Atmosphere

Question 1

Define Weather

Answer 1

The instantaneous picture of atmospheric conditions for a given place at a given time

Question 2

Define Climate

Answer 2

The long-term average of a set of atmospheric conditions for a given region (30 year average)

Question 3

The atmosphere becomes _____ with elevation?

Answer 3

thinner

Question 4

what percentage of the atmosphere lies within 30km of the surface?

Answer 4

97% of the atmosphere lies within 30km of the surface

Question 5

Does the atmosphere have a defined ending?

Answer 5

No it just slowly fizzles out

Question 6

The atmosphere is composed of what two types of gas?

Answer 6

Permanent gases - homogenously mixed
Variable gases - heterogenously mixed

Question 7

What are some examples of permanent gases? What is their proportion of gas in the atmosphere?

Answer 7

N2 - 78%
O2 - 21%
Argon - 1%

Question 8

Why are atmospheric gases always in equillibrium?

Answer 8

Because they have a long residual time

Question 9

What are the variable gases in the atmosphere? Why are they variable?

Answer 9

H2O, CO2, O3, CH4
- their composition changes due to volcanic and anthropogenic activities

Question 10

Do variable gases have a short or long residence time?

Answer 10

relatively short residence time

Question 11

What was the year without a summer?

Answer 11

Tambora, Indonesia 1815, caused by the largest volcanic eruption ever recorded

Question 12

How much of the atmosphere do the variable gases make up?

Answer 12

less than 1%
- water vapour
- carbon dioxide
- ozone
- methane

Question 13

What process is responsible for clouds, rain, snow, and other precipitation?

Answer 13

condensation of water vapour to liquid or ice. All of which count among the most significant elements of what we experience as weather

Question 14

Do variable gases absorb solar energy?

Answer 14

yes

Question 15

Are sources of CO2 natural or anthropogenic?

Answer 15

Both
- natural: Respiration, decay of organic matter, volcanic activity and natural combustions
- anthropogenic: combustion

Question 16

What part of the atmosphere is ozone (O3) located? Why is the ozone layer so important?

Answer 16

stratosphere; absorbs ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun

Question 17

What are the productions of methane?

Answer 17

• rice agriculture (or any waterlogged conditions)
• landfills
• Fossil fuel combustion
• waste water treatment

Question 18

How many spheres make up the atmosphere? Four of them are defined by their _____ characteristics

Answer 18

six
four of them are defined by thermal characteristics

Question 19

Which two spheres are in the lower atmosphere?

Answer 19

troposphere and stratosphere

Question 20

Which two spheres are in the upper atmosphere?

Answer 20

mesosphere and thermosphere

Question 21

temperature increases in which spheres and decreases in which spheres?

Answer 21

• decreases in troposphere
• increase in stratosphere
• decrease in mesosphere
• increase in thermosphere

Question 22

the chemical atmosphere lasts until ____km above the earths surface? What is this zone called? Whats it called above this zone?

Answer 22

• within 80km is called the homosphere (or homogenously mixed).
• beyond 80km is called the heterosphere where gases are not mixed evenly

Question 23

which sphere layer is closest to the earth?

Answer 23

troposphere - the zone of life and weather

Question 24

what is the temperature where the troposphere ends?

Answer 24

-57 degrees C

Question 25

The troposhere decreases __ degrees C/km

Answer 25

6.5 degrees C/km

Question 26

does the depth of the troposphere change?

Answer 26

yes the thickness changes according to season and varies in thickness from equator to the poles

Question 27

where in the atmosphere is the stratosphere located

Answer 27

15-50km

Question 28

how much does the temperature change from the tropopause to the stratopause?

Answer 28

-57 in the tropopause to -2 at the stratopause

Question 29

why does temperature increase in the stratosphere?

Answer 29

because the ozone layer absorbs a large amount of UV energy in the stratosphere

Question 30

how thick is the ozone layer? How much UV radiation does it absorb?

Answer 30

20-30cm thick - its a part of the stratosphere - absorbs 97-99% of the suns high frequency UV light

Question 31

Temperatures can reach __ degrees in the mesosphere at __km

Answer 31

90 degrees at 80km above earths surface

Question 32

How much gas does the thermosphere have

Answer 32

very low density

Question 33

what is the ionosphere?

Answer 33

defined by its electrical properties. its made up of ions which are formed when atoms or molecules lose electrons due to incoming solar energy - made up of electrically charged ions

Question 34

earth has _______ properties within its core?

Answer 34

magnetic

Question 36

How is energy released into the atmosphere from the sun?

Answer 36

The magnetic lines capture the subatomic particles from the sun and when the particles become excited, they are released into the atmosphere, releasing energy. - magnetic field lines go into and out of the Earth around the magnetic poles. poles closer to the field are the strongest.

Question 37

What is the exosphere?

Answer 37

The sphere 600-1000km above the surface - where satelites live - contains very low density of any gas