phys 1009

Question 1

Earth’s early atmosphere was made of

Answer 1

Hydrogen and Helium

Question 2

Today the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of mostly

Answer 2

Nitrogen and Oxygen

Question 3

Levels of Earth’s atmosphere

Answer 3

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere

Question 4

The troposphere is responsible for what

Answer 4

Weather

Question 5

In the troposphere the temperature ______ with altitude

Answer 5

decreases

Question 6

The stratosphere is

Answer 6

Calm and stable with no convection or turbulence

Question 7

How is the stratosphere heated?

Answer 7

From above by solar UV radiation

Question 8

The stratosphere is rich with what

Answer 8

O3, ozone

Question 9

In the mesosphere temperature ______ with altitude

Answer 9

Decreases

Question 10

The thermosphere is home to

Answer 10

The northern lights
International Space Station

Question 11

In the thermosphere temperature _____ with altitude

Answer 11

increases

Question 12

Ozone is manufactured as ____

Answer 12

O2

Question 13

O2 absorbs _____

Answer 13

UV radiation

Question 14

What happens to the ozone as it absorbs UV radiation

Answer 14

gets destroyed

Question 15

What causes depletion of the ozone layer

Answer 15

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFS)
Chlorine acts as a catalyst

Question 16

Can O3 also be manufactured at the ground level?

Answer 16

Yes

Question 17

How is the tropospheric Ozone manufactured?

Answer 17

When primary pollutants react with sunlight

Question 18

Greenhouse effect

Answer 18

Heat gets trapped in the atmosphere
Maintains global temp at around 14 degrees C
Therefore some greenhouse effect is good

Question 19

What are the Milankovitch cycles?

Answer 19

Periodic changes in Earth’s motion around the sun

Question 20

What does the Milankovitch Cycles affect

Answer 20

Affect climate (regular and predictable cycles, insolation at each latitude)

Question 21

Earth’s orbital elliptical is closest to the sun when

Answer 21

January (perihelion)

Question 22

Earth’s orbital elliptical is farther from the sun when

Answer 22

July (aphelion)

Question 23

What does Earth’s elliptical orbit do to the seasons?

Answer 23

Does not dictate the seasons

Question 24

Cycle 1 Eccentricity

Answer 24

Eccentricity of orbit increases/decreases, The Cycle lasts 100,000
Duration of the seasons

Question 25

Cycle 2 Obliquity

Answer 25

Why do we have changes in seasons? Earth’s axis is tilted concerning the orbital plane
Strengths of yearly seasonal variation

Question 26

Cycle 3 Precession

Answer 26

Axial precession: Earth’s axis wobbles, like a toy top
Augment/diminish yearly seasonal contrast

Question 27

Proxy Data

Answer 27

Climate info is preserved in features of the environment (tree rings, ice core samples)

Question 28

Examples of natural climate influences

Answer 28

Cycles in the Sun’s intensity and volcanic eruptions

Question 29

What is El Nino/La Nina

Answer 29

General forecast trends are created

Question 30

Examples of Anthropogenic Climate Change

Answer 30

Deforestation