Atmospheric Movement and Patterns - AP Environmental Science

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Question

Which terms best fits the following definition?

"The cyclical pattern of rising hot air, cooling of air, and sinking of colder air, resulting from exposure to sunlight (heat energy)."

Answer

Atmospheric circulation is the process in which air heated at a lower altitude rises because it is less dense than cold air, and the resulting cooling and dispersal/fall of the chilled air results in a natural circulation of air in the atmosphere.

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Question

When talking about atmospheric circulation, what latitude range do the trade winds occupy?

Answer

Trade Winds are a result of hot air from the equator rising, cooling and then sinking and dispersing within the 30 N to 30 S range, with a range of 30 degrees on both sides of the equator.

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Question

Where in the atmosphere does weather occur?

Answer

An easy way to know where the weather occurs in the atmosphere is to think of clouds. Since clouds are where precipitation originates and another form of a cloud can be low dwelling fog, you know that weather must appear close to the earths surface, and the lowest part of the atmosphere is the Troposphere.

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Question

In 1735, a scientist named George __________ hypothesized how air currents circulate and the mechanism that he discovered was named after him. His subsequent theory helps to describe the mechanics that cause air currents to rise at the equator and fall at the thirty degree latitudes?

Answer

The correct response is "Hadley." George Hadley developed the theory of the Hadley Cell. This is the only answer choice that referred to a scientist that studied atmospheric movements. Two of the answer choices have nothing to do with the atmosphere and they are general theories of ecology such as the Janzen-Connell hypothesis regarding biodiversity and the Hardy-Weinberg principle that is associated with genotype frequencies. Last, Mason and McLeod were fabricated for the sake of the question.

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Question

What is the Coriolis effect?

Answer

The Coriolis effect is the interaction between an object traveling on Earth and the rotation of the Earth. Objects appear to be moving in straight lines, but are actually moving in curves in space.

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