Mrs. Buffington

Unit 8 Review

Which point on the map above is most likely to be in the path of a hurricane?

A. PB. QC. RD. S

All hurricanes must have an energy source to form and grow. From where does this energy come?• A. High air pressures

• B. Warm ocean waters

• C. The Earth's rotation on its axis

• D. Warm air rises and pulls cooler air is pulled into it

Hurricanes and similar storm systems begin over oceans. The map below shows average surface temperatures of the oceans in the summer.

• A. Area 1

• B. Area 2

• C. Area 3

• D. Area 4

Which of the following is the source of energy that drives the water cycle?

• A. Transpiration

• B. Gravity

• C. Condensation

• D. The sun

• A. Marine

• B. Continental

• C. Subtropical

• D. Tropical

If you live far away from an ocean, which type of climate would you most likely have?

• A. Higher total precipitation

• B. Higher rates of wind erosion

• C. Higher average temperatures

• D. Higher frequency of earthquakes

The photographs show how a change in climate is affecting the size of Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park. Which of the following best explains the change in the glacier between 1910 and 1997?

• A. The water cycle constantly adds pollution to the air.

• B. During the water cycle, water evaporates leaving behind dust and other pollutants.

• C. The water cycle moves water from oceans, lakes, and seas, to land areas.

• D. Without the water cycle all living organisms would die.

Which of the following does not explain the importance of the water cycle?

• A. Low pressure I ¾ ; stormy

• B. Low pressure I ¾; clear

• C. High pressure I ¾; stormy

• D. High pressure I ¾; clear

The air mass over the northwest part of Texas is an area of ____________________; therefore, the weather associated with it is ______________________.Which words complete the sentence?

• A. southeast to northwest

• B. southwest to northeast

• C. northwest to southeast

• D. northeast to southwest

Using the graphic, identify the direction the low pressure system is moving across the state of Texas.

• A. C.

• B. D.

Which is a representation (looks like) of a weather map?

• A. A strong cold front

• B. Cold ocean water

• C. Warm ocean water

• D. A strong warm front

What is one condition that is necessary for a hurricane to form?

• A. Binoculars

• B. Microscope

• C. Mirror

• D. Hand lens

Researchers place a jar containing a mixture of sugar and water in a shady area of a lawn. They count the number of times a wasp enters the jar. Which of these is the most useful tool for observing the wasps safely?

• A. Q

• B. R

• C. P

Which point is most likely to be in the path of a hurricane?

• A. It would cause colder winters and hotter summers

• B. It would cause more heat in the winter

• C. It would cause higher amounts of rainfall each year

Oceans cover most of Earth’s surface. If oceans covered only a small area, how would this most likely affect Earth?

• A. GROUP ONE: “As a group, we think this applies more to the development of seasons. In summer, the air is warmer near the Earth’s surface which is represented by the warmer water being on the bottom of the beaker. Cooler air is found at a higher altitude which is represented by the cooler water at the top of the beaker.”

• B. GROUP TWO: “After observing the movement of the water, we think that it represents how the Sun heats the air and water molecules above oceans and land which can cause high and low pressure systems. These systems drive the weather patterns.”

• C. GROUP THREE: “We feel that this model represented the formation of ocean currents and how the currents move weather patterns across the United States.”

• D. GROUP FOUR: “Our group thinks that the model does not represent weather patterns at all because the heat source is on the bottom of the beaker, and the Sun shines from above the Earth’s surface.”

In Science class, students have been studying the effects that the Sun has on initiating weather patterns that occur on a daily basis. The teacher had set up a demonstration for the class to observe. Each group of students was asked to write a statement as to how this model reflects the application of this concept. After careful deliberation, each group came to a consensus and wrote an explanation to present to the class as a whole. Examine the model set up by the teacher. Choose the group that presented the best conclusion to the rest of the Science class.

• A. The Earth’s rotation and the Earth’s revolution

• B. Plate movements and high pressure systems

• C. Location of the oceans and locations of the mountains

• D. Uneven heating of the Earth and Coriolis effect

Which of the following cause the winds to move in the bands on the above diagram?

Hurricane Ike-The Path of Destruction

• On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike descended on the coastline near Galveston Island at approximately 2:10 AM. At the time it made landfall, it was only a Category 2 hurricane, but the devastation from the storm cost the United States an estimated $29.6 billion dollars. The hurricane affected the coastlines of the Mississippi River and the Florida Panhandle; basically, it affected all coastal areas that surrounded the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico. It was the third costliest hurricane compared to Hurricane Andrew of 1992 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005.

• Ike, like most Atlantic-regional hurricanes, originated as a severe tropical storm in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. The trade winds steer hurricanes to the west towards the Caribbean Sea and the North American coastlines. The path of a hurricane is determined by global wind patterns and high and low pressure systems. The wind speeds of a northbound hurricane increase as the strength of the Coriolis Effect increases with latitude. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters of 80 degrees or warmer. All hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise motion around an “eye” which is relatively calm. A storm surge, which is a rise in sea level above the usual tide level causing flooding when the storm comes ashore, is usually the most damaging part of a hurricane.

• Hurricane Ike’s storm surge, by the time it was making landfall, was 15 to 20 feet above the island’s seawall. Ike’s size was one characteristic that made it so devastating. By the time it headed inland, it nearly covered the state of Texas; its diameter was about 600 miles wide. As Ike made its north-eastern path across the United States, it damaged many of the buildings in Houston and other towns and cities.  Although the storm’s strength decreased in intensity, it still spawned tornadic activity which is quite common for hurricanes.

• Many people had learned a lesson from Hurricane Katrina. The oil refineries in the Gulf were shut down allowing the workers to leave before the storm made its path across the Gulf. Some people fled while others decided to “ride it out.”  This evacuation was the largest in Texas’ history. Hurricane Ike caused the death of 195 people as it made its way across the United States.

• Today, the effects of Ike are still prevalent on Galveston Island. Many types of trees, like palm trees, are still showing the effects of the sea water covering land for an extended period of time. Fresh water plants cannot tolerate marine water. Some are recovering slowly while others are dying.

• Hurricanes are one of Earth’s naturally occurring events that can affect the health and welfare of people and the biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem. They can be very dangerous, but they are also somewhat predictable.

• A. The Coriolis Effect and the trade winds steer most weather patterns from right to left in the northern hemisphere.

• B. Trade winds have a tendency to influence weather patterns to move from left to right across the northern hemisphere increasing the chances of hurricanes to form.

• C. The strength of the Coriolis Effect is much weaker in higher latitudes and the trade winds drive weather patterns to move in a north-easterly pattern.

• D. Strong ocean waves push weather patterns in a north-westerly motion across the Atlantic and produces hurricanes as they move.

Why do hurricanes in the northern hemisphere move from Africa towards North America?