Earth Science- Chapter 18: Earth's Atmosphere
1. Air absorbs up to ___%. 2. Land and water absorbs more than ___%. 3. Clouds reflects up to ___%.
1. 18% 2. 50% 3. 32%
Mesosphere
1. 3rd layer of atmosphere 2. the coldest temperature is at the top of the atmosphere
Ionosphere
1. layer of ionized atoms 2. can reflect communication waves 3. cannot reflect microwaves 4. in the thermosphere above the ozone layer
Ammonia
1. the basic building block for many useful chemicals 2. released from chemical reactions of atmospheric nitrogen
Stratosphere
1. the second temperature layer 2. temperature increases from -55°C at the bottom to about 0°C at the top 3. Free of clouds and dust 4. contains jet streams
exosphere
1. the transitional layer- not a true layer of the atmosphere 2. located between the atmosphere and interplanetary space
Ozone
A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two.
Where is the solar constant located?
At the top of the atmosphere
What is air pollution?
Bad gasses emitted into the air
State three ways that space travelers can avoid too much dangerous radiation exposure from the Van Allen belts.
Be heavily shielded, move quickly past them, or don't go there
Why can't plants get nitrogen directly out of the air to use for building tissues?
Because the nitrogen does not easily take part in chemical reactions
Why wouldn't NASA want to use long-wave radio communications to stay in contact with astronauts in the International Space Station?
Because the waves get bounced back
Why are scientists concerned about the ozone layer?
Because there are holes developing seasonally at the poles
In general, how do some of the special layers of the atmosphere help protect life on earth?
By reflecting it away or trapping
In one word for each, state the underlying basis for the two theories of the atmosphere's origin.
Chance and design
What features in the atmosphere does God use to protect His creatures on Earth from the extremes of heat and cold?
Circulates the air through convection which helps keep the temperature more uniform
Why is the earth's atmosphere not completely transparent to incoming solar radiant energy?
Cloud dust and particles that absorb or scatter the light
How is the mesosphere unique among the temperature layers of the atmosphere?
Coldest temperature of the atmosphere on the top
From where do old-earth scientists think the oxygen in our atmosphere first came?
Emission of numerous volcanoes changed it's composition made with a lot of toxic gasses.
(True or False) Christians should be concerned that the world is getting overpopulated with people.
False: Because God told us to fill the earth
(True or False) Carbon dioxide is an air pollutant because it is a greenhouse gas.
False: Because it cannot occur without photosynthesis.
(True or False) The exosphere is mostly hydrogen.
False: It's mainly helium and nitrogen.
(True or False) The amount of solar energy reaching the earth's surface on any given day is the same as the Equator as at the Arctic Circle.
False: The amount of solar radiation depends on the sun's rays.
(True or False) The sun's energy reaches the earth mainly through conduction.
False: The sun's energy radiates.
(True or False) The thermosphere is where most of the weather that we experience occurs.
False: The troposphere
(True or False) The carbon and nitrogen cycles are basically the same but involve different elements.
False: They have different chemical changes and different chemical reservoirs.
(True or False) The ionosphere is an important aid to modern microwave satellite communications.
False: They neither hinder nor help microwave satellites communication.
(True or False) Atmospheric temperature decreases continuously and smoothly with altitude from the ground to the exosphere.
False: there is no set pattern in the other layers.
Explain how the troposphere is different from all the other temperature layers in the atmosphere.
First to have thermal mixing
Why are lighter gases higher up in the atmosphere?
Gases closer to the earth's surface are heavier than are those farther up. Their weight pulls them closer to earth and they push or displace the lighter gases into the upper atmosphere.
greenhouse gases
Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface
Where do most of the sun's solar wind particles end up trapped in the magnetosphere?
In the Van Allen belt
What kinds of radiant energy make up most of what the earth's surface receives?
Infrared wavelengths
How does carbon dioxide contribute to the "greenhouse effect"?
It absorbs thermal radiation
Why is air pollution a problem?
It can cause death and interferes with people breathing
In general, how does the solar constant change from the top of the atmosphere to the surface?
