Physical Science: Atmosphere Review
Changes in atmospheric pressure cause the sides of this instrument to bend inward and outward
aneroid barometer
The transfer of energy as heat through a material is called________.
conduction
The movement of matter due to differences in density caused by temperature variations is called____.
convection
The three looping patterns of air flow that exist in each hemisphere is_____________________.
convection cells
Not all areas on Earth's surface receive the same amount of radiation because Earth's surface is______.
curved
All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation is called_______.
electromagnetic spectrum
The uppermost layer of the atmosphere is________.
exosphere
Approximately 70% of Earth's surface is covered by_____________________.
global oceans
The warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide and water vapor in the air absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation is called_____.
greenhouse effect
The warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and trap infrared radiation is known as_____________?
greenhouse effect
If the ozone layer disappeared, life on Earth would be exposed to__________concentration of ultraviolet radiation.
higher
The narrow bands of high-speed winds that blow in the upper atmosphere are called________________.
jet streams
This kind of wind blows cool air from land to water.
land breeze
What are the two types of barometers?
mercurial and aneroid
The coldest layer of the atmosphere in which temperature decreases as altitude increases is called ____________.
mesosphere
What is the name of the gas that makes up most of the Earth's atmosphere?
nitrogen
What are the components of the atmosphere?
nitrogen, oxygen, ozone, argon, water vapor & particulates
Are atmospheric pressure and gravity components of the atmosphere?
no
Are gases considered particulates?
no
What percentage of solar energy that reaches Earth is absorbed by the land, oceans, and the atmosphere?
70%
______is the transfer of heat by the flow of heated material.
Convection
The curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth's rotation is called_____________________.
Coriolis effect
The_____is caused by the Earth's rotation.
Coriolis effect
What happens to solar radiation that is not reflected back into the atmosphere?
It is absorbed by surface materials.
The_____is the source of all energy in our atmosphere.
Sun
Name the type of radiation whose wavelengths are shorter than UV, but longer than Gamma Rays.
X rays
The fraction of solar radiation that is reflected off the surface of an object is called____.
albedo
___________is the fraction of solar radiation reaching Earth that is reflected.
albedo
A mixture of gases, primarily nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, that surrounds Earth is called___________.
atmosphere
Interactions between solar radiation and the Thermosphere cause____?
auroras
What is the name of the instrument that measures air pressure?
barometer
Winds that extend over distances of less than 100 km are___________.
breezes
The two most abundant compounds in the atmosphere are: ____________ & _________________
carbon dioxide and water vapor
In general, atmospheric pressure is greatest near Earth's surface and _______as you move upward away from sea level.
decreases
Because of the Coriolis effect, an object that travels north from the equator will curve which direction?
east (right)
Prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60 degrees and 90 degrees latitude in both hemispheres are called________________________.
polar easterlies
Energy from the sun travels to Earth as____________.
radiation
Reflection and absorption by the atmosphere prevent some______from reaching Earth's surface.
radiation
_________is the transfer of energy in the form of rays or waves.
radiation
What are particulates in the atmosphere?
salt, pollen, and dust
The layer of the atmosphere in which temperature increases as altitude increases and contains the ozone layer is____.
stratosphere
Sea and land breezes are caused by___________________.
the land heats and cools more quickly than the water
Prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30 degrees latitude to the equator in both hemispheres are called_________.
trade winds
The global wind belt is made up of which winds?
trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies
Air pressure is greatest in the______because there are more molecules of air pushing down from above.
troposphere
The lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a constant rate as altitude increases, the level where all weather conditions exist is_____.
troposphere
The____is the layer of the atmosphere nearest to Earth's surface.
troposphere
List the layers of the atmosphere from sea level up
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
Temperature inversions can intensify the effect of smog when cool, polluted ground air is trapped by _______?
warm air
Prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30 and 60 degrees latitude in both hemispheres are________________________.
westerlies
