Week 1

Question 1

What is the Atmosphere?

Answer 1

A thin diffuse fluid (gas) that sits above the surface of a palnet held by gravity

Question 2

Why does pressure increase as altitude decreases?

Answer 2

Because air molecules must support the weight of the molecules lying above it

Question 3

What two elements add up to 99% of the gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 3

N2- 78%
O2-21%

Question 4

The order of global variation in the atmosphere ?

Answer 4

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere

Question 5

Temperature lapse rate- Troposphere vs Strateosphere?

Answer 5

Troposphere - dT/dz<0
Stratosphere- dT/dz>0 due to O3 heating

Question 6

What is the transition (5-10m) between one region to another in the atmosphere called?

Answer 6

A pause- determined by the way temp varies with altitude

Question 7

What happens when temp increases with altitude?

Answer 7

Atmosphere is stable- hotter air=less dense

Question 8

Height of the tropopause in the tropics?

Answer 8

Higher in the tropics vs polar regions

Question 9

What is temperature lapse rate?

Answer 9

The rate at which temp increases with height in the atmosphere

Question 10

Atmospheric mass of H2O contained within the troposphere?

Answer 10

88%

Question 11

How can the tropopause be identified?

Answer 11

• Temperature
• Composition (O3 –strong increase, H2O –strong decrease)
• Dynamics (potential vorticity, outside course scope)

Question 12

What is the Armstrong Limit?

Answer 12

18-20km= atmospheric pressure where water boils at body temp

Question 13

What is the Karlman Line

Answer 13

100km a.s.l= bouyndary between Earth and outer soace

Question 14

What feature relating to the Milankovitch cycles affects the distribution of solar energy

Answer 14

Earth’s tile

Question 15

Height of troposphere

Answer 15

Lowest 0-15km of atmosphere

Question 16

Height of stratophere

Answer 16

15-50km

Question 17

Height of mesosphere

Answer 17

50-85km

Question 18

Height of thermosphere?

Answer 18

85km-600km

Question 19

Height of exosphere?

Answer 19

600-10,000km

Question 20

Atmospheric transport times - Equator to pole?

Answer 20

1-2 months

Question 21

Atmospheric transport times - Pole-Pole

Answer 21

1 year

Question 22

Atmospheric transport times - Latitudinal

Answer 22

2 weeks

Question 23

Atmospheric transport times - Surface to tropopause

Answer 23

3 months

Question 24

Why is the world solar energy distribution asymmetrical?

Answer 24

The uneven
heating of the
Earth surface and
the rotation of the
Earth

Question 25

What is vertical transport due to divergence/convergence ?

Answer 25

0.001 to 0.01m/s

Question 26

Equation for ideal gas law?

Answer 26

PV=nRT

Question 27

What us mixing ratio?

Answer 27

The mole fraction of gas in the air that remains constant when air density changes

Question 28

Scientific notation for ppm and umol/mol

Answer 28

10^-6

Question 29

Scientific notation for ppb and nmol/mol

Answer 29

10^-9

Question 30

Scientific notation for ppt and pmol/mol

Answer 30

10^-12

Question 31

Number density (nx)

Answer 31

Number of molecules of X per unit volume of air (molec/cm3)

Question 32

Equation for calculating gas phase reactive rates?

Answer 32

X+Y --> P+Q

Question 33

What does the loss of rate of X by the gas phase reactive rate equation mean?

Answer 33

Frequency of collision between molecules X and Y * probability that a collision will result in a chemical reaction

Question 34

What is collision frequency proportional to in gas reactive phase equaiton?

Answer 34

nxny

Question 35

What is the rate equation for A+B--> Products

Answer 35

Rate= k x [A] x [B] Where k= rate constant [A] and [B]= concentrations of reactants

Question 36

What does rate of reaction depend on?

Answer 36

Concentration of gases (how much of each gas is present) Temperature (higher temp = faster reactions) Reaction rate constant (k) – a number that shows how fast the reaction happens at a given temperature.

Question 37

Standard reaction rate expression

Answer 37

d/dt[X]=-k[X][Y]

Question 38

What is Beer's Law?

Answer 38

Beer-Lambert law relates the attenuation of light to the properties of the material through which the light is traveling.

Question 39

What do I and Io relate to according to the Beer Lambert's Law?

Answer 39

Incident light passing through reference cell = Io Existing light passing through sample cell =I

Question 40

Beer's Law Equation?

Answer 40

I=Ioe^ax Generally: nx=Cx*na

Question 41

What is number concentration?

Answer 41

Number of particles/unit volume of air

Question 42

What is mass concentration?

Answer 42

Mass of particles/unit volume of air

Question 43

What is specific humidity?

Answer 43

Proportion of water vapour to total air

Question 44

What is relative humidity?

Answer 44

- Ratio of specific humidity to the max specific humidity possible at a given T and P When RH>100%- cloud formation

Question 45

Concept of mass balance

Answer 45

Mass is conserved- what is produced in one place must be lost elsewhere. The sum of all sources- the sum of all sinks

Question 46

What are sources in box models?

Answer 46

Mass of X flowing into the box, emission and the chemical production

Question 47

What are sinks in box models?

Answer 47

The chemical loss, deposition and the flow out of the box.

Question 48

What is assumed when using a box model?

Answer 48

- Box is well mixed - Does not consider spatial variations

Question 49

What is the Lifetime τ (t) of X in the box?

Answer 49

Average time that a molecule of X remains in the box t= m(Mass of X)/( Fout+L+D)

Question 50

What characterises a first order loss?

Answer 50

The more you have the more you can lose (linear relationship)

Question 51

Chemical loss rate equation

Answer 51

L=klm Fout+L+D=(kout+kL+kD)=km

Question 52

What does it mean for the atmosphere to be in hydrostatic equilibrium

Answer 52

The balance between the downward force of gravity pulling air (or fluid) down and the upward pressure force pushing back up

Question 53

Formula showing pressure decreases with weight?

Answer 53

δp/δz = –ρg

Question 54

What is AB*

Answer 54

An Activated complex produced by A+B that reacts rapidly to A&B or C&D

Question 55

What is the purpose of M

Answer 55

To stabilise the excited AB* by collision- otherwise AB* wuld reverse back into A+B

Question 56

Why can we assume AB* is in steady state?

Answer 56

It has a very short lifetime meaning it reacts as soon as it is produced

Question 57

Common molecules that act as M

Answer 57

Any inert molecules- typically O2 or N2

Question 58

Net reaction- 3 body reaction

Answer 58

A+B+M→AB+M

Question 59

Stabilisation reaction showing the fate of M

Answer 59

AB*+M→AB+M* M*→M+Heat

Question 60

Reactions for k1,k2,k3,k4 defined by R1,R2,R3,R4

Answer 60

(R1) A + B → AB* k1 (R2) AB* → A + B k2 (R3) AB* + M → AB + M* k3 (R4) M* → M + heat k4