chapter 17 earth science Flashcards
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Describe Earths atmosphere
the earths atmosphere is unique. The gases that make u[ earths atmosphere andthe controlsto which they are subject are vital to our existence.
describe composition of atmosphere
a mixture of gases and some suspended solids and liquids. nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, water vapor, and other gases.
what two gases make up 99% of the earths atmosphere
nitrogen and oxygen
what are some variable components of the atmosphere
water vapor, dust particles, and ozone concentration can vary.
what is cfcs
it causes ozone layer depletion. It was use in a.cs and refrigerators but people noticed it and banned it so now the ozone layer is getting better.
human influence
air pollutants are airborne particles and gases that occur in concentration large enough to endanger the health of organisms.
what are the two type of smog
photochemical, and sulfurous fog.
describe height and structure of the atmosphere
there is no direct boundary of where the atmosphere ends and space begins
the atmosphere thins as go outward from earth.
describe pressure changes
pressure is the force pushing on an area of earths surface
is the result of the wirght of a column of air pushing down on an area. We are only safe because the air is also pushing up from the bottom.
describe temperature changes
the amosphere is divided into four layers based on temperature changes. Some layers absorb the suns energy while others do not
Lower and upper atmosphere
lower: troposphere, stratosphere,
higher: mesosphere, thermosphere (above them all is exosphere)
what are the two layers the thermospher is divided into
ionosphere, and exosphere
describe ionospher and exosphere
ionosphere: the lower layer has electrically charged particles. useful for comms cus they reflect radio waves
exosphere: it is the uppermost layer of the thermosphere. there is no clear boundary between the exosphere and space.
earth sun relationships
nearly all the energy that drives earths weather and climate is from the sun.
earths motion
earth has two main motions. rotation and revolution
earths orientation and seasons
the earth revolves around the sun at a tilt
what is the tilt of the earth
23.5
what is the suns apparent path
we know that the apparent path of the sun of rising in the east and setting in the west is due to earth rotation.
solstices and equinoxes
solstice is when the sun reaches its greatest distance north or south of the equator. equinox is when the sun is above the earths equator.
what dates are the solstices and equinoxes
summer solstice: June 21,22
winter solstice: December 21,22
spring equinox: march 20,21
fall equinox: September 22,23
what is the length of the day
during equinoxes the daylight and night hours are both twleve. during the summer solstice the days are the longest but in winter solstice the days are the shortest.
heating the atmosphere? what is temperature?
heat is the energy transferred from one object to another because of the difference in temperature. temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy of atoms or molecules in a substance.
what is energy transfer as heat
there are three mechanisms of energy transfer between earths surface and the atmosphere. conduction, convection and radiation.
what is conduction convection and radiation
conduction: it is when you touch the object directly and the heat transfers.
convection: convection is the transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation within a substance.
radiation: unlike conduction and convection which need material to travel through the transfer of heat energy by radiation can occur through the vacuum of space.
what are the four laws that govern radiation
- all objects at any temp emit radiant energy.
- hotter objects radiate more total energy per unit area than colder objects do.
- the hottest radiating bodies produce the shortest wavelengths of maximum radiation.
- objects that are good absorbers of radiation are good emitters as well.
what happens to solar radiation
when radiation an object ther usually are three different results.
what are the three results of solar radiation striking an object
- some solar energy is absorbed by the object. this energy is converted to heat and causes and increase in temp
- substances such as water and air are transparent to certain wavelengths of radiation. so they transmit the radiant energy not adding energy to the object
- some radiation may bounce the object without being absorbed or transmitted.
describe reflection and scattering.
reflection occurs when an electromagnetic waves bounces off an object. no energy is lost.
scattering produces a larger number of weaker rays that travel in different directions.
how much solar radiation is being reflected or scattered back into space.
30%
describe absorption of solr energy
50% of solar energy reaches earths surface and is absorbed. most of this energy is then reradiated skyward.
what is the greenhouse effect
the term given to describe the atmospheric gases absorbing energy and reradiating back to earth to maintain a more constant surface temperature.
describe photosynthesis in plants
some incoming solar radiation is absorbed by plants algae and phytoplankton so they can do photosynthesis this solar radiation is not absorbed or reradiated.
what are the two sources that form acid rain
1.sulfur dioxide from burning coal combines with moisture in air forming sulfuric acid
2. Nitrogen oxide (car exhaust) combines with moisture in the air to form nitric acid.
what is the scale used to measure the acid in things
ph scale
why do temperatures vary
because of the angle of sun rays hitting earths surface at different latitudes are key in various temperature changes
land and water on temperature
land heats up faster and to a higher temperature than water. this greatly impacts the atmosphere above these surfaces.
describe geographic position
such as being a windward or a leeward coastal position. prevailing wind is the most common wind direction a location recieves.
describe altitude at equator
Guayaquil is at 12m elevation while Quito is 2800m. Guayaquil is 25 Celsius while Quito is 13 Celsius notice how they have very little seasonal change because of being at the equator.
what is albedo
the fraction of light a surface reflects. clouds have a lot so more clouds equals low temp les quals high temp.
what are isotherms
they are lines on a map that connects points of the same temperature. they are similar to contour lines. sometimes colors are added to see the temperatures.
