Deck 7: Atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars

Question 1

If water vapor was released from Venus's surface due to tectonic activity into its upper atmosphere,what would most likely happen to it?

A) The water vapor would relieve the greenhouse effect and decrease Venus's surface temperature.
B) Water droplets would condense, rain down, and form lakes on Venus's surface.
C) The water vapor would chemically react with carbon dioxide and form acid rain.
D) Ultraviolet light would break apart the water molecules, and the hydrogen would be lost into space.

Answer 1

Ultraviolet light would break apart the water molecules, and the hydrogen would be lost into space.

Question 2

Based solely on mass,which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain a secondary atmosphere?

A) Mercury
B) Venus
C) Mars
D) the Moon

Answer 2

Venus

Question 3

________ in our atmosphere is a direct consequence of the emergence of life.

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Water vapor
C) Nitrogen
D) Oxygen

Answer 3

Oxygen

Question 4

If it were not for the greenhouse effect on Earth,

A) there would be no liquid water.
B) life as we know it would not have developed.
C) it would be much colder.
D) all of the above

Question 5

Which of the following contributes most to the large difference in the average daytime and nighttime temperatures on the Moon?

A) the lack of a hydrosphere
B) the lack of a magnetosphere
C) the lack of an atmosphere
D) the lack of geological activity

Question 6

Why did the terrestrial planets lose their primary atmospheres?

A) Their low gravities couldn't hold them.
B) The solar wind blew them away.
C) Their high surface temperatures made them chemically react with rock.
D) The centrifugal force from their fast rotation rates made them fly off.

Question 7

Earth releases the energy it receives from the Sun by emitting ________ radiation.

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

Question 8

Which of the following factors does NOT directly influence the temperature of a planet?

A) the luminosity of the Sun
B) the distance of the planet from the Sun
C) the albedo of the planet
D) the size of the planet

Question 9

We do not expect Mercury to have an atmosphere at all because:

A) it is small.
B) it has a high temperature.
C) it is bombarded by intense solar radiation.
D) all of the above

Question 10

Without the ozone layer,life on Earth would be in danger from increased levels of ________ radiation.

A) ultraviolet
B) X-ray
C) gamma ray
D) infrared

Question 11

If Saturn has a semimajor axis of 10 AU and an albedo of 0.7,what is its expected temperature?

A) 130 K
B) 65 K
C) 35 K
D) 170 K

Question 12

The nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere came from:

A) ammonia delivered by comet impacts.
B) photosynthesis in algae and plants.
C) oxidation.
D) impacts.

Question 13

The presence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor in a planet's atmosphere is direct evidence of:

A) high surface temperatures as the planet formed.
B) volcanic activity.
C) cometary impacts.
D) the presence of liquid water early in the planet's history.

Question 14

Which molecule moves with the fastest average speed in Earth's atmosphere in thermal equilibrium?

A) water (atomic mass = 18)
B) carbon dioxide (atomic mass = 44)
C) nitrogen (atomic mass = 28)
D) oxygen (atomic mass = 32)

Question 15

An asteroid with an albedo of 0.1 and a comet with an albedo of 0.6 are orbiting at roughly the same distance from the Sun.How do their temperatures compare?

A) They both have the same temperature.
B) The comet is hotter than the asteroid.
C) The asteroid is hotter than the comet.
D) You must know their distance to compare their temperatures.

Question 16

The major difference in the composition of Earth's atmosphere compared to the atmospheres of Venus and Mars is a direct consequence of:

A) life on the planet.
B) a geologically active interior.
C) a moderate greenhouse effect.
D) the presence of liquid water.

Question 17

Earth has roughly ________ times more atmospheric pressure than Mars and ________ times less than Venus.

A) 10; 100
B) 100; 100
C) 10; 10
D) 100; 10

Question 18

Which of the following processes did NOT contribute to Earth's secondary atmosphere?

A) volcanism
B) accretion
C) oxidation
D) impacts

Question 19

The main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the terrestrial planets are:

A) oxygen and nitrogen.
B) methane and ozone.
C) carbon dioxide and water vapor.
D) hydrogen and helium.

Question 20

The greenhouse effect raises Earth's surface temperature by roughly:

A) 3.5 K.
B) 35 K.
C) 350 K.
D) 3500 K.

Question 21

If plant life were to die on Earth,

A) the atmosphere would become denser.
B) oxygen would disappear from the atmosphere.
C) the atmosphere would become too sparse.
D) nitrogen would disappear from the atmosphere.

Question 22

The different colors of light observed during auroras are due to:

A) solar wind particles of different energy interacting with the ozone layer.
B) solar wind particles heating atmospheric gases to different temperatures.
C) radioactive decay of solar wind particles.
D) de-excitation of different atmospheric gases excited by solar wind particles.

Question 23

Given the thickness and composition of Venus's atmosphere,by how much would you expect its average surface temperature to change between day and night?

A) almost no change at all
B) by tens of kelvins (like Earth)
C) by hundreds of kelvins (like Mercury)
D) The answer depends on where Venus is in its orbit (closer to or farther from the Sun).

