TOPIC 2 Flashcards
ATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIES
varies as one moves upward from the surface of the Earth
Temperature of the Earth
Region where nearly all water vapor exists and essentially all weather occurs.
troposphere
the temperature decreases with height at the rate of approximately 6.5°C per 1000m of altitude.
tropophosphere
increases with height, and regions where the temperature decreases with height.
Temperature
Temperature decreases with altitude since it absorb very little of the incoming solar radiation.
troposphere
Heating is most effective near the ground
troposphere
Region above the troposphere and a region where temperatures actually increase with increasing height.
stratosphere
Temperature remains isothermal until about 20 km.
stratosphere
directly warmed by the Sun
stratosphere
higher concentration of ozone
stratosphere
an effective absorber of solar ultraviolet radiation.
stratosphere
Approximately 90% of the ozone in the atmosphere resides in the?
stratosphere
Ozone concentration in the this region is about 10 parts per million by volume (ppmv) as compared to approximately 0.04 ppmv in the troposphere.
stratophere
Air is very thin at this height and temperature decreases with increasing height.
mesosphere
The thin air and small amounts of ozone prevent the air from warming much.
mesosphere
The region of the atmosphere where the most energetic solar energy is absorbed.
thermosphere
Region where ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and high-energy gamma radiation are all absorbed by the thermosphere, which causes the few particles present to heat up considerably.
thermosphere
Amount of water in the air relative to the saturation amount the air can hold at a given temperature multiplied by 100.
relative humidity
higher value of RH means that the atmosphere is?
nearing saturation
a lower value means the atmosphere is?
far from saturation
the molecules in the air apply pressure to everything on earth, including us.
air pressure
High pressure in the atmosphere causes?
the air to compress and sink, leading to clear skies and calm conditions.
Measures the ‘heaviness’ of an object or how closely ‘packed’ the substance is.
density
Measure of number of air molecules in a given area.
density
Higher the number of molecules the?
dense the air is
