I85PREP
⌘ K
RBSE VU Geography study materials
RBSE VU Geography study resources

RBSE VU Geography practice questions

One question at a time. Build your RBSE VU Geography understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which layer of Earth's interior is composed mainly of solid iron and nickel and lies at the centre?

  1. The inner core Correct answer.
  2. The asthenosphere
  3. The outer core
  4. The lower mantle

Explanation

Earth's core has two parts. The inner core is solid iron-nickel because of enormous pressure, while the outer core is liquid metal that generates the magnetic field. The mantle is rocky silicate material, not metal.

Question 2Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

The Mohorovicic discontinuity marks the boundary between which two layers?

  1. Outer core and inner core
  2. Crust and mantle Correct answer.
  3. Lithosphere and asthenosphere
  4. Mantle and outer core

Explanation

The Moho is the seismic boundary where P-wave and S-wave velocities jump sharply, separating the lighter crust from the denser mantle. The mantle-core boundary is the Gutenberg discontinuity.

Question 3Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which seismic wave type cannot pass through liquids, a fact used to infer the liquid state of the outer core?

  1. P-waves
  2. Surface waves
  3. Love waves
  4. S-waves Correct answer.

Explanation

S-waves are transverse shear waves and shear cannot be transmitted through a fluid, so they do not travel through the outer core. This creates the S-wave shadow zone beyond about 103 degrees. P-waves are compressional and do pass through liquids, though refracted.

Question 4Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

According to plate tectonic theory, new oceanic lithosphere is created at which setting?

  1. Transform faults
  2. Mid-oceanic ridges Correct answer.
  3. Continental collision zones
  4. Deep-sea trenches

Explanation

At mid-oceanic ridges, upwelling asthenosphere melts and solidifies to form new basaltic sea floor that spreads laterally. Trenches are subduction zones where lithosphere is destroyed, and transform faults only slide plates past each other.

Question 5Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which of the following is the best example of a landform produced by glacial erosion?

  1. A terminal moraine
  2. A U-shaped valley Correct answer.
  3. A sand dune
  4. An alluvial fan

Explanation

Glaciers erode bedrock by abrasion and plucking, widening and deepening pre-existing valleys into a characteristic U-shaped trough. Moraines are depositional glacial features, alluvial fans are fluvial deposits and dunes are aeolian.

Question 6Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

The process by which soluble minerals are dissolved and carried away by percolating water in limestone is called:

  1. Oxidation
  2. Attrition
  3. Exfoliation
  4. Carbonation Correct answer.

Explanation

Carbonation involves rainwater charged with carbon dioxide forming weak carbonic acid that dissolves calcium carbonate in limestone, producing karst features. Oxidation attacks iron-bearing minerals, exfoliation is mechanical flaking and attrition is wearing of rock fragments.

Question 7Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which term describes the downslope movement of water-saturated soil and regolith as a viscous flow?

  1. Mudflow Correct answer.
  2. Rockfall
  3. Soil creep
  4. Slump

Explanation

A mudflow is a rapid mass movement of water-saturated fine material that behaves like a viscous fluid. Rockfall is free-fall of rock, creep is imperceptibly slow and a slump is a rotational slide of a coherent block.

Question 8Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

The gently sloping submerged margin of a continent that lies between the shoreline and the steeper continental slope is called the:

  1. Continental rise
  2. Continental shelf Correct answer.
  3. Abyssal plain
  4. Oceanic trench

Explanation

The continental shelf is the shallow, gently sloping submerged edge of a continent, typically averaging about 70 km wide. The continental rise lies at the base of the slope, abyssal plains are deep flat floors and trenches are deep subduction depressions.

Question 9Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A river flows from a steep mountain course onto a flat plain. Which feature is most likely to form at the point where the gradient suddenly decreases?

  1. A waterfall
  2. An alluvial fan Correct answer.
  3. An oxbow lake
  4. A gorge

Explanation

When a stream abruptly loses gradient, its competence falls and sediment is deposited in a fan-shaped body. Gorges and waterfalls form where gradient is steep and erosion dominates, while oxbow lakes form on low-gradient floodplains far downstream.

Question 10Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which combination of conditions most favours the development of a karst landscape?

