FINAL Winter 2020, questions and answers PDF

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Wilfrid Laurier University Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Geography 101 OC1

Take Home Final Examination Fall 2020

Instructions: There are three sections in the examination. In Section One, there are 40 multiple choice questions. There is one correct answer per question. When you have decided on your responses for each question, go to MyLS, Quizzes, locate the quiz named Final Exam Multiple Choice. Start that quiz and enter your responses to each multiple choice question and submit your quiz. Note, you cannot save the quiz attempt and return to it at another time. After you complete the quiz, if you want to make a change before the exam deadline, you will need to complete a full second quiz attempt and enter your answers for all the questions. Section Two has short answer questions, select three (3) of the five questions to answer. Section Three has applied and assignment questions, answer all questions in this section. Your answers for Sections Two and Three must be typed into an answer document, follow the guidelines set out below: a) Create your answer document in a word processing program, such as Word or Pages. In this answer document, record the question number for each of your answers and write your answers in sentence format. Point form answers will not be marked. b) In some questions you will need to show your work, such as calculations. If you prefer, you can print your calculations on a clean sheet of paper, scan or take a photo of the paper and insert that into answer document. c) You may incorporate sketches or screen shots in your answers to some of the questions in Sections Two and Three. d) Save your answer document as a pdf file. The document that you submit to the dropbox must be a pdf file. Name your answer document in the following format: “Last name_First name_GG101OC1_Final_Exam.pdf” For example: McLeod_Katherine_GG101OC1_Final_Exam.pdf e) Submit your answer file in pdf format to the Dropbox called Final Exam Written Answers before the deadline of Sunday December 20th at midnight. Page 1

Section One: Multiple Choice Questions

(40 marks)

Answer all questions, there is one correct answer per question. 1. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at some point in time and the weather elements include: a) mean annual temperature and total annual precipitation b) wind speed, wind direction and dew point temperature c) coriolis force and pressure gradient force d) potential and actual evapotranspiration 2. In areas that have a Tropical Climate: a) b) c) d)

continental air masses dominate. day lengths are relatively consistent throughout the course of the year. mean annual temperatures are less than those that have a Mesothermal Climate. incoming solar radiation varies greatly between summer and winter seasons.

3. Microthermal Climates: a) b) c) d)

have cold snowy winters and mild summers. have mean monthly temperatures that do not exceed 10 oC. are found predominately in the Southern Hemisphere. experience very little variation in the amount of insolation received during the year.

4. The subtropics tend to receive low amounts of precipitation because: a) b) c) d)

there is a predominance of maritime air masses. air pressures tend to be low. air pressures tend to be high. there are very low amounts of incoming solar radiation.

5. Consider two locations at the same latitude in North America, one location is on the coast, one is in the continental interior. During the winter, the coastal location will be ____________ than the location in the interior of the continent, while in the summer, the coastal location will be ______________ than the continental interior location. a) b) c) d)

warmer; warmer warmer; cooler cooler; warmer cooler; cooler

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6. The dominant control on the mean annual temperature of a location is _______________, while the dominant control on the temperature range is _______________. a) b) c) d)

latitude; continentality latitude; elevation continentality; elevation latitude; ocean currents

7. Which one of the following is not a source of paleoclimatic information that can be used to reconstruct past climate over the timespan of centuries? a) b) c) d)

tree rings seismic records pollen records speleothems

8. The change in sea ice that results from ongoing climate change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries include: a) b) c) d)

more extensive sea ice coverage in polar locations, especially in the Antarctic Ocean increasing sea ice thickness a decrease in both the summer sea ice minimum and in the winter sea ice maximum an increase in multiyear sea ice as a result of decreasing seasonal ice

9. Since the late 1950’s, the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the troposphere have changed from 315 ppm to ___________ in 2019 and are predicted to reach ___________ by 2040. a) b) c) d)

over 500 ppm; 650 ppm under 250 ppm; 410 ppm under 290 ppm; 315 ppm over 410 ppm; 450 ppm

