Physical Geography: Ch3 (HW2)

The approximate boundary of the atmosphere extends outward at least ________ kilometers above the surface.

Argon is the ________ most plentiful gas in the atmosphere.

By volume, which of the following comprises most of Earth's atmosphere? A. carbon monoxide B. ozone C. carbon dioxide D. argon E. chlorofluorocarbons

The third most plentiful gas in the Earth's lower atmosphere is ________.

The normal percent of water vapor in dry air is ________ percent.

With the exception of water vapor, ________ is the most plentiful of the variable gases in the atmosphere.

Over warm oceans, water vapor comprises about ________ percent of the volume of the atmosphere.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is ________.

Ozone is actually ________.

Which of the following is NOT gaseous in the atmosphere? Select one: A. neon B. argon C. helium D. water vapor E. clouds

Water vapor is nearly absent ________.

About 10,000 kilometers above the surface is the upper limit of the ________.

The influence on climate of carbon dioxide is mainly due to its ability to absorb ________.

A variable gas in the atmosphere nearly absent from the higher elevations is ________.

Clouds owe their existence to the presence of atmospheric ________.

The smallest atmospheric particles can remain suspended in the atmosphere for a period of ________.

Some particulates absorb the water vapor around them. They are said to be ________.

________ particulates in the atmosphere absorb water and are the basis for cloud formation.

Which of the following is NOT an important source of particulates in the atmosphere? A. salt from the sea B. photosynthesis from trees C. volcanic eruptions D. soot from fires E. emissions from engines

Which of the following is NOT associated with particulates? Select one: A. sunlight absorption B. may remain suspended for months or years C. cause clouds to form D. depletion of the ozone layer E. sunlight reflection

The segment of the atmosphere which blends into interplanetary space is called the ________.

The segment of the atmosphere in which gases maintain an approximately uniform composition is the ________.

Which of the following is an important function of Earth's atmosphere? A. supplies the oxygen for life B. insulates the surface against temperature extremes C. screens out much of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation D. maintains a water supply E. all of the above

The ________ is the layer of the atmosphere where electrified atoms are plentiful.

The homosphere includes the lowest ________ kilometers of the atmosphere.

The exosphere marks the outward limit of the ________.

The ozone layer is in that portion of the atmosphere known as the ________.

If one were 30 kilometers above sea level, one would be in the part of the atmosphere known as the ________.

The source of warming in the upper stratosphere is ________.

The part of the atmosphere that contains "weather" and supports life ________.

A major characteristic of the troposphere is the ________.

The atmospheric layer in which gases do not maintain a uniform composition is the ________.

On the average, the tropopause is highest above the surface over the ________.

Above ________ kilometer(s), the atmospheric pressure is so slight as not to register on an ordinary barometer.

The warm zone near the top of the stratosphere is the result of heating from ________.

Which of the following is NOT a natural characteristic of the troposphere? A. the lowest layer of the atmosphere B. the hottest temperatures in the atmosphere C. the layer associated with "weather" D. most of the atmospheric water vapor E. the highest pressures in the atmosphere

Which atmospheric layer is directly above the troposphere? A. mesosphere B. exosphere C. stratosphere D. heterosphere E. thermosphere

The stratosphere derives its name from which property?

The order of the atmospheric layers from the surface up into the atmosphere is ________.

The source of heating in the thermosphere is the absorption of ________.

Which of the following can be found lowest in the atmosphere? A. ozone layer B. thermosphere C. ionosphere D. exosphere E. tropopause

The lower 80 kilometers or so in the atmosphere in which gases are found in uniform proportions is the ________.

Vertical mixing and turbulence are most characteristic of the ________.

In the atmosphere, the temperature decreases with increasing altitude in the ________ and the ________.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the atmosphere? A. It has clouds which float in it. B. It is poorly mixed in the heterosphere. C. It resists being compressed. D. It contains water vapor. E. It is very well mixed near the Earth's surface.

The coldest temperature in the atmosphere can be found at the ________.

Which of the following exists highest in the atmosphere? A. troposphere B. stratopause C. mesopause D. tropopause E. stratosphere

At an elevation of 16 kilometers (in the lower stratosphere), atmospheric pressure is approximately one-________ of what it is at the surface.

