The city of London in the United Kingdom is found approximately at the same latitude as the city of Calgary in Canada. Calgary has an average high temperature in December of −4.6 degrees Celsius, while London has an average high temperature of
8.6 degrees Celsius.
Which of the following statements best explains why the average temperature of London is warmer than that of Calgary in December?
Oceanic currents warm the atmosphere in London.
The solar radiation reaching London is more perpendicular than the solar radiation that reaches Calgary in December.
London is farther from the North Pole than Calgary is.
The Hadley cell converges over London and pushes warm air toward the surface.
Based on the diagram, which of the following changes are most likely to occur in the central and eastern tropical Pacific during El Niño?
The Californian current reverses direction and flows northward.
The Californian current flows southward with increased speed.
The Peruvian current strengthens, leading to cooler-than-average sea-surface temperatures.
The Peruvian current weakens, leading to warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures.
Based on the diagram, which of the following statements best explains why the climate of the West Coast of Africa is drier than that of the East Coast of the United States, even though they are located at similar northern latitudes?
The warm ocean currents off the United States flow east, making the atmospheric temperatures warmer in Africa.
Africa is closer to the equator, which makes the temperatures warmer than those of the United States.
The cold ocean currents off Africa absorb heat from land and therefore cool the atmosphere.
The cold ocean currents evaporate more easily, releasing latent heat into the atmosphere.
Most of the Earth's deserts are at approximately 30° latitude, north and south, because these latitudes are characterized by
generally warm ocean currents
predominantly low atmospheric pressure
descending dry air currents
slow-moving jet streams
enhanced solar radiation
Which of the following is a primary cause of El Niño climate variations?
Reversals of Hadley cell circulation in the Atlantic Ocean
Increased dust blowing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara desert