ATM Chapter 3

Earth's planetary albedo is about ______ percent.

30

During its annual orbit about the Sun, Earth is most distant from the Sun in

July

Earth is closest to the Sun during the

Northern Hemisphere winter.

Exactly one-half of the surface area of Earth is in sunlight during

any day of the year.

Formation and dissociation of ozone in Earth's atmosphere is related to the

atmospheric absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. formation and maintenance of the "warm layer" in the stratosphere. Both of the above are correct.

Which one of the following surfaces has the lowest albedo for visible solar radiation?

black asphalt

The chief reason for the upward trend in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the mid-1800s is

burning of fossil fuels.

The principal threat to the ozone shield is

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

At night, air temperatures near Earth's surface tend to be lowest when the sky is

clear

An infrared radiometer flown onboard a weather satellite is used to measure

cloud surface temperatures

Through absorption, solar radiation is

converted to heat energy.

At the equinoxes, the noon Sun has an altitude of 90 degrees at the

equator

Except at the poles, nights everywhere are about 12 hours long when?

equinoxes

Which one of the following surfaces has the highest albedo for visible solar radiation?

fresh snow

During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the number of hours of daylight is ______ the number of hours of darkness.

greater than

According to projections by global climate models, sea-level rise is expected to accompany global warming because

heating sea-water causes it to expand. higher temperatures at high latitudes may partially melt the polar ice caps. Both of the above contribute.

Compared to the rest of the 20th century, the global mean annual temperature during the decade of the 1990s was relatively

high

Ultraviolet radiation, gamma rays, and X-rays have frequencies ______ that of visible light and infrared radiation.

higher than

All other factors being equal, a thicker and more extensive cloud cover is likely to ______ Earth's planetary albedo.

increase

If the temperature of the Sun were to ______, the wavelength at which solar radiation is most intense would decrease.

increase

Earth's surface and atmosphere emit primarily what type of electromagnetic radiation?

infrared

Solar radiation that reaches Earth's surface consists of

infrared radiation. visible radiation. ultraviolet radiation. All of the above.

The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is ______ proportional to its frequency.

inversely

Earth's solar constant

is actually variable.

The period of daylight at any point along the equator

is essentially the same throughout the year.

Solar radiation

is most intense at a shorter wavelength than terrestrial infrared radiation.

On the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the noon Sun has an altitude of 90 degrees where?

tropic of capricorn

All of the following types of electromagnetic radiation have wavelengths longer than that of visible light with the exception of

ultraviolet radiation.

The greenhouse effect is primarily the consequence of atmospheric

water vapor.

______ is the distance between successive wave troughs or (equivalently) successive wave crests.

wavelength

______ is (are) partially blocked by ozone in the stratosphere.

Ultraviolet radiation

Clouds, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane strongly ______ infrared radiation.

absorb

As solar radiation travels through the atmosphere, a portion of that radiation is

absorbed by gases. reflected by clouds. scattered by dust particles and molecules. All of the above are correct.

During winter in either hemisphere, the number of hours of sunlight is ______ the number of hours of darkness.

less than

The average albedo of the ocean is

less than 10 percent.

Red has the ______ wavelength in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

longest

A greenhouse gas:

methane nitrous oxide ozone carbon dioxide All of the above are correct.

A thinner ozone shield would likely mean

more intense UV radiation received at the Earth's surface. greater incidence of skin cancer. greater incidence of cataracts and other eye damage. All of the above are correct.

On a clear day, the albedo of the sea surface is lowest

noon

Today, the solar altitude is at a maximum around

noon

The ultimate source of solar radiation is

nuclear fusion in the Sun.

The principal absorber(s) of the solar radiation that is intercepted by the Earth-atmosphere system is (are)

ocean water

All of the following types of electromagnetic radiation have wavelengths shorter than that of visible light with the exception of

radio waves.

The surface of Earth is absorbing solar radiation. If more solar radiation is absorbed than emitted, then the temperature of Earth's surface will

rise

A doubling of the absolute temperature of the Sun's surface would cause the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth to be

sixteen times the amount it now receives.

Earth's rotational axis is oriented perpendicular to the Sun's rays on the first day of

spring

The layer of the atmosphere that contains the ozone shield is the

stratosphere.

Which one of the following surfaces absorbs the highest percentage of incident solar radiation at noon?

the ocean

According to Wien's displacement law, which one of the following objects emits its most intense electromagnetic energy at the shortest wavelength?

the sun

Generally, as the temperature of a radiating surface decreases,

the wavelength at which radiation from the surface is most intense will lengthen.