What sets a region's climate

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   A student says the leeward side of a mountain range is the rainy side. Which reply fits NOAA and USGS, by Kira's reading?

   • No; the windward side gets the rain, and the leeward side is in a rain shadow
   • No; both sides get equal rain
   • Correct; leeward slopes catch the moist air
   • Correct; rain shadows are the wet side
2. 2.

   Air at 75 °F rises 5,000 feet up a windward slope at the dry rate of 5.5 °F per 1,000 feet (NWS). What temperature does it reach, by Luz's math?

   • About 69.5 °F
   • About 57.5 °F
   • About 102.5 °F
   • About 47.5 °F
3. 3.

   Sunbeams striking the equator straight on and the poles at a slant. NASA: at an equinox, 45° gets about 70% of the equator's energy and the polar circles about 40%. How many times more does 45° get than a polar circle, by Milo's math?

   • About 2.5 times
   • About 0.57 times
   • About 30 times
   • About 1.75 times
4. 4.

   USGS: windward slopes get more than 275 inches a year. If a rain-shadow island gets 25 inches (model), about what share of the windward rain is that, by Noah's math?

   • About 9%
   • About 250%
   • About 91%
   • About 11%
5. 5.

   Climate graph for two cities. Model data, 40° N: city 1 has an 8 °C range and 1,500 mm of rain; city 2, a 30 °C range and 300 mm. Which is on a windward coast, by Pia's reading?

   • City 2, with a large range and little rain
   • City 2, in a rain shadow by the sea
   • Neither, since their latitude matches
   • City 1, with a small range and heavy rain

6. Read this first

   Use this

   Four evidence cards, labeled A to D.

7. 6.

   Which evidence best shows elevation shapes a place's climate, by Ren's reading?

   • Two coastal towns at different latitudes differ
   • A windward slope gets more rain than a leeward one
   • Near the equator, a high town is much cooler than a low town nearby
   • A coastal town has milder winters than an inland one at a similar latitude
8. 7.

   Which evidence best shows the ocean evens out temperatures, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

   • Mountain peaks are cold
   • Inland towns swing less than coastal ones
   • The tropics are warm
   • Coastal towns swing less between day and night than inland towns
9. 8.

   Climate graph for two cities. Which summary of what sets a region's climate fits NASA, NWS and NOAA, by Zee's reading?

   • Distance from the Sun sets it, and elevation warms the air
   • Latitude by itself sets the climate
   • Water makes bigger swings, and mountains wet both sides
   • Latitude sets sunlight; elevation cools; water evens out swings; mountains make rain shadows
10. 9.

    Which summary of mountains and rain fits NOAA and USGS, by Ari's reading?

    • The leeward side is the wettest
    • Rising air rains on the windward side, and sinking air dries the leeward side
    • Rising air warms and dries
    • Sinking air rains on the windward side
11. 10.

    Climate graph for two cities. Which summary of climate itself fits NOAA, by Bo's reading?

    • The hottest day on record
    • The average weather of a place over about 30 years
    • This week's forecast
    • Today's weather at a single spot, measured hour by hour