  1. Loose sand, strong winds and sparse rainfall
  2. Basaltic lava, arid climate and gentle relief
  3. Thick soluble limestone, jointed bedrock and humid climate Correct answer.
  4. Granite bedrock, cold climate and permafrost

Explanation

Karst develops where soluble rock such as limestone is thick and well jointed, allowing water to percolate and dissolve it, and where rainfall supplies the water. Basalt and granite are insoluble, and arid or frozen climates limit percolation.

Question 11Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A P-wave travelling through the crust reaches a boundary with denser mantle rock. What happens to its velocity and path?

  1. It reverses direction and returns to the surface
  2. It stops completely at the boundary
  3. It speeds up and bends away from the boundary Correct answer.
  4. It slows down and bends toward the boundary

Explanation

Seismic velocity generally increases with rock density and rigidity, so a P-wave entering denser mantle rock accelerates. Refraction then bends the ray away from the interface, which is why seismic rays curve back toward the surface through the mantle.

Question 12Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

At a convergent boundary where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, which sequence of features is expected from the trench inland?

  1. Trench, volcanic arc, fold mountains Correct answer.
  2. Hotspot, seamount chain, atoll
  3. Mid-ocean ridge, rift valley, abyssal plain
  4. Transform fault, fault-block mountain, basin

Explanation

Subduction of dense oceanic lithosphere creates a trench, melting at depth feeds a volcanic arc, and compression thickens the continental margin into fold mountains. The other sequences describe divergent, transform or intraplate settings.

Question 13Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Why do meanders tend to migrate laterally across a floodplain over time?

  1. Vertical incision dominates over lateral movement
  2. Both banks erode at equal rates throughout the year
  3. Erosion is faster on the outer bank and deposition occurs on the inner bank Correct answer.
  4. Deposition is faster on the outer bank and erosion occurs on the inner bank

Explanation

Flow is fastest on the outer bank of a bend, so erosion undercuts it and forms a cut bank, while slower water on the inner bank deposits a point bar. This imbalance shifts the channel laterally and enlarges the meander.

Question 14Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which mass movement type is best described as an extremely slow, imperceptible downslope deformation of soil, often revealed by tilted fence posts?

  1. Soil creep Correct answer.
  2. Lahar
  3. Debris avalanche
  4. Rock slide

Explanation

Soil creep is a gradual, near-continuous movement driven by freeze-thaw, wetting-drying and gravity, producing tilted poles and terracettes. Avalanches and slides are rapid, and a lahar is a volcanic mudflow.

Question 15Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which of the following best explains the formation of a hanging valley at a glaciated coastline or mountain junction?

  1. A tributary glacier erodes less deeply than the main glacier, leaving its floor elevated Correct answer.
  2. Sea-level rise drowns a river valley
  3. A tributary glacier erodes more deeply and cuts below the main valley
  4. Wind deflation removes the valley floor

Explanation

The main glacier is thicker and erodes its trough more deeply than smaller tributary glaciers, so when the ice retreats the tributary floor is left perched above the main valley as a hanging valley. Drowning by sea-level rise creates a fjord, not a hanging valley.

Question 16Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which process is the main way that sea waves erode a rocky coastline by hurling pebbles against bedrock?

  1. Hydraulic action
  2. Corrasion Correct answer.
  3. Solution
  4. Salt weathering

Explanation

Corrasion, also called abrasion, is the mechanical grinding of bedrock by rock fragments carried by waves. Hydraulic action is the direct force of water compressing air in cracks, solution is chemical dissolution and salt weathering is a subaerial process.

Question 17Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A dune forms with a gentle windward slope and a steep leeward slip face. What does the slip face indicate about sand movement?

  1. Sand is eroded from the lee side by stronger wind
  2. Sand is deposited on the lee side as wind velocity drops after the crest Correct answer.
  3. Sand is transported by water rather than wind
  4. Sand is cemented by calcium carbonate

Explanation

Sand is carried up the windward slope and tumbles over the crest, where the wind is sheltered and slows, so grains are deposited at the angle of repose on the lee side. This builds the steep slip face and causes the dune to migrate downwind.

Question 18Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which evidence most strongly supports the theory of sea-floor spreading?