10. Which one of the following is not a greenhouse gas? a) b) c) d)

fluorinated gases (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons) methane water vapour argon

11. In the hydrological cycle, precipitation represents a) b) c) d)

a process by which water is moved from the atmospheric to ocean and land surfaces a store of water in the atmosphere a loss of water from the cycle that takes thousands of years to replenish a gain of water to the cycle Page 3

12. The largest store of freshwater in the hydrological cycle is: a) b) c) d)

groundwater surface lakes and streams soil moisture glacial ice

13. The proportion of a volume of soil (or a sediment or bedrock) that is open space is called: a) b) c) d)

permeability effective porosity porosity field capacity

14. Consider three soils with the following properties: Soil A consists mainly of sand and is well sorted, Soil B consists of a poorly sorted mixture of sand, silt and clay, Soil C has an unsorted mixture of silts and clays. Which soil has the highest permeability? a) Soil A b) Soil B c) Soil C 15. A well drilled into which one of the following would yield economic quantities of fresh groundwater? a) b) c) d)

an aquiclude an aquifer an unsaturated zone an impermeable layer

16. A soil is saturated by a rain event and then it is allowed to drain freely. The water that is retained in the soil and is considered available to plants is called: a) b) c) d)

adsorbed water hygroscopic water capillary water gravitational water

17. At which one of the following locations is the summer soil moisture deficit the largest? a) Phoenix, Arizona b) Hamilton, Ontario c) Vancouver, B.C.

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18. Fine textured, clay dominated soils do not make ideal soils for agriculture as they have a low amount of available water for plant use. The low amount of available water for plants is due to these soils having: a) a low field capacity as the sediments are tightly packed with little pore space. b) a low wilting point with a high amount of gravitational water. c) a high field capacity with a high amount of hygroscopic water and a high wilting point. d) a high field capacity with a high amount of capillary water and a low wilting point. 19. A mid latitude location experiences a precipitation event during the late winter when the ground is frozen. As a result this location experiences: a) b) c) d)

Hortonian overland flow Saturated interflow Percolation to the water table Infiltration and interflow

20. In which one of the following watersheds (basins) would a stream respond slowly to a precipitation event? a) b) c) d)

a small, circular watershed a watershed in a mountainous location a watershed with a high urban land cover a watershed with a high forested land cover

21 Which one of the following sequences is arranged in the correct order to represent the most rapid to the least rapid routes for water to enter a stream channel? a) b) c) d)

direct channel precipitation > overland flow > interflow (throughflow) > baseflow overland flow > baseflow > interflow (throughflow) > direct channel precipitation interflow (throughflow) > direct channel precipitation > overland flow > baseflow baseflow > interflow (throughflow) > direct channel precipitation > overland flow

22. Which one of the following statements concerning weathering is correct? a) Physical weathering will slow the rate of chemical weathering by producing smaller rock pieces with more surface area. b) Several chemical weathering reactions can occur at the same time. c) Materials that are produced by chemical weathering are more unstable than the original substances and therefore will continue to weather. d) Chemical reactions are more effective at higher pH and lower temperatures.

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23. A location experiences the slow downslope movement of surficial materials caused in part by alternating cycles of expansion and contraction. This mass movement is called: a) b) c) d)

slump mudflow slide soil creep

24. Hydration involves: a) b) c) d)

a chemical change in minerals water chemically combining with a mineral to produce a new mineral compound water being added to a mineral leading to swelling and stress in the material the movement of large particles along a stream bed

25. A location experiences a mass movement event in which there is a sudden rapid forward rotation of a cohesive block of rock due to a failure along well developed joints. This mass movement event is called: a) b) c) d)

debris avalanche rockflow saltation topple

26. A drainage divide is: a) b) c) d)

the point at which a river splits into two branches. the high elevation area that separates adjacent watersheds (drainage basins) the lowland area that acts as a recharge zone for a watershed basin. is synonymous with the term watershed.

