Earth Systems & Environment Chapter 11 quiz

Near the surface, what happens to the temperature of the atmosphere with increasing altitude?

decreases

The temperature at which condensation begins is the

dew point.

A layer of the atmosphere where the temperature increases with height is a (an)

inversion

Air moving down a mountain slope is often warm because

it is compressed as it moves to lower elevations

The science that studies the atmosphere and weather phenomena is

meteorology.

A general horizontal movement of air is called

wind

Atmospheric pressure is measured using a

barometer

The amount of water vapor at a particular temperature is defined as

relative humidity

Approximately how much of the total volume of the atmosphere is oxygen?

21%

Up from the surface, 99 percent of the mass of Earth's atmosphere is found within

32 km (20 mi).

How much of the total amount of solar radiation reaching the outermost part of Earth's atmosphere reaches the surface?

About one-half

The solar radiation that does reach Earth's surface

All of the above are correct.

What is the process of heating the atmosphere by the absorption of solar radiation and reemission of infrared radiation?

Greenhouse effect

What is the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere?

Tropopause

What is the layer of the atmosphere where we live?

Troposphere

Which molecules in the atmosphere absorb infrared radiation?

a and c

A rapidly moving "stream" of air near the top of the troposphere is

a jet stream

Tiny solid or liquid smoke, soot, dust, and salt crystals found in the atmosphere are

aerosols.

The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is

nitrogen

The temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere because

of a concentration of ozone.

Ultraviolet radiation is filtered by

ozone shield

The relationship between the actual absolute humidity at a particular temperature and the maximum absolute humidity that can occur at that temperature is called the ________________.

relative humidity

Air moving from the ocean to the land is called a

sea breeze

The greenhouse effect results in warmer temperatures near the surface because

some of the energy is reradiated back toward the surface.

Fog and clouds are composed of

tiny droplets of liquid water