Deck 16: The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Question 1

One half of the atmosphere is below _____ .

A) 1 km 0.6 miles.
B) 10 km 6 miles.
C) 7.2 km 4.3 miles.
D) 5.6 km 3.5 miles.
E) 3.5 km 2.1 miles.

Answer 1

7.2 km 4.3 miles.

Question 2

Which of the following gases is an efficient absorber of the earth's emitted energy?

A) argon
B) nitrogen
C) carbon dioxide
D) oxygen
E) none of the above

Answer 2

carbon dioxide

Question 3

The major risk to humans from the depletion of ozone is the increase in_____ .

A) chlorine in the atmosphere, which is poisonous to most humans
B) CO₂ from plant production
C) deaths due to lung cancer
D) cataracts and damage to the immune systems
E) deaths due to skin cancer

Answer 3

deaths due to skin cancer

Question 4

The main difference between weather and climate is that _____ .

A) weather is the daily variations that actually occur at a location and climate is the general pattern of weather over time
B) climate is the regional pattern based on latitude and humidity while weather is the daily pattern based on season
C) climate is a political opinion while weather is reality
D) climate is the daily variations that actually occur at a location and weather is the general pattern of climate over time
E) weather is the regional pattern based on latitude and humidity while climate is the daily pattern based on season

Question 5

Which one of the following are the three most abundant gases in the dry atmosphere?

A) carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen
B) argon, carbon dioxide, nitrogen
C) nitrogen, oxygen, argon
D) oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide

Question 6

Where is the top of the atmosphere?

A) 100 km above sea level
B) 21 km above sea level
C) 32 km above sea level
D) There is no defined upper limit to the atmosphere.

Question 7

If you consider all fifty states, the United States spans _____ .

A) the middle latitudes
B) from the tropics to the Arctic
C) from the temperate zone to the Arctic
D) the entire range of the Northern Hemisphere
E) from the tropics to temperate zones

Question 8

Why is ozone concentrated in a particular range of levels in the atmosphere?

A) It reflects light back into space at that level, and the energy from that reaction fuels the formation of ozone.
B) It requires a catalyst, an isolated oxygen atom, and an oxygen molecule, all of which occur in sufficient quantities at that range of levels.
C) It requires a unique temperature and light level which occur at that range in the atmosphere.
D) It is formed from air pollution that reaches that level in sufficient quantities to form ozone.

Question 9

Air may best be described as_____ .

A) a mixture
B) a compound
C) an element
D) none of these

Question 10

The lowest layer of the atmosphere is the_____ .

A) stratosphere
B) mesosphere
C) ionosphere
D) troposphere

Question 11

Ozone filters out most of the _____ radiation in sunlight.

A) ultraviolet
B) gamma
C) infrared
D) microwave

Question 12

The Montreal Protocol is a UN agreement that is intended to_____ .

A) reduce CFCs in the atmosphere
B) reduce CO₂ in the atmosphere
C) make everyone feel good about the environment without really fixing anything
D) reduce air pollution globally
E) reduce ozone in the atmosphere

Question 13

Which of the following is not an element that influences weather?

A) clouds
B) longitude
C) wind
D) humidity
E) temperature

Question 14

The normal lapse rate in the troposphere is about _____ per kilometer.

A) 3.5°C
B) 6.5°C
C) 9.5°C
D) 1.5°C

Question 15

As you go up in elevation, the atmospheric pressure_____ .

A) decreases
B) stays constant
C) increases
D) none of the above

Question 16

Ozone is concentrated in the_____ .

A) mesosphere
B) ionosphere
C) troposphere
D) stratosphere

Question 17

The ozone hole effect is generally worst over which part of the world?

A) Europe
B) Asia
C) Antarctica
D) North America

Question 18

Latent heat that is the energy source for many storms can be transported by_____ .

A) carbon dioxide
B) ozone
C) dust
D) aerosols
E) water vapor

Question 19

Ozone is important to humans because it _____ .

A) passes solar rays that would maintain our present climate range
B) absorbs ultraviolet radiation with is harmful to humans
C) is a pollutant that is harmful to humans
D) absorbs infrared radiation which is harmful to humans
E) reflects solar rays that would cause global warming

Question 20

Consider the below figure showing carbon dioxide level changes with time. What is the reason for the rise in CO₂ levels?

