Question 1

Sayings about the weather, such as "red sky at morning, sailor take warning; red sky at night, sailor's delight" are based on the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 2

​Water vapor can best be described as a

Accepted Answer

Water vapor is the gaseous form of water. It is an invisible gas that is present in the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 3

Fronts are a sharp change in temperature, humidity, and wind direction.

Accepted Answer

Fronts are a boundary between two air masses that have different temperature, humidity, and wind directions. The transition from one air mass to another can cause a sharp change in weather conditions.

Question 4

The weight of all the air around Earth is a staggering 2000 trillion tons, or about 2 x 10¹⁸ kg.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The weight of all the air around...

Question 5

The most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere by volume are​

Accepted Answer

The most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere by volume are nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%).

Question 6

Someone who says that "the wind direction today is south" likely means that the wind is blowing toward the south.

Accepted Answer

When someone says "the wind direction today is south," it typically means the wind is coming from the south and blowing toward the north. Wind direction is usually reported based on where the wind originates.

Question 7

Ultraviolet light from the sun destroys nitrous oxide.

Accepted Answer

Ultraviolet light can break down nitrous oxide molecules in the atmosphere, helping to reduce the impact of this greenhouse gas on climate change.

Question 8

Soil dust, salt from ocean waves, forest fire smoke, volcanic ash particles, and pollutants are some of the aerosols found in the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

These are all examples of aerosols that can be found in the atmosphere.

Question 9

Earth's second atmosphere was more dense than its first atmosphere (which formed some 4.6 billion years ago), and developed through the impact of a series of meteorites.

Accepted Answer

This statement is based on scientific evidence and is supported by the current understanding of Earth's early atmosphere.

Question 10

Weather in the middle latitudes tends to move from east to west.​

Accepted Answer

Weather in the middle latitudes generally moves from west to east due to the prevailing westerly winds known as the "Roaring Forties," "Furious Fifties," and "Screaming Sixties." This is known as the Westerlies. However, there can be some exceptions and variations in the movement of weather patterns.

Question 11

Storms rank in size from largest to smallest, as follows: middle-latitude cyclonic storm, hurricane, thunderstorm, tornado.

Accepted Answer

Middle-latitude cyclonic storms (also known as extratropical cyclones) cover the largest area, often spanning thousands of kilometers. Hurricanes, while smaller, can still cover several hundred kilometers in diameter. Thunderstorms are much smaller in comparison, typically around 15 kilometers in diameter. Tornadoes are the smallest, with the path of destruction usually less than a kilometer wide.

Question 12

​Photodissociation is a process that splits water vapor into oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

Accepted Answer

Photodissociation is a real process that occurs when water vapor is exposed to high-energy radiation, such as ultraviolet light. The energy breaks the chemical bonds holding the water molecules together, resulting in the release of oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

Question 13

Of the four most abundant gases in our atmosphere, water vapor shows the greatest variation at Earth's surface?

Accepted Answer

Water vapor exhibits a wide range of concentration and can vary significantly depending on factors such as temperature, humidity, and location. The other three abundant gases, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, do not exhibit as much variability in their concentrations at Earth's surface.

Question 14

A decrease in stratospheric ozone would be beneficial for plants, animals, and humans.

Accepted Answer

A decrease in stratospheric ozone can lead to an increase in harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun reaching the Earth's surface. This can have negative impacts on the health of plants, animals, and humans, including an increased risk of skin cancer and damage to crops. Therefore, a decrease in stratospheric ozone would not be beneficial.

Question 15

​Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring component of the atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide naturally occurs in the atmosphere as a result of various natural processes, including respiration, volcanic activity, and the decay of organic matter. However, human activities such as burning fossil fuels have significantly increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to concerns about global warming and climate change.

Question 16

​The ozone hole is an actual hole in the atmosphere, a region of complete vacuum.

Accepted Answer

The ozone hole is not an actual hole in the atmosphere, but rather a region of the atmosphere where the concentration of ozone is significantly depleted.

Question 17

Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and its phenomena. The term itself goes back to a Roman emperor who, about 12 B.C., wrote a book on natural philosophy entitled Meteorologica.

Accepted Answer

The term "meteorology" and the early study of atmospheric phenomena are indeed ancient, but the reference to a Roman emperor writing "Meteorologica" around 12 B.C. is incorrect. The work "Meteorologica" was actually written by Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, around 340 B.C., not by a Roman emperor.

Question 18

On average, temperature increases from the surface to the tropopause (around 10 km, then decreases to the stratopause (around 50 km), then decreases to the mesopause (around 90 km), then increases through the thermosphere.

Accepted Answer

The temperature increases through the troposphere (up to the tropopause), then decreases through the stratosphere (up to the stratopause), then decreases again through the mesosphere (up to the mesopause), and finally increases through the thermosphere.

Question 19

The lowest average air temperature can be found in the thermosphere.​

Accepted Answer

The thermosphere is actually the highest and hottest layer of the Earth's atmosphere, with temperatures reaching up to 4,500 °C (8,132 °F). The lowest average air temperature can be found in the mesosphere, which is located below the thermosphere.

Question 20

On the basis of temperature, the layers of the atmosphere from the lowest layer to the highest are the thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere.

Accepted Answer

The correct order of layers of the atmosphere from the lowest to the highest based on temperature is troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere.

Quiz 1: Earth and Its Atmosphere