Atmospheric Science Flashcards
What is the atmospheric composition? Hint 78% is _, 21% is _, and 1% is other.
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other.
Where is the troposphere? 0-11km above Earth’s surface.
It is the closest to Earth’s surface.
What lives in the troposphere?
All living organisms.
The troposphere is where w _ _ _ _ _ r occurs.
Weather.
What happens to temperature in the troposphere with altitude?
It decreases. Higher up is colder.
What is the tropopause?
A layer of dense air that prevents many air pollutants from escaping.
Where is the stratosphere? 11-50km above Earth’s surface.
It follows the troposphere.
Why is the stratosphere important?
It hosts the ozone layer.
Why is the ozone layer important?
Ozone blocks, absorbs, and scatters UV rays from the sun.
Why is UV dangerous?
It can damage DNA, cause mutations and potentially cancer.
Where is the mesosphere? 50-80km above Earth’s surface.
It follows the stratosphere.
Why is the mesosphere poorly studied?
Its density is too low for airplane travel.
Where is the thermosphere? 80-100km above Earth’s surface.
It follows the mesosphere.
The thermosphere is continuous with s _ _ _ e and has low d _ _ _ _ _ y.
Space and density.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
Earth’s rotation causes wind-driven ocean currents to turn right in the Northern Hemisphere, and left in the Southern Hemisphere.
We live in the Westerlies, what does this mean?
We experience winds that blow in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. The westerlies run west to east.
Why does Earth experience different levels of solar intensity on the surface?
Earth tilts on its axis.
Where does Earth receive the most direct solar energy? What is the result of this?
Near the equator. Areas in this region have high temperatures.
The planet has a spherical shape, so solar energy is less intense away from both side of the equator. What is the result of this?
Regions north and south of the equator get colder the farther away from the equator they are.
Describe the relationship between solar intensity and convection currents in equatorial areas.
They experience high temps due to high solar intensity. Warm moist surface air rises, creating a convection current,
Why do regions in the equator experience high rainfall?
The high temps cause moist air that cools as it travels into the troposphere. This results in a substantial amount of precipitation because the troposphere can’t contain this much water.
What are convection currents?
These are currents formed when warm water rises, as it gets pushed out it gets colder, the cold water then sinks down. The process then repeats to create currents.
