UNIT 4 | Lesson 1 | Our Atmosphere Flashcards
What are some common gases found in earth’s atmosphere?
- Nitrogen
- Oxygen
- CO2
- Methane
What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere?
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
What is the Troposphere
An atmospheric layer closest to earth’s surface
What is the Stratosphere?
An atmospheric layer (above the Troposphere), it contains most of the ozone in the atmosphere
What is the Mesosphere?
An atmospheric layer (above the Stratosphere)
What is the Thermosphere?
An atmospheric layer (above the Mesosphere), it is the farthest atmospheric layer from earth
What is the Biosphere?
A thin layer of earth that has the requirements to support life
True or False:
The biosphere includes physical environments
True:
The biosphere includes the physical environment that harbors life on earth
What is the lithosphere?
The solid portion of the earth
What is the hydrosphere?
All the water on earth (solid, liquid, and gas)
Definition of:
Insolation
The amount of solar energy received by a region of the earth’s surface
Definition of:
Angle of Inclination
The degree by which the earth’s poles are tilted from the perpendicular plane of its orbit (earth’s tilt)
Definition of:
Angle of Incidence
The angle between a solar ray and the surface it hits
What is the angle of incidence at the equator? (and what does this mean?)
Angle = 0
This means regions around the equator will usually be warmer than others
Definition of:
Equinox
A point in time where the angle of inclination is closest to 0 (equal day and night)
Definition of:
Solstice
A point in time where the angle of inclination is farthest from zero (longest day or longest night depending on location)
When is the summer solstice?
Around June 20th
When is the winter solstice?
Around December 21st
What happens to solar rays when they hit earth?
They can either be reflected or absorbed by particles
What does the term “Albedo” mean?
A measure of the amount of reflection of solar rays on the earth’s surface
What is the green house effect?
The absorption of thermal energy by the atmosphere
What are some common green house gases?
- Water vapor
- CO2
- Methane
