Deck 9: Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Question 1

Winds are generated on Earth primarily because the Sun unevenly heats our rotating planet.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Aurorae are produced only near the northern and southern magnetic poles of a planet because charged particles arriving in the solar wind cannot cross the magnetic field lines.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Would a nitrogen atom in Venus's atmosphere, whose temperature is 740 K, eventually escape into outer space? Note that a nitrogen atom has a mass that is 14 times that of a hydrogen atom. Recall that atoms eventually will escape if their average velocity is greater than 1/6 times the escape velocity of the planet. The escape velocity of Venus is 10 km/s. For comparison, a hydrogen atom has an average velocity of 2.5 km/s at a temperature of 300 K.

A) The average velocity of nitrogen atoms is 0.4 km/s, and nitrogen does not escape.
B) The average velocity of nitrogen atoms is 1.0 km/s, and nitrogen does not escape.
C) The average velocity of nitrogen atoms is 1.0 km/s, and nitrogen escapes.
D) The average velocity of nitrogen atoms is 4.5 km/s, and nitrogen does not escape.
E) The average velocity of nitrogen atoms is 4.5 km/s, and nitrogen escapes.

Answer 3

The average velocity of nitrogen atoms is 1.0 km/s, and nitrogen does not escape.

Question 4

If the carbon dioxide in Earth's rocks were suddenly released into its atmosphere, Earth could possibly undergo a runaway greenhouse effect.

Question 5

Venus rotates so rapidly that the dominant form of atmospheric circulation is powered by hurricanes moving from its equator to its poles.

Question 6

The major chemical component of the air we breathe today was deposited on Earth primarily by cometary impacts.

Question 7

When the Martian summer occurs and the daytime temperature is 20°C, water on the surface melts and forms small pools of liquid.

Question 8

The planet-wide flow of air from a warmer equator to the colder poles is called Hadley circulation, and an example of this effect is seen on the planet Venus.

Question 9

The temperature differences between night and day on the Moon and Mercury are very small because they have so little atmosphere.

Question 10

In the absence of a greenhouse effect, water on the surface of Earth would be frozen.

Question 11

All the terrestrial planets have atmospheres as dense or denser than Earth's atmosphere.

Question 12

Each halogen atom, such as chlorine, fluorine, and bromine, in the Earth's atmosphere catalyzes the destruction of ozone for a long time ranging from decades to centuries.

Question 13

What is the reason Mercury has so little gas in its atmosphere?

A) Its mass is small.
B) It has a high temperature.
C) It is close to the Sun.
D) Its escape velocity is low.
E) All of the above are reasons.

Question 14

Would water molecules in Venus's atmosphere, whose temperature is 740 K, eventually escape into outer space? Note that a water molecule has a mass that is 18 times that of a hydrogen atom. The escape velocity of Venus is 10 km/s. For comparison, a hydrogen atom has an average velocity of 2.5 km/s at a temperature of 300 K.

A) No, the average velocity of water molecules is 0.9 km/s.
B) Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 0.9 km/s.
C) Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 2.1 km/s.
D) No, the average velocity of water molecules is 2.1 km/s.
E) Yes, the average velocity of water molecules is 19 km/s.

Question 15

The best way to look for life on other planets is to search for absorption from nitrogen in their atmospheres in the infrared region of the spectrum.

Question 16

The atmosphere of Mars is mostly composed of carbon dioxide; therefore the greenhouse effect makes the average temperature 35 degrees warmer than it would be without its atmosphere.

Question 17

If sunlight broke up water molecules in Venus's atmosphere, would the hydrogen atoms escape into outer space? Note that Venus's temperature is 740 K. Recall that gas eventually will escape if the average velocity of its atoms is greater than 1/6 times the escape velocity of the planet. The escape velocity of Venus is 10 km/s.

A) No, the average velocity of hydrogen atoms would be 0.8 km/s.
B) No, the average velocity of hydrogen atoms would be 3.9 km/s.
C) Yes, the average velocity of hydrogen atoms would be 3.9 km/s.
D) Yes, the average velocity of hydrogen atoms would be 25 km/s.
E) No, the average velocity of hydrogen atoms would be 25 km/s.

Question 18

The fraction of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere has always remained at about the same as it is today.

Question 19

Why did the terrestrial planets lose the majority of the gas in their primary atmospheres?

A) They were too hot and their escape velocities too low to hold onto them.
B) The solar wind was too strong and blew these gasses off the planets.
C) Their high surface temperatures made the gas chemically react with the rock.
D) The centrifugal force from the planets' fast rotation rates made them fly off.
E) The initial gases were so heavy when the planet differentiated that they sank to the core.

