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