Atmospheric Composition
What factor indicates a new layer of the atmosphere?
Temperature trend change
What is the term for the area of land where all water drains into the same river system?
Watershed
What season does North America experience when the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun?
Winter
Draw and label a molecule of water. Include the appropriate number and type of atoms.
2 Hydrogen, 1 Oxygen, mickey mouse
For 50 points each: in what layer of the atmosphere would you find the following?
a) Meteors burning up
b) Weather
c) The Ozone layer
d) the Aurora Borealis
a) Mesosphere
b) Troposphere
c) Stratosphere
d) Thermosphere
Name at least 2 impacts on the Yampa River that could affect downstream river health.
Agriculture, towns, infrastructure, recreation, etc.
For 100 points each, describe weather conditions during low pressure and high pressure systems.
High Pressure: dry, hot, few clouds
Low Pressure: rainy, cooler, cloud cover
What does water's polarity have to do with cohesion?
The atoms in water molecules are polar, hydrogen = +, oxygen = -, so oxygen is attracted to hydrogen
Name the 3 main gases in the atmosphere and their percentages.
Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Argon - ~1%
What is the term for the riverside ecosystem that helps stabilize riverbanks, supports wildlife habitats, and reduces erosion?
Riparian zone
Draw a diagram of the northern hemisphere and its 3 circulating air cells. Label the cells, and be sure their currents are circulating in the correct direction.
Polar cells - pole
Ferrel cells - middle
Hadley cells - equator
What were the 4 methods used in class to clean up oil? (real names, not class tools)
Boom, skimmer, dispersant, sorbent
Identify the 3 major events that scientists believe led to the formation of our current atmosphere.
1. Water vapor condenses into oceans (~4.4 bya)
2. CO2 dissolves into the oceans (~4 bya)
3. Algae and plants begin to photosynthesize, allowing oxygen into the atmosphere (~2.5 bya)
What 3 plants are common along western rivers but can have very different effects (positive and negative) on river systems?
Willows, Tamarisk, Mesquite
What is the name of the phenomenon where the poles spin slower than the equator, which in turn drives global wind patterns?
Coriolis Effect
Draw and label the water cycle.
Diagrams must include evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff
Bonus 50 points if you include transpiration, permutation
List the layers of the atmosphere in order from closest to farthest.
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
Name and describe 2 ways humans can positively impact river health, and 2 negative ways. Give examples specific to the Yampa River.
Positives: Conservation (Dinosaur National Monument, Friends of the Yampa, etc.) Recreation (rafting, fishing, camping, raises awareness, makes people care)
Negatives: agriculture (runoff, irrigation) infrastructure (runoff, erosion)
Describe El Nino and La Nina conditions.
El Nino - Tradewinds reverse, blow west to east, warmer surface water builds up on the coast of Central and South America, rainy wet southern USA, dry northern USA
La Nina - Extra strong normal tradewinds blowing east to west, colder deep ocean water rises bringing nutrients to surface, rainy wet northern USA, dry southern USA
Name and describe the 5 properties of water that make it a distinctly unique substance from other liquids.
Adhesion - sticks to other substances
Cohesion - sticks to itself (surface tension)
High heat vaporization - doesn't evaporate easily
Temperature resistant - maintains temperature, takes effort to heat up/cool down
Less dense when frozen