Question 1
Question
The average length of time that individual molecules of a given substance remain in the atmosphere is called the:
Answer
-
residence time
-
steady state
-
thermocline
-
travel time
Question 2
Answer
-
is a permanent gas
-
is a good reflector of thermal radiation
-
is removed from the atmosphere by the digestive processes of cattle
-
has increased in concentration over the last 50 or so years
Question 3
Question
The aurora borealis:
Answer
-
is a different type of physical phenomenon than the aurora australis
-
gains its energy from sunlight reflected from Earth
-
is typically strongest near the equator
-
emits light as electrons move from higher orbits around the nucleus to lower ones
Question 4
Question
Relatively speaking, the earth's atmosphere is:
Answer
-
very thick when compared to the earth's diameter
-
very thin when compared to the earth's diameter
-
stops at the top of the troposphere
-
stops when we reach "space"
Question 5
Question
The maximum concentrations of ozone are found in the:
Answer
-
troposphere
-
mesosphere
-
ionosphere
-
stratosphere
Question 6
Question
Which of the following will increase given an increase in pressure?
Answer
-
mass
-
density
-
volume
-
none of the above
Question 7
Question
The atmosphere is a mixture of:
Answer
-
precipitation and air
-
particulate matter and water
-
gas molecules, small particulates, and moisture
-
moisture and gas molecules only
Question 8
Question
The D-layer of the ionosphere:
Answer
-
has most of its electrons combines with positively charges ions at night
-
lies above the E-layer
-
is transparent to AM radio waves
-
has no significant effect on AM radio waves
Question 9
Question
The four layers of the atmosphere from the top down are:
Answer
-
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
-
thermosphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, troposphere
-
stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, troposphere
-
thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere
Question 10
Question
The thermosphere:
Answer
-
has a low heat content
-
would feel very hot to an austronaut
-
is characterized by a decrease in temperature as height increases
-
is part of the homosphere
Question 11
Answer
-
include cloud droplets
-
have little effect on weather
-
are formed by physical processes, not chemical processes
-
can be either solid or liquid
Question 12
Question
the troposphere:
Answer
-
has height that is relatively consistent at about ten kilometers
-
stays about the same temperate above three kilometers
-
contains a bit less than half the atmosphere's mass
-
is characterized in part by vertical mixing of air
Question 13
Question
The "stratosphere" warms because of:
Answer
-
dust and dirt deposited by volcanoes
-
the interaction of ozone and ultraviolet light
-
the interjection of moisture by meteors
-
the interjection of moisture by high-flying jet aircraft
Question 14
Answer
-
has vertical wind speeds that are typically around one-tenth that of horizontal wind speeds
-
is about as deep as the planet is wide
-
is more than 99 percent contained within the first 60 miles from the earth's surface
-
has not changed substantially in composition since the earth formed over four billion years ago
Question 15
Question
What do you notice concerning the percentage of permanent gasses throughout the atmosphere (all levels)?
Answer
-
it varies significantly from the surface up
-
it varies significantly only at the troposphere
-
it is the same throughout the atmosphere from the surface up
-
it varies only in the mesosphere
Question 16
Answer
-
comprises up to two percent of the atmospheric gases
-
is being removed from the atmosphere faster than it is being inputted
-
is removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis
-
is not present in significant amounts in the atmosphere of Venus
Question 17
Question
The stratosphere:
Answer
-
is part of the heterosphere
-
has a low moisture content compared to the troposphere
-
typically gets colder as elevation increases
-
is where much of Earth's weather occurs
Question 18
Question
The troposphere:
Answer
-
is thinnest at the tropics
-
maintains a relatively constant temperature
-
is thicker in summer
-
often disappears near the poles in winter
Question 19
Question
At a height of 10 miles, what is the density of the atmosphere when compared to sea level?
