Gph 100P Exam 1

Front 1

The scientific study of the atmosphere

Back 1

Meteorology

Front 2

The state of the atmosphere at a given time and place. Constantly changing.

Back 2

Weather

Front 3

An aggregate of weather conditions; the sum of all statistical weather information that helps describe a place or region

Back 3

Climate

Front 4

6 Basic Elements of Weather and Climate

Back 4

1. Air Temp
2. Humidity
3. Type and amount of cloudiness
4. Type and amount of precipitation
5. Air pressure
6. The speed and direction of wind

Front 5

How does the Earth's shape deviate from that of a true sphere?

Back 5

Earth's shape is an oblate ellipsoid with a polar diameter of 7900 miles vs 7926mi for the equatorial diameter

Front 6

What are the two causes of seasons?

Back 6

Changes in the angle at which the sun's rays strike the surface and changes in the length of the daylight at each latitude.

Front 7

Four layers of atmosphere (Low to High)

Back 7

1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere

Front 8

Air temperature in the troposphere

Back 8

Decreases with height (lapsing)

Front 9

Air temperature in the stratosphere

Back 9

Increases with height (Inversion)

Front 10

Air temperature in the mesosphere

Back 10

Decreases with height (lapsing)

Front 11

Air temperature in the thermosphere

Back 11

Increases with height (inversion)

Front 12

Why is the stratosphere important?

Back 12

It contains the ozone layer where the concentration of ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Front 13

Tropopause separates

Back 13

Troposphere and stratosphere

Front 14

Stratopause separates

Back 14

Stratosphere and mesosphere

Front 15

Mesopause separates

Back 15

Mesosphere and thermosphere

Front 16

Four environmental spheres

Back 16

-Atmosphere (gaseous envelope)
-Geosphere (solid Earth)
-Hydrosphere (water portion)
-Biosphere (life)

Front 17

Sun's radiation range

Back 17

.1 - 2.5 micrometers

Front 18

Earth's radiation range

Back 18

.4-.7 micrometers

Front 19

All objects emit radiant energy as long as

Back 19

It is over absolute zero (0 Kelvin)

Front 20

Temperature scale properly used in thermodynamics and radiation is known as

Back 20

Absolute scale, units Kelvin

Front 21

Is ultraviolet radiation long or shortwave

Back 21

Short

Front 22

How does UV radiation compare to visible light

Back 22

Shorter

Front 23

Fahrenheit scale has an artificial zero because

Back 23

It is defined at a mixture of ice, water, and salt

Front 24

The aurora borealis takes place in the ionosphere. True/False

Back 24

True

Front 25

Two most abundant Earth gases

Back 25

1. Nitrogen - 78%
2. Oxygen - 20.9%

Front 26

The fraction of radiation that is reflected by an object

Back 26

Albedo

Front 27

The Earth's albedo

Back 27

30%

Front 28

Example of high albedo

Back 28

Snow

Front 29

Example of low albedo

Back 29

Pavement

Front 30

Percent of radiation absorbed by earth's surface

Back 30

50%

Front 31

Why is the sky blue

Back 31

Gas molecules better reflect violet and blue waves, resulting in the blue appearance

Front 32

The rate of temperature decrease with height in the troposphere

Back 32

Environmental lapse rate

Front 33

The average drop in temperature with increasing height in the troposphere; about 6.5C per Km

Back 33

Normal lapse rate

Front 34

Four mechanisms of heat transfer

Back 34

-Conduction
-Convection
-Radiation
-Latent heat transfer

Front 35

The transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity. Energy is transferred during collisions among molecules

Back 35

Conduction (solids)

Front 36

The transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance. It can take place only in fluids.

Back 36

Convection (liquids)

Front 37

The energy absorbed or released during a change of state

Back 37

Latent heat

Front 38

The wavelike energy emitted by an substance that possesses heat.

Back 38

Radiation

Front 39

A zone of atmosphere extending from Earth's surface to about 80Km that is uniform in terms of the proportions of its component gases

Back 39

Homosphere

Front 40

A zone of the atmosphere beyond about 80Km where the gases are arranged into four roughly spherical shells, each with a distinctive compostion; overlaps thermosphere

Back 40

Heterosphere

Front 41

Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere

Back 41

Aerosols

Front 42

Three natural aerosol causes

Back 42

Volcanic Ash, Ash from forest fires, sea salt

Front 43

Three human aerosol causes

Back 43

Burning fossil fuels, farming erosion, arson

Front 44

Energy needed to cool a building; Every degree over 75degrees F equals 1

Back 44

Cooling degree day units

Front 45

International agreement, ozone depletion

Back 45

Montreal Protocol

Front 46

Increasing greenhouse gases

Back 46

1. Water vapor
2. CO2
3. Methane
4. Nitrous Oxide
5. Ozone

Front 47

Primary cause of ozone depletion

Back 47

Chlorofluorocarbons