AG/MET Chap 1-3 Book Quizzes
The SECOND most abundant gas in the atmosphere
oxygen
The warm temperatures in the stratosphere are due to the presence of
ozone
What absorbs damaging UV radiation from the sun
ozone
What happens during reflection
radiation retains the same intensity and bounces back at the same angle with which it struck the surface
A primary reason for drawing isotherms on a map of temperature values is to allow
recognition of temperature patterns
Rotation refers to the
spinning of earth around its axis
Ozone is concentrated in the
stratosphere
The wind chill index
takes into account the effects of air temperature and wind speed
The cooling degree-day index is used to determine
the amount of power required to cool a building
Atmospheric temperatures decrease with height in the troposphere because
the atmosphere is primarily heated by radiation from the ground
The annual range of temperature is defined as
the difference between max and min temperature over a period of one year
How is the annual mean temperature calculated
the difference between the warmest and coldest monthly mean temperatures
The minimum temperature usually occurs near sunrise because
the earth experiences a net loss of radiation throughout the night
The absorption of terrestrial radiation by certain gases in the lower atmosphere is called
the greenhouse affect
The most important reason for variations in the amount of solar radiation reaching a particular location on Earth is
the seasonal changes in the angle at which the sun's rays strike the surface AND changes in daylength
The Earth can be viewed as a system of separate but interacting subsystems that include the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Energy to drive the Earth system comes from
the sun and the interior of the earth
Satellites are especially important for monitoring the Earth's surface because
they provide coverage over the oceans where land based instruments can't reach
The aurora borealis is usually strong
when there is a lot of solar flare activity
Earth's perihelion
would not exist if the Earth's orbit were circular
Absolute zero equals
0˚K, -273˚C, -460˚F
Which state has the record for lowest max daily temperature
Alaska
The equinoxes
have days and nights that are equal in length throughout the world
Advection is used to denote
horizontal motion
Most of the radiation emitted by the earth and its atmosphere is in the category of
infrared
Which of the following does NOT happen to solar radiation as it passes through the atmosphere? intensification scattering transmission absorption heating
intensification
Temperatures at the Earth's surface tend to decrease when solar radiation
is less than the earth's outgoing radiation
Radiosondes are
lightweight instrument packages for measuring atmospheric properties
Most of the radiation emitted by the earth is in wavelengths that are
longer than those emitted by the sun
The least dense portion of the solid earth is the
mantle
A small dumbbell shaped index is part of the
minimum thermometer
Revolution refers to the
movement of earth in orbit around the sun
The most abundant gas in the atmosphere
nitrogen
What is not an important control over temperature
Longitude
Mechanisms of heat transfer
conduction, convection, radiation
The thermosphere
contains only a fraction of the atmosphere's mass
The most dense portion of the solid earth is the
core
On average, for every 1km increase in altitude in the troposphere the air temperature
drops about 6.5˚ C
Objects with higher temperatures
emit more shortwave radiation than cooler objects do
Weather affects
energy use, the world economy, agriculture, and water resources
At what time of year is the Earth's axis not tilted either toward or away from the sun
fall and spring equinoxes
A location on a windward coast refers to a place where the prevailing wind is
from ocean to land
Air pressure changes most between the altitudes of
10,000-11,000m
For humans with light colored skin, a moderate UV index reported by the NWS indicates
10-25 minutes to burn
90% of our atmosphere lies below an altitude of about
100km
The boiling point of water equals
100˚C, 212˚F, 373˚K
If the max temperature on a particular day is 30˚F and the min temperature is 21˚F, then the daily temperature range is
25.5˚F
Suppose the albedo of a planet is measured to be 30%. This means that
30% of the sun's energy is reflected by the planet
During a clear 24-hour period (day and night), a continental location is likely to experience
a larger daily range in temperature than a location on a windward coast at the same latitude
What is temperature
a measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance
Air may be described as
a mixture of many discrete gases
The approximate altitude of auroral displays is
about 100-150km
Which of the following is not one of the basic weather elements measured on a regular basis? Air temp Air density Wind speed/direction Air pressure Humidity of air
air density
Heat waves
can be deadly events
The boundary separating the light half of the earth from its dark side is
circle of illumination
A primary difference between the concepts of weather and climate is the
time period involved
An important function of ocean currents is to
transfer heat between the equator and the poles
What is the boundary that separates the lowest layers of the atmosphere
tropopause
The color of light in the visible spectrum that has the shortest wavelength is
violet
The specific hear of water is high; this means that
water must gain or lose large amounts of energy to change its temperature
What is the most important atmospheric component with regard to affecting weather phenomena
water vapor