A 20 question Quizlet designed to prepare you for questions related to the "Atmosphere" on the AP Environmental Science Exam!
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| 1163043716 | Which five gases have the highest concentration in Earth's atmosphere? | In order (mole fractions in parenthesis): Nitrogen (.78), Oxygen (.21), Water (0.04 to < 5x10-3; 4x10-6 — strat), Argon (0.0093), Carbon Dioxide (370x10-6, as of the year 2000) | |
| 1163043717 | Why does temperature decrease with altitude in the troposphere and mesosphere? | As the sun's rays strike the Earth, objects on Earth absorb the energy and release heat. Thus, the further from the ground (where most objects are), the lower the temperature. | |
| 1163043718 | Why does temperature increase with altitude in the stratosphere? | The stratosphere contains about 90% of the Earth's ozone. Ozone absorbs sunlight. The ozone at the top of the stratosphere has first access to sunlight -- and thus absorbs the most. | |
| 1163043719 | Why does pressure fall exponentially with increasing altitude? | Pressure is defined as force per unit area. As you rise in the atmosphere, there is less air above you, so pressure falls. Additionally, air is compressible, so most of the atmosphere's mass is compressed in the lower layers. | |
| 1163043720 | What is albedo? | The fraction of electromagnetic radiation reflected after striking a surface. | |
| 1163043721 | How do greenhouse gases warm the planet? | Greenhouse gases absorb some of the infrared radiation the earth emits, and radiate some of it back to the Earth's surface. | |
| 1163043722 | Are water vapor concentrations higher at the poles or at the equator? | Water vapor concentrations are higher at the equator. This is because at the equator, the air is warmer, and thus is able to hold more water vapor. | |
| 1163043723 | What is the dew point? | The temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapor (has 100% relative humidity) and condenses into water called dew. | |
| 1163043724 | What is the Coriolis effect? How does it work? | Coriolis forces, resulting from the rotation of the Earth, cause winds and currents to curve. It works because angular momentum is constant for objects on Earth; as the object's distance from axis decreases, its velocity must increase (angular momentum is a product of mass, velocity, and radius). | |
| 1163344862 | What is the difference between climate and weather? | Weather can be thought of as short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate can be thought of as long-term atmospheric conditions. | |
| 1163344863 | What role do phytoplankton play in buffering atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations? | Phytoplankton use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, converting it to organic matter, thus taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. | |
| 1163344864 | How does water vapor feedback work? | As temperatures increase, the atmosphere can hold more water vapor (more water is gaseous at higher temperatures). Since water vapor acts as a greenhouse gas, as concentrations increase, the atmosphere's temperature increases. | |
| 1163344865 | What type of wavelengths does the Earth mostly emit? | Infrared | |
| 1163344866 | Describe the general pattern of global winds. | From thirty degrees latitude in the north and south hemispheres, winds generally blow west. From thirty degrees latitude to sixty degrees latitude in both hemispheres, winds generally blow east. Finally, above sixty degrees, winds generally blow west again. | |
| 1163344867 | How does the ozone layer affect us? | The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere. The ozone layer is what absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet light. If the ozone layer did not exist, several organisms on earth would likely suffer. Humans, for example, would be at a much greater risk of skin cancer, and may undergo starvation if food crops are attacked. | |
| 1163344868 | What is convection? | Convection is action of air rising as it becomes warmer than its surroundings, rising to float above colder, denser air. | |
| 1163344869 | Other than convection, what else accounts for vertical motion in the atmosphere? | Adding water vapor to air will cause it rise, as water vapor reduces the density of air. Convergence, in which winds runs into other physical structures or even other winds, can cause air to rise as well. | |
| 1163344870 | Why does air cool as it rises? | When air rises it pushes away from its surroundings, expending energy and thus losing heat. | |
| 1163344871 | What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate? | The rate at which the temperature of a parcel of dry air (less than 100% relative humidity) decreases as the parcel is lifted in the atmosphere. This rate is "typically" -9.8 degrees Celsius per 1000 meters. | |
| 1163344872 | How does precipitation occur? | As air rises, it cools. As air cools, it can hold less and less water vapor. When the air reaches its dew point, or the point in which it is completely saturated with water vapor, clouds may form and eventually rain or snow may fall. |
