Earth's atmosphere Flashcards
Study for test
percentage of gases in earth’s atmosphere
Nitrogen: 78%; Oxygen:21%; All other gases: 1%
The pressure of wet and dry air.
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Air Pressure vs. Altitude
Air pressure decreases as altitude increases. Air pressure increases as altitude decreases.
Properties of air.
1) Air has mass. 2) Air has Density which is mass divided by volume. 3) Air has pressure, which is a force pushing on an area or surface.
Instruments used to measure wind.
An anemometer is a device used for measuring wind speed
Instrument used to measure air pressure.
A barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Instrument used to measure humidity.
hygrometer
How to calculate relative humidity with a wet bulb and dry bulb.
Subtract the wet bulb temperature from the dry bulb temperature. Dry bulb - wet bulb = difference in temperature between the two bulbs. Find the temperature of the dry bulb on the column for the dry temperature bulb. Intersect the difference between the wet and dry bulb temperature with the dry bulb temperature. The number at that intersection is the relative humidity.
“pauses” in the atmosphere are:
Boundaries (“pauses”) between layers are defined by where temperature stays about the same with height.
Order of the layers:
1) Thermosphere 2) Mesophere 3) Stratosphere 4) Troposphere (From highest elevation to lowesta)
The basis for dividing the layers:
The atmosphere can be divided into four layers based on temperature variations. The layer closest to the Earth is called the troposphere. Above this layer is the stratosphere, followed by the mesosphere, then the thermosphere.
The layer people live in:
Troposphere
Meteors are found in:
Meteors burn up in the mesosphere.
Aurora Borealis is found in:
Thermosphere/Ionosphere
The ozone layer is located in:
the stratosphere.
The temperature of the Troposphere
decreases with elevation
The temperature of the stratosphere
increases with elevation
The temperature of the Mesosphere
decreases with elevation
The temperature of the Thermosphere
increases with elevation
Define Ozone
Ozone is a colorless, odorless reactive gas comprised of three oxygen atoms.
Ozone absorbs energy from
ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the sun.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is defined as when the Earth’s atmosphere becomes thick with gases and substances which trap the sun’s radiation, making the Earth warmer.
The relationship between air pressure and density is
f pressure increases, density generally increases in response.
Weather versus climate:
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere and its short-term variation in minutes to weeks. Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a period of time, often 30 years. Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a period of time, often 30 years.
