Homework

Chapter Review p.461

 * 20. a)** The albedo of a typical city would be higher than a forested area. In the city there are surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, and roof shingles which all absorb solar radiation. High rises also contain heat as they block infrared radiation. Whereas in a forest, there is a lot of shade which causes the temperature to decrease.


 * b)** White rock would be the best choice to reduce the albedo from a city plaza.


 * c)** Asphalt and concrete both absorb solar radiation during the day. This would cause the city plaza to be hot on a sunny day. These materials emit infrared radiation, which raises the air temperature. Therefore white rock would be the best choice because it would reflect solar radiation instead of absorbing it


 * d)** Tar would take the longest to cool down.


 * e)** Tar cools down slowly because of its colour and ability to store heat. Since tar is black, solar radiation is attracted to it. The radiation then is absorbed by Tar and stays there for long amounts of time, making it take longer to cool down.


 * f)** In conduction heat is transfered from an object of high temperature to an object of low temperature. This is present in the creation of an urban heat island as the hot rays of the sun transfer their heat onto the cool buildings.


 * g)** The talls building of the city reflect radiation off of them onto water sources. Once the rays reach the water sources, they heat it up.

Understanding Key Ideas p.481

 * 6.** Paleoclimatologists use ice cores to study past climates. By drilling an ice core from a glacier they can determine how much CO2 or other gases were present in the atmosphere.


 * 7.** A biogeoclimatic zone is a region with a certain plant life, soil, geography and climate.


 * 8.** The main difference between El Nino and La Nina is water temperature. During El Nino years warm water moves eastwards, preventing cold waters from upwelling. During El Nina years cold deep sea waters well up strongly in the Eastern Pacific.


 * 9.a)** If Earth was tilted 90º towards the sun then the noth pole would point directly at the sun causing extreme weather changes. The concentration of solar radiation would be higher because the angle of incidence would be smaller. There would be continuous sunlight at the northern regions and the northpole. Whereas there would be no sunlight at the southpole and very little at the southern regions. This change in axis would reverse the weather patterns of current Earth. The northpole would be extremely hot and the northern regions very hot. The southpole would be extremely cold and the southern regions vert cold.


 * b)** If Earth was titled 90º away from the sun then the opposite thing would happen. The southpole would point directly at the sun. The southpole would receive continuous sunlight and so would the southern regions. On the other hand, the northpole and northen regions would receive almost no sunlight. This change in axis is similar to our current weather pattern. The northern regions would be cold and the southern regions would be hot. They would only face extreme temperatures.


 * 10.** Earth's wobble will eventually cause earth's north pole to face the star vega. This will alter the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays. This will greatly influence climate, causing it to cool down. Some scientists believe that the Earth's wobble may have caused the ice ages.


 * 11.** If the continents were all one land mass, the interiors would be very dry and hot. There would also be very warm summer temperatures and very warm winter temperatures. The regions by the waters would be very moonsonal.


 * 12.** The impact of a giant meteor would affect the Earth's climate. As the meteorite crashes into Earth, the impact causes superheated gases to rise into the atmosphere. These remaining dusty clouds reflect and absorb solar radiation, causing the troposphere to cool.


 * 13.** Earth's orbit around the sun is elliptical. If the path is too eliptical, the Earth is farther away from the sun resulting in less solar radiation. This brings very cold temperatures when Earth is farthest away from the sun.


 * 14.** The decreasing of CO2 over time in the ice core shows that there has been changes in climate. When there is less CO2 in the atmosphere, there is less greenhouse gases to absorb solar radiation. Therefore, more solar radiation reflects back into space. With less solar radiation emitted onto Earth, the climate becomes colder. Therfore the ice cores show that Earth was very cold at one point and as time progressed, it gradually got warmer.


 * 15. a)** The season in the region indicated is winter. The hemisphere that is tilted away from the sun experiences winter.


 * b)** The angle of incidence would be 0º at point B. The angle is 0º because it is a straight line and in direct contact with the sun's rays.


 * c)** Point B receives the most solar radiation because it's angle of incidence is the smallest. It receives the most concentrated solar radiation.


 * d)** B and C have similar climates because their angle of incidence is similar. They may have different time zones but they both receive similar amounts of solar radiation. They both lie on the equator so therefore their climates are hot.

Chapter review p.460

 * 6.** Convection is the transfer of heat within a fluid and with the movement of fluids from one place to another.
 * a)** A lake fed by a stream is an example of convection. It transfers heat within the movement of a fluid.
 * b)** A concrete road heated by the sun is not an example of convection because there are no fluids involved.
 * c)** A snowball warmed in your hand is not an example of convection because heat is transferred onto a solid object.
 * d)** A rain cloud passing over a desert is an example of convection. There is movement of gas from one place to another.


 * 7.** The measure of freezing water would be 273º Kelvin


 * 8.** The air around is not pure oxygen because it 78% nitrogen


 * 9.** The layers of the atmosphere in order : Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere


 * 10.** As a substance cools and its thermal energy decreases, the kinetic energy decreases as well. The molecules move slower and have less collisons.


 * 11.** Temperature relates to thermal energy because the higher the temperature is, the more thermal energy there is.