Question 20
Question
The evolution to an oxygen-rich atmosphere:
Answer
-
was heavily dependent upon aerobic bacteria
-
would have occurred even if carbon dioxide had not been present
-
occurred at the same time the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide were decreasing
-
required large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen
Question 21
Question
This is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere
Answer
-
nitrogen
-
oxygen
-
carbon dioxide
-
water vapor
Question 22
Question
The heterosphere:
Answer
-
lies below the homosphere
-
contains primarily heavy gases
-
is populated primarily by variable gases
-
is names for its chemical homogeneity
Question 23
Question
The recent alternative explanation for the disappearance of Earth's early atmosphere sees this as the primary causative agent:
Answer
-
volcanic outgassing
-
collisions of Earth with other large bodies
-
periodic energy pulses from the surface of the Sun
-
gravitational attraction of the Moon
Question 24
Question
Which of the following gases is crucial to the existence of all forms of life?
Answer
-
nitrogen
-
oxygen
-
carbon dioxide
-
argon
Question 25
Question
The ozone layer:
Answer
-
is in the troposphere
-
is composed of nearly half ozone
-
absorbs ultraviolet energy
-
radiates gamma rays toward Earth
Question 26
Question
The increase in carbon dioxide concentration since the 1950s is NOT the result of which of the following:
Answer
-
an increase in the burning dirty fossil fuels like coal
-
an increase in the burning of cleaner fossil fuels like natural gas
-
deforestation of large tracts of woodland
-
none of the above
Question 27
Question
The most costly average annual weather event is:
Question 28
Question
The atmosphere is held in place by:
Answer
-
an invisible force of ion attraction
-
gravity
-
the hydrostatic balance of water vapor and carbon dioxide
-
compression of the ionosphere by the solar wind
Question 29
Question
The Martian atmosphere:
Answer
-
is not capable of producing clouds of water vapor
-
recaptures nearly all the heat radiated from the planet's surface
-
consists primarily of carbon dioxide
-
is nearly as dense as that of Earth
Question 30
Question
Volcanic outgassing:
Answer
-
created the earth's first atmosphere
-
has had little effect on the earth's atmosphere
-
emits large amounts of water vapor
-
emits very little carbon dioxide
Question 31
Question
The Northern Hemisphere has its maximum tilt toward the Sun on the:
Answer
-
December solstice
-
March equinox
-
September equinox
-
June solstice
Question 32
Question
According to Wien's law:
Answer
-
the wavelength of peak radiation is proportional to temperature
-
the Sun's energy intensity peaks in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
-
the radiation emitted from Earth must be 4 micrometers or longer
-
wavelength is proportional to the fourth power of the intensity of radiation
Question 33
Question
Choose the correct listing of radiation from the longest wavelengths to the shortest wavelengths:
Answer
-
radio, gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, x-rays
-
gamma rays, radio, ultraviolet, infrared, visible, x-rays
-
x-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays, visible, radio
-
radio, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays
Question 34
Question
The solar angle:
Answer
-
is the same at the Arctic Circle and at the equator on the solstices
-
affects the degree of beam spreading
-
is lowest in the Northern Hemisphere during its winter
-
is lowest at the North Pole during its summer
Question 35
Question
An electron orbiting a hydrogen atom:
Answer
-
is restricted to a single energy state
-
cannot be removed from that atom unless that atom combines with another hydrogen atom to form a hydrogen molecule
-
has greater energy when it is further away from the nucleus
-
can absorb and emit photons of nearly any wavelength
Question 36
Question
Incoming solar radiation is often referred to as:
Answer
-
conduction
-
diffused radiation
-
insolation
-
albedo
Question 37
Question
Energy is traditionally defined as the ability to:
Answer
-
do work
-
create movement
-
cause acceleration
-
none of the above
Question 38
Question
The peak of the Earth's emission is ______, while the sun's peak is .5 microns
Answer
-
.1 microns
-
1 micron
-
10 microns
-
100 microns
Question 39
Question
The Earth is actually the farthest from the sun on:
Answer
-
January 3rd
-
April 1st
-
July 4th
-
December 25th
Question 40
Question
Electromagnetic radiation is the energy for
Question 41
Question
At which point during the year can we have 24 hours of daylight and 1 day of 24 of darkness in the northern hemisphere?
