Atmosphere

Question 1

in total how much solar energy is reflected back into space?

Answer 1

31%

Question 2

what is the reflection of light off the earth and atmosphere called?

Answer 2

albedo effect

Question 3

how much solar energy is reflected off clouds?

Answer 3

17%

Question 4

why do clouds reflect solar energy?

Answer 4

They are white

Question 5

how much solar energy is reflected off of dust particles in the atmosphere?

Answer 5

8%

Question 6

how do the dust particle get into the atmosphere?

Answer 6

through volcanic eruptions

Question 7

what reflects 6% of solar energy?

Answer 7

ice caps, snow, and water

Question 8

how much of solar energy, in total, is absorbed by the atmosphere?

Answer 8

23%

Question 9

how much is absorbed by gasses in the atmosphere?

Answer 9

19%

Question 10

what types of gasses are in the atmosphere?

Answer 10

CO2 and greenhouse gasses

Question 11

what, other than gasses in the atmosphere, absorbs the 19% of solar energy?

Answer 11

water particles and dust

Question 12

how much energy is absorbed by clouds?

Answer 12

4%

Question 13

name 1 other way that energy can be absorbed

Answer 13

dark vegetation in the rain forrest

Question 14

what does atmospheric circulation do?

Answer 14

moves warm air from the equator to the poles and circulates cold air from the poles towards the equator

Question 15

why is air deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and the left in the southern hemisphere?

Answer 15

the Coriolis effect

Question 16

where are winds directed to in the southern hemisphere?

Answer 16

the left

Question 17

where are winds directed to in the northern hemisphere?

Answer 17

the right

Question 18

name the 3 types of cell

Answer 18

Hadley, Ferrel, Polar

Question 19

where does the Hadley cell form?

Answer 19

the equator

Question 20

when does the Hadley cell form?

Answer 20

when warm, moist air at the equator rises creating low pressure.

Question 21

what happens to the warm moist air at the equator? (Hadley)

Answer 21

The air cools in the upper atmosphere and sinks back down at 30* North and South

Question 22

what winds are associated with the Hadley cell?

Answer 22

The trade winds

Question 23

What pressure do the Trade winds move from and too?

Answer 23

High to low pressure

Question 24

Where does the Polar cell form?

Answer 24

The poles

Question 25

when does the polar cell form?

Answer 25

when cold, dense air at the poles is sinking, creating high pressure.

Question 26

what happens to the cold dense air? (Polar)

Answer 26

It moves towards 60* North and South. The air then rises at 60* North and South to travel in the upper atmosphere back towards the poles.

Question 27

why does a Ferrel cell form?

Answer 27

the ferrel cell forms due to frictional drag from the adjacent cells

Question 28

how does the Ferrel cell form?

Answer 28

the Hadley cell forces air down at 30* and the Polar cell pulls air up at 60*.

Question 29

What winds are associated with the Ferrel cell?

Answer 29

mid-attitude westerlies

Question 30

What winds are associated with the Polar cell?

Answer 30

the polar easterlies