  1. Symmetrical magnetic striping on either side of mid-oceanic ridges Correct answer.
  2. Absence of earthquakes along ridges
  3. Uniform sediment thickness across all oceans
  4. Presence of continental fossils on abyssal plains

Explanation

Palaeomagnetic reversals are recorded as matching stripes of normal and reversed polarity on both sides of a ridge, showing that new crust forms at the ridge and moves outward. Sediment thickness actually increases away from ridges, and ridges are seismically active.

Question 19Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which rock type would you expect to find at the core of an eroded fold mountain belt formed from a continental collision?

  1. Fresh mid-oceanic basalt
  2. Unconsolidated river gravel
  3. Metamorphic and granitic rocks Correct answer.
  4. Coral limestone of a reef

Explanation

Continental collision compresses and thickens crust, producing regional metamorphism and granitic intrusions that are exposed when the overlying cover is eroded. Mid-ocean basalt, loose gravel and reef limestone are not deep collision-zone rocks.

Question 20Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A cliff of alternating hard and soft rock beds retreats inland. Which feature is produced where a hard band overlies softer rock?

  1. A fjord drowned by sea-level rise
  2. A tombolo linking an island to the mainland
  3. A spit built by longshore drift
  4. A wave-cut notch with an overhanging hard cap Correct answer.

Explanation

Waves undercut the softer rock beneath a resistant band, creating a notch and leaving the hard layer as an overhang that eventually collapses. Spits and tombolos are depositional features of longshore drift, and fjords are drowned glacial valleys.

Question 21Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which statement correctly distinguishes weathering from erosion?

  1. Weathering breaks rock in place, while erosion removes and transports the debris Correct answer.
  2. Weathering transports material, while erosion only breaks it in place
  3. Both terms refer only to chemical decomposition of rock
  4. Weathering occurs only at the coast, while erosion occurs only inland

Explanation

Weathering is the in-situ breakdown of rock by physical, chemical or biological processes without movement. Erosion involves detachment and transport of the weathered material by agents such as water, wind and ice. The two operate together but are distinct.

Question 22Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A seismic station records P-wave arrival at 10:00:00 and S-wave arrival at 10:00:40. Using the rule that the S-P interval in seconds multiplied by 8 gives approximate distance in kilometres, what is the distance to the epicentre?

  1. 200 km
  2. 480 km
  3. 40 km
  4. 320 km Correct answer.

Explanation

The S-P interval is 40 seconds. Applying the stated rule, 40 multiplied by 8 gives 320 km. The interval grows with distance because S-waves travel more slowly than P-waves.

Question 23Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Why does the S-wave shadow zone extend from about 103 degrees to 180 degrees from the epicentre, while the P-wave shadow zone lies between about 103 and 143 degrees?

  1. S-waves are blocked by the mantle, while P-waves are blocked by the crust
  2. S-waves are blocked by the liquid outer core, while P-waves are refracted into the inner core region beyond 143 degrees Correct answer.
  3. Both wave types are reflected by the crust at 103 degrees
  4. P-waves are shear waves that cannot cross the core

Explanation

S-waves cannot pass through the liquid outer core, so beyond about 103 degrees no direct S arrival is recorded anywhere. P-waves are refracted at the core boundary, leaving a gap between about 103 and 143 degrees, but the inner core refracts some energy back beyond 143 degrees.

Question 24Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A river long profile shows a concave-up curve. Which interpretation of this shape is most consistent with fluvial theory?

  1. Erosion dominates the lower course while deposition dominates the upper course
  2. Gradient increases steadily from source to mouth
  3. Discharge decreases downstream as tributaries are lost
  4. Steep gradients and coarse load dominate the head, while low gradients and fine suspended load dominate downstream Correct answer.

Explanation

A concave-up long profile reflects steeper gradients near the source, where coarse bedload is transported by high-energy flow, flattening downstream where fine suspended sediment settles. Discharge normally increases downstream as tributaries join.

Question 25Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which mechanism best explains why the asthenosphere behaves plastically while the overlying lithosphere is rigid, even though both are solid silicate rock?

  1. The asthenosphere is made of iron and nickel
  2. The lithosphere is hotter and therefore weaker
  3. The asthenosphere is fully molten and flows as a liquid
  4. The asthenosphere lies close to its melting point, so it deforms by slow creep under long-term stress Correct answer.

