Chapter 3 - Introduction to the Atmosphere Flashcards
2) A major characteristic of the troposphere is the ________.
A) decrease of temperature with increasing altitude
B) presence of the ozone layer
C) total absence of water vapor
D) increase of pressure with altitude
E) hottest temperatures in the atmosphere
A) decrease of temperature with increasing altitude
3) Above \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ kilometer(s), the atmospheric pressure is so slight as not to register on an ordinary barometer. A) 0.8 B) 8 C) 80 D) 800 E) 8,000
C) 80
4) The controls of weather and climate include all but which of the following?
A) the distribution of land and water
B) latitude
C) the plane of the Equator
D) the general circulation of the ocean currents
E) altitude
C) the plane of the Equator
5) The normal percent of water vapor in dry air is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ percent. A) 0-4 B) 5-10 C) 15-20 D) 25-30 E) 45-50
A) 0-4
6) The segment of the atmosphere which blends into interplanetary space is called the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) troposphere B) exosphere C) stratosphere D) mesosphere E) thermosphere
B) exosphere
7) The side of a mountain sheltered from prevailing winds is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) windward B) leeward C) Coriolis D) meridional E) sunnier
B) leeward
8) The third most plentiful gas in the Earth's lower atmosphere is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) nitrogen B) oxygen C) argon D) neon E) helium
C) argon
9) Oxygen (O2) is being added to the atmosphere by A) solar radiation. B) animal decomposition. C) meteorites. D) vegetation. E) the burning of coal.
D) vegetation.
10) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is (are) crucial to the formation of clouds in the atmosphere. A) Ozone B) Argon C) Neon D) Particulates E) Lightning
D) Particulates
11) With the exception of water vapor, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the most plentiful of the variable gases in the atmosphere. A) argon B) carbon dioxide C) sulfur dioxide D) ozone E) carbon monoxide
B) carbon dioxide
12) The segment of the atmosphere in which gases maintain an approximately uniform composition is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) homosphere B) exosphere C) ionosphere D) stratosphere E) troposphere
A) homosphere
13) A variable gas in the atmosphere nearly absent from the higher elevations is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) carbon dioxide B) ozone C) sulfur dioxide D) carbon monoxide E) water vapor
E) water vapor
14) At an elevation of 16 kilometers (in the lower stratosphere), atmospheric pressure is approximately one-\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ of what it is at the surface. A) tenth B) thousandth C) quarter D) half E) hundredth
A) tenth
15) The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is the layer of the atmosphere where electrified atoms are plentiful. A) thermosphere B) ionosphere C) troposphere D) exosphere E) stratosphere
B) ionosphere
16) The main impact of ozone on life on the Earth’s surface is to ________.
A) provide oxygen for the atmosphere
B) reduce ultraviolet solar radiation
C) serve as nucleus for cloud formation
D) act as a lid preventing gases from escape
E) initiate violent storms
B) reduce ultraviolet solar radiation
17) The lower 80 kilometers or so in the atmosphere in which gases are found in uniform proportions is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) heterosphere B) homosphere C) ionosphere D) exosphere E) stratosphere
B) homosphere
18) One-half of the atmosphere lies below the elevation of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ kilometers. A) 0.56 B) 5.6 C) 56 D) 560 E) 5,600
B) 5.6
19) The atmospheric layer in which gases do not maintain a uniform composition is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) ionosphere B) homosphere C) troposphere D) heterosphere E) none of the above
E) none of the above
20) It is really improper to discuss or classify climate with any record less than \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) several weeks B) 1 year C) 5 years D) several decades E) 100 years
D) several decades
1) The main component of the lower atmosphere by total volume is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) oxygen B) nitrogen C) helium D) argon E) water vapor
B) nitrogen
21) The approximate, indistinct outer boundary of the atmosphere extends outward at least \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ kilometers above the surface. A) 1,000 B) 2,500 C) 5,000 D) 6,000 E) thousands of kilometers
E) thousands of kilometers
22) Over warm oceans, water vapor is at its maximum and comprises about \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ percent of the volume of the atmosphere. A) 1 B) 4 C) 10 D) 25 E) 50
B) 4
23) Which of the following is NOT gaseous in the atmosphere? A) argon B) clouds C) neon D) helium E) water vapor
B) clouds
24) A main absorber of ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A) argon B) neon C) ozone D) carbon dioxide E) dust
C) ozone