Atmosphere Flashcards
What are the 2 important functions of the atmosphere?
- Protect you from the sun’s damaging rays
2. Help maintain the right temperature range for life on Earth.
What is the atmosphere?
The mixture of gases that surrounds Earth.
What gases make up the atmosphere and how much of each?
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases
What is the atmosphere made of besides gases?
Small particles such as dust, volcanic ash, sea salt, and smoke. There are even small pieces of skin, bacteria, and pollen.
What is the measure of the force with which air molecules push past an area of a surface?
Air pressure
How does air pressure change throughout the atmosphere?
As altitude increases, air pressure decreases.
There are fewer and fewer gas molecules in the air as you move away from Earth’s surface.
Air temperature changes as ———- increases.
Altitude
Why are some parts of the atmosphere warmer?
They contain a high percentage of gases that absorb solar energy.
What makes the atmosphere cooler?
It contains less gases that absorb solar energy.
What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere?
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere
What is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere?
Thermosphere
In the thermosphere, temperature ——- as altitude ——. Why?
Increases, increases
Gases in the thermosphere absorb high-energy solar radiation.
Where is the mesosphere located?
Between the thermosphere and the stratosphere
In the mesosphere, temperature ——- as altitude ——–.
Decreases, increases
Where is the stratosphere located?
Between the mesosphere and the troposphere.
In the stratosphere, temperatures generally ——— as altitude ———.
Increase, increases
What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
In the troposphere, temperature ——– as altitude ——–.
Decreases, increases
What in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun warming the air?
Ozone
What happens to meteoroids in the mesosphere?
They begin to burn up.
What is the densest layer of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
Which layer has almost all of Earth’s carbon dioxide, water vapor, clouds, air pollution, weather, and life forms?
Troposphere
How does the atmosphere protect life on Earth?
- It provides the air we breathe.
- It protects Earth from harmful solar radiation and space debris.
- It controls the temperature.
Where is the ozone layer?
In the stratosphere
What does the ozone layer absorb?
Solar radiation
What is the “ozone hole”?
The area with a very thin ozone layer.
What is the process by which gases in the atmosphere, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb and give off infrared radiation?
Greenhouse effect
What are 2 examples of greenhouse gases?
Water vapor
Carbon dioxide
What happens to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
Some is absorbed by Earth’s surface.
Some energy goes out into space.
As altitude increases, air pressure ——-.
Decreases
The ——- is a mixture of gases the surrounds Earth.
Atmosphere
What layer of the atmosphere contains 80% of the atmosphere’s total mass?
Troposphere