 * 12.** As the altitude increases, the pressure decreases. The gas molecules in the air are spread farther apart and collide with nearby surfaces less often.


 * 13.** Wind in high pressure areas is created when air mass cools over and ocean or cold region. When the air mass cools down, particles loose kinetic energy (the air is denser). The air mass contracts and draws in air. The extra weight increases pressure and the air moves outward towards areas of low pressure creating winde. Wind in low pressure areas is created when air mass travels over warm land or ocean. When the air mass warms up, it expands and rises, making the layer of air thicker. The air rises and cools and air is pushed awat from expanding air mass.


 * 14.**
 * High Pressure Systems |||||| Low Pressure Systems ||
 * Happens when air mass cools over an ocean or cold region |||||| Happens when air mass travels over warm land or ocean ||
 * Wind moves clockwise around a high pressure center |||||| Wind moves counterclockwise around a low pressure center ||
 * Air is warmer, drier ; clear skies |||||| Often brings wet weather ||
 * Wind moves clockwise around a high pressure center |||||| Wind moves counterclockwise around a low pressure center ||
 * Air is warmer, drier ; clear skies |||||| Often brings wet weather ||
 * Air is warmer, drier ; clear skies |||||| Often brings wet weather ||
 * Air is warmer, drier ; clear skies |||||| Often brings wet weather ||
 * Air is warmer, drier ; clear skies |||||| Often brings wet weather ||


 * 15.** The Coriolis Effect deflects winds to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.


 * 16.** The albedo depends on the direction and the distribution of incoming radiation. Therefore, in areas where there is less solar radiation, there is less albedo that is reflected.


 * 17.** A tornado is violent, funnel-shaped column of rotating air that touches the ground. Whereas a hurricane is a large low pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain.


 * 18.a)** The cold front is moving downward from Williams lake to Vancouver.


 * b)** Fort St. John shouldnt expect any changes in weather because there is a stationary front nearby. These indicate that the air masses are remaining in the same location.


 * c)** Colville is experiencing rain.

Check Your Understanding p.537

 * 15.** Names of the Volcanoes :
 * a)** Composite Volcano
 * b)** Rift Eruption
 * c)** Shield Volcano

Understanding Key Ideas p.539

 * 12.** Continental Drift Theory later explained Sir Francis Bacon's observation


 * 13. a)** Convergent Boundary
 * b)** Divergent Boundary
 * c)** Transform Boundary


 * 14.** Volcanoes are formed when subduction occurs. Subduction does not occur in continental-continental plate convergence since the plates' similar densities prevent either one from being forced into the mantle. Also, volcanoes are not formed in transform plate boundaries because the rocks slide past each other.


 * 15.** Mountain ranges provide evidence for the continental drift theory. Wegener found that mountain ranges that began on one continent, end at a coastline, and then appear to continue on a continent across an ocean. This shows that continents were once formed.


 * 16.** If there would be no mantle convection there would be no plate movement. Scientists believe that mantle convections are one of the driving forces of plate movement. Currents in the asthenosphere move the tectonic plates above, and the continents move with them.


 * 17.** The existence of volcanoes sugests that Earth's interior is not simply a solid ball of rock. Volcanoes form over hot spots which occur where a weak part of the lithosphere allows magma to break through. This magma is released from Earth's core and this provides evidence for Earth's core composition.


 * 18.** Volcanoes are formed along or at tectonic plate boundaries because that is where subduction occurs. If a dense oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the heavy oceanic plate will dive deep under the lighter continental plate, an event known as subdution. Volcanoes are created in subduction zones.


 * 19.** In rift eruptions, curtain-like fountains of lava erupt at spreading ocean ridge or rifts in continental crusts. If a rift erruption were to happen in British Columbia it would be showered by enormous amounts of lava.


 * 20.** It is hard to study earthquakes as they occur because every earthquake involves a unique set of forces and geological structures.


 * 21. a)** Trench
 * b)** Volcanic island arch
 * c)** Litosphere
 * d)** Oceanic crust
 * e)** Asthenosphere

Check Your Understanding p.51

 * 1.** Single Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere


 * 2.** The difference between a niche and a habitat is that a niche is a special role an organism plays in an ecosystem and a habitat is the place where the organism lives.


 * 3. a)** Biome
 * b)** Ecosystem
 * c)** Habitat


 * 4.** An ecosystem has abiotic components such as oxygen, water, nutrients, light, and soil that interact with biotic components such as plants, animals, and micro-organisms.


 * 5.** Soil is important for terrestrial ecosystems because it provides nutrients for plants and supports many species of small organisms. Soil anchors plants in one place and absorbs and holds water, making it available for both plants and animals.


 * 6.** Competition occurs when organisms compete for the smae resource (such as food) in the same location at the same time.


 * 7. a)** Mutualism occurs in the relationship between moths and moth-pollinated plants. These plants often have spurs or tubes that are the exact length of a certain moth's feedubg tube.
 * b)** Predation occurs in the predator-prey relationship between the lynx and the snowshoe hare.


 * 8. a)** Mutualism
 * b)** Commensalism
 * c)** Parasitism
 * d)** Competition
 * e)** Mutualism