Question 24

The Northern Lights are caused by:

A) decay of radiative materials in the atmosphere.
B) absorption and remission of solar UV light.
C) static electricity in the atmosphere.
D) energetic particles from the Sun interacting with Earth's atmosphere.

Question 25

Examine the figure below.In the Southern Hemisphere,hurricanes ________ compared to hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere because of the Coriolis effect.

A) rotate in the opposite direction
B) cause more damage
C) move from east to west
D) have larger wind speeds

Question 26

From what aspect of the rotation of Earth does the Coriolis Effect arise?

A) Locations closer to the poles are moving at a larger speed than locations farther from the poles.
B) Locations closer to the poles are rotating faster than locations farther from the poles.
C) Locations closer to the poles are moving at a slower speed than locations farther from the poles.
D) The 23.5 degree tilt of Earth's rotation axis.

Question 27

Examine the figure below.
The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has been increasing over the past 50 years because of:

A) global warming.
B) the growth of the ozone hole.
C) the burning of fossil fuels.
D) increased energy output from the Sun.

Question 28

Which of the following has an atmosphere of primarily carbon dioxide?

A) Mercury
B) Venus
C) Earth
D) the Moon

Question 29

The currently thin atmosphere of Mars is likely due to its:

A) lack of volcanic activity.
B) weak gravitational field.
C) extreme temperature variations.
D) all of the above

Question 30

All weather and wind on Earth is a result of convection in the:

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

Question 31

Planets without a significant magnetic field would likely not have:

A) Hadley circulation.
B) atmospheres.
C) auroras.
D) oxygen in the atmosphere.

Question 32

What weather or climate phenomenon is a consequence of the Coriolis effect?

A) snow
B) hurricanes
C) rain
D) thunderstorms

Question 33

Oxygen was first introduced into Earth's atmosphere by:

A) cyanobacteria.
B) dinosaurs.
C) trees.
D) volcanic activity.

Question 34

Examine the figure below.What is the main driver that causes Hadley circulation in a planet's atmosphere to break up into zonal winds?

A) the planet's rapid rotation
B) heating from the solar wind
C) hurricanes developing along the planet's equator
D) convection driven by solar heating

Question 35

Which of the following does NOT contribute to more extreme seasonal variations on Mars compared to Earth?

A) Its orbital eccentricity is larger.
B) Its spin axis is tilted more with respect to its orbital plane.
C) Its atmosphere is much lower in density.
D) All of the above contribute to martian seasons being more extreme than seasons on Earth.

Question 36

Examine the image below.
Auroras are:

A) gases fluorescing in the atmosphere.
B) the magnetosphere of Earth hitting its atmosphere.
C) the ozone layer being destroyed.
D) a product of the atmospheric greenhouse effect.

Question 37

Which cause of auroras also causes increasing temperature of Earth's atmosphere in the thermosphere?

A) increased amounts of greenhouse gases
B) a larger proportion of ozone than in lower layers
C) solar wind particle radiation
D) Earth's magnetic field

Question 38

It took approximately ________ years for oxygen to become a large component of Earth's atmosphere.

A) 3,000
B) 1 million
C) 3 billion
D) 1 billion

Question 39

Humans cannot survive on the surface of Mars for long periods of time because:

A) there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere.
B) the range in temperature between day and night is too large.
C) the flux of ultraviolet radiation reaching the surface is too high.
D) All of the above are valid reasons.

Question 40

Venus's surface temperature is fairly uniform from the equator to the poles because:

A) Venus rotates very rapidly, which causes strong zonal winds.
B) Venus is covered by a thick cloud layer that absorbs most of the sunlight that falls on it.
C) the carbon dioxide in Venus's atmosphere efficiently emits infrared radiation.
D) Venus rotates slowly so Coriolis forces do not disrupt Hadley circulation.

Question 41

On Mars,water would exist in what forms (solid,liquid,or gas)? How does this vary with the seasons on Mars? Why are the seasonal variations on Mars different between the northern and southern hemispheres?

Question 42

If sunlight cannot penetrate Venus's cloud layer efficiently,why does the temperature remain so high?

Question 43

Given its current location in the solar system,what characteristic would have to be changed to allow Mercury to retain an atmosphere?

Question 44

The first atmospheres of the terrestrial planets formed from hydrogen and helium.Why? What happened to this gas?

Question 45

Where is most of Earth's supply of carbon dioxide today?

Question 46

Why are auroras seen mainly near the poles and not everywhere on Earth?

Question 47

Examine the figure below.Carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere have been rising by about 4 percent per decade because of the use of fossil fuels.If this trend continues,what could happen to Earth?

Question 48

The global winds on Earth are the result of a combination of what three things?

Question 49

What would you expect the temperature of a comet to be if its distance was 100 AU from the Sun? Assume that it is very icy and reflective so that its albedo is equal to 0.6.Does it matter what the radius of the comet is?

Question 50

In the figure below,why is it so difficult to see the surface of Mars in September compared to June?

Question 51

Why does the temperature decrease as you go higher up in altitude in the troposphere on Earth?

Question 52

Most of Earth's present-day atmosphere comes from a combination of what three sources?

Question 53

What two factors control a planet's temperature?

Question 54

Why does Venus have so little water compared to Earth?