Explanation

The asthenosphere is near its solidus, so at high temperature and pressure it deforms ductilely by creep over geological time, enabling isostatic adjustment and plate motion. The lithosphere is cooler and stronger, and the layer is not fully molten nor metallic.

Question 26Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which layer of the Earth is composed mainly of solid iron and nickel and is divided into a liquid outer part and a solid inner part?

  1. Crust
  2. Mantle
  3. Core Correct answer.
  4. Lithosphere

Explanation

The core is the innermost layer of the Earth, composed primarily of iron and nickel. It is divided into a liquid outer core and a solid inner core, distinguished by their physical states despite similar compositions. The crust and mantle are silicate-rich layers, while the lithosphere is a rigid outer shell that includes the crust and uppermost mantle.

Question 27Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

A river flows from a steep mountain front onto a flat plain. Which geomorphic feature is most likely to develop at the point where the gradient suddenly decreases?

  1. Delta
  2. Levee
  3. Alluvial fan Correct answer.
  4. Oxbow lake

Explanation

When a river leaves a steep mountain front and enters a flat plain, its velocity drops abruptly, causing it to deposit sediment in a fan-shaped accumulation called an alluvial fan. Deltas form where rivers enter standing water, oxbow lakes form on floodplains from meander cutoffs, and levees are raised banks built by repeated flooding.

Question 28Physical Geography: Earth's Interior, Landforms and Geomorphic Processes

Which mechanism best explains why the asthenosphere behaves plastically while the overlying lithosphere remains rigid, even though both are composed of similar mantle rock?

  1. The lithosphere contains more water, which increases its viscosity and makes it rigid.
  2. The asthenosphere is near its melting point and deforms slowly over long time periods, whereas the lithosphere is cooler and stronger. Correct answer.
  3. The asthenosphere is under higher pressure, which lowers the melting point and allows the rock to flow.
  4. The asthenosphere is closer to the core and therefore receives more heat, which completely melts the rock.

Explanation

The asthenosphere is partially molten or near its solidus and deforms ductilely over geological time scales, allowing it to flow. The lithosphere is cooler and therefore stronger, behaving rigidly. Pressure increases with depth but does not by itself cause melting; water reduces viscosity, not increases it.

Question 29Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Which gas makes up the largest share of the dry atmosphere by volume?

  1. Carbon dioxide
  2. Oxygen
  3. Argon
  4. Nitrogen Correct answer.

Explanation

Dry air is dominated by nitrogen, which supplies roughly 78 percent of its volume, while oxygen contributes about 21 percent. Argon and carbon dioxide are only trace to minor components, so nitrogen clearly outweighs every other gas listed.

Question 30Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

In which atmospheric layer does most of the world's weather, including clouds and storms, occur?

  1. Thermosphere
  2. Mesosphere
  3. Stratosphere
  4. Troposphere Correct answer.

Explanation

The troposphere holds nearly all atmospheric water vapour and is where temperature falls with height, driving convection and cloud formation. Weather systems are therefore concentrated in this lowest layer, whose depth varies from about 8 km at the poles to 16 km at the equator.

Question 31Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What primarily causes the deflection of moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere?

  1. Pressure gradient force
  2. Friction with the ground surface
  3. The Coriolis effect Correct answer.
  4. Centrifugal force in cyclones

Explanation

The Coriolis effect arises from the Earth's rotation and deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. It acts only on moving air and increases with wind speed and with latitude.

Question 32Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What is the standard instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure?

  1. Barometer Correct answer.
  2. Thermometer
  3. Hygrometer
  4. Anemometer

Explanation

A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, traditionally as the height of a mercury column and now often with aneroid or digital sensors. Pressure readings are reported in hectopascals or millibars and are central to analysing weather systems.

Question 33Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Which type of rainfall results when moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range?

  1. Orographic rainfall Correct answer.
  2. Frontal rainfall
  3. Cyclonic rainfall
  4. Convectional rainfall

Explanation

Orographic rainfall occurs when moist air is forced upward by a topographic barrier, cooling and condensing on the windward slope. The leeward side then experiences a rain shadow with much drier conditions.

Question 34Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What is the approximate global average lapse rate of temperature in the troposphere?

