Question 1

Describe how the lack of a strong magnetic field on Mars may lead to loss of its atmosphere over time.

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Question 2

Describe at least three of the factors influencing the climate on Earth.

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Question 3

What are the radiation belts surrounding Earth, and why do they exist?

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Question 4

Give three reasons why we believe Venus may currently have active volcanoes.

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Question 5

Why does the temperature decrease as you go higher in altitude in the troposphere on Earth?

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Question 6

Carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere have been rising by about 4 percent per decade because of the use of fossil fuels.Describe at least two major changes that would take place on Earth if this trend continues.

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Question 7

On the surface of Mars, water could exist in what form(s): solid, liquid, and/or gas? How does this vary with the seasons on Mars? Why are the seasonal variations on Mars different in its northern and southern hemispheres?

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Question 8

The obliquity of Earth's rotation axis has remained stable at 23 degrees over its history, whereas that of Mars is believed to have varied from 13 to 40 degrees.Why?

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Question 9

If sunlight cannot penetrate Venus's cloud layer efficiently, why does the temperature of the planet remain so high?

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Question 10

In the stratosphere of Earth's atmosphere, how does the temperature vary with increasing altitude, and what causes this variation?

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Question 11

Describe at least three major atmospheric factors that affect a planet's ability to sustain life.

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Question 12

Although Earth is known to exhibit long-term natural variations in temperature, scientists are nearly unanimous in believing that the recent rise in temperature is due to human industrial activity.Why?

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Question 13

Describe two major factors, for each of Venus and Mars, that make their respective atmospheres inhospitable to life.

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Question 14

What factors drive the long-term periodic variations in Earth's average temperature (known as the Milankovitch cycle)?

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Question 15

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly) enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick.What percentage of Earth's radius, which is 6,400 km, does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans, which is 3 km?

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Question 16

The global winds on Earth are the result of a combination of what three things?

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Question 17

The minimum amount of oxygen in the air required for a human to survive (unaided) is around 16 percent of the current abundance in Earth's atmosphere.Using the figure below, what is the earliest time in Earth's history that a human could breathe unaided?

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Question 18

Over the last century, why has the ozone hole over Earth grown larger? How long might it take to revert to its former state?

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Question 19

How does climate differ from weather?

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Question 20

Give two reasons why the atmosphere of Earth is warmer near the surface than at higher elevations.

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Quiz 9: Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets