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NS9 - Natural Sciences > The atmosphere > Flashcards

The atmosphere Flashcards

(61 cards)

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1
Q

How the gases of the atmosphere are kept in the atmosphere

A

Gravity

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2
Q

The air

A

The mixture of gases that make up the atmosphere

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3
Q

The amount of mass in a given volume of matter

A

Density

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4
Q

The lowest layer in the atmosphere

A

Troposphere

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5
Q

The second layer in the atmosphere from the earths surface

A

The sratosphere

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6
Q

The third layer of the atmosphere from the earths surface

A

The mesosphere

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7
Q

The fourth layer of the atmosphere from the earths surface

A

The thermosphere

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8
Q

Altitude

A

Height above sea level

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9
Q

Temperature gradient

A

How much temperature changes with altitude

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10
Q

Temperature inversion

A

Where the temperature increases with altitude

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11
Q

Main gases of the air and their %

A

Nitrogen ± 78%

Oxygen ± 21%

Argon ± 1%

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12
Q

Amounts of water vapour and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

A
  • A very small %
  • Carbon dioxide 0.04 %
  • Water vapour 0-4 %
  • Warm air can hold more water vapour
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13
Q

Density of air in the atmosphere

A
  • Densest at the earths surface at sea level
  • Density decreases as altitude increases and the air gets thinner and thinner
  • At sea level there are more gas particles inhaled with each breath than there are at altitude
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14
Q

Average thickness of the troposphere

A

10 km

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15
Q

Temperature gradient in the troposphere

A

It decreases with altitude

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16
Q

Layers in the atmosphere where the temperature increases with altitude

A
  • Stratosphere
  • Thermosphere
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17
Q

Layers in the atmosphere where the temperature decreases with altitude

A
  • Troposphere
  • Mesosphere
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18
Q

Water in any form that falls to the Earth’s surface

A

Precipitation

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19
Q

The layer in which clouds form

A

Troposphere

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20
Q

The cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land.

A

The water cycle

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21
Q

That which is required for clouds to form.

A

Water vapour in the atmosphere.

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22
Q

Types of precipitation

A
  • Rain
  • Hail
  • Snow
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23
Q

Why plants and animals generally live below 2km in the troposphere

A
  • Gets too cold above
  • and the air gets too thin
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24
Q

The temperature change for every 100m increase in altitude in the troposphere.

A

1 oC cooler

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25
The extent of the stratosphere
From 10km up to about 50km altitude
26
Ozone
* A form of oxygen gas found in the stratosphere * molecule consists of three atoms of oxygen (03)
27
The ozone layer
A band of ozone gas between 10-40 km in the stratosphere
28
The function of the ozone layer
* Absorbs incoming ultraviolet (UV) radiation. * Prevents UV radiation from hitting the surface of the earth.
29
UV radiation
* Ultra violet radiation * A shorter wavelength than violet light * It is not visible to humans
30
The effect of ozone on the temperatures in the stratosphere
It causes the stratosphere to increase in temperature as altitude is increased
31
Ways that UV affects life on earth.
* Damages human health * Affects photosynthesis * Affects life cycles and populations
32
How human health is affected by excessive UV exposure
* Sunburn * Premature aging and skin damage * Causes skin cancer * Causes cataracts in the eyes * Suppresses immune system, increasing risk of illness
33
Cataracts
* A clouding condition of the eyes lens * Leads to loss of vision
34
How UV affects photosynthesis in plants
* UV damages the chlorophyl in plant cells * Plants are unable to photosynthise and grow
35
How UV affects life cycles and populations
* UV can damage many animals in their early stages of development * This affects their ability to reproduce * This leads to reduces population sizes
36
The hole in the ozone layer
* Caused by human activity * The amount of ozone in the stratosphere decreasing * Especially over the antartic * So thin in places it is said to have "a hole" in the layer
37
The cause of reduced ozone gas in the stratosphere
* Certain gases released by human activity * E.g. CFC's
38
CFC's
Chlorofluorocarbons
39
Where were CFC's used?
* Refrigirators * Air conditioners * Fire extinguishers * Spray cans
40
How CFC's have been eradicated from industry?
* Montreal Protocol agreement * Countries from around the world met and signed agreements * Ban in production using CFC's
41
Products not containing CFC's
"Ozone friendly"
42
Position of the mesosphere
About 50-80 km altitude
43
Characteristics of the mesophere
* Extremely thin atmosphere * Very cold
44
Function of the mesosphere
The few gas particles in this layer burn up meteors entering the atmosphere
45
Meteors
* Small space particles or rocks that burn up as they enter the atmosphere. * Heat is due to friction with the air particles they come in contact with at high speed. * They produce a streak of light. * This phenomenon is also called a "shooting star".
46
The location of the thermosphere
About 80-350 km altitude
47
What lies beyond the thermosphere?
Space
48
Functions of the thermosphere
* The lower thermosphere absorbs UV radiation and x-rays from the sun * It also reflects radiowaves back to earth
49
Why it is useful that radiowaves are reflected by the thermosphere?
TV and radio signal can be bounced and returned to a point on Earth they would otherwise not have reached.
50
A structure made from transparent material in which plants are grown
A greenhouse
51
The greenhouse effect
The trapping of the sun's energy in the lower atmosphere causing warmer temperatures.
52
The cause of the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases that absorb outgoing radiation
53
Greenhouse gas examples
* Water vapour * Carbon dioxide * Methane
54
The cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect
* Human activity causing extra carbon dioxide emissions * Human activity causing extra methane emissions * Climate change itself causing extra greenhouse gas emissions
55
Causes of increased carbon dioxide emissions
* Burning fossil fuels * Bush fires * Deforestation * Desertification
56
Fossil fuels
* Coal, gas and oil * Made from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago
57
Long term changes in the Earth's temperature and precipitation patterns
Climate change
58
The main effect of an enhanced greenhouse effect
Global Warming
59
Global warming
An increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere
60
Effects of global warming
* Climate change * Droughts and floods * Increased extreme weather events e.g. hurricanes * Melting ice caps and rising sea levels * Food shortages as agriculture is affected * Mass exctinctions as species lose habitats
61
Example actions to reduce greenhous gas emissions
* Restruct burning of fossil fuels e.g. use alternatives like solar * Increase efficiency e.g. use less electricity and use public transport * Educate people about the dangers of global warming * Provide rewards for cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions e.g. less tax

NS9 - Natural Sciences (16 decks)

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