Problem: Alpine lake had low water levels this spring although the lake is usually at full level by late spring. Last year was a very wet year with lots of precipitation. Rangers were planning on letting water out of the lake in the fall so that ice will not damage docks and other structures around the lake. The water levels were high enough in the fall so they proceeded in lowering the water level by 10 feet.. Which season were the lake water levels higher this spring or last spring? Hint: The water level is seasonal, being lowered by about 10 feet (3.0 m) over the winter. The reservoir fills in the spring from snow melt and underground springs. The lake is usually at full level by late spring, but in the occasional years of low snow melt and low rainfall, it may remain up to several feet below its typical level. Water is let out of the lake in the fall so that ice will not damage docks and other structures around the lake. This also leads to excellent water quality, as a significant portion of the water is replaced every year.

A: last spring

Problem: While out camping, Susie and Bob both make their own campfires to cook food on and keep warm. Susie puts a pot of water on her fire to use for coffee, and Bob puts his own pot of water on top of his fire. Suddenly, an odd man comes up and asks if he can measure their water pots for his scientific research. Hesitantly, Susie and Bob both agree, but feel odd about the situation. The man tells them that Susie's water molecules are moving very fast and Bob's aren't moving much. The man then sprints away. Bob and Susie look at each other with confused expressions. Whose pot of water is warmer? Hint: We discussed earlier some basic principles about the behavior of gases called the kinetic-molecular theory. Among other things, this theory suggests that gas molecules are in constant motion, and the average speed of the individual gas particles is dependent upon temperature the higher the temperature, the faster the molecules move. It is not just gas particles that are in constant motion. The molecules and ions that make up liquids and solutions are also continually moving in nearly random directions. As a result, molecules and ions in a solution will collide with one another fairly frequently. As with gases, a temperature increase will produce an increase in the average particle speed.

A: Susie's

Problem: Two friends ate lots of deviled eggs for Easter this year. Danny felt sick and went to the doctor where he found out he had been infected with hepatitis B. Paul was ok and didn't require medical attention. Which friend caught a disease of the liver? Hint: Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver. It is caused by a virus called hepatitis B, which can be passed through sexual activity. Hepatitis B causes vomiting. It also causes yellowing of the skin and eyes. The disease goes away on its own in some people. Other people are sick for the rest of their lives. In these people, the virus usually damages the liver. It may also lead to liver cancer. Medicines can help prevent liver damage in these people. There is also a vaccine to protect against hepatitis B.

A: Danny

Problem: Dee and Ann were two cousins. Ann lived in a mountain village at 8000 ft altitude, while Dee lived in a coastal town at sea level. Which cousin experienced warmer weather? Hint: Because the Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane, sunlight is incident at different angles at different times of the year. In June the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, so at any given Northern Hemisphere latitude sunlight falls more directly on that spot than in December (see Effect of sun angle on climate). This effect causes seasons. Over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, changes in Earth's orbital parameters affect the amount and distribution of solar energy received by the Earth and influence long-term climate. (See Milankovitch cycles).The uneven solar heating (the formation of zones of temperature and moisture gradients, or frontogenesis) can also be due to the weather itself in the form of cloudiness and precipitation. Higher altitudes are typically cooler than lower altitudes, which the result of higher surface temperature and radiational heating, which produces the adiabatic lapse rate. In some situations, the temperature actually increases with height. This phenomenon is known as an inversion and can cause mountaintops to be warmer than the valleys below. Inversions can lead to the formation of fog and often act as a cap that suppresses thunderstorm development. On local scales, temperature differences can occur because different surfaces (such as oceans, forests, ice sheets, or man-made objects) have differing physical characteristics such as reflectivity, roughness, or moisture content.

A:
Dee