Answer
-
Arctic CIrcle
-
North Pole
-
Antarctic Circle
-
Tropic of Capricorn
Question 42
Question
The solar constant:
Answer
-
is the same throughout the solar system
-
varies inversely with the fourth power of an object's distance from the Sun's surfare
-
is independent of the Stefan-Boltzmann law
-
is higher for Earth than for Mars
Question 43
Question
On the June solstice:
Answer
-
the solar declination is 23.5 degrees North
-
the Southern Hemisphere overall receives more energy than does the Northern Hemisphere
-
the South Pole experiences 24 hours of daylight
-
the subsolar point is on the Tropic of Capricorn
Question 44
Question
The Stefan-Boltzmann law:
Answer
-
gives energy intensities in watts per square meter
-
demonstrates that a cooler body will radiate with greater intensity than will a hotter body
-
does not apply to black bodies
-
is derived from Wien's law
Question 45
Question
The Stefan-Boltzmann Law gives the relationship between:
Answer
-
solar energy and temperature
-
temperature and long-wave radiation
-
the intensity of radiation and the temperature of an object
-
emissivity and wavelength
Question 46
Question
Which of the following has the longest wavelength?
Answer
-
Thermal infrared
-
radio
-
gamma
-
ultraviolet
Question 47
Question
The single factor that determines how much energy a blackbody radiates is its:
Answer
-
size
-
distance
-
diameter
-
temperature
Question 48
Question
All of the following about equinoxes is true, except:
Answer
-
the solar declination is zero degrees
-
both hemispheres receive the same amount of insolation
-
every place has 12 hours of daylight
-
the solar angle at the North Pole is 90 degrees
Question 49
Answer
-
can only approximate the Stefan-Boltzmann law
-
are hypothetical, they don't actually exist
-
emit the same amount of energy regardless of their temperatures
-
do not emit radiation as well as gray bodies do
Question 50
Question
Energy created by the sun travels from the surface of the solar:
Answer
-
core
-
corona
-
photosphere
-
chronosphere
Question 51
Question
In the innermost portion of the Sun, the core, extremely high temperatures and high densities lead to the energy-creating process of:
Answer
-
nuclear fission
-
nuclear fusion
-
the big bang
-
nuclear differentiation
Question 52
Answer
-
does not involve an actual transfer of energy
-
involves potential energy only
-
involves mixing in a fluid
-
is another term for conduction
Question 53
Question
This is a form of potential energy:
Question 54
Question
Temperatures within these feature can reach 100 million degrees Kelvin:
Answer
-
granules
-
flares
-
sunspots
-
the solar wind
Question 55
Question
This method of energy transfer does not involve the net movement of particles or waves in the direction of energy transfer:
Question 56
Question
The standard unit of energy in the International System(SI) used in scientific applications is the:
Question 57
Answer
-
occurs at only one scale
-
occurs at more than one scale
-
occurs only at scales that are very small
-
occurs only at scales that are very large
Question 58
Question
The earth's axis of rotation is tilted roughly this number of degrees away from a line perpendicular to the plane of the earth's orbit
Question 59
Question 60
Question
Energy transfer processes include:
Answer
-
only those processes that can be seen
-
energy that is transferred at the molecular level only
-
conduction, convection, and radiation
-
only the energy interaction between the earth and the atmosphere
Question 61
Question
Sunsets are red for all of the following reasons except
Question 62
Question
The earth-atmosphere thermal equilibrium temperature is maintained because:
Answer
-
energy radiated equals energy absorbed
-
the polar ice caps are melting in order to maintain ocean temperatures
-
global warming is driving the earth-atmosphere system closer to a pure blackbody
-
of the movement of latent heat from north to south across the equator
-
none of the above
Question 63
Question
Temperatures at any point on the face of the earth are influenced by:
Answer
-
latitude
-
altitude
-
proximity to water
-
all of the above
Question 64
Question
A "greenhouse" works because:
Answer
-
of the difference in the solar constant
-
short wave lengths of energy pass through the glass but longer ones can't
-
the windows of the greenhouse only allow green light wavelengths to pass through
-
all greenhouses face south and into the maximum angle of solar energy
Question 65
Question
The reason that the daily maximum temperature is after the maximum solar heating is because:
Answer
-
the Sun has more energy when shining from the west
-
