General Characteristics Of The Atmosphere

Question 1

Extent of the atmosphere and evidence?

Answer 1

Top of atmosphere does not have a clear definition
Evidence exists of atmosphere at high levels:
Satelite drag -1600km
Aurora Borealis - 1000km

Question 2

Describe vertical distribution of air density;

Answer 2

1/2 of weight in the lower 18,000ft /5-6km

Question 3

What are 3 atmospheric properties?

Answer 3

Mobility
Capacity for expansion
Capacity for compression

Question 4

Define Mobility in regards to the atmosphere.

Answer 4

Air must be mobile to produce weather

Question 5

Define capacity for Expansion.

Answer 5

Expansion causes temperature to cool and clouds to form
-
Utmost importance to meteorology, without it there would be no weather

Question 6

Define capacity for Compression;

Answer 6

Compression causes the temperature to warm, and any clouds to dissipate

Question 7

List the 5 most abundant gases in the atmosphere and state the percentage of volume of the two most abundant;

Answer 7

Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
Water vapour <_3%
Argon 0.91%
Carbon Dioxide 0.03% (varies)

Question 8

Which gas is most important to the weather and discuss why it is important.

Answer 8

Water vapour is the most important gas to weather
It can condense into liquid water (forming clouds and precipitation)
It can sublimate into solid water (Forming ice crystals, hail, snow, frost)

Question 9

Define and state the importance of lithometeors;

Answer 9

Could could not form without these particles/ condensation nuclei

Question 10

Define hyrdometeors;

Answer 10

All clouds and precipitation are composed of either liquid water droplets or ice crystals and therefore are composed of hydrometeors

Question 11

Name 2 Basic forms of air pollution:

Answer 11

Solid particles (incomplete burning of fuel particles)(coal, fuel containing lead additives, etc)
- larger particles fall to ground
-smaller particles remain suspended in the air

Question 12

How is the vertical classification of the atmosphere defined?

Answer 12

Divided into terms of temperature
Divisions are called spheres
Transition zone between two spheres is a “pause”

Question 13

State the 3 lowest vertical divisions, and their pauses (and the fourth for a bonus point!)

Answer 13

From the surface upward:
- Troposphere
\ Tropopause
- Stratosphere
\ Stratopause
- Mesosphere
\ Mesopause
- Thermosphere

Question 14

Describe the Troposphere;

Answer 14

Temperature decreases with height to its upper limit called the tropopause
-
Almost all weather occurs in the troposphere, due to its precense of water vapour and vertical air currents
-
Winds increase with height to reach a maximum just below the tropopause

Question 15

Describe the tropopause;

Answer 15

Dividing line between the troposphere and the stratosphere
-
Occurs when temperature stops decreasing and becomes constant with height (isothermal)
-
Height lowest over cold air and highest over warm air
-
Average height: 11km/36,000ft
|\ Poles: 7km /25,000 ft
\ Equator: 15km/ 56,000 ft
Higher tropopause = higher base of cirrus

Question 16

What affects the topopause height? (3)

Answer 16

Seasons - higher in summer than winter
-
Air mass - higher in warmer than colder airmasses

Question 17

Describe the Stratosphere;

Answer 17

Ozone absorbs ultraviolet light (UV)
-
Nacreous clouds appear here
\ (Mother of pearl) clouds indicate the presence of minute amounts of W.V. in form of ice crystals

Question 18

Describe the Mesosphere;

Answer 18

Meteors burn up in the mesosphere

Question 19

Describe the Thermosphere;

Answer 19

Aurora Borealis /Northern Lights occur here

Question 20

What are the four spheres of the atmosphere starting at the surface?

Answer 20

Stratosphere
-
Mesosphere
-
Thermosphere

Question 21

Which sphere contains almost all the atmosphere’s clouds, precipitation, and lithometeors?

Answer 21

Troposphere

Question 22

Which sphere contains the highest concentration of Ozone?

Answer 22

Stratosphere

Question 23

What (3) factors cause the tropopause to vary with height AND what do all 3 take into consideration?

Answer 23

All take temperature variations into account

Question 24

Discuss the variable height of the tropopause due to latitude, Season, and air mass with relation of the height of cirrus.

Answer 24

Lowest over cold air
Highest over warm air
-
Average Height: 11km
Avg H @ Poles: 7km / 36,000ft
Avg H @ @ Equator: 15 km / 56,000ft
-
Normally the higher the tropopause the higher the base of cirrus.

Question 25

State the purpose of the ICAO* Standard atmosphere and describe it from the surface to 65,000 ft.
* (International Civil Aviation Organization)

Answer 25

The ICAO Standard Atmosphere (ISA) is:
the average values for meteorological elements at 40⁰N Latitude from mean sea level (MSL) to 105,000ft (32km) based on dry air.
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Question 26

Define mesoscale, synoptic scale, and planetary scale.

Answer 26

Mesoscale: on the order of a few kilometers to some tens of kilometers
- ex: Thunderstorm/Sea Breeze/Mountain wind
-
Synoptic scale: on the order of several hundred to 2 thousand kilometers
- ex: Migratory Lows & High Pressure systems
-
Planetary scale: on the order of several thousand kilometers
- ex: Long wave troughs & ridges