Deck 4: The Atmosphere, Temperature, and the Heat Budget

Question 1

Earth heats the atmosphere from the bottom up, by absorbing sunlight and converting it to thermal energy and radiating heat. ​

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The ____ is an internationally accepted definition for the beginning of space, at an altitude of 100 kilometers.

A)tropopause
B)stratopause
C)ozone layer
D)Kelvin scale
E)Karman line

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Water vapor, like carbon dioxide, plays a large role in the insulating properties of the atmosphere.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to rotate clockwise. ​

Question 5

Surface inversions tend to result from different processes than upper-level inversions. ​

Question 6

Air, after being heated by conduction or radiation, ____. ​

A)expands in volume and increases in density
B)expands in volume and decreases in density
C)decreases in volume and increases in density
D)decreases in volume and decreases in density
E)does not change in volume or density

Question 7

The maximum annual temperature tends to occur ____. ​

A)at the time of maximum receipt of solar radiation
B)at the time of maximum sunspot activity
C)a month or so before the receipt of maximum solar radiation
D)a month or so after the receipt of maximum solar radiation
E)six months or so after the receipt of maximum solar radiation

Question 8

A substance can be cooled below absolute zero. ​

Question 9

Both the annual and the daily ranges of temperature are larger in continental locations than in coastal locations. ​

Question 10

A portion of incoming solar radiation is reflected back to space by clouds. ​

Question 11

The most variable of the atmospheric gases is ____, which can range from 0.02% to 4% by volume. ​

A)oxygen
B)nitrogen
C)water vapor
D)carbon dioxide
E)argon

Question 12

High specific heat means that a substance requires more heat toraise its temperature. ​

Question 13

A place receives its greatest insolation a few hours after solar noon. ​

Question 14

The ozone layer is found within the stratosphere.

Question 15

The specific heat ofwater is greater than that of land. ​

Question 16

The albedo of snow is generally low, while that of an evergreen forest is relatively high. ​

Question 17

The troposphere varies in thickness with latitude. ​

Question 18

Colorful rainbows are caused by the process of scattering. ​

Question 19

Which gas is the second most abundant in Earth's atmosphere? ​

A)oxygen
B)carbon dioxide
C)nitrogen
D)argon
E)hydrogen

Question 20

Greenhouse gases absorb incoming solar radiation.

Question 21

Which of these terms represents a layer of the atmosphere defined by function rather than temperature? ​

A)thermosphere
B)troposphere
C)ionosphere
D)stratosphere
E)mesosphere

Question 22

Which gas accounts for about 78% of the gas in the atmosphere? ​

A)water vapor
B)nitrogen
C)ozone
D)carbon dioxide
E)oxygen

Question 23

If you hold the end of an iron rod over a fire, your hand will become warm because of heat being transferred by ____. ​

A)convection
B)advection
C)conduction
D)radiation
E)latent heat exchange

Question 24

The heat transfer process that circulates boiling water in a pot is called ____. ​

A)convection
B)advection
C)conduction
D)radiation
E)latent heat exchange

Question 25

Tiny solids or liquids suspended in the atmosphere- including dust and pollutants- are called ____. ​

A)lapses
B)aerosols
C)isotherms
D)tropopauses
E)ionospheres

Question 26

In what important way is the heating of the interior of a car sitting in the Sun different from the "greenhouse effect" in Earth's atmosphere? ​

A)Shortwave radiation from the Sunis blocked.
B)Shortwave radiation from the Sun is absorbed.
C)Longwave radiation is emitted.
D)Longwave radiation cannotescape.
E)Heated air is trapped.

Question 27

Terrestrial radiation is ____. ​

A)caused by the radioactive decay of elements in rocks
B)ultraviolet energy from the Sun that reaches Earth's surface
C)the cause of the "holes" in the ozone layer
D)a stream of charged particles emitted by Earth, analogous to the solar wind
E)thermal infrared energy emitted from Earth's surface

Question 28

If Earth did not have an atmosphere, the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures would be ____. ​

A)greater
B)smaller, but not zero
C)about the same
D)the opposite of what it is today
E)zero

Question 29

Compared to interior continental locations at the same latitude, coastal locations have, on average, ____. ​

