Chapter 1

Question 1

What is the primary source of energy for the earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 1

The sun

Question 2

two most abundant permanent gases in today’s atmosphere.

Answer 2

1. Nitrogen (N2)78.08%

2. Oxygen (O2)20.95%

Question 3

When looking at the variable gases in our atmosphere, which one shows the greatest variation at the earth’s surface?

Answer 3

Water Vapor

Question 4

What are some of the important roles that water plays in our atmosphere?

Answer 4

It is the only substance that exists as a gas, a liquid, and solid at temperatures and pressures normally found near the earth’s surface.
It releases large amounts of heat called “latent heat” when water vapor changes to a liquid or ice. This heat release is an important source of energy for storm development.
It is a potent greenhouse gas because it strongly absorbs a portion of the earth’s outgoing radiant energy. Thus, water vapor plays a significant role in the earth’s heat-energy balance. (Greenhouse Effect)

Question 5

Why has “Carbon Dioxide (CO2)” been on the increase over the past 100 years?

Answer 5

CO2 (0.038% of air by volume) enters the atmosphere mainly form the decay of vegetation, but it also comes from volcanic eruptions, the exhalations of animal life, the burning of fossil fuels, and from deforestation. CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by plants consuming CO2 to produce green matter (photosynthesis). The increase in CO2 appears to be due mainly to the burning of fossil fuels (80%) and deforestation of the rain forest (20%) over the past 100 years.

Question 6

List the two most abundant greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. What makes them greenhouse gases?

Answer 6

Water vapor and Carbon Dioxide. They both trap a portion of the earth’s outgoing energy. Consequently, with everything else being equal, as the atmospheric concentration of CO2 increases, so should the average global surface air temperature.

Question 7

Explain how the atmosphere “protects” inhabitants on the earth’s surface.

Answer 7

The atmosphere contains a gas called “ozone”. This key element, small in concentration (0.002% by volume), is more concentrated in the upper atmosphere (Stratosphere). Ozone shields plants, animals, and humans from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Question 8

What are aerosols, and list some of the aerosols in our atmosphere?

Answer 8

Aerosols are impurities found in the atmosphere that are from both natural and human sources. Some of these aerosols are:
Dust and soil particles
Microscopic salt particles
Smoke
Volcanic ash

Question 9

Explain the concept of air pressure in terms of mass of air above a level. In other words, how do air pressure values change with height?

Answer 9

The weight of the air molecules acts as a force upon the earth. The amount of force exerted over an area of surface is called “air pressure”. The pressure at any level in the atmosphere may be measured in terms of the total mass of air above any point. So with an increase in height, pressure values will decrease.

Question 10

Why do air pressure and density always decrease with increasing height above the surface?

Answer 10

As we climb in elevation, fewer air molecules are above us; hence, air pressure and density decrease with increasing height.

Question 11

Why do air pressure and density decrease more rapidly near the earth’s surface than aloft?

Answer 11

The air pressure and density decrease rapidly at first because air is compressed near the surface due to the gravitational force.

Question 12

What is the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level in:

Inches of Mercury (“Hg)

Millibars (mb)

Answer 12

Inches of mercury
29.92” Hg
Millibars
1013.25 mb

Question 13

Identify and provide the average elevations of the standard atmospheric pressure levels?
Level (mb)	 Height (ft)	Height (mi)
   1000	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
    850	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
    700	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
    500	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
    300	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
    200	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_	\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Answer 13

Level (mb)	      Height (ft)	Height (mi)
   1000 	  Near sea level
    850		5,000		      1.0
    700	       10,000	              2.0
    500	       18,000		      3.5
    300	       30,000		      5.5
    200	       40,000		      7.5

Question 14

What is the average decrease in temperature with height , or standard lapse rate, in the troposphere?

Answer 14

The temperature on average will decrease by 6.5˚C per 1000 meters (or) 3.6˚F per 1000 feet rise in elevation within the troposphere.

Question 15

Based on the temperature profile, list the layers of the atmosphere from the lowest to the highest in elevation.

Answer 15

Troposphere (sfc to 11km) temperatures decrease with height
Stratosphere (11 to 50km) temperatures increase with height
Mesosphere (50 to 85km) temperatures decrease with height
Thermosphere (85 to 500km) temperatures increase with height

Question 16

What atmospheric layer contains a vast majority of our weather?

Answer 16

The troposphere. A severe thunderstorm with overshooting tops can extend into the lower levels of the stratosphere but by far a majority of the weather is confined to the troposphere.

Question 17

1. In what atmospheric layer do we find the
   lowest average air temperature?
2. The highest average temperature?
3. The highest concentration of ozone?

Answer 17

1. Mesosphere, average value of -130˚F
2. Thermosphere “hot layer”, but due to the air density being so low, air temperatures are not measured directly.
3. Stratosphere, 97% of atmospheric ozone is found in the stratosphere

Question 18

What is the difference between latitude and longitude?

Answer 18

Both are used to measure earth coordinates.

Latitude (Parallels) are lines that run east-west and measure distance north-south.  Lines of latitude are parallel to one another with 1˚ of latitude equaling 60 nautical miles.  

Longitude (Meridians) are lines that run north-south and measure distance east-west.  Lines of longitude are not parallel and converge towards the poles therefore there is no equal distance between degrees of longitude.

Question 19

What is the difference between Universal, Greenwich and Zulu Time?

Answer 19

There is no difference. All three refer to the same Time Coordinate System. In Meteorology we use one time zone for the whole world that is based on the time along the prime meridian (0˚ longitude) which runs through Greenwich, England. The names given to this time coordinate system vary as stated above. In Grand Forks there is a -6 hour difference during standard time and a -5 hour difference during daylight saving time between Universal time and Local time.

Question 20

1. During the winter, 12 UTC would be _________ in Grand Forks.
   
   2. During the summer, 12 UTC would be ________ in Grand Forks.

Answer 20

1. 6:00 AM

2. 7:00 AM

Question 21

How does weather differ from climate?

Answer 21

Weather is conditions of the atmosphere at any particular time and place. It is comprised of the elements of: air temperature, air pressure, humidity, clouds, precipitation, visibility, and wind.
Climate is a specified interval of time that will give us the “average weather” for a region. It also includes the extremes of weather, therefore weather records are part of the climatology for a specific site or region.