Unit 1: Composition of the atmosphere

Question 1

Troposphere: height?

Answer 1

12km

Question 2

Troposphere: temperature and at what rate?

Answer 2

Decreases with increasing height at the environmental lapse rate of 6,4℃/100m

Question 3

Troposphere: what does it contain?

Answer 3

Most of the water vapour, cloud, dust, pollution

Question 4

Stratosphere: height?

Answer 4

12 - 50km

Question 5

Stratosphere: temperature?

Answer 5

Increases with increasing height

Question 6

Stratosphere: what causes the temperature change?

Answer 6

The ozone is concentrated in this layer, it absorbs incoming UV radiation

Question 7

Mesosphere: height?

Answer 7

50 - 80km

Question 8

Mesosphere: temperature?

Answer 8

Decreases with increasing height

Question 9

Mesosphere: what causes the temperature change?

Answer 9

There is little water vapour, dust, cloud or ozone to absorb terrestrial radiation

Question 10

Mesosphere: temperature and wind speed

Answer 10

-90℃ and 3000km/h

Question 11

Mesosphere: what clouds form when ice crystals form around meteoric dust and when does this happen?

Answer 11

Noctilucent clouds form at night

Question 12

Thermosphere: height?

Answer 12

80 - 480km

Question 13

Thermosphere: temperature?

Answer 13

Increases with increasing height

Question 14

Thermosphere: what causes the temperature change?

Answer 14

Strong solar radiation and lots of atomic oxygen which absorbs it

Question 15

What forms the homosphere and the heterosphere?

Answer 15

The thermosphere forms the heterosphere and the other three form the homosphere

Question 16

What is the order of the spheres?

Answer 16

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere

Question 17

When does the atmosphere become less dense? Does air pressure increase or decrease with increasing altitude?

Answer 17

As altitude increases, decrease

Question 18

4 reasons atmosphere is important

Answer 18

Oxygen for respiration, absorbs harmful radiation, burns up meteoroids, regulates the temperature