Test 8

Air may best be described as __________

a mixture

Which one of the following is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

nitrogen

The lowest layer of the atmosphere is the ____

troposphere

The tropopause is the boundary between ______

the troposphere and stratosphere

Fifty percent of the gases making up the atmosphere are found below _____

3 ½ miles (5.6 km)

The two most important heat absorbing gases in the lower atmosphere are _______

water vapor and carbon dioxide

Which one of the gases listed below is more important meteorologically (that is, is more important in weather processes) than the others?

carbon dioxide

Practically all clouds and storms occur in this layer of the atmosphere.

troposphere

On the average, how much of the Sun’s energy that is intercepted by Earth is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds?

20%

On the average, how much of the Sun’s energy that is intercepted by Earth is reflected back to space?

30%

With which of the following is dust in the atmosphere associated?

reflection of solar energy, optical phenomena such as a red sky at sunset, and condensation and cloud formation

The longest wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum are ____

radio

The triatomic form of oxygen (O3) is known as ______

ozone

Ozone filters out most of the __________ radiation in sunlight.

ultraviolet

Ozone is concentrated in the _________

stratosphere

A very important control of the DAILY range of temperature is ________

the amount of water vapor in the air

On the AVERAGE, for every 1 km increase in altitude in the troposphere, the air temperature ____

drops about 6.5˚C

The normal lapse rate in the troposphere is about __________ per kilometer.

6.5˚C

Which are mechanisms of heat transfer?

conduction, convection, and radiation

This process involves the movement of a mass or substance.

convection

Earth receives energy from the Sun in this way.

radiation

The transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity is

conduction

The annual range of temperature may be described as the difference between ____

maximum and minimum temperatures over a period of one year

Which one of the following statements is true about the equinoxes?

days and nights are equal in length everywhere

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on this date.

June 21

The fall equinox in the Southern Hemisphere occurs on this date.

March 21

The spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on _____

March 21

The 90 angle solar rays are striking the Tropic of Cancer on

June 21

The 90˚ angle solar rays are striking the Tropic of Capricorn on _____

December 21

The North Pole has a higher noon Sun angle than New York City on this date.

none of these

New York City has its greatest length of daylight on ____

June 21

On this date the length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator.

December 21

At noon on February 21, the Sun is overhead ____

at some point between the Tropic of Capricorn and the equator, heading northward

The annual temperature range at most latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere is much smaller than that in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason for this is that ____

there is a greater percentage of water surface in the Southern Hemisphere

Two cities are located at the same latitude (40˚). City A is in the Southern Hemisphere and City B is in the Northern Hemisphere. Assume the two cities reflect the general characteristics of the hemispheres where they are located. Which city should have the warmest winter temperatures?

City A

Two cities are located at the same latitude (40˚). City A is in the Northern Hemisphere and City B is in the Southern Hemisphere. Assume the two cities reflect the general characteristics of the hemispheres where they are located. Which city should have the largest annual mean temperature range?

City A

A place located along a windward coast will probably have ______

cooler summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude