Grade 10 June Flashcards
What is the atmosphere?
The thin layer of gases surrounding the Earth, kept in place by the Earth’s gravity.
What is oxygen?
A gas with no colour or smell that is very important for life on Earth.
What are constant gases?
Those atmospheric gases whose concentrations are stable and do not change much over time.
What are inert (noble) gases?
Colourless, odourless gases with low chemical activity.
What is water vapour?
The gaseous form of water.
What is atmospheric pressure?
The pressure caused by the weight of the air above any area of the Earth’s atmosphere.
What is ozone?
A molecule made up of 3 oxygen atoms instead of the usual 2. It absorbs ultraviolet radiation.
What is the ozone layer?
A layer in the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone. It protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
What is the ozone hole?
The decrease in stratospheric ozone quantities, observed on a seasonal basis (September to November) over Antarctica, and to a lesser extent over the Arctic.
What is the first 80km called?
Homosphere
Give an example of an inert/ noble gas.
Argon
What are the 5 important qualities of the atmosphere?
Contains the air we breathe
Absorb’s the Sun’s radiation
Burns up meteoroids before they hit the earth
Keeps moderate heat on earth
Traps heat at night
What is the first 80km of the atmosphere called?
The homosphere
What is 80-100km of the atmosphere called?
The turbopause
What is the section of the atmosphere that’s 100km and up called?
The heterosphere
What is the border between stratosphere and the mesosphere?
The stratopause
In which two layers of the atmosphere does temperature decrease with altitude?
The troposphere and the mesosphere
Where is the homosphere?
0-80km
Where is the heterosphere?
100km and higher
What do you call the border between the mesosphere and the thermosphere?
The mesosphere
Where is the thermosphere?
80-480km
Where is the turbopause?
80km-100km
In which 2 layers of the atmosphere does temperature increase with altitude?
In the stratosphere and the thermosphere
Where is the troposphere?
Up to about 12km
Where is the stratosphere?
12-50km
Where is the mesosphere?
50-80km
Where is the ozone layer?
15-35km
What man made things can be found in the stratosphere?
Aeroplanes and weather balloons
What does the ozone layer do?
Absorbs ultraviolet radiation
Where are the strongest winds found?
Up to 3000km/h
In the mesosphere
What was discovered in 1913 by a French physicist?
The ozone layer
How do UV rays affect people?
Non-melanoma skin cancer
Melanoma
Cataracts
How do UV rays affect plants?
Ways plants form
Affect soil nutrients
Growth
Affects their metabolisms
Reduces photosynthesis
How do UV rays affect animals
They feed on affected plants
How are marine animals affected by UV rays?
They eat phytoplankton, which grow close to the surface and become affected
What was done to reduce CFC’s in 1987?
The Montreal protocol
What is insolation?
Incoming solar radiation
What is convection
A process in which heat energy is distributed through movement of heat molecules from one position to another.
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases that absorb radiation from the Earth and contribute to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere
What is global warming?
The process in which the world’s temperature is rising
What is a temperature range?
The difference between minimum and maximum temperatures
What are isotherms?
Lines on a map joining places with the same air temperature.
How much of the Sun’s rays are absorbed by the Earth’s surface?
46%
What is another term for the transfer of energy from the earth’s surface?
Terrestrial radiation
What happens after the sun’s rays reach the ground?
The short-wave rays are changed to long-wave(infrared) waves. These are radiated back into the atmosphere
What is convection?
The vertical transfer of energy by movement of molecules.
What is conduction?
The transfer of energy from molecule to molecule.
What 3 currents are on the coast of South Africa?
Cold Benguela current
Warm Agulhas current
Warm Mozambique current
In what 2 ways are places further from the equator cooler?
Solar radiation must travel through a thicker layer of atmosphere
Solar radiation is distributed over a greater surface
What climates do coastal and inland places have?
Coastal climates: maritime climate
Inland climates: continental climate
What are the 6 factors that influence horizontal temperature change?
Latitude Altitude Distance from the sea Ocean current Aspect Movement of air masses
Climate graph excluded.
Include if needed in November exams
What are 6 greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide Methane CFC's Nitrous oxide Water vapour HFC's
What does it mean to annotate?
To add explanatory notes to a diagram or sketch.
What does it mean to classify?
To arrange or organise information into groups based on similarities.
Note!
Study precipitation symbols
What is a synoptic chart?
A summary of the weather of an area based on information.