Atmosphere Flashcards
true or false
Earth is not the only habitable planet in the universe
FALSE, it is
what is Earth often compared to
its closest neighbours (Venus and Mars)
which planets are Earth’s closest neighbours
Mars and Venus
Inner planets refer to
terrestrial/rocky planets
the outer planets are
gaseous planets
Why does Venus not have any liquid water
it’s too hot (it would evaporate)
why does Mars not have any liquid water
its too cold (it would freeze)
Earth and _____ have a similar size which means ____
Venus AND gravitational force is similar
Green House gases
gases that absorb energy in heat
why can’t an atmosphere have too much CO2
it changes the heat element of the atmosphere and changes the ability to hold heat
what is an example of Green house gases
CO2
what 3 benefits come from the atmosphere
- directly supports most of life’s processes
- protects against harmful radiation from the sun
- helps produce the ideal climate for lfie
the atmosphere protects life from
harmful radiation from the sun
the atmosphere is a
layer of gases that surround the planet
the atmosphere directly supports
life processes
true or false
the atmosphere helps produce the ideal climate for life
true
without an atmosphere, there would be no _____
weather or life
do other planets have atmospheres
YES, but they different from each other
does the moon have an atmosphere and why
No= there isn’t enough mass to sustain a gravitation field/atmosphere
what are two zones of the atmosphere
- ionosphere
- ozonosphere
what do the two zones of the atmosphere do
removes most of the harmful wavelengths of incoming solar radiation and charged particles
the ozonosphere is the portion of the ______
stratosphere
where is the highest cluster of ozone found
in the ozonosphere
_____ absorbs the shorter wavelengths of UV radiation
ozone
what absorbs the shorter wavelengths of UV radiation
ozone
what wavelengths do the zones of the atmosphere absorb
- cosmic rays
- gamma rays
- x-rays
- UV radiation
standard atmospheric pressure
values representing the average vertical distribution of pressure, temp and density in the atmosphere
at sea level what is the temperature of the atmosphere
15 degrees Celsius
at sea level, what is the pressure of the atmosphere
101.345 kPA
at sea level, what is the density of the atmosphere
1.23kg/m3
what differentiates between the fluids of liquid and gas
gases are able to be compressed while liquids can not
what state of matter is this
attraction is very small
gas
what state of matter is this
molecules are free to move independetly
gas
what state of matter is this
more freedom of movement
liquids
what state of matter is this
molecules are weakly attracted to each other
liquids
what state of matter is this
molecules are strongly attracted to each other
solids
what state of matter is this
attraction is binding, but can still vibrate slightly
solids
pressure is the
force per unit of area (P=f/a)
pressure _____ with height in the atmosphere
decreases
why does pressure decrease with height in the atmosphere
pressure results from the weight of the overlaying atmosphere (above us)
where is pressure greatest
where we are (on earth’s surface)
density is the
mass per unit of volume (D=m/v)
density ____ with height in the atmosphere
decreases
why does density decrease with height in the atmosphere
because air is compressible
temp is the measure of
average kinetic energy
temp varies in
- time
- season
- dirunal
diurnal
difference between night and day
heat is
a form of energy that flows from one object to another
what term is used when heat flows from one object to another (through solids)
conduction
what term is used when heat flows through fluid media
convection
what term is used when heat flows through empty space
radiation
conduction
the transfer of heat through solids
convection
the transfer of heat through fluids/liquids
what pattern of temps do we see in the different layers of the atmosphere
alternating patterns of increase and decrease
1
Thermosphere
2
Mesopause
3
Mesophere
4
Stratopause
5
Stratosphere
6
tropopause
7
Troposphere
the troposphere extends from
Earth’s surface to ABOUT 11 km above the surface
why are the distances in the layers of the atmosphere AVERAGES