Question 20

Venus's atmospheric clouds are so thick that the surface of the planet is not seen when observing it in visible light.

Question 21

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

A) Volcanism
B) Accretion
C) Oxidation
D) Comet impacts
E) All of the above contributed gasses to Earth's secondary atmosphere.

Question 22

If an average hydrogen atom in Earth's atmosphere has a velocity of 2.5 km/s, what would be the average velocity of an oxygen molecule in the Earth's atmosphere? Note that the atomic mass of an oxygen atom is 16 times that of a hydrogen atom.

A) 0.16 km/s
B) 2.5 km/s
C) 0.62 km/s
D) 0.44 km/s
E) 0.25 km/s

Question 23

A gas eventually will escape from a planet's atmosphere if the average velocity of the atoms exceeds 1/6 times the escape velocity of the planet. If the average velocity of water vapor in Venus's atmosphere is 0.9 km/s, would it eventually escape into outer space? Note that Venus's mass is 5 * 10²⁴ kg and its radius is 6,050 km.

A) Water vapor would escape because 1/6 times the escape velocity is 0.51 km/s.
B) Water vapor would not escape because 1/6 times the escape velocity is 1.7 km/s.
C) Water vapor would escape because 1/6 times the escape velocity is 0.42 km/s.
D) Water vapor would not escape because 1/6 times the escape velocity is 2.6 km/s.
E) Water vapor would escape because 1/6 times the escape velocity is 1.3 km/s.

Question 24

Based solely on mass and distance from the Sun, which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain the densest secondary atmosphere?

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

Question 25

Like Mars and Venus, Earth originally had a significant amount of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. Where is the majority of the carbon now?

A) It has escaped into outer space.
B) It is bound up in the plant life on Earth.
C) It is bound up in rocks.
D) It is dissolved into the oceans.
E) It is still in the atmosphere in the form of complex molecules.

Question 26

If it were not for the greenhouse effect on Earth:

A) there would be no liquid water on Earth
B) life as we know it would not have developed on Earth
C) it would be a much colder planet
D) there would be no oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere
E) All of the above are results of the greenhouse effect.

Question 27

When learning about light, we predicted that Venus should have a temperature of 250 K based on its albedo and distance from the Sun. Why is Venus's observed average surface temperature equal to 740 K, which is hot enough to melt lead?

A) Venus has slow, retrograde rotation, and its seasons are very long.
B) Venus has many active volcanoes that release heat into its atmosphere.
C) Venus has a very thin atmosphere, and more sunlight falls onto its surface.
D) Venus has a strong greenhouse effect.
E) Venus has a highly eccentric orbit and is sometimes much closer to the Sun than other times.

Question 28

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

A) 10; 10
B) 200; 100
C) 2,000; 2
D) 2; 10
E) 1,000; 200

Question 29

The nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere primarily came from:

A) ammonia delivered by comet impacts
B) photosynthesis done by algae and plants
C) oxidation of silicate rich minerals
D) rock delivered by asteroid impacts
E) its primary atmosphere

Question 30

What makes carbon dioxide a highly effective greenhouse gas?

A) It easily absorbs UV radiation.
B) It easily absorbs visible light.
C) It easily absorbs infrared radiation.
D) It easily reacts chemically with rock.
E) It easily photodissociates in the upper atmosphere.

Question 31

If water vapor were 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 into rain and form lakes on Venus's surface.
C) The water vapor would chemically react with carbon dioxide and form acid rain.
D) UV light would break apart the water molecules, and the hydrogen would be lost into space.
E) It would rise into the atmosphere and form hurricane-like storms.

Question 32

In the absence of the greenhouse effect, the water on the surface of the Earth would:

A) escape into outer space
B) remain in liquid form
C) vaporize and form clouds in the atmosphere
D) freeze
E) be absorbed into rocks

Question 33

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
E) methane and ammonia

Question 34

Venus and Earth probably formed with similar amounts of carbon dioxide in their secondary atmospheres. Which of the following is TRUE?

A) The majority of Earth's carbon dioxide escaped into space because of its hotter temperature, while Venus's carbon dioxide remains gravitationally bound to Venus.
B) The majority of Earth's carbon is now bound up in rock while Venus's remains in its atmosphere.
C) Earth lost more of its secondary atmosphere because it was bombarded by more planetesimals than Venus.
D) The majority of Earth's carbon was absorbed by plants during photosynthesis.
E) Earth and Venus still have equal amounts of carbon dioxide in their atmospheres.

