Atmosphere PPT

Question 1

why is the atmosphere important?

Answer 1

contains gases crucial for life, protects the earth from meteorite impact, blankets the earth and traps heat to create a temperature comfortable for life, protects the earth from dangerous rays from the sun

Question 2

atmosphere

Answer 2

a gaseous layer that surrounds the planet or other celestial bodies

Question 3

primary atmosphere

Answer 3

existed during earth’s formation, lost early in earth’s history by solar wind

Question 4

secondary atmosphere

Answer 4

result of volcanic degassing, earth began to cool down, oxygen was finally introduced

Question 5

air

Answer 5

gaseous envelope surrounding earth, composed of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen and trace amounts of other gases found in earth’s atmosphere, invisible

Question 6

trace gases

Answer 6

absorb certain wavelength of the sun, act as warming blanket of the earth, shield the earth against deadly ultraviolet radiation

Question 7

variable components of air

Answer 7

water vapor and aerosols

Question 8

aerosols

Answer 8

liquid droplets or solid particles that are so small that they remain suspended in the air (ex: water droplets in fog, smoke particles from fire, sea salt crystals from ocean spray, volcanic products), can block sun’s radiation

Question 9

sources of global aerosol sources

Answer 9

dust, volcanic products (SO2), smoke, salt from sea spray

Question 10

solar radiation is both ___ and ___

Answer 10

absorbed by atmosphere, ocean, land, and biosphere (70%) and reflected back by the outer atmosphere (30%)

Question 11

characteristics of layers in the atmosphere

Answer 11

different types and proportions of gases, density of gas, temperature changes within the layers, source of energy/heat

Question 12

list the layers of the atmosphere

Answer 12

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

Question 13

troposphere

Answer 13

contains 80% of the mass of the atmosphere, most heat-absorbing gases (green house gasses), 0-15 km, all weather occurs here, airplanes

Question 14

stratosphere

Answer 14

contains 19% of the atmosphere’s total mass, contains the ozone layer where ozone is concentrated, absorbs uv and heat, 15-50 km

Question 15

mesosphere

Answer 15

temperature decreases with height, 50-80 km, meteors burn up here

Question 16

thermosphere

Answer 16

temperature increases with height, 80-160 km, international space station satellite orbits the earth

Question 17

ozone layer

Answer 17

located in the stratosphere, absorbs UV radiation, protects earth’s surface life, basically a shield against radiation

Question 18

ozone depletion

Answer 18

CFCs breaking down ozone

Question 19

CFC

Answer 19

cholorofluorocarbons, chemicals commonly used as refrigerants, propellants (in sprays), and solvents, have created a recurring ozone hole

Question 20

greenhouse effect

Answer 20

process through which long-wavelength (infrared) heat energy is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere, absorption of energy warms earth’s surface

Question 21

greenhouse effect step by step

Answer 21

1. earth’s surface absorbs short-wavelength solar radiation and becomes warmer
2. earth’s surface re-radiate the energy as long-wavelength radiation
3. molecules of certain gases in the atmosphere absorb some of the heat, and the atmosphere becomes warmer

Question 22

greenhouse gases

Answer 22

CO2, water vapor, methane

Question 23

sources of CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases

Answer 23

CO2 - fossil fuel
methan - agricultural activities and waste management
nitrous oxide - agricultural activities and fertilizer
fluorinated gases - industrial processes, refrigeration

Question 24

atmospheric pressure

Answer 24

pressure exerted by earth’s atmosphere because of the weight of overlying air, air pressure decreases with increasing altitude, unit = bars and millibars

Question 25

measuring device for atmospheric pressure

Answer 25

barometer

Question 26

wind

Answer 26

horizontal motion of air, caused by differences in atmospheric pressure, air moves from high to low pressure (which creates convection loops), occurs in response to a pressure gradient

Question 27

pressure differences are caused by…

Answer 27

unequal heating in the atmosphere; hot air rises (low pressure on the ground) and cool air sinks (high pressure on the ground)

Question 28

coriolis effect

Answer 28

caused by the Earth’s rotation, deflect winds

Question 29

deflect wind towards…

Answer 29

right for northern hemisphere, left in the southern hemisphere

Question 30

tornados

Answer 30

violent windstorms produced by a spiraling column of air that extends downward from a cloud, generally peak in May and move from SW to NE

Question 31

hurricanes

Answer 31

warm sea water, have a coriolis force, low-level disturbance, weak vertical wind shear