Composition and Structure
Two examples of gases being exchanged in the atmosphere are...
Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration
Volcanic Activity
Car Emissions
We compared the ozone layer to this object
A sponge or a shield
Name the three types of aerosols that significantly affect Earth's climate
Volcanic, Desert Dust, and Human-Made
The process of the suns UV rays heating the Earth is...
Insolation
Which gas is considered a major contributor to climate change and increases global temperatures?
Carbon Dioxide
This layer of the atmosphere has the greatest amount of air pressure
Troposphere
This layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer
(our notes were wrong... oops!)
Stratosphere
In which city and country is smog the worst
Beijing, China
A decrease in solar energy would impact plants by...
Reducing their overall growth
These cause massive change to the climate of a region
Greenhouse gases
This layer of the atmosphere protects Earth from UV rays
Stratosphere
During what decade did governments around the world realize the severity of ozone damage
1970s
a federal law that regulates air emissions from all sources (vehicles, factories, powerplants, etc)
How would the earth be affected if solar radiation output decreased?
Global temperatures would fall
Name a human activity that releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that cannot be fully recycled out through natural processes
Car emissions
Burning of fossil fuels
Deforestation
Agriculture
List the gases that make up the atmosphere and their percentages.
Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Argon - 0.9%
Trace gases - 0.1%
Explain the difference between UVA rays and UVB rays in terms of their affect on our health.
UVA rays cause melanoma and premature aging.
UVB rays cause basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and sunburns.
Describe how aerosols impact the Earth
(hint: it was the description of the diagram on our notes.. do not just read it out to me. Summarize it!)
UV rays combine with VOCs from factories and nitrous oxides from car emissions to create ozone molecules. This increases surface temperature and creates ozone smog.
Explain why the equator experiences higher temperatures than the poles.
The sun's rays have a direct line to the equator and do not have to travel through as much atmosphere.
What is the effect of increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
More heat is trapped in the atmosphere, causing the average global temperature to rise. This contributes to global warming/climate change
Air pressure increases/decreases as you increase in altitude in the atmosphere
Decreases
Explain what CFCs do to the ozone layer
List the six main pollutants that the EPA regulates
Carbon Monoxide
Lead
Nitrogen Dioxide
Ozone
Particulate Matter
Sulphur Dioxide
Describe the Albedo Effect
The measurement of how well a surface reflects sunlight and how it affects Earth's climate.
Name an affect a lack of greenhouse gases would have on Earth
Temperatures would be much colder
Earth's water would be frozen