fluids have fuzzy boundaries which change and shift according to temp
what is the Troposphere boundary called
tropopause
for the Troposphere, temp ______ with height
decreases
what is the average decrease in temp per km in the troposphere
6.5 degrees C per km
how is the troposphere warmed
from CONTACT with the Earth’s surface
true or false
the troposphere has a turbulent and well mixed vertical atmosphere
TRUE
where are almost all of the clouds found in the atmosphere
in the troposphere
where does weather take place in the atmosphere
troposphere
the troposphere is the most ____ withe the most ___
dense and mass
stratosphere extends from
troposphere (11 km) to ABOUT 50 km
what does the stratosphere reach
the stratopause
at the stratosphere, temp _____ with height
increases
how is the stratosphere warmed
through the absorption of UV radiation by the ozone
true or false
the stratosphere has little vertical movement or tubulance
TRUE
true or false
the lower we go in the stratosphere the MORE O3 (ozone gas) we will find
FALSE - higher = more O3
Mesosphere extends
from 50 km to about 85 km
where does the Mesosphere reach to
the Mesopause
in the mesosphere, temp ______ with height
decreases
how does the mesosphere warm
from CONTACT with the stratosphere (below it) - the absorption of ozone layer
the top of the atmosphere
thermosphere
thermosphere extends
has NO upper bounary
in the thermosphere, temp _____ with height
increases
how is the thermosphere warmed
heated from ABOVE by absorbing the shortest wavelengths of solar radiation
true or false
the thermosphere has very little mass and density
true - about 0.01% mass of atmosphere
what is the layer of electrically charged particles in the meso and thermosphere
Ionosphere
what do interactions with subatomic solar particles cause in the Ionosphere
- aurora borealis (norther lights)
- aurora australis (southern lights)
the chemical composition of the atmosphere is composed of both
- constant gases
- variable gases
examples of constant gases
- nitrogen
- oxygen
- argon
examples of variable gases
- water vapour
- carbon dioxide
- methane
constant gases are
gases whose concentrations remain the same on century timscales
constant gases have a _____ residence time
large
what chemical composition does this describe
well mixed horizontally and vertically to a height of 80 km
constant gases
variable gases
have concentrations that vary over time and space
variable gases have ____ residence time
small
what chemical composition is this
reactive and with small reservoirs
variable gases
which chemical composition is variable based on human life
variable gases
residence time
average amount of time that a substance might be expected to remain in the atmosphere or any of the other spheres of the Earth-atmosphere system
what is the atmosphere a reservoir composed of
- sources
- sinks
sources are ______ to a reservoir
inputs (increase)
sinks are ______ to a reservoir
outputs (decrease)
what constant gases have a LONG residence time
nitrogen and oxygen
nitrogen residence time
1600 000 years
oxygen residence time
3000 to 4000 years
GHG is a gas
in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within thermal infrared range
what do GHG result in
the greenhouse effect
greenhouse effect
process where thermal radiation from Earth’s surface is absorbed by atmospheric GHG and is re-radiated in all directions
what is the result of the Greenhouse Effect
Earth keeps in heat
GHG are more _____ gases
variable
why is Venus hotter than Earth
More radiation is absorbed by Earth, but the higher CO2 levels keep Venus warmer
why is Mars colder than Earth
it has a very low atmosphere pressure means it has little ability to hold heat in despite having high CO2 levels
Nitrogen sink from the atmosphere
nitrogen fixation
nitrogen fixation
the conversion of nitrogen into forms that organisms can use (by bacteria and lightning)
nitrogen source
denitrification
denitrification
bacteria converts fixed nitrogen into N2 or N2O
oxygen Source
photosynthesis
oxygen sinks
- respiration or anaerobic decomposition
how does carbon occur in the atmosphere
naturally as part of Earth’s carbon cycle
true or false
CO2 is important to global temperatures
true
the present percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere is _____
