Section 1

Question 1

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 1

weather refers to short term processes and phenomena, climate is long term processes and phenomena

Question 2

How do we define the structure of the atmosphere?

Answer 2

It has a vertical structure with different temperature profiles to differentiate each

Question 3

How many layers are there to the atmosphere and what are there names?

Answer 3

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere

Question 4

What are the 5 vital characteristics of the troposphere?

Answer 4

1. Virtually all weather processes happen there
2. Steady temperature decrease with increase in height
3. 80% of atmospheric mass is here
4. Significantly turbulent and lots of movement
5. 0-10km in height

Question 5

What are the atmospheric pauses?

Answer 5

The transition phase from one layer of the atmosphere to the next when the change in temperature pauses or slows down

Question 6

What are the 4 vital characteristics of the stratosphere?

Answer 6

1. Little to no weather processes happen there
2. Temperature steadily INCREASES with height
3. Calmer and less turbulent than troposphere
4. 10-50km in height

Question 7

What is inversion and what is it caused by?

Answer 7

Inversion is defined by a temperature increase with height and is caused by absorption of ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere by the ozone

Question 8

What are the 3 vital characteristics of the mesosphere?

Answer 8

1. 50-80km in height
2. Temperature decreases with height
3. Coldest layer

Question 9

What are the 2 vital characteristics of the thermosphere

Answer 9

1. 80-infinte km in height
2. increasing temperature with increasing height due to solar radiation

Question 10

What is the unit of concentration when referring to gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 10

ppm ( part per million )

Question 11

What are permanent gases and what do they do?

Answer 11

They are gases in the atmosphere that do not change and do not affect weather

Question 12

What are variable gases, what do they do, and list all of them?

Answer 12

Gases in the atmosphere that change and affect weather, they are :
1. Water vapor
2. Carbon Dioxide
3. Ozone
4. Aerosols
5. Methane

Question 13

What is the most abundant variable gas?

Answer 13

Water vapor

Question 14

Which variable gases contribute to the Earth’s energy balance?

Answer 14

Water vapor and carbon dioxide

Question 15

Why is ozone location important?

Answer 15

Ozone near the surface is a pollutant while in the stratosphere is essential to absorber ultraviolet radiation

Question 16

What does methane in our atmosphere do?

Answer 16

Effective absorber of terrestrial radiations and plays a role in near-surface warming

Question 17

What are aerosols?

Answer 17

any solid and/or liquid particle ( other than water ) in the atmosphere

Question 18

What are the vital facts about aerosols?

Answer 18

They are both natural and anthropogenic, they can remain suspended for weeks, and they serve as a condensation nuclei

Question 19

When did ozone observations begin?

Answer 19

mid 1950’s

Question 20

What was the Montreal Protocol and when was it ratified?

Answer 20

It was an international agreement to reduce the production and use of CFC’s to protect the ozone, it was ratified in 1987

Question 21

What are the necessary ingredients for the Ozone Hole?

Answer 21

1. Large concentration of Chlorine
2. Cold temperatures ( for the polar stratospheric clouds )
3. sunlight to break down the CFC’s