Topic 4

Question 1

atmosphere contains?

Answer 1

Gases (permanent and variable)
Water droplets (clouds and precipitation)
Microscopic solid particles (aerosols)

Question 2

permanent gases

Answer 2

nitrogen, oxygen, and argon

Question 3

variable gases

Answer 3

water vapor

Question 4

trace gases

Answer 4

carbon monoxide, methane ozone, CFCs, etc

Question 5

Gases form a constant proportion of the atmosphere, and have long residence times (thousands to millions of years).

Answer 5

Permanent gases

Question 6

Gases vary in atmospheric concentration in both time and space.

Answer 6

variable gases

Question 7

Extremely important variable gas with short residence time (~10 years).

Answer 7

water vapor

Question 8

Invisible gaseous phase of water.

Answer 8

water vapor

Question 9

Atmospheric concentration highest near ocean surface in tropics

Answer 9

(~4%).

Question 10

Atmospheric concentration lowest in deserts and at high altitudes

Answer 10

(near 0%)

Question 11

An important greenhouse gas with concentration of 0.0386% (386ppm) and residence time of 150 years.

Answer 11

Carbon dioxide

Question 12

sources of carbon dioxide

Answer 12

Sources
- Plant and animal respiration
- Volcanoes
- Organic decay
- Combustion

Question 13

carbon dioxide sink

Answer 13

Sinks
- Photosynthesis (plants)
- Oceans

Question 14

A beneficial and harmful variable gas.

Answer 14

ozone

Question 15

Ozone concentrations in the stratosphere (~10-30 miles above sea level) are?

Answer 15

relatively high

Question 16

Ozone concentration near earth’s surface is usually _____, but can increase to 0.15 ppm through chemical reactions in polluted air (irritant).

Answer 16

near zero

Question 17

A variable gas with residence time of ~10 years that has high potential for greenhouse warming.

Answer 17

methane

Question 18

Methane Sources

Answer 18

Sources
1. Rice cultivation, wetlands
2. Mining
3. Biomass burning
4. Fossil fuel extraction
5. Animal digestion

Question 19

Methane Sinks

Answer 19

1. Atmospheric chemical reactions

Question 20

Small solid particles (e.g. dust, smoke, sea spray, volcanic ash)

Answer 20

Aerosols

Question 21

Typical concentration of aerosols

Answer 21

= 17,000/in3

Question 22

Typical diameter of aerosols

Answer 22

= 10 microns (0.00001 meter)

Question 23

Typical life span of aerosols =

Answer 23

days to weeks.

Question 24

Mostly from natural sources.

Answer 24

aerosols

Question 25

Aerosols primary sinks

Answer 25

Primary sinks include dry and wet deposition.

Question 26

Act as cloud condensation nuclei

Answer 26

aerosols