  1. 0.5 degrees Celsius per kilometre
  2. 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometre Correct answer.
  3. 10 degrees Celsius per kilometre
  4. 1.5 degrees Celsius per kilometre

Explanation

Temperature in the troposphere falls at an average environmental lapse rate of about 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometre of ascent. This cooling with height explains why high mountains hold snow even at low latitudes.

Question 35Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Which term describes the boundary separating two air masses of contrasting temperature and humidity?

  1. Isobar
  2. Jet stream
  3. Isotherm
  4. Front Correct answer.

Explanation

A front is the transition zone where two air masses meet, and it is often marked by cloud and precipitation as the warmer air is lifted. Cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts and occluded fronts are the main classifications.

Question 36Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

A station reports a surface pressure of 1012 hPa. How does this compare with standard sea-level pressure of about 1013 hPa?

  1. It indicates a strong low-pressure centre
  2. It is slightly below standard pressure Correct answer.
  3. It is slightly above standard pressure
  4. It is exactly standard pressure

Explanation

Standard sea-level pressure is about 1013 hPa, so a reading of 1012 hPa is just one hectopascal lower. Such a small departure does not indicate a strong pressure system and represents near-normal conditions.

Question 37Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

A parcel of unsaturated air at 20 degrees Celsius rises 1000 metres at the dry adiabatic lapse rate of 10 degrees per kilometre. What is its approximate temperature?

  1. 30 degrees Celsius
  2. 15 degrees Celsius
  3. 10 degrees Celsius Correct answer.
  4. 20 degrees Celsius

Explanation

Unsaturated air cools at the dry adiabatic rate of about 10 degrees Celsius per kilometre of ascent. Rising one kilometre from 20 degrees therefore gives a temperature near 10 degrees Celsius, provided no condensation occurs.

Question 38Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Why do trade winds in the Northern Hemisphere blow from the northeast rather than directly from the north?

  1. They are attracted toward the magnetic pole
  2. They follow the path of the subtropical jet stream
  3. They are driven by the westerlies of the mid-latitudes
  4. They are deflected westward by the Coriolis effect as they move toward the equator Correct answer.

Explanation

Air flows from the subtropical high toward the equatorial low, moving southward in the Northern Hemisphere. The Coriolis effect turns this flow to the right, giving the northeast trade winds, while the mirror process produces southeast trades in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 39Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Which condition is required for a thunderstorm to develop?

  1. Sinking air throughout the troposphere
  2. A stable layer of air near the surface
  3. Rapid cooling of air aloft with strong vertical instability Correct answer.
  4. Persistent high pressure at the surface

Explanation

Thunderstorms need conditional instability, which occurs when rising parcels stay warmer than their surroundings, often because air aloft is cold. This instability supports strong updrafts, along with sufficient moisture and a lifting trigger.

Question 40Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What is the main reason coastal areas usually have smaller daily temperature ranges than inland areas?

  1. Water has a higher specific heat capacity than land Correct answer.
  2. Coastal areas are always under low pressure
  3. Coastal areas receive less solar radiation
  4. Sea breezes prevent any daytime heating

Explanation

Water heats and cools more slowly than land because of its higher specific heat capacity, so maritime air moderates coastal temperatures. Inland locations lack this moderating influence and therefore experience larger day-to-night swings.

Question 41Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

In a warm front, what sequence of cloud types is typically observed as the front approaches?

  1. Cirrus, then altostratus, then nimbostratus Correct answer.
  2. Stratus, then cumulus, then cirrocumulus
  3. Cumulonimbus, then cirrus, then stratus
  4. Clear sky, then fog, then cumulonimbus

Explanation

A warm front has a gentle slope, so high cirrus clouds appear first and are followed by altostratus and then nimbostratus as the front nears. Precipitation is usually steady and light to moderate rather than violent.

Question 42Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What causes the seasonal reversal of monsoon winds over South Asia?

  1. Variations in the salinity of the Indian Ocean
  2. The annual migration of the jet stream alone
  3. Changes in the Earth's axial tilt during the year
  4. The movement of the intertropical convergence zone and differential heating of land and sea Correct answer.

Explanation

Monsoon reversal is driven by differential heating between the Asian landmass and the Indian Ocean, which shifts pressure patterns and the intertropical convergence zone seasonally. In summer the moist southwest monsoon flows onshore; in winter the drier northeast monsoon reverses the flow.

