Page | 1
GPH 213 EXAM 2 Questions and Answers
(Expert Solutions)
Q: Which of the Sky View Factors (SVFs), all else being equal, would be expected to trap
(near the surface) the largest amount of long wave radiation emitted by the surface?
ANS 🗹🗹: The smallest percentage.
Q: What is the approximate wavelength of the sun's maximum radiative emission?
ANS 🗹🗹: 0.5 microns
Q: The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is:
ANS 🗹🗹: The climatological library and research center for the U.S.
Q: [T or F] Urban areas typically have a greater fraction of impermeable than permeable
surfaces.
ANS 🗹🗹: True
Q: [T or F] Currently, although several cities have plans to deploy them, there are no
green roofs across major metro/megapolitan areas in the United States.
ANS 🗹🗹: False
Q: The principal idea behind usage of cool roofs is:
ANS 🗹🗹: To reflect a greater fraction of incoming sunlight and lower urban
temperatures.
Q: As far as cool and green roofs are concerned the scientific community
____________________:
ANS 🗹🗹: Touts benefits of various approaches but concludes that disagreement
about what is best continues.
Q: The Sky View Factor can be described as a _____________________.
, Page | 2
ANS 🗹🗹: Dimensionless parameter representing the fraction of visible sky at a
reference location relative to one with no obstructions.
Q: The surface energy budgets of urban areas will differ relative to rural/undeveloped
surroundings because of differences in __________________ and __________________.
ANS 🗹🗹: Land cover and surface characteristics; level of human activity.
Q: [T or F] Evaluating the impact of anthropogenic climate change by focusing
exclusively on emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases is the most precise method
scientists can utilize to ascertain the total impact of humans on the climate system.
ANS 🗹🗹: False
Q: The surface energy balance equation S↓(1-α) + L↓ - L↑ + SH + LH + G = 0 has several
components. What does "S↓" refer to?
ANS 🗹🗹: Downwelling shortwave radiation
Q: The type of illustration, depicting time-varying monthly averaged temperature and
precipitation data, is referred to as a:
ANS 🗹🗹: Climograph
Q: The letter designation that best characterizes the climate, according to the Koeppen
classification system, for Singapore, is:
ANS 🗹🗹: A
Q: Note that it is midday under cloudless and calm (i.e., not windy) conditions. Tall SH
arrow pointing up a shorter LH arrow pointing up & a small G arrow pointing down. The
individual terms (SH, LH, and G) refer to:
ANS 🗹🗹: Sensible Heat, Latent Heat, Ground Heat
Q: Note that it is midday under cloudless and calm (i.e., not windy) conditions. Tall SH
arrow pointing up a shorter LH arrow pointing up & a small G arrow pointing down. If I
dumped a bucket of water on to this surface, what changes would most likely occur.
ANS 🗹🗹: The arrow for LH gets bigger.
Q: Which form of energy transfer does not require a physical medium?
GPH 213 EXAM 2 Questions and Answers
(Expert Solutions)
Q: Which of the Sky View Factors (SVFs), all else being equal, would be expected to trap
(near the surface) the largest amount of long wave radiation emitted by the surface?
ANS 🗹🗹: The smallest percentage.
Q: What is the approximate wavelength of the sun's maximum radiative emission?
ANS 🗹🗹: 0.5 microns
Q: The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is:
ANS 🗹🗹: The climatological library and research center for the U.S.
Q: [T or F] Urban areas typically have a greater fraction of impermeable than permeable
surfaces.
ANS 🗹🗹: True
Q: [T or F] Currently, although several cities have plans to deploy them, there are no
green roofs across major metro/megapolitan areas in the United States.
ANS 🗹🗹: False
Q: The principal idea behind usage of cool roofs is:
ANS 🗹🗹: To reflect a greater fraction of incoming sunlight and lower urban
temperatures.
Q: As far as cool and green roofs are concerned the scientific community
____________________:
ANS 🗹🗹: Touts benefits of various approaches but concludes that disagreement
about what is best continues.
Q: The Sky View Factor can be described as a _____________________.
, Page | 2
ANS 🗹🗹: Dimensionless parameter representing the fraction of visible sky at a
reference location relative to one with no obstructions.
Q: The surface energy budgets of urban areas will differ relative to rural/undeveloped
surroundings because of differences in __________________ and __________________.
ANS 🗹🗹: Land cover and surface characteristics; level of human activity.
Q: [T or F] Evaluating the impact of anthropogenic climate change by focusing
exclusively on emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases is the most precise method
scientists can utilize to ascertain the total impact of humans on the climate system.
ANS 🗹🗹: False
Q: The surface energy balance equation S↓(1-α) + L↓ - L↑ + SH + LH + G = 0 has several
components. What does "S↓" refer to?
ANS 🗹🗹: Downwelling shortwave radiation
Q: The type of illustration, depicting time-varying monthly averaged temperature and
precipitation data, is referred to as a:
ANS 🗹🗹: Climograph
Q: The letter designation that best characterizes the climate, according to the Koeppen
classification system, for Singapore, is:
ANS 🗹🗹: A
Q: Note that it is midday under cloudless and calm (i.e., not windy) conditions. Tall SH
arrow pointing up a shorter LH arrow pointing up & a small G arrow pointing down. The
individual terms (SH, LH, and G) refer to:
ANS 🗹🗹: Sensible Heat, Latent Heat, Ground Heat
Q: Note that it is midday under cloudless and calm (i.e., not windy) conditions. Tall SH
arrow pointing up a shorter LH arrow pointing up & a small G arrow pointing down. If I
dumped a bucket of water on to this surface, what changes would most likely occur.
ANS 🗹🗹: The arrow for LH gets bigger.
Q: Which form of energy transfer does not require a physical medium?
