Chapter 11 (Final)

Question 1

what are the layers of the atmosphere?

Answer 1

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

Question 2

what does the troposphere contain (4)?

Answer 2

nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, air pollutants

Question 3

what does the stratosphere contain?

Answer 3

the ozone layer

Question 4

what does the ozone layer do?

Answer 4

absorbs 95% of UV radiation

Question 5

pollutants in the ozone layer

Answer 5

supersonic transports, aerosol sprays, and nuclear weapons

Question 6

what does the mesosphere do/temperature

Answer 6

protection zone against incoming small meteors/cold

Question 7

what does the thermosphere do/temp

Answer 7

absorbs both X-rays and UV radiation from the sun/hot, home to ISS

Question 8

exosphere

Answer 8

outermost layer of atmosphere

Question 9

ozone

Answer 9

A gas (O3) located within the troposphere and stratosphere. It contributes to smog in the troposphere and absorbs 95 percent of ultraviolet radiation coming into the stratosphere

Question 10

what gases maintain the earth’s temperature?

Answer 10

carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), water (H2O), and ozone (O3)

Question 11

albedo

Answer 11

reflectivity on a surface on a scale of 0 to 1, the higher the albedo score, the greater the reflectivity

Question 12

weather vs. climate

Answer 12

daily vs. long term

Question 13

meteorology

Answer 13

study of the atmosphere

Question 14

how weather cells work

Answer 14

https://resized-images.flatworldknowledge.com/shostell_1-31754/1600/shostell_1-31754-fig706.png

Question 15

Coriolis effect

Answer 15

Movement of the air in large convection cells is deflected due to the force of the Earth’s spinning from west to east: wind belts

Question 16

trade winds

Answer 16

air moving towards the equator

Question 17

hurricanes

Answer 17

violent circulating windstorms; also known as a tropical cyclones.

Question 18

El Niño

Answer 18

northeast trade winds weaken and the warm waters of the Pacific swash back to South America (warm)

Question 19

Milankovitch cycles

Answer 19

Periodic wobbling of the Earth and a change in its axis tilt, in predictable incidences every 41,000 or 100,000 years.

Question 20

anthropogenic GHG emissions….

Answer 20

magnify warming effect b/c surpass natural emissions

Question 21

Greenhouse effect

Answer 21

traps greenhouse gases in atmosphere and keep from escaping into space, positive feedback cycle

Question 22

GHGs released by society

Answer 22

CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, carbon dioxide is most

Question 23

origins of GHGs released by society

Answer 23

fossil fuels, fertilizers, manufacturing, consumer purchases

Question 24

CO2 emissions from

Answer 24

Emissions from burning of fossil fuels in transportation, electricity, industry, residences

Question 25

methane originates from

Answer 25

second most common/more warming potential: originates from landfills, agriculture (rice), livestock, natural gas

Question 26

hadley cells

Answer 26

equator and 30 degrees N and S

Question 27

ferrel cells

Answer 27

between 30/60 degrees

Question 28

polar cells

Answer 28

between 60 and poles

Question 29

why are there deserts?

Answer 29

60 degree latitudes, descent of cool, dry air

Question 30

nitrous oxide from where/potency

Answer 30

laughing gas, 300 times warming power, third most abundant, agricultural sector

Question 31

fluorinated gases

Answer 31

most potent, developed as replacements for HCFCs, cooling equipment

Question 32

aerosols

Answer 32

solid/liquid particles in the atmosphere of natural/anthropogenic origin

Question 33

types of aerosols

Answer 33

sulfates/black carbon

Question 34

sulfates

Answer 34

reflecting ability

Question 35

black carbon

Answer 35

absorb solar radiation, contribute to climate change

Question 36

climate change effects (9)

Answer 36

global warming, ocean acidification, melting of ice sheets, flooding, changing of ocean currents, increase of storm events, heat waves, longer droughts, more precipitation

Question 37

thermal expansion

Answer 37

the expansion of volume due to warming; a significant cause of rising sea levels

Question 38

how will species distribution change?

Answer 38

poleward shift to too cold lands, lakes will decrease in size, depth, and number, larger, warmer, deeper oceans will offer new habitats

Question 39

ocean acidifcation

Answer 39

co2 reacts with water and forms carbonic acid, releases hydrogen ions/lowers pH

Question 40

urban heat island effect

Answer 40

Air temperatures are higher in cities relative to surrounding rural areas.

Question 41

natural pollutants

Answer 41

volcanoes, forest fires, the ground, ozone, sea spray, and dust storms

Question 42

acid rain

Answer 42

originates from the release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into atmosphere upon combustion of fossil fuels, undergo chemical reactions to form sulfuric and nitric acid, fall back to Earth

Question 43

ozone holes why?

Answer 43

result of CFCs release from cooling/solvents/aerosol spray cans/Styrofoam puffing agents

Question 44

smog

Answer 44

A mixture of air pollutants including ozone due to fossil fuel combustion; originally considered as a combination of smoke and fog.

Question 45

air inversion

Answer 45

A layer of cold air near the ground becomes trapped by a layer of warmer air above.

Question 46

radon gas

Answer 46

An indoor toxin emanating from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and bedrock. It enters buildings through drains and through cracks in foundations.

Question 47

how are weather patterns determined?

Answer 47

earth’s distance from the sun, tilt relative to rotational axis, distribution of water/landmasses on surface, composition of gasses in the atmosphere

Question 48

what does solar radiation do?

Answer 48

warms surface, drives hydrologic/biogeochemical cycles, produces climate

Question 49

how much of energy produced by sun reaches the Earth?

Answer 49

barely any

Question 50

when/what direction does the sun tilt towards the earth?

Answer 50

March-Sept = northern hemisphere, other is opposite

Question 51

differences in precipitation depend on…

Answer 51

amount of water in the atmosphere, equatorial uplift, geographic location, topographic features

Question 52

equatorial uplift

Answer 52

water evaporates from warm areas of the ocean

Question 53

rain shadow

Answer 53

dry on one side of mountain away from wind b/c of air temp. cooling as it rises, raining on the other side

Question 54

temp increase by 2100

Answer 54

2.0-5.5 C

Question 55

mitigation of climate change?

Answer 55

forests as carbon sinks, fuel economy of motor vehicles, separate and capture CO2 produced during fossil fuel combustion

Question 56

mitigation of rising sea level?

Answer 56

move settlements/seawalls, rivers channeled to prevent saltwater intrusion, find substitute crops, city planning

Question 57

greenhouse gas

Answer 57

absorbs infrared radiation

Question 58

Montreal protocol

Answer 58

50% reduction of CFC production by 1998, ozone continued

Question 59

acid deposition

Answer 59

sulfur dioxide/nitrogen oxide react with water vapor in the atmosphere that return to surface as either dry or wet deposition

Question 60

effects of acid deposition

Answer 60

thin-shelled eggs, decline in aquatic animal populations, forest decline

Question 61

atmosphere composition

Answer 61

78% nitrogen, 21% O2

Question 62

ecosystem services performed by atmosphere

Answer 62

protects Earth from most radiation, greenhouse gases absorb reradiated heat, atmosphere maintained by living organisms, cellular respiration/photosynthesis

Question 63

atmospheric convection

Answer 63

solar heating of ground causes air to warm, producing updraft of less dense, warm air