Question 43Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Which process releases latent heat into the surrounding air during cloud formation?

  1. Sublimation of ice into vapour
  2. Evaporation of cloud droplets
  3. Melting of ice crystals
  4. Condensation of water vapour Correct answer.

Explanation

Condensation converts water vapour into liquid droplets and releases latent heat, warming the surrounding air. This release is an important energy source that intensifies convection in storms.

Question 44Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

How does the pressure gradient force relate to the spacing of isobars on a weather map?

  1. Closely spaced isobars indicate a strong pressure gradient Correct answer.
  2. Isobar spacing has no relation to pressure gradient
  3. Closely spaced isobars indicate a weak pressure gradient
  4. Widely spaced isobars indicate a strong pressure gradient

Explanation

Isobars join places of equal pressure, so where they are packed closely together the pressure changes rapidly over a short distance. A steep gradient produces a stronger pressure gradient force and therefore faster winds.

Question 45Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What distinguishes a hurricane from an extratropical cyclone?

  1. Hurricanes rotate anticlockwise in both hemispheres, whereas extratropical cyclones rotate clockwise
  2. Hurricanes have no eye, whereas extratropical cyclones always have a clear eye
  3. Hurricanes form only over land, whereas extratropical cyclones form only over oceans
  4. Hurricanes form over warm tropical oceans and derive energy from warm water, whereas extratropical cyclones derive energy from temperature contrasts Correct answer.

Explanation

Tropical cyclones such as hurricanes draw energy from the latent heat of warm ocean water and require sea surface temperatures above roughly 26 degrees Celsius. Extratropical cyclones instead gain energy from horizontal temperature contrasts along fronts in the mid-latitudes.

Question 46Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

What does a high value of relative humidity at a given temperature imply about the air?

  1. The air is necessarily warmer than the surrounding air
  2. The air contains no water vapour
  3. The air is holding a large proportion of the water vapour it can hold at that temperature Correct answer.
  4. The air is saturated with respect to ice

Explanation

Relative humidity compares the actual vapour content with the saturation vapour content at the same temperature, so a high value means the air is close to saturation. It does not by itself tell us how warm the air is, since warmer air can hold more vapour for a given relative humidity.

Question 47Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Why do subtropical high-pressure belts tend to be dry?

  1. They lie beneath the polar front where cold air sinks
  2. They receive intense convectional rainfall throughout the year
  3. Air descends and warms adiabatically, suppressing condensation Correct answer.
  4. Air rises rapidly and loses moisture as it cools

Explanation

Subtropical highs are regions of subsidence where descending air warms adiabatically and its relative humidity falls. This stable, sinking air inhibits cloud formation and explains the presence of many of the world's great deserts near 30 degrees latitude.

Question 48Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

A parcel of air at 25 degrees Celsius with a dew point of 15 degrees Celsius is lifted. What happens when it cools to 15 degrees Celsius?

  1. It warms again spontaneously
  2. It becomes completely dry
  3. It stops rising immediately
  4. It begins to condense and cloud forms Correct answer.

Explanation

The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated, so cooling to 15 degrees Celsius brings the parcel to saturation. Further lifting then causes condensation and cloud formation, releasing latent heat.

Question 49Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

How does the presence of a strong temperature inversion affect air quality in a valley?

  1. It disperses pollutants rapidly to high altitude
  2. It causes pollutants to condense into harmless gases
  3. It traps pollutants near the surface by preventing vertical mixing Correct answer.
  4. It has no effect on pollutant concentration

Explanation

An inversion places warmer air above cooler surface air, creating a stable layer that suppresses vertical mixing. Pollutants released in the valley are therefore trapped near the ground, often producing smog and poor air quality.

Question 50Atmosphere: Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Circulation

Which statement best explains why the equatorial region receives more solar energy per unit area than the poles?

  1. The Sun's rays strike the equator more directly, concentrating energy on a smaller surface area Correct answer.
  2. The equator rotates faster than the poles
  3. The atmosphere is thicker over the equator
  4. The equator is closer to the Sun than the poles

Explanation

Near the equator the Sun's rays arrive almost perpendicular to the surface, so a given amount of energy is spread over a smaller area. At high latitudes the same rays strike at a slant and are spread over a larger area, reducing the energy received per unit area.