the atmosphere is "thinner" in the afternoon
-
there is a thermal "lag" in the heating of the atmosphere
-
None of the above. There is no relationship between the maximum amount of sunshine and the time of maximum daily temperature
Question 66
Question
The atmosphere is a(n):
Question 67
Question
The process by which solar energy interacts with the atmosphere is:
Answer
-
scattering
-
absorption
-
reflection
-
all of the above
Question 68
Question
Looking at global temperature distributions, it is seen that:
Answer
-
temperatures over land are colder than those over water at the same latitude in winter
-
temperatures increase poleward
-
the latitudinal temperature gradient is weakest in the hemisphere experiencing winter
-
it is difficult to explain the behavior of isotherms over the continents
Question 69
Question
This works primarily on shorter-wavelength radiation:
Answer
-
Rayleigh scattering
-
mie scattering
-
nonselective scattering
-
infrared absorption
Question 70
Question
Compared to land, water bodies:
Question 71
Question
Sweating cools people because:
Answer
-
it releases latent heat
-
it changes the heat capacity of the body
-
colder molecules in a passing wind adhere to the wet skin
-
it involves a transfer of sensible heat
Question 72
Question
The scattered energy that reaches the earth's surface is called:
Answer
-
direct radiation
-
diffused radiation
-
albedo
-
ultraviolet light
Question 73
Question
Insolation reaching the surface of the earth:
Answer
-
is absorbed by the earth
-
represents about 50 percent of the amount that was at the top of the atmosphere
-
is unaffected by earth's albedo
-
has not yet been affected by backscattering
Question 74
Question
A clear, dry atmosphere might transmit what percentage of the incoming solar radiation as direct beam radiation without scattering or absorption?
Question 75
Question
Regarding latitudinal variations in radiation gain and loss, it is true that:
Answer
-
during the Northern Hemisphere summer, the Southern Hemisphere gains more energy than it loses
-
during the Southern Hemisphere winter, the area of net radiation gain lies north of the equator
-
global winds are the only significant method for redistributing heat toward the poles
-
the equator experiences a net radiation loss for six months out of the year
Question 76
Question
Density = mass/volume, what type of scale is this?
Answer
-
ratio scale
-
ordinal scale
-
nominal scale
-
interval scale
Question 77
Question
Scattering by clouds is sometimes called:
Answer
-
rayleigh
-
mie
-
convection
-
non-selective
Question 78
Question
Forced convection:
Answer
-
is a form of laminar flow
-
results from vertical temperature differentials
-
occurs when a fluid breaks into eddies
-
is a major cause of upper-level aircraft turbulence
Question 79
Question
The radiation emitted by earth:
Answer
-
is primarily absorbed by the atmosphere
-
is in the form of radio waves
-
has little effect on the earth's energy budget
-
had its origin in radioactive elements in the earth's interior
Question 80
Question
The sky is black on the Moon because:
Answer
-
space reflects all wavelengths of radiation equally
-
the Moon contains neither oceans nor vegetation
-
the Moon does not have sufficient gravity to attract visible light
-
The Moon has no atmosphere
Question 81
Question
Ocean currents are generated by:
Answer
-
the rotation of the earth
-
the gravitational attraction of the Moon
-
the gravitational attraction of the continents
-
the drag of wind blowing across the water's surface
Question 82
Question
On average, the atmosphere absorbs roughly this percentage of the solar radiation that reaches the top of the atmosphere
Question 83
Question
In the Southern Hemisphere, south-facing slopes:
Answer
-
are more likely to have more vegetation
-
receive more solar radiation than do north-facing slopes
-
will typically look the same as north-facing slopes, except near the equator
-
are most lush in subtropical regions
Question 84
Answer
-
is performed quite well by the atmosphere for visible wavelengths
-
is done to differing degrees by different gases
-
does not prevent most ultraviolet light from reaching earth's surface
-
is typically greater in desert areas than in humid areas
Question 85
Answer
-
has only small effect on the atmosphere
-
is the same for all substances undergoing the same phase change
-
is more important for the atmosphere when released through evaporation rather than through melting
-
is the amount of heat needed to raise on kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius
Question 86
Question
The laminar boundary layer is important to which of the following processes?
