Climate & Weather Quiz

1. What is the difference between 'weather' and 'climate'?

1. Climate changes daily; weather doesn't
2. They mean the same thing
3. Weather is global; climate is local
4. Weather is short-term atmospheric conditions; climate is long-term patterns over decades

2. Which climate zone is found near the equator, characterised by high temperatures and heavy rainfall year-round?

1. Desert
2. Mediterranean
3. Savanna
4. Tropical rainforest

3. What is the 'greenhouse effect'?

1. A type of weather pattern caused by urban areas
2. The reflection of sunlight by clouds
3. The trapping of heat in the atmosphere by gases like CO₂ and water vapour
4. The warming effect of greenhouses on local plants

4. What is a 'monsoon'?

1. A seasonal reversal of wind direction bringing distinct wet and dry seasons
2. A type of ocean current
3. A violent tropical storm
4. An extreme drought following heavy rain

5. What is the Coriolis effect?

1. The bending of ocean currents around continents
2. The cooling of air as it rises in the atmosphere
3. The deflection of moving objects (including wind and water) due to Earth's rotation
4. The warming of equatorial regions by the Sun

6. What wind scale is used to measure wind speed?

1. The Beaufort Scale
2. The Fujita Scale
3. The Richter Scale
4. The Saffir-Simpson Scale

7. What is the driest place on Earth?

1. Death Valley, USA
2. The Arabian Desert
3. The Atacama Desert, Chile
4. The Sahara Desert

8. What is El Niño?

1. A periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific that disrupts global weather patterns
2. A permanent ocean current
3. A seasonal monsoon over the Pacific
4. A type of tropical storm

9. Hurricanes are called different names depending on where they occur. What are they called in the Western Pacific?

1. Cyclones
2. Tornadoes
3. Typhoons
4. Willy-willies

10. What is the 'ozone layer' and why is it important?

1. A layer of atmospheric ozone that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun
2. A layer of cloud that reflects heat back to Earth
3. A layer of gases that create the greenhouse effect
4. The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere

11. Which region of the world has a 'Mediterranean climate' characterised by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters?

1. Mediterranean coast, California, Chile, SW Australia, South Africa
2. Southern England and northern France
3. The Amazon Basin
4. The Sahel region of Africa

12. What causes the seasons on Earth?

1. Changes in the Sun's brightness
2. Earth's axial tilt of 23.5° as it orbits the Sun
3. Earth's distance from the Sun varying throughout the year
4. The Moon's gravitational influence

13. What is the 'rain shadow' effect?

1. Rain occurring in the shadow of clouds
2. Reduced sunlight causing less evaporation and rainfall
3. The cooling effect of rain on hot deserts
4. The dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range where rainfall is reduced

14. What is 'permafrost'?

1. Frozen precipitation that never melts
2. Ground that remains at or below 0°C for two or more consecutive years
3. Ice caps at the poles
4. Permanently frozen Arctic ocean

15. The Sahara Desert is the world's largest hot desert. Approximately how large is it?

1. About 15 million km²
2. About 5 million km²
3. About 9 million km² — slightly larger than the USA
4. About the size of the USA

16. What is a 'tornado'?

1. A large rotating tropical storm over warm ocean water
2. A strong, sustained wind along a coast
3. A sudden flash flood in a desert
4. A violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground

17. Which gas is primarily responsible for man-made climate change?

1. Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
2. Nitrogen
3. Oxygen
4. Ozone

18. What is 'acid rain'?

1. Rain that corrodes limestone and marble only
2. Rain that is toxic due to industrial chemicals
3. Rain with a pH below 7, caused by dissolved CO₂
4. Unusually acidic rainfall caused by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels

19. What is the jet stream?

1. A column of superheated air from a volcano
2. A fast-flowing narrow band of air in the upper atmosphere
3. A fast-moving narrow ocean current in the tropics
4. The path of a rocket from Earth to space

20. Global average temperatures have risen by approximately how much since the late 19th century?

1. 0.2°C
2. 0.5°C
3. 1.1-1.2°C
4. 2.5°C