A)a higher annual range of air temperature
B)lower winter air temperatures
C)a tendency for cooler summers and milder winters
D)lower relative humidity of the air
E)higher summer air temperatures

Question 30

Compared to the surrounding countryside, cities are generally ____. ​

A)colder
B)warmer
C)not different in temperature
D)colder in summer but warmer in winter
E)warmer in summer but colder in winter

Question 31

As the temperature of a body increases, it will radiate energy at ____ wavelengths. ​

A)the same
B)longer
C)shorter
D)only ultraviolet
E)only infrared

Question 32

The form of energy that is stored in gaseous water during evaporation is called ____. ​

A)potential heat
B)kinetic heat
C)latent heat
D)chemical energy
E)advection heat

Question 33

Which of these atmospheric gases is a variable gas (accounting for a variable percentage of the atmosphere)? ​

A)oxygen
B)argon
C)ozone
D)nitrogen
E)neon

Question 34

So long as Earth's energy budget is in balance, the climate will ____. ​

A)warm slowly until it reaches a new equilibrium
B)keep warming
C)stay the same temperature
D)keep cooling
E)cool slowly until it reaches a new equilibrium

Question 35

The ____ is found just above the stratosphere. ​

A)mesosphere
B)tropopause
C)troposphere
D)ozonosphere
E)Karman line

Question 36

A temperature inversion is most likely to occur under which of these conditions? ​

A)on a mountain top in late evening
B)windy, but cloudy night
C)calm, cloudy, humid night
D)calm, clear, and cool winter night
E)sunny afternoon

Question 37

The percentage of solar radiation reflected from a surface is called ____.

A)gradient
B)refraction
C)albedo
D)absorption
E)inversion

Question 38

Increases in ____ in the atmosphere due to human activities have resulted in what has been referred to as the enhanced greenhouse effect. ​

A)aerosols
B)nitrogen
C)holes in the ozone layer
D)carbon dioxide
E)pressure

Question 39

Isotherms indicate ____. ​

A)areas of equal temperature
B)areas of equal pressure
C)areas of equal volume
D)areas of equal elevation
E)areas of equal water vapor

Question 40

Which of these descriptions is best categorized as a weather event? ​

A)San Diego tends to have milder winters than Dallas.
B)Average precipitation has increased slightly over the last 30 years.
C)The normal temperature for this time of year is around 60 °F.
D)On average, western Washington receives much more precipitation than eastern Washington.
E)Tulsa, Oklahoma experienced a record high temperature yesterday.

Question 41

Explain how heat is transferred by conduction, convection, radiation, and latent heat exchange in a pot of boiling water on a stove. ​

Question 42

Explain the conditions that lead to the development of an urban heat island. ​

Question 43

The process that diffuses light in many directions by atmospheric particles and that contributes to blue skies and red sunsets is called _______________. ​

Question 44

Electromagnetic energy is transferred from the Sun through space to Earth through the process of _______________.

Question 45

The most abundant gas in Earth's lower atmosphere is _______________. ​

Question 46

Explain how the greenhouse effect warms Earth's atmosphere. ​

Question 47

Explain how pollutants like chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen oxides have damaged the ozone layer. ​

Question 48

The process by which plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to make carbohydrates is called_______________ ​

Question 49

The horizontal transfer of energy is called _______________. ​

Question 50

The conversion of a liquid into its vapor state is termed _______________. ​

Question 51

An air layer is sometimes put between two panes of glass to help insulate a window because air cannot transfer much heat energy by _______________. ​

Question 52

Monitoring, analyzing, and forecasting the weather are all part of the science of _______________.

Question 53

Land areas that are subjected to oceanic winds and that tend to have more moderate temperatures than those of inland places at the same latitude are called _______________ locations.

Question 54

The average rate of temperature decrease in the troposphere with altitude is called the _______________. (three words)

Question 55

The vertical transfer of heat through the movement of air is known as _______________. ​

Question 56

The measure of the average kinetic energy of individual molecules in a substance is called _______________. ​

Question 57

Earth's surface absorbs incoming shortwave radiation from the sun, and emits _______________ (two words). ​

Question 58

Give several reasons why our planet's atmosphere is essential to life on Earth. ​

Question 59

The boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere is called the _______________. ​

Question 60

The atmospheric conditionsat a given time and for a specific area are referred to as _______________. ​