27. Stream drainage patterns are largely controlled by: a) b) c) d)

slope geological structure surficial materials climate

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28. A stream experiences a precipitation event. The water volume in the stream channel slowly increases, as does the flow velocity. The stream is able to entrain and transport more sediments both in suspended load and in bedload. With time, as the stream velocity and carrying capacity begin to decrease, and deposition begins to occur. Which one of the following sediments would be deposited first? a) b) c) d)

gravel sand silt clay

29. If a stream channel has just the gradient (slope) and discharge to be able to transport the sediment load supplied to it, the stream is said to be: a) b) c) d)

fit competent quasi-stationary graded

30. Which one of the following glaciers has a dome shape in cross-section and is greater than 50,000 km2? a) b) c) d)

ice cap ice sheet icefield valley glacier

31. A glacier is divided into zones based on its mass balance. One zone of a glacier shows a positive mass balance, it is covered with snow and firn at the end of a melt season, and increases in size when a glacier is expanding. This part of the glacier is called the: a) b) c) d)

ablation zone equilibrium or firn zone accumulation zone flow zone

32. Which one of the following statements regarding a cold based or polar glacier is correct? a) There is a film of water at the base of the glacier reflecting pressure melting. b) A cold based glacier is frozen to its bed and moves by creep alone. c) The rate of movement in a cold based glacier is higher than that for a warm based glacier. d) Abrasion commonly occurs from cold based glaciers due to the high rates of movement by sliding.

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33. A mountainous terrain undergoes several cycles of glaciation. As a result, there are many changes to the landscape. In cross-section, the original valleys are changed from V-shaped profiles to broad, deeply incised U-shaped profiles. These valleys are called: a) b) c) d)

spurs horns cirques glacial troughs

34. In the mass balance of a glacier, the inputs to the mass of the glacier include: a) b) c) d)

sublimation precipitation melting snow and ice evaporation

35. Which one of the following statements about glaciers is correct? a) When advancing or retreating, glacial ice moves from the accumulation zone to the ablation zone. b) The creep rate of ice is slower when the ice is “warm”. c) The ablation zone is characterized by a positive mass balance. d) In mountainous areas of the mid and high latitudes, most alpine glaciers have had a positive mass balance in recent decades. 36. A ridge-like landform that is composed of an unsorted mixture of fine and coarse materials, with a low permeability, and deposited at the snout (end) of a glacier is called: a) b) c) d)

a ground moraine an arête a drumlin an end moraine

37. Beneath a warm based glacier, the basal ice encounters a bedrock protrusion. Pressure melting of basal ice occurs and the meltwater moves downslope around the bedrock protrusion. On the leeside of the protruding bedrock, the meltwater refreezes. Some of the rock material becomes frozen to the glacial ice and is removed, leaving a hole in the bedrock. This is an example of: a) b) c) d)

regelation and plucking sliding and abrasion sliding and traction regelation and creep

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38. From long cores drilled into the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets, it is possible to determine the temperature record and the pattern of glaciation for the last several hundred thousand years. Over the last 650,000 years: a) colder than average temperatures created one extended glacial period that lasted the entire period of record, know as the Pleistocene Ice Age. b) temperatures varied from high levels to below average levels in approximately a 100,000 year cycle, creating glacial advances and retreats. c) temperatures increased during periods of extensive glaciation (glacial cycle). d) temperatures stayed constant until the last 200 years. 39. At the timescale of decades to centuries, the most important influences on the changes to Earth’s climate are variables that influence the radiation balance. These variables include: a) b) c) d)

changes in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun (eccentricity, axial tilt, and precession). tectonic changes that moved continents into polar regions. tectonic changes that caused mountain building. changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases, cloud cover, albedo, and solar output.