Question 35

By examining the images shown below, what can you conclude?

A) Venus is covered with clouds.
B) Earth has a large amount of liquid water.
C) Some form of ice does exist on Mars, but it does not have large amounts of liquid water.
D) The planets in order from the least to most dense atmospheres are Venus, Earth, and Mars.
E) All of the above are valid conclusions.

Question 36

According to the Ideal Gas law, if you blow up a balloon, seal it, and then lower its temperature, the balloon will:

A) contract
B) expand
C) remain the same size
D) explode

Question 37

The presence of gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor in a planet's atmosphere is direct evidence of _________ in a planet's history.

A) high surface temperatures
B) volcanic activity
C) cometary impacts
D) a lack of asteroid impacts
E) the greenhouse effect

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

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

A) 0 K
B) 0.35 K
C) 3.5 K
D) 35 K
E) 350 K

Question 40

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

A) Water, H₂O (atomic mass =18)
B) Carbon dioxide, CO₂ (atomic mass = 44)
C) Nitrogen (atomic mass = 28)
D) Oxygen (atomic mass = 32)
E) Hydrogen, H₂ (atomic mass= 2)

Question 41

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
E) microwave

Question 42

For the first 1 billion years of the Earth's evolution, the fraction of oxygen in its atmosphere was approximately:

A) zero
B) 1/2 of what it is today
C) 2 times what it is today
D) 10 times what it is today
E) the same as it is today

Question 43

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

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

Question 44

According to the figure shown below, approximately how many years ago did oxygen finally get to half its current abundance in Earth's atmosphere?

A) 3 billion years ago
B) 1 billion years ago
C) 0.6 billion years ago
D) 0.25 billion years ago
E) 0.1 billion years ago

Question 45

Approximately _________ years ago, _________ began producing oxygen in enough amounts to be a significant fraction in the Earth's atmosphere.

A) 100 million; trees and plants
B) 1 billion; trees and plants
C) 250 million; bacteria and algae
D) 2.5 billion; bacteria and algae
E) 2,000; animals and humans

Question 46

The only two layers of Earth's atmosphere that have temperature gradients that allow convection to take place are:

A) the troposphere and the thermosphere
B) the mesosphere and the stratosphere
C) the thermosphere and the stratosphere
D) the troposphere and the mesosphere
E) the troposphere and the stratosphere

Question 47

If you found absorption rising from _________ in the spectrum of a planet, you could conclude that it might contain some form of life.

A) oxygen
B) methane
C) water vapor
D) oxygen, methane, or water vapor

Question 48

Figure 1
According to Figure 1, what effect does doubling the temperature of a gas while keeping its volume constant have on the pressure of the gas?

A) The pressure doubles.
B) The pressure is cut in half.
C) The pressure remains the same.
D) The volume quadruples.
E) The volume is cut to one-third its original value.

Question 49

According to the figure, about how long ago did oxygen reach its current abundance in Earth's atmosphere?

A) 3 billion years ago
B) 1 billion years ago
C) 0.5 billion years ago
D) 0.25 billion years ago
E) 0.1 billion years ago

Question 50

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 Earth
B) Earth's plate tectonics
C) differences in the greenhouse effect
D) the presence of liquid water
E) differing distances from the Sun

Question 51

If photosynthesis were to disappear on Earth:

A) the atmosphere would become less dense
B) oxygen would disappear from the atmosphere
C) the atmosphere would become hotter
D) nitrogen would disappear from the atmosphere
E) the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere would decrease

Question 52

The shape of the Earth's magnetosphere is modified by:

A) the Moon's tidal force
B) the solar wind
C) Earth's own gravity
D) asymmetries in the shape of Earth's core
E) Earth's elliptical orbit

Question 53

Figure 1
According to Figure 1, what must be done to the volume of the gas in order to double its pressure while keeping its temperature constant?

A) The volume should be doubled.
B) The volume should be cut in half.
C) The volume should remain the same.
D) The volume should be tripled.
E) The volume should be cut to one-fourth its original value.

Question 54

According to the way the layers of Earth's atmosphere are defined in the figure shown below, the atmosphere of Venus has only _________ distinct layer(s).

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four
E) five

Question 55

Approximately how long after the Solar System formed did it take for oxygen to get to within 80 percent of its present abundance in the Earth's atmosphere?