small
how are past atmospheres studied
ice cores and the bubbles that are trapped within them
the present levels of atmospheric CO2 are ____ than any point in the past _____ years
higher AND 800 000
what has caused the atmospheric CO2 levels to increase
human activities
what is a by-product of civilization
CO2
when did humanity start to alter the CO2 levels in the atmosphere
with the start of the industrial revolution
true or false
the increase in atmospheric CO2 is decelerating
FALSE, its accelerating
what is a greenhouse gas linked to BOTH organic and inorganic processes
Carbon dioxide
sources of carbon dioxide
- respiration
- decomposition
- combustion
sinks of carbon dioxide
- photosynthesis
- atmosphere-ocean exchange
- burial of organic carbon
what has more energy inorganic or organic matter
organic compounds
true or false
carbon dioxide keeps heat very well
true
true or false
CO2 cannot dissolve in water
FALSE, it can
as water temps rise, ______ amount of carbon is removed from atmosphere
decreased
when is the CO2 concentrations the lowest
summer - plants can remove more CO2
when are CO2 concentrations higher
winter - less plants to remove CO2
temporal CO2 increases due to
human activities
true or false
CO2 is going into the atmosphere faster tan it ever has before
TRUE
what organic methods bring CO2 into the ATMOSPHERE
respiration
decomposition
weathering of rocks that have organic carbon
what are organic methods that bring CO2 OUT of the atmosphere
photosynthesis
organic carbon burial
what inorganic methods bring CO2 INTO the atmosphere
- volcanism
- atmosphere-ocean exchange
what inorganic methods bring CO2 OUT of the atmosphere
weathering of silicate rocks
carbonate sediments
atmosphere-ocean exchange
the hydrologic cycle involves _____ changes
phase and NOT chemical
water vapour source
evaporation
water vapour sink
condensation
true or false
water vapour is a powerful GH gas
true
what contributes to double the warming of CO2
water vapour
what balances the amount of heat retained in the earth
water, ice, and clouds as they affect the Earth’s reflectivity
what separates water vapour from carbon dioxide
their resonance time
three primary roles of ozone
- absorb ultraviolet radiation from the sun
- absorb Earth’s longwave radiation
- it is a pollutant
true or false
Ozone protects life on Earth from harmful radiation
true
true or false
ozone is a greenhouse gas
true
true or false
ozone is a pollutant
true
CFC means what
chlorofluorocarbons
what is the impact of CFC
it was creating huge holes in the ozone layer
the longer wavelengths of UVA are
not absorbed by ozone
UVA makes up _____ of all UV radiation that reaches Earth
95%
_____ is absorbed ONLY by the ozone
UVB
did Mars, Venus and Earth ALWAYS have atmospheres
NO, they formed later
the primitive atmosphere had two probable sources
- outgassing (release of gasses dissolved in rock)
- comets and asteroids
atmospheric thining
when water vapour was lost from atmosphere as it was condensed into liquid water (oceans)
true or false
carbon dioxide was removed slowly from primitive atmosphere
true
when did oxygen start to increase in the atmosphere
2 billion years ago
around 4 billion years ago ____ began to increase in the atmosphere
N2
around 4 billion years ago ____ began to decrease in the atmosphere
CO2
when did photosynthesis roughly begin
3.5 billion years ago in aquatic environments (oceans)
when did oxygen begin to accumulate in the air
roughly 2 billion years ago
are greenhouse gases abundant in the atmosphere
NO (not the main makeup of the atmosphere)
are greenhouse gases bad
NOT in small quantities (without the world would have no liquid water)
are greenhouse gases natural
yes (added to the atmosphere through natural means WITHOUT people)
true or false
Greenhouse gases have something to do with the sun and solar radiation
FALSE - only relates to TERRESTRIAL radiation
what percent of the atmosphere is nitrogen
78%
what percent of the atmosphere is oxygen
21%
what percent of the atmosphere is Aragon
1%
Why is it hard to breathe as you increase your elevation
with each breath you consume less oxygen because the particles are spread out the higher you go
where are pressure and density the heaviest
at the BOTTOM of the atmosphere