A) water vapor creation
B) milankovitch cycles
C) fossil fuel burning
D) ozone hole burning

Question 21

The fall equinox in the Southern Hemisphere occurs on this date.

A) September 21
B) December 21
C) June 21
D) March 21

Question 22

The angle of the noon sun varies by a total of_____ degrees over the course of the year.

A) 23.5
B) 47
C) 73.5
D) 15
E) It is different in different places.

Question 23

The differences in summer and winter temperatures are greatest for locations_____ .

A) near the equator
B) near the oceans
C) near the tropic of Cancer or Capricorn
D) near the Poles
E) The location does not affect the range of temperatures.

Question 24

What causes ocean currents?

A) temperature differences in the oceans
B) unequal heating of the earth driving winds
C) density differences in the oceans
D) winds
E) none of the above

Question 25

The 90° angle solar rays are striking the Tropic of Cancer on _____ .

A) December 21
B) June 21
C) March 21
D) September 21

Question 26

In the outer most layer of the atmosphere, gas molecules can have a temperature of 1000°C because_____ .

A) that is the temperature of the solar radiation
B) temperature is defined as the average speed at which molecules move and the molecules move rapidly there
C) that is the speed of the individual molecules
D) that is the temperature of an object that is entering Earth's atmosphere at a high speed
E) none of the above

Question 27

On the average, for every 1 km increase in altitude in the troposphere, the air temperature_____ .

A) remains constant
B) drops about 6.5°C
C) rises about 6.5°C
D) rises only during the day

Question 28

As you go up in elevation, the temperature_____ .

A) decreases
B) stays constant
C) increases
D) It depends on what atmospheric layer you are in.
E) none of the above

Question 29

You are from the continental United States and are conversing with a classmate who comes from Norway. Your remark to your classmate how strange it must be to have almost 24 hours of sunlight on some summer days. You remark that this must seem really unusual to have such long hours but they do not agree. Why not?

A) Because Norway is so close to the Arctic Circle, it is not really affected by daylight length changes.
B) There is not really any normal to an individual from the far north. Daylight hours are in constant flux from very long in June to very short in December.
C) There is nearly twenty- four hours of sunlight in most of the continental United States as well.
D) Your statement is incorrect. There is very little light in the summer in Norway.

Question 30

What causes seasons?

A) differences in the amount of daylight
B) the changing tilt angle of the earth
C) seasonal changes in the angle of the sun above the horizon
D) the elliptical orbit of the earth
E) none of the above

Question 31

The tropopause is the boundary between_____ .

A) tropical and polar air masses
B) the troposphere and mesosphere
C) the troposphere and stratosphere
D) two layers of high ozone concentration

Question 32

Important weather phenomena typically occurs in the _____ .

A) stratosphere
B) thermosphere
C) troposphere
D) mesosphere
E) all of the above

Question 33

The Southern hemisphere in June_____ .

A) has the shortest hours of daylight of the year
B) experiences equal lengths of day and night
C) has the same amount of daylight as any other time of year
D) has longest hours of daylight of the year

Question 34

How is Earth's rotation axis oriented relative to the revolution orbit?

A) It changes with time so that it is perpendicular in June and December.
B) It varies somewhat randomly over small angles, less than 23.5 degrees.
C) It is fixed and always points toward the North Star regardless of season.
D) We don't really know how much it varies because we have not been able to make observations from space for more than about 60 years.

Question 35

The north end of Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees toward the Sun on _____ .

A) September 22 or 23
B) March 21 or 22
C) December 21 or 22
D) June 21 or 22
E) none of the above

Question 36

The North Pole has a higher noon Sun angle than New York City on this date.

A) March 21
B) September 21
C) June 21
D) none of these

Question 37

In 1960 military pilot Joseph Kittinger jumped from a high altitude balloon in a fully pressurized jump suit about 100,000 feet, in the stratosphere, all the way to the ground. When in the stratosphere he felt like he was floating, even though he was free- falling in space. When he reached the troposphere he could feel the wind resistance and it no longer felt like he was floating. Why was this likely the case?

