Chapter 1 HW Questions

Recorded temperatures on Earth range from ____. a. -121 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit b. -100 to 150 degrees Farenheit c. -111 to 159 degrees Fahrenheit d. -40 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit e. -55 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit

-121 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit

The average surface temperature on Earth is ____. a. 57 degrees F b. 50 degrees F c. 55 degrees F d. 59 degrees F e. 61 degrees F

59 degrees F

Humidity is ____. a. any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches the ground b. the force of the air above an area c. the same in different climates d. the degree of hotness or coldness of the air e. a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air

a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air.

How much has the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere increased since the late 1950s? a. about 2% b. about 15% c. about 30%

about 30%

Earth is divided into named layers based on the vertical profile of _____. a. air pressure b. air density c. chemical composition d. air temperature e. windspeed

air temperature

Nitrogen, oxygen, ____, and water vapor are the four most abundant gases in today's atmosphere.

argon

____ describes conditions averaged over a region or over a period, whereas ____ describes the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place.

climate; weather

T/F. On the basis of temperature, the layers of the atmosphere from the lowest layer to the highest are the thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere.

false

T/F. The lowest average air temperature can be found in the stratosphere.

false

T/F. The ozone hole is an actual hole in the atmosphere, a region of complete vacuum.

false

Earth's earliest atmosphere was most likely composed of ____. a. hydrogen and helium b. hydrogen and oxygen c. water vapor and nitrogen d. noble gases e. carbon dioxide and helium

hydrogen and helium

Which weather element ALWAYS decreases as we climb upward in the atmosphere? a. wind b. dew point c. moisture d. temperature e. pressure

pressure

Ozone in the stratosphere ____. a. protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation b. is one of the main ingredients of photochemical smog c. is a health hazard for people with respiratory illnesses d. is an aerosol found in the ionosphere e. provides healthy levels of vitamin D to humans

protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation

Which atmospheric layer and altitude typically has the warmest temperatures? a. tropopause (10 km) b. stratopause (50 km) c. mesopause (85 km)

stratopause (50 km)

Meteorology is the study of ____. a. outer space b. the atmosphere c. landforms d. extraterrestrial meteoroids that enter the atmosphere e. the oceans

the atmosphere

Which of these is closest to the average surface temperature of Earth? a. the average annual temperature in Seattle, Washington: 11 C (53 F) b. a room temperature of 20 C (68 F) c. a body temperature of 36.7 C (98 F)

the average annual temperature in Seattle, Washington 11 C (53 F)

The atmospheric layer in which we live is called the ____. a. thermosphere b. stratosphere c. troposphere d. exosphere e. ionosphere

troposphere

The layer of the atmosphere that contains all of our weather is the ____.

troposphere

T/F. Of the four most abundant gases in our atmosphere, water vapor shows the greatest variation at Earth's surface.

true

The only substance near Earth's surface that is found naturally in the current atmosphere as a solid, liquid, and a gas is ____. a. carbon b. molecular oxygen c. water d. carbon dioxide e. ozone

water

Which of these substances can exist as a gas, a liquid, and a solid at temperature typically found on Earth? a. carbon dioxide b. ozone c. nitrogen d. water

water

Which of the following is considered a variable gas in Earth's atmosphere? a. nitrogen b. water vapor c. argon d. helium e. oxygen

water vapor

The most abundant greenhouse gas in Earth's current atmosphere is ____. a. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) b. water vapor (H2O) c. nitrous oxide (N2O) d. carbon dioxide (CO2) e. methane (CH4)

water vapor (H2O)

T/F. Atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased from below 300 ppm historically to over 400 ppm presently.

True

T/F. Soil dust, salt from ocean waves, forest fire smoke, volcanic ash particles, and pollutants are some of the aerosols found in the atmosphere.

True

The temperature of the tropopause ____. a. is much warmer than the temperature at Earth's surface b. is nearly the same as the sun's temperature c. is much colder than the temperature at Earth's surface d. has never been measured e. is close to the temperature at Earth's surface

is much colder than the temperature at Earth's surface

Which statement relates weather rather than climate? a. I like the warm, humid summers b. the lowest temperature ever recorded in Frozenlake, Minnesota is -57 F c. it is cloudy and snowing outside d. the average temperature for the month of January is 28 F e. the foggiest month of the year is december

it is cloudy and snowing outside

The rate at which temperature decreases with increasing altitude is known as the _____. a. sudden temperature drop b. sounding c. temperature slope d. thermocline e. lapse rate

lapse rate

The unit of pressure most commonly found on a surface weather map is a. inches of mercury (Hg) b. pounds per square inch c. millibars or hectopascals d. millimeters of mercury (Hg) e. kilograms per square meter

millibars or hectopascals

The most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere by volume are ____. a. oxygen and ozone b. nitrogen and oxygen c. oxygen and water vapor d. carbon dioxide and nitrogen e. oxygen and helium

nitrogen and oxygen