40. At the timescale of tens of thousands of years, continental scale glacial advances and retreats during the Pleistocene have been attributed to: a) volcanic eruptions. b) tectonic changes resulting in changes in ocean circulation. c) cyclic variations in Earth’s orbit around the Sun (eccentricity, axial tilt, and precession). d) continental drift.

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Section Two: Short Answer Questions

(15 marks)

Respond to Three (3) of the following five questions, present your responses in your answer document. 2.1 Consider the global distribution of net radiation (see Figure 2.10 GC shown below). Define net radiation, describe the global distribution of net radiation, and describe the variables that control the distribution of net radiation.

Figure 2.10 (GC). Daily net radiation patterns at the top of the atmosphere. Units are in W/m2.

2.2 Describe the evidence that demonstrates that global average surface temperatures have increased in recent decades. Given the observed historical record, and the most probable projected changes, approximately how much warmer will the global surface be at the end of the 21st century, relative to the end of the 20th century? How will that warming be geographically distributed? 2.3 Consider a stream system in the mid latitudes. There is a rain event onto the watershed area that is drained by that stream system. There are multiple routes that water can take to enter the stream network. Identify, describe, and contrast these key hydrological pathways.

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2.4 Compare and contrast meandering and braided streams. Specifically comment on: (i) the channel shape, (ii) the channel pattern, (iii) the types of sediments that are associated with each, including the sediment load, (iv) the channel gradients, (v) the flow characteristics, and (vi) the typical environments in which we find each of these stream types. 2.5 The diagram below shows the distribution of precipitation across much of North America. There is a wet belt that extends along the coast of Alaska, southward through the coastal regions of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon (enclosed by the red ellipse). In contrast, the interiors of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon receive much less precipitation. Figure 8.7 GC (in the text Geosystems) shows annual precipitation for British Columbia in more detail. Describe why the interior of British Columbia is so dry relative to the coastal region of British Columbia. In your answer you should consider all of the variables that control or influence regional climate with a focus on precipitation.

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Section Three: Assignment and Applied Questions

(25 marks)

Answer all of the following questions, present your responses in your answer document. Topographic Map, Imagery, Fluvial Geomorphology Questions On the following page, there is a portion of the Glenboro, Manitoba NTS map sheet. In this document, the map is presented as a geopdf file. Use the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC program to view this document, just as was done during Assignment 1. In the Adobe program the Measurement Tool may be used to measure the distance between two points (as was done in Assignment 1). If the file is in a geopdf format when the measurement tool is used, the distance that is given is the ground distance. If the file is not a geopdf, the distance that is given is a map distance. On the geopdf map below, there are a series of markers shown as red circles with an uppercase letter labelling each of them. You will be measuring a ground distance between two of these markers. To ensure that you can measure a line on an angle between two points, go to Edit, Preferences, under Measuring (2D), make sure that “Use Orthogonal Lines” is turned off (no checkmark in the box). For reference, a copy of the full 1:50,000 scale Glenboro, Manitoba map sheet as a pdf file is in the Assignment 6 folder. Information on the contour interval and symbols used on the map are available on the full map sheet in the Assignment 6 folder.

3.1 Using the geopdf map on the following page, determine the elevations in metres at Location A and Location B, and the elevation difference between them. (1.5 marks) Write your responses as: Elevation at Location A is: Elevation at Location B is: Elevation Difference between A and B is:

3.2 Using the geopdf map on the following page, measure the ground distance between Location A and Location B in metres. (1 mark) Write your response as: Ground Distance from A to B is:

3.3 Calculate the elevation gradient between Location A and Location B in m/km. Show your work, with your calculation steps and your final answer clearly stated. (1.5 marks) Page 12

The map below shows a portion of the Glenboro, Manitoba NTS map sheet.

E C

D

B

F

A

3.4 The map distance between Location C and Location D is 5.0 cm. Using the geopdf map on the previous page, measure the ground distance between those two locations and calculate the scale of this geopdf map. Show all your work, and clearly state your final answer. (2 marks) 3.5 Locate the red markers ...