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.
