test 4

Question 1

What are the four layers of the atmosphere and their relative position.

Answer 1

Troposphere 0-8 miles altitude
Stratosphere 9-30 miles altitude
Mesosphere 31-55 miles altitude
Thermosphere 55+ miles

Question 2

What are important characteristics of each layer of the atmosphere?

Answer 2

Troposphere – zone of weather, with clouds
Stratosphere – has the ozone that protects life from UV radiation
Mesosphere – decreasing temperature with altitude
Thermosphere – first interaction of objects from space to earth

Question 3

What are the four most important gases in our atmosphere and their relative percentages?

Answer 3

78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
0.93% argon
0.04% carbon dioxide

Question 4

What factors help generate the atmospheric composition?

Answer 4

Size of planet
Planet internal composition
life

Question 5

What can happen to sunlight before it might get to the Earth’s surface?

Answer 5

Reflected
Scattered
Absorbed
Transmitted

Question 6

Why does the position of the sun change during a single day?

Answer 6

The earth spins round on its axis, so we see the sun rise, move across the sky and set

Question 7

The position (angle) of the sun in the sky changes throughout the year. Why?

Answer 7

the axis of earth’s spin is 23.5 degrees off of its rotation plane around the sun
thus the position of the sun in the sky changes through the year

Question 8

What is the relative position of the Sun at the beginning of each season
March 22, June 22, September 22, and December 22

Answer 8

March – noon sun is directly overhead at equator
June – noon sun directly overhead at 23 degrees N
September – noon sun directly overhead at equator
December – noon sun directly overhead at 23 degrees S

Question 9

Contrast the position of the sun at noon on June 22: at the equator, in newberry, at the north pole

Answer 9

at the Equator : from above the sun is overhead at 23 degree north, so at the equator it is 23 degrees from overhead
in Newberry: we are 34 degrees from the equator, so the sun would be 34 – 23 degrees = 11 degree from overhead
at the North Pole: the north pole is 90 degrees from the equator,
thus the sun will be 90 - 23 = 67 degrees from overhead

Question 10

What are meant by the terms equinox and solstice?

Answer 10

• Equinox means equal light both north and south of the equator
  and the sun will be overhead at the equator
• Solstice is when the sun reaches its highest or lowest declination
  thus at either 23 degrees N or S of the equator

Question 11

Once a surface heats from sunlight, how can the heat dissipate (move away)?

Answer 11

Conduction
Convection
Radiation

Question 12

Contrast the terms weather and climate.

Answer 12

Weather – daily patterns of temperatures and precipitation
Climate – long range averages patterns of weather

Question 13

As a surface warms, how does the following change: air expands or shrinks? rises or sinks?

Answer 13

the air, as it worms will expand, then since less dense air will rise

Question 14

How does a High Pressure area develop?

Answer 14

the air is cooler and will be more dense, and sink

Question 15

How does a Low Pressure area develop?

Answer 15

the air is warming and expanding, so it’s less dense and will rise

Question 16

At the ocean coast, describe the development of a sea breeze, a land breeze.

Answer 16

Sea breeze – air on land warms and rises, creating a low-pressure area, air moves in from ocean
Land breeze – cooler air over land sinks creating a high-pressure area, air moves out from land

Question 17

What is a Hadley Cell? Where does it develop?

Answer 17

air rises near equator, sinks near 30 degrees

Question 18

How does the Coriolis effect modify air and water movement?

Answer 18

There is a counterclockwise circulation of air and water to the N, clockwise circulation of air to the S

Question 19

Describe the results of the Westerlies and Trade Winds on developing wind patterns.

Answer 19

Westerlies – near 30-60 degrees N or S of the equator
Trade winds – near 0-30 degrees N or S of the equator

Question 20

What and where are the Horse Latitudes?

Answer 20

Air near 30 degrees N and S tend to not move

Question 21

Describe the following localized wind patterns.
Chinook Winds; Katabatic Winds; Santa Ana Winds

Answer 21

Chinook winds, warm dry air from mountains sink down onto the Great Plains
Katabatic winds, commonly blow as cold dry air from large ice masses such as Greenland and Antarctica
Santa Ana winds, high pressure develops over deserts regions, moves over the mountains and comes down into the coastal valleys as very dry air

Question 22

Describe a Low Pressure system; a High Pressure system.

Answer 22

Low pressure – air moves towards center, rising air will cool and condense, leads to potential rainy weather
High pressure – air moves away from center, sinking air will warm and becomes dryer, leads to sunny and dry weather

Question 23

How do the following effect weather patterns and climates? Jet Stream; Monsoons

Answer 23

Jet stream is a pattern of winds moving from west to east. They will migrate north and south with the seasons. For us we will have more cool windy weather in the winter
Monsoons are mostly in India. During the dry season air drops from the mountains and is dry, for the rainy season the winds reverse, bringing warm moist air northward off the ocean