Answer
-
radiation
-
transmisison
-
conduction
Question 87
Question
On which of these dates would the earth have the most energy available?
Answer
-
perihelion
-
summer sosltice
-
aphelion
-
vernal equinox
Question 88
Answer
-
is impermeable to shortwave radiation
-
blocks the transfer of longwave radiation
-
allows the loss of sensible heat
-
allows the loss of latent heat
Question 89
Answer
-
is moved via advection from place to place on the earth
-
serves as a way of moving energy from place to place without disturbing areas in between
-
provides the fuel for literally all mid-latitude storms
-
can be traces to the hydrological cycle
-
all of the above
Question 90
Question
The atmospheric window:
Answer
-
is caused by the absence of certain gasses
-
is a local phenomenon similar to the ozone hole that opens over Antarctica in winter
-
is located at a band of wavelengths between 2 and 6 micrometers
-
allows certain wavelengths of longwave radiation to pass through the atmosphere
Question 91
Question
Wind systems are generated by:
Answer
-
different pressures in different places
-
the drag on the atmosphere caused by the earth's rotation
-
the interaction of the atmosphere with the charged particles of the solar wind
-
the movements of ocean currents
Question 92
Question
This was probably the predominant gas in Earth's earliest atmosphere:
Answer
-
argon
-
hydrogen
-
water vapor
-
nitrogen
Question 93
Answer
-
absorbs ultraviolet light
-
typically reaches its greatest concentrations near the ground and near major cities
-
is very difficult to split into diatomic oxygen and monatomic oxygen
-
exists primarily in the troposphere
Question 94
Question
The percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (by hemisphere) varies by season because:
Answer
-
plants grow in the warm season and not in the cold season
-
more residential heating is required during the cold season
-
less pliant decay takes place during the cold season
-
all of the above
Question 95
Question
The temperature is lowest here:
Answer
-
mesopause
-
stratopause
-
tropopause
-
stratosphere
Question 96
Answer
-
occurs only when the Sun is shining
-
releases oxygen into the air
-
must give off less carbon than is fixed through photosynthesis if a plant is to experience net growth
-
does not affect the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Question 97
Question
Atmospheric gas:
Answer
-
will, for a given amount of gas, experience an increase in pressure if the volume of the gas is decreased
-
undergoes abrupt pressure changes as height above the surface of the earth increases
-
has a smaller mean free path at higher elevations than at lower elevations
-
has no significant effect on sports events played at different elevations
Question 98
Question
The "ionosphere" is so designated because:
Answer
-
satellites have a difficult time flying through it
-
visible sunlight is deflected by it
-
of the electrical charges of atoms associated with it
-
no radio waves can pass through it
Question 99
Question
The most destructive tornadoes are rated as a:
Question 100
Question
Aerosols are typically removed from the atmosphere by:
Question 101
Question
This is NOT a variable gas:
Answer
-
water vapor
-
argon
-
ozone
-
carbon dioxide
Question 102
Question
The Sun's chronosphere:
Answer
-
lies above the corona
-
lies below the Sun's atmosphere
-
cannot be viewed by Earth-based observers
-
affects the earth's ionosphere
Question 103
Question
The Sun's photosphere:
Answer
-
receives the energy from the Sun's core in a matter of minutes
-
radiates much of the energy the earth receives
-
decreases in density closer to the Sun's core
-
lies above the chronosphere
Question 104
Question
Sunspot activity:
Answer
-
typically varies in number on a roughly eleven-year cycle
-
was first observed in the late nineteenth century
-
typically has the same number of sunspots per year
-
has been conclusively linked to climate changes
Question 105
Question
Sunspots are associated with the solar:
Answer
-
core
-
corona
-
photosphere