It decreases.
Where does organic or fixed nitrogen come from?
Lightning and nitrogen fixing bacteria
Compare the percentage by volume of the gases in the air.
Nitrogen- 78% Oxygen- 21% Other- 1%
What makes Earth's atmosphere different from those surrounding other bodies in our solar system?
No other atmosphere contains oxygen.
Do any of the special layers of the atmosphere completely block, absorb, or reflect visual light wavelengths? How do we know?
No, because we can see light
Compare the two views of the atmosphere's origin
Old earth- the atmosphere is a result is a toxic mix of gasses to a clean atmosphere Young earth- God made the atmosphere very good
Explain how ozone forms in the atmosphere.
Ordinary oxygen molecule absorbs high-energy ultraviolet light from the sun and breaks apart. Each single atom joins another oxygen molecule, forming ozone (1+2=3)
Name three special layers or regions of the atmosphere.
Ozone layer, ionosphere, and magnetosphere
ozone layer
Protective layer in atmosphere that shields earth from UV radiation.
Compare three different ways the sun warms the atmosphere.
Radiation, conduction, and convection.
What is the solar constant?
Rate of the flow of radiant energy from the sun that reaches the earth
Magnetosphere
Region of space affected by Earth's magnetic field.
Indentify which temperature layers overlap the ozone layer and the ionosphere.
Stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, and exosphere
What is the key carbon reservoir in the carbon cycle?
The atmosphere
Describe the greenhouse effect.
The atmosphere traps the sun's energy through indirect warming
Conduction
The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is touching.
Defend the following statement: "When we study the earth's atmosphere, we are led to praise God for His care for His creatures."
The earth's atmosphere provides the oxygen needed in life, the atmosphere protects us from asteroids
atmosphere
The envelope of gases that surrounds Earth.
Troposphere
The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere
nitrogen cycle
The movement of nitrogen around the biosphere
Which true layers of the atmosphere has the hottest daytime temperatures?
The thermosphere
Radiation
The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves
Convection
The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
(True or False) All atmospheric temperature layers with the lowest temperatures have winds and a uniform mixture of gases.
True
(True or False) All other conditions remaining the same, temperatures on the ground under cloudy skies could be warmer than under clear skies because of the greenhouse effect.
True
(True or False) Christians should be interested in technology that reduces air pollution.
True
(True or False) The old-earth model for the origin of the atmosphere is closely related to the nebular hypothesis.
True
Which two gases contribute most to the greenhouse effect?
Water vapor and carbon dioxide
How can we exercise wise dominion by using the jet streams in the stratosphere?
We can use them to travel faster without using as much fuel.
convection current
a current caused by the rising of heated fluid and sinking of cooled fluid
ozone hole
an area of the ozone layer (near the poles) that is seasonally depleted of ozone
What are some ways that we can reduce pollutants in the atmosphere?
cutting back on emissions from manufacturing, cars, trucks, and coal-fired power plants
Most of the sun's radiated energy is in the form of ____________________.
electromagnetic waves
aurora borealis
northern lights
Van Allen Belts
radiation belts around the Earth filled with charged particles
meteoroids
small space rocks that usually burn up in the thermosphere
The sun also emits energetic protons and electrons that make up the ____________________.
solar wind
aurora australis
southern lights
What happens to atmospheric temperature above the tropopause in the stratosphere?
starts to rise again
What is a lapse rate?
steady change in temperature
carbon cycle
the flow of carbon from living things to the carbon reservoirs in the environment and back again is what it is all about
thermosphere
the last true layer of the atmosphere
solar constant
the rate at which radiant solar energy is received at the outer layer of the earth's atmosphere
Tropopause
the upper boundary of the troposphere
What temperature layers lie in the heterosphere?
thermosphere, exosphere, and mesosphere
Heterosphere
upper atmosphere
stratopause
upper boundary of the stratosphere
greenhouse effect
warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere
Jet streams
wind in the stratosphere that blow as fast as 400 kph in paths