Atmosphere and Oceans Circulation in the Atmosphere: Earth's tilt, orbit, rotation, and the redistribution of energy by Julia Rosen, Ph.D., Anne E. Egger, Ph.D. Reading Quiz Teach with this 1. If Earth’s pole were not tilted with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun, there would be no seasons. true false 2. Which of the following is NOT a reason why the tropics receive higher insolation than the polar regions? Radiation from the sun passes through less atmosphere in the tropics. The tropics are closer to the sun than the polar regions. Radiation from the sun is at a more direct angle in the tropics. Ice and snow in the polar regions reflect more energy than in the tropics. 3. Why did sailors like Christopher Columbus travel south from Portugal (latitude 40° N) to the Canary Islands (latitude 28° N) before heading west across the Atlantic? If he tried to go west at 40° N, he would hit the doldrums. If he tried to go west at 40° N, he would run into the easterly trade winds. By sailing south of 30° N, he would catch the easterly trade winds. By sailing south of 30° N, he would catch the westerlies. 4. In the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which of the following processes happens? Warm, wet air rises Cold, dry air sinks Strong trade winds blow Strong westerlies blow 5. Earth’s biggest deserts occur where: Warm air rises to the tropopause Cold air descends from the tropopause There is very little wind (the doldrums) The polar cell meets the Ferrel cell 6. The main factors that produce large-scale circulation in Earth’s atmosphere are: Earth’s rotation and the Coriolis effect Earth’s rotation and the tropopause Earth’s rotation and uneven heating from the sun The tropopause and uneven heating from the sun 7. In the white box in the image of Earth, which direction would you expect the dominant winds to be blowing? Out of the south, perpendicular to the equator Out of the east, parallel to the equator Out of the northwest, moving away from the equator Out of the southeast, moving toward the equator 8. At which of the following latitudes would you expect a sailing journey from west to east across the Atlantic Ocean to be the fastest? 0° (at the Equator) 15° N 30° N 45° N 9. Which of the atmospheric circulation cells affects climate on the continents and oceans between 30° S and 30° N? The Hadley cell The Ferrel cell The polar cell The ITCZ Score Quiz