A) It is colder in the stratosphere so the coldness numbed his ability to feel wind resistance there.
B) The feeling was probably not real. Your senses are dulled when you reach greater heights.
C) There is less air in the stratosphere so there was less wind resistance on his body.
D) At higher altitudes, his brain was not receiving the oxygen it needed to process a feeling of wind resistance.

Question 38

Which one of the following statements is true about the equinoxes?

A) The length of daylight at the Arctic and Antarctic Circles is 24 hours.
B) Days and nights are equal in length everywhere.
C) The Sun's vertical rays are striking either the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn.
D) They occur in June and December.

Question 39

Solar rays will strike the Tropic of Capricorn at an angle of 90 degrees on_____ .

A) June 21
B) March 21
C) December 21
D) September 21

Question 40

On this date the length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator.

A) June 21
B) March 21
C) December 21
D) September 21

Question 41

The least significant form of heat transfer in the atmosphere is_____ .

A) contraction
B) radiation
C) conduction
D) convection

Question 42

Wavelength is a characteristic of_____ .

A) radiation
B) convection
C) contraction
D) conduction

Question 43

Heat flows_____ .

A) from hot to cold
B) from cold to hot
C) in both directions
D) in neither direction

Question 44

Diffused light is caused by_____ .

A) scattering of solar radiation by dust particles and gas molecules
B) solar radiation striking surface water at a low angle
C) solar radiation striking an irregular surface and being partially absorbed
D) scattering of solar radiation by water molecules
E) none of the above

Question 45

Isotherms, or lines of equal temperature on maps, are commonly used to _____ .

A) compare temperature variations in different regions
B) compare temperature variations over a large area
C) show how temperature changes with time
D) compare temperatures in different regions
E) compare temperatures over a large area

Question 46

The atmosphere acquires most of its energy from_____ .

A) solar radiation
B) wind
C) the Earth's surface
D) water vapor

Question 47

The heat transfer mechanism that requires the movement of material is _____ .

A) contraction
B) convection
C) radiation
D) conduction

Question 48

Which of the following is the poorest absorber of solar radiation?

A) ozone
B) water vapor
C) oxygen
D) nitrogen

Question 49

Earth receives energy from the Sun in this way.

A) radiation
B) convection
C) conduction
D) all of these

Question 50

The major absorber of terrestrial radiation is _____ .

A) carbon Dioxide
B) ozone
C) water vapor
D) oxygen
E) none of the above

Question 51

Which mechanism for heat transfer can operate in a vacuum?

A) radiation
B) conduction
C) convection
D) contraction

Question 52

On the average, how much of the Sun's energy that is intercepted by Earth is reflected back to space?

A) 20%
B) 30%
C) 10%
D) 40%

Question 53

The daily mean temperature is determined by_____ .

A) summing the maximum and minimum temperatures daily and dividing by 2
B) summing the digital samples of temperature in several places at different times of day and averaging those samples
C) summing the temperature measured every hour and dividing by 24
D) measuring the temperature at noon
E) none of the above

Question 54

The longest wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum are_____ .

A) infrared
B) gamma
C) ultraviolet
D) radio

Question 55

One reason the temperature decreases with increasing altitude in the troposphere is_____ .

A) the chemical reaction that forms ozone gives off heat and ozone increases in concentration toward the upper troposphere
B) the solar radiation is absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere
C) the water vapor in the troposphere is heated by terrestrial radiation
D) molecular spacing increases with increasing altitude

Question 56

If the maximum temperature for a particular day is 26°C and the minimum temperature is 14°C, the daily mean would be _____ .

A) 12°C
B) 13°C
C) 20°C
D) 40°C

Question 57

Of the original radiation that reaches Earth, eventually_____ percent is retained.

A) 50
B) 30
C) 70
D) 20

Question 58

Consider the below image: Which one of the below is like conduction?

A) the flame itself as conduction is a heat source
B) the waves because conduction is heat energy traveling in a wave form
C) the tumbling water because conduction is heat transfer by way of molecules moving
D) the hand on the metal handle because conduction is heat transfer between molecules within a substance

Question 59

Which of the following is not something that happens to incoming radiation?

A) heated
B) absorbed
C) reflected
D) transmitted

Question 60

Which of the following is not a mechanism for heat transfer?

A) convection
B) contraction
C) conduction
D) radiation
E) They are all mechanisms for heat transfer.