A) 4 billion years
B) 1 billion years
C) 400 million years
D) 1 million years
E) Oxygen was always a primary component of the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 56

Heating from _________ causes the top of the Earth's stratosphere to be warmer than the bottom.

A) higher-energy particles in the solar wind
B) convection
C) the ozone layer absorbing UV light
D) charged particles trapped by magnetic fields
E) the greenhouse effect

Question 57

According to the figure shown below, as you increase in altitude in the Earth's lower atmosphere, the atmospheric pressure _________ dramatically at a(n) _________ rate.

A) increases; increasing
B) increases; decreasing
C) decreases; decreasing
D) decreases; increasing
E) decreases; constant

Question 58

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has been increasing over the last 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
E) increased magnetic activity in the Sun

Question 59

According to the figure shown below, the different layers of Earth's atmosphere are defined by:

A) how the temperature varies with altitude
B) how the pressure varies with altitude
C) how the density varies with altitude
D) different temperature ranges
E) different pressure ranges

Question 60

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

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

Question 61

What is the main reason Hadley circulation in a planet's atmosphere breaks up into zonal winds?

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

Question 62

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) the atmospheric pressure would be too low
E) all of the above are valid reasons

Question 63

In the Southern hemisphere, hurricanes _________ compared to hurricanes in the Northern hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect.

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

Question 64

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

A) the lack of CO₂ in its atmosphere
B) the lack of a magnetosphere
C) the lack of an atmosphere
D) the lack of geologic activity
E) its slow rotation rate

Question 65

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
E) Venus's orbit is nearly perfectly circular

Question 66

Runaway convection in the Earth's atmosphere can lead to:

A) snow
B) destruction of ozone
C) aurorae
D) acid rain
E) violent storms

Question 67

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

Question 68

When frozen water on the surface of Mars heats up during summer time, the water:

A) melts and forms liquid pools on the surface
B) boils off the surface and escapes into outer space
C) sublimates and goes directly into the gaseous phase
D) remains frozen because the temperature remains below the freezing point
E) melts and creates flowing rivers that erode the landscape

Question 69

Venus has an unusual rotation rate because:

A) it is very slow
B) it is very slow and retrograde
C) its obliquity is 90 degrees
D) it is very fast
E) it is very fast and retrograde

Question 70

Earth's sky is blue because:

A) blue light from the sun is more readily scattered by molecules in the atmosphere than red light
B) of reflected light from the oceans
C) red light from the sun is more readily scattered by molecules in the atmosphere than blue light
D) molecules that make up the Earth's atmosphere radiate preferentially at blue wavelengths
E) the Sun radiates more blue light than other wavelengths

Question 71

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

A) There should be almost no change in temperature.
B) by tens of K (like Earth)
C) by hundreds of K (like Mercury)
D) The answer depends on where Venus is in its orbit around the Sun.

Question 72

If there are 10⁴ kg of air above every square meter of the surface of Earth, and Earth is modeled as a sphere of radius 6.4 * 10⁶ m, what is the mass of Earth's atmosphere and what fraction is it of the total mass of the Earth? Show your calculation.

Question 73

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

Question 74

List the three planets shown in the figure below in order of decreasing surface temperature, and cite evidence that can be seen in the figure that supports your choice.

Question 75

Auroras are caused by:

A) gases fluorescing in the atmosphere due to collisions with solar wind particles
B) the magnetosphere of Earth touching its atmosphere
C) the ozone layer being destroyed by UV light
D) a product of the atmospheric greenhouse effect
E) scattering of sunlight from particles in the Earth's stratosphere

Question 76

Hurricanes are powered by:

A) Hadley circulation
B) the Coriolis effect
C) the heat of vaporization of water
D) electrical conductivity of water
E) the greenhouse effect

Question 77

If the average CO₂ molecule in Venus's atmosphere has a velocity of 0.6 km/s, what would the velocity be for a hydrogen atom in Venus's atmosphere? Note the mass of a CO₂ molecule is 44 times that of a hydrogen atom.

Question 78

A gas eventually will escape from a planet's atmosphere if the average velocity of its atoms exceeds 1/6 times the escape velocity of the planet. If the average velocity of water vapor in Venus's atmosphere is 0.5 km/s, what would be the average velocity of a single hydrogen atom? If Venus's escape velocity is 11 km/s, will hydrogen atoms eventually escape?

Question 79

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

Question 80

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly) enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick. What percentage of Earth's radius, which is 6,400 km, does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans, which is 3 km?