-
chronosphere
Question 106
Question
All of the following are true statements about electromagnetic radiation, except:
Answer
-
it moves at the speed of light
-
it is often measured in micrometers
-
its energy is inversely proportional to its amplitude
-
its energy does not decrease with distance
Question 107
Question
The single factor that determines how much energy a blackbody radiates is its:
Answer
-
temperature
-
mass
-
volume
-
density
Question 108
Question
Sunspot numbers were lowest in this century
Question 109
Question
If object A is at 400K, and object B is at 800 K, then the radiation intensity of object A will be this amount of that the radiation intensity of object B:
Question 110
Answer
-
are caused by locally intense magnetic fields
-
appear in the chronosphere
-
are warmer than the material surrounding them
-
tend to be less than 100 miles in diameter
Question 111
Question
This is a form of kinetic energy:
Question 112
Question
The warmest period of the day:
Answer
-
typically occurs at noon
-
occurs when incoming radiative energy is exactly balances by outgoing radiative energy
-
occurs during the time of maximum insolation
-
occurs when the surface energy budget is running a surplus
Question 113
Question
Net radiation is:
Answer
-
radiation that is left over after a solar flar
-
defined as the difference between absorbed and emitted radiation
-
the solar energy that exceeds the solar constant
-
the sole cause of global warming
Question 114
Question
Near-infrared radiation represents what proportion of the total energy emitted by the sea?
Question 115
Question
The planetary albedo of the earth is:
Question 116
Answer
-
is less important to making up the atmosphere's radiative energy deficit than is conduction
-
typically transfers heat downward during the day
-
plays no significant role at night
-
helps circulate heat throughout the atmosphere
Question 117
Question
The percentage of visible light reflected by an object or substance is called its:
Answer
-
albedo
-
emission
-
absorption
-
secondary reflectance
Question 118
Question
Greenhouse gases:
Answer
-
keep the earth at a comfortable temperature
-
did not exist in significant concentrations until the coming of the Industrial Age
-
are good absorbers of shortwave radiation
-
cause the earth to have much wider swings in daily temperature ranges than if the gases were not present
Question 119
Question
Measuring Earth's equilibrium temperature without an atmosphere
Answer
-
is easily done using Wien's law
-
is best done assuming the earth is a flat disk
-
is complicated by uncertainty over the value of the earth's albedo
-
can be done only by assuming the earth does not approximate a black body
Question 120
Question
Which of the following is NOT a warm current?
Answer
-
North Equatorial current
-
South Equatorial current
-
Gulf Stream
-
Falkland current
Question 121
Question
If the Sun increased its radiative output:
Answer
-
the earth would undergo an uncontrollable greenhouse effect
-
the earth would eventually reach a higher equilibrium temperature
-
the amount of longwave energy radiated from Earth's surface would decrease
-
the earth would have a surplus of incoming radiation energy compared to outgoing radiation energy until the Sun finally burned itself otu
Question 122
Question
What is the makeup of land vs. water on the Earth?
Answer
-
34% land
66% water
-
50% land
50% water
-
29% land
71% water
-
25% land
75% water
Question 123
Question
What portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is of importance to humans?
Question 124
Question
Measuring temperature is an example of which scale?
Answer
-
ratio
-
ordinal
-
nominal
-
interval
Question 125
Question
Questions that have answers that fit into categories (i.e. boy/girl, freshman/sophomore/junior/senior) are examples of which scale?
Answer
-
nominal
-
ratio
-
interval
-
ordinal
Question 126
Question
Questions that ask you to rate something (1-10 for example) are examples of which scale?
Answer
-
ordinal
-
nominal
-
interval
-
ratio