One half of the atmosphere lies below the elevation of ________.

Given the relationship between altitude and atmospheric pressure, the pressure at 20 kilometers above the surface is ________.

Air pressure ________.

Which of the following statements about the atmosphere is TRUE? A. It is well-mixed from bottom to top B. It has a sharply defined top called the atmopause. C. Temperature decreases uniformly with height. D. Most of its mass is relatively close to the ground. E. Pressure increases with elevation.

Oxygen is the ________ component of the atmosphere in terms of volume.

Which of the following is NOT an atmospheric gas? A. water vapor B. nitrogen C. clouds D. carbon dioxide E. oxygen

Air is best described as a(n) ________.

The main component of the lower atmosphere by total volume is ________.

Together, oxygen and nitrogen comprise what percentage of the atmosphere?

Which of the following is a major source of nitrogen in the atmosphere? A. the breakdown of ozone B. photosynthesis C. decay of plants D. meteorite collisions E. chlorofluorocarbons

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of air? A. It is colorless. B. It is mostly packed close to the Earth's surface. C. It is odorless. D. It is a chemical compound. E. It is tasteless.

Which of the following makes up more than 10% of the mass of the atmosphere? A. water vapor B. hydrogen C. helium D. nitrogen E. argon

Which of the following would be MOST variable at your location on a day-to-day basis? A. nitrogen B. oxygen C. carbon dioxide D. ozone E. water vapor

Which of the following best describes the atmosphere at any single location on a day-to-day basis? A. Particulates are constant. B. The major components vary widely. C. Argon is constant. D. Oxygen is variable. E. Water vapor is constant.

A main absorber of ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere is ________.

Which is NOT a danger of increased ultraviolet exposure at the Earth's surface? A. the increase of skin cancer in humans B. the suppression of the human immune system C. the diminishing of yields in many crops D. the significant warming of Earth's surface E. the killing of microorganisms on the ocean surface

The "hole" in the Antarctic ozone ________.

The most important feature of ozone in the ozone layer is ________.

Oxygen (O2)is being added to the atmosphere by ________.

Ozone is destroyed by CFCs because the ________ in the CFCs combines with oxygen.

The main impact of ozone on life on the Earth's surface is to ________.

Polar stratospheric clouds are most closely associated with ________.

Which of the following is TRUE of CFCs? A. They are now the most dominant gases in the stratosphere. B. They are now banned by international treaty. C. They have disappeared in the atmosphere. D. They are not able to exist for long in the atmosphere. E. They are very toxic to humans.

________ is (are) crucial to the formation of clouds in the atmosphere.

Which of the following substances is closely associated with the breakdown of the ozone layer? A. infrared radiation B. nitrogen oxides C. water vapor D. carbon dioxide E. chlorofluorocarbons

A "hole" in the ozone layer was first discovered over ________.

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 was an international treaty to halt the production of ________.

Chlorine in the stratosphere will turn ozone into ________.

It is thought that the Earth's climate is being changed rapidly by ________.

Nitrogen is the ________ component of the atmosphere in terms of volume.

In terms of atmospheric change, which of the following is TRUE? A. The present era is the first time there has ever been climate change. B. Humans are adding impurities to the atmosphere at a rate previously unknown. C. International treaties have been able to halt climate change. D. The ozone hole problem is now solved. E. Change has never occurred.

The present atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is approximately 396 ________.

"Weather" and "climate" are ________.

It is really improper to discuss or classify climate with any record less than ________.

Which of the following is NOT a "weather element"? A. moisture B. temperature C. wind D. pressure E. latitude

"Weather" and "climate" ________.

The side of a mountain sheltered from prevailing winds is the ________.

Mountains act as major climatic barriers with the sheltered or ________ side receiving less moisture than the exposed side.

Which of the following climatic controls can be considered to be the "most important"? A. distribution of land and water B. elevation C. storms D. longitude E. latitude

In general, warm ocean currents are located ________ of the continents.

________ is (are) responsible for placing oxygen in the atmosphere.

The most basic factor causing the distribution of hot and cold temperatures over Earth's surface is ________.