Question 61

A place located along a windward coast will probably have_____ .

A) warmer summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude
B) cooler summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude
C) summer temperatures that are very similar to an inland location at the same latitude
D) none of these

Question 62

Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere are collectively called_____ .

A) mesospheres
B) hydrates
C) ozone
D) aerosols

Question 63

Two cities are located at the same latitude 40°.. City A is in the middle of a land mass and City B is in a coastal zone. Which city should have the largest annual temperature range?

A) City A
B) City B
C) Both cities should have nearly identical temperatures.
D) More information is required to answer the question.

Question 64

The line separating the dark half of Earth from the lighted half is called the_____ .

A) Circle of Illumination
B) International date line
C) Tropic of Cancer
D) Antarctic Circle

Question 65

Located adjacent to red on the electromagnetic spectrum, and having a longer wavelength, is _____ radiation, which we cannot see but which we can detect as heat.

A) orange
B) short- wave
C) infrared
D) ultraviolet

Question 66

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.

A) argon
B) hydrogen
C) oxygen
D) nitrogen

Question 67

Clouds can decrease the range of daily temperatures because_____ .

A) the clouds diffuse the solar radiation so it is spread out over a larger area
B) the water vapor absorbs the heat from the earth and sends reflects it back to the ground maintaining a uniform ground temperature during the day
C) the clouds reflect solar radiation back into space during the day
D) the clouds store heat and that helps to maintain a uniform temperature at night and during the day

Question 68

The movement of Earth in its orbit around the Sun is referred to as _____ .

A) rotation
B) revolution
C) perihelion
D) inclination

Question 69

Weather differs from climate in that it weather. deals only with_____ .

A) what to expect month to month in a particular location
B) the atmosphere
C) short term conditions
D) humidity and temperature only

Question 70

Looking at a world map of temperatures, you would see that isotherms deflected toward the poles over seas are an indication of _____ .

A) diving currents
B) cold currents
C) horizontal currents
D) warm currents
E) none of the above

Question 71

Which hemisphere overall experiences more temperature variability?

A) The Northern hemisphere as it has less land area than the Southern hemisphere.
B) The Northern hemisphere as it has more land area than the Southern hemisphere.
C) The Southern hemisphere as it has more land area than the Northern hemisphere.
D) The Southern hemisphere as it has less land area than the Northern hemisphere.

Question 72

_____ are the primary factor seasonal temperature variations.

A) Positions of the continents
B) Distance variations between Earth and the Sun
C) The wind belt patterns
D) The angle of tilt of Earth

Question 73

Which of these has the shortest wavelength?

A) infrared
B) gamma rays
C) microaves
D) AM radio

Question 74

Two cities are located at the same latitude 40°.. City A is in the Southern Hemisphere and City B is in the Northern Hemisphere. Assume the two cities reflect the general characteristics of the hemispheres where they are located. Which city should have the warmest winter temperatures?

A) City A
B) City B
C) Both cities should have nearly identical winter temperatures.
D) More information is required to answer the question.

Question 75

The variations in temperature are less extreme in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere because _____ .

A) there is more water in the Southern Hemisphere
B) all of the cold air in the Southern Hemisphere is concentrated over Antarctica, but there is not a large land mass at the north pole
C) the hole in the ozone allows more solar radiation to warm the Southern Hemisphere
D) the Northern Hemisphere is more mountainous
E) there is more land in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 76

The atmosphere is most efficient in absorbing _____ wavelengths of terrestrial radiation.

A) medium range
B) longer
C) shorter
D) X- ray

Question 77

Which mechanism of heat transfer involves transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation within a substance?

A) radiation
B) condensation
C) convection
D) conduction

Question 78

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.

A) Tropic of Cancer
B) Arctic Circle
C) Tropic of Capricorn
D) Equator

Question 79

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.

A) radiation
B) conduction
C) scattering
D) convection

Question 80

Land heats and cools more than water has a lower heat capacity. because_____ .

A) there is more water surfaces than land so the heat is spread out more efficiently in water bodies
B) water gives off its heat in the form of warm water vapor with less efficiency than land
C) land is opaque so only the surface is heated
D) it takes more energy to heat land than to heat water but land retains the heat better