PCB 3044
PCB 3044 EXAM 1 Questions and
Answers 2026
Case study: Salmon Abundance
Salmon stocks in the Pacific north west are declining despite efforts to restore
spawning habitat. Research led to the discovery of the Pacific Decadal
Oscillation
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
20-30 year cycles of warm and cool temperatures in the North Pacific
Climate is...
The most fundamental component of the physical environment
Weather
Current conditions- temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover
Climate
Long term description of weather, based on averages and variation measured
over decades (includes cycles and long term trends)
Global climate system
Driven by energy which is derived from solar radiation
Incoming radiation
-1/3 reflected back by clouds and aerosols
-1/5 absorbed by ozone, clouds and vapor
-49% absorbed by earth
Outgoing energy
-sensible heat
-latent heat
-long-wave (infrared) radiation
-emitted by surface
-re-radiated back to earth by greenhouse gases
PCB 3044
,PCB 3044
Greenhouse effect
A natural process existing since the beginning of time (without it earths
temperature would be about 33 degrees Celsius cooler) many gases emitted by
humans
Earths energy balance
Solar radiation most intense at equator
Energy is spread pole-ward by winds and ocean currents
Atmospheric radiation
-caused by differential heating of Earths surface
-determines major climate zones
Low pressure
Warm rising air; condenses to form precipitation
-0• (tropical rainforests)
-60• (temperate forests)
High pressure
Dry, cool, falling air
-30• (deserts)
-90• (tundra)
Global wind patterns
Winds flow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
Prevailing winds
Consistent patterns of air movements
Coriolis Effect
Winds appear to be deflected due to the rotation of the Earth
Heat capacity
Unit of heat required to increase the temp of a substance by one degree
Oceanic circulation
Driven by surface winds but modified by the presence of land masses (speed of
the ocean currents is about 2-3% of the wind speed)
PCB 3044
, PCB 3044
Downwelling
Colder, saltier, (denser) water sinks
Upwelling
Prevailing winds pull water away from coastline
-brings nutrients that settled in deep waters back to the photic zone
-areas of high primary production which cascades through the food chain
Ocean circulation: deep
Not wind driven but density driven
Highly stratified, little vertical motion (fueled by sinking water masses)
Lapse rate
Decrease in temperature with increasing height above the surface
Why does it get colder as you move up a mountain?
Pressure in the atmosphere decreases with increasing elevation, which
decreases the heat capacity of the air
Highlands exchange air move effectively with cooler air in the surrounding
atmosphere
Global precipitation patterns
Associated with atmospheric circulation but modified by mountain ranges and
semipermanent high- and low- pressure zones
Continental climate
Terrestrial areas in the middle of large continental land masses have greater
variation in daily and seasonal temperatures
Albedo
Amount of solar radiation a surface reflects; light-colored surfaces have highest
Evapotranspiration
Water loss through transpiration by plants, plus evaporation from the soil
Texture
Smooth surface allows for less transfer of energy to the atmosphere by wind
than a rough surface
PCB 3044
PCB 3044 EXAM 1 Questions and
Answers 2026
Case study: Salmon Abundance
Salmon stocks in the Pacific north west are declining despite efforts to restore
spawning habitat. Research led to the discovery of the Pacific Decadal
Oscillation
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
20-30 year cycles of warm and cool temperatures in the North Pacific
Climate is...
The most fundamental component of the physical environment
Weather
Current conditions- temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover
Climate
Long term description of weather, based on averages and variation measured
over decades (includes cycles and long term trends)
Global climate system
Driven by energy which is derived from solar radiation
Incoming radiation
-1/3 reflected back by clouds and aerosols
-1/5 absorbed by ozone, clouds and vapor
-49% absorbed by earth
Outgoing energy
-sensible heat
-latent heat
-long-wave (infrared) radiation
-emitted by surface
-re-radiated back to earth by greenhouse gases
PCB 3044
,PCB 3044
Greenhouse effect
A natural process existing since the beginning of time (without it earths
temperature would be about 33 degrees Celsius cooler) many gases emitted by
humans
Earths energy balance
Solar radiation most intense at equator
Energy is spread pole-ward by winds and ocean currents
Atmospheric radiation
-caused by differential heating of Earths surface
-determines major climate zones
Low pressure
Warm rising air; condenses to form precipitation
-0• (tropical rainforests)
-60• (temperate forests)
High pressure
Dry, cool, falling air
-30• (deserts)
-90• (tundra)
Global wind patterns
Winds flow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
Prevailing winds
Consistent patterns of air movements
Coriolis Effect
Winds appear to be deflected due to the rotation of the Earth
Heat capacity
Unit of heat required to increase the temp of a substance by one degree
Oceanic circulation
Driven by surface winds but modified by the presence of land masses (speed of
the ocean currents is about 2-3% of the wind speed)
PCB 3044
, PCB 3044
Downwelling
Colder, saltier, (denser) water sinks
Upwelling
Prevailing winds pull water away from coastline
-brings nutrients that settled in deep waters back to the photic zone
-areas of high primary production which cascades through the food chain
Ocean circulation: deep
Not wind driven but density driven
Highly stratified, little vertical motion (fueled by sinking water masses)
Lapse rate
Decrease in temperature with increasing height above the surface
Why does it get colder as you move up a mountain?
Pressure in the atmosphere decreases with increasing elevation, which
decreases the heat capacity of the air
Highlands exchange air move effectively with cooler air in the surrounding
atmosphere
Global precipitation patterns
Associated with atmospheric circulation but modified by mountain ranges and
semipermanent high- and low- pressure zones
Continental climate
Terrestrial areas in the middle of large continental land masses have greater
variation in daily and seasonal temperatures
Albedo
Amount of solar radiation a surface reflects; light-colored surfaces have highest
Evapotranspiration
Water loss through transpiration by plants, plus evaporation from the soil
Texture
Smooth surface allows for less transfer of energy to the atmosphere by wind
than a rough surface
PCB 3044
