Exam 2 Flashcards
(33 cards)
Approximately how much solar energy is reflected back into space from the combined activity of atmospheric gases, clouds, and the Earth’s surface?
2/3 (67%)
How do pressure and temperature change from Earth’s surface to the top of the thermosphere?
Pressure is lower at higher altitudes; temperature is also lower at higher altitudes
Which two gases are the primary components of clean, dry air?
Oxygen and Nitrogen
Which of the following terms does not describe one of the vertical layers of the atmosphere?
Lithosphere
Why do seasons occur?
Seasons occur because of the inclination of Earth’s axis
During an equinox, which hemisphere receives the most hours of daylight?
Both hemispheres receive equal hours of daylight
When do the Sun’s rays hit the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes at the highest (i.e., most nearly vertical) angle?
Summer Solstice
Which of the following orbital characteristics is responsible for Earth’s typical seasonality (i.e. what causes seasons?)?
Axial tilt
What variable is described by the Milankovitch Cycles?
Earth orbital cycles
The majority of excess tropical heat is transferred poleward as water vapor, not as sensible heat via thermohaline circulation. True or false?
True
Approximately what percentage of global heat transfer is done by water vapor in the atmosphere?
2/3
Almost all of the Earth’s water vapor is held in the stratosphere. True or false?
False
Which of the following processes can be called orographic lifting?
Air is forced to rise over a mountainous barrier.
How does relative humidity describe the moisture content in the air?
Relative humidity indicates how near the air is to saturation.
An air mass has a saturation mixing ratio of 30 g and contains 15 g of water vapor. What is its relative humidity?
50%
Warm air can hold _____ water than cold air.
more
In a closed vial containing humid air, water vapor is observed to condense to form liquid water. Which of the following occurred?
The container cooled
Adiabatic cooling occurs by removing heat (energy) from a system. True or false?
False
What leads to the decrease in temperature of an air mass that experiences adiabatic cooling?
Expansion due to decreased pressure
Which of the following terms is defined as “decrease in an air mass’s temperature without the loss or addition of heat?”
Adiabatic cooling
If an air mass is cooled and no water vapor is allowed to escape or be added, how does relative humidity change?
RH increases
The boundary between Hadley and Ferrell cells is marked by persistent low pressure. True or false?
False
The convergence of which cells create the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
Hadley
Air always moves from higher to lower pressure. True or false?
True
