer because the North Pole is facing towards the Sun. Because the Earth is tilted at 23.5°, the area with the greatest sunlight is at 23.5°N. If it were tilted more, then the area with greatest sunlight would be greater as the latitude with the greatest sunlight is dependent on the tilt.
300
Identify two rocks or minerals that contains carbon
Diamonds, graphite (pencil lead), limestone, marble, dolostone
300
How does air move in a high pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere?
Out and clockwise
Outward because air always moves from high to low pressures. Clockwise because in the Northern Hemisphere, things deflect to the right of its motion due to Coriolis
300
A warm front moves in, describe the weather at the front and the weather as the front passes
It is generally cloudy with light rain during the entirety of the warm front. Temperatures will slowly increase
400
A rain garden SHOULD allow water to pass through the surface but retain the water in the space so it does not enter the water table. Assuming there are only two layers, which of the following would allow for the best rain garden?
a) Small sediments on top, large sediments on the bottom
b) Small sediments on top, small sediments on the bottom
c) Large sediments on top, small sediments on the bottom
d) Large sediments on top, large sediments on the bottom
C)
Large sediments on top allow for greater permeability because the spaces are more interconnected (big spaces have less stuff in the way). Meanwhile, small sediments on the bottom decreases permeability so the water just stays in the rain garden
400
How many hours of sunlight does the South Pole get?
If the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun, then the South Pole is tilted away from the Sun. Since it is tilted away, as you turn the Earth on its axis, the South Pole stays away from the Sun so the South Pole would receive 0 hours of daylight in this image.
400
Describe two ways aside from photosynthesis and respiration that carbon enters and exits the atmosphere
Burning releases CO2, oceanic CO2 exchange, carbon dioxide mixes with water to create carbonic acid (acid rain), volcanoes erupt, decomposition of materials release CO2 back in the atmosphere
400
Which air mass is most likely to cause a cold front to reach NYC?
a) A westerly wind
b) A southeasterly wind
c) A southwesterly wind
d) An easterly wind
e) A northwesterly wind
E)
Northwesterly winds would be coming from the Northwest. North implies cold relative to NYC so it would be a cold front.
400
Draw the direction of motion for a low pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere and compare it to a low pressure system in the Southern Hemisphere
They both move inward but a low pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere should go counterclockwise while a low pressure system in the Southern Hemisphere should go clockwise
500
Explain one way that plants contribute to rain gardens
Growing plants in rain gardens allows plants to absorb the water that would otherwise be held in the sediment layer, rereleasing it into the atmosphere through transpiration
500
Predict what would happen to the seasons in NY if the Earth were tilted at 30° instead of 23.5°.
Summer would be hotter and winter would be colder. On the first day of summer, the Earth's tilt would make it so that the greatest angles of sunlight would be at 30°N instead of 23.5°N. Since our distance from the greatest latitude is lower, the summer would be hotter. During winter, the reverse is also true. 30°S for the first day of winter, which means greater distance from the highest angle so it would be colder.
500
Burning current biomass is a viable way to generate electricity. Despite the burning of material, why would this be considered better than burning of fossil fuels?
Burning of current biomass does not shorten the time span nearly as much. It takes less time for currently living things to grow than it does to create fossil fuels
500
Draw a station model with the following characteristics and explain if it is likely to rain.
Temp: 60°F
Dew point: 55°F
Sea level pressure: 979.8mb
Wind from Northeast
It is likely to rain due to low pressure system leading to air rising and clouds forming. The station model itself should be straight forward but the pressure should say 798 on on the top right.
500
Using temperature and pressure what is the expected path of air movement and compare it to the Ferrel Cell.
High temp= low pressure
Low temp= high pressure
Air should go from high pressure to low pressure
Ferrel cell has it reversed with
High temp= high pressure
Low temp= low pressure