Earth's Atmosphere
This is the layer of gases that surround the Earth.
ATMOSPHERE
Heat transfer between two substances that are in contact is called ____.
conduction
Earth’s rotation makes global winds curve. This is called the ____.
Coriolis effect
Define air pollution.
the contamination of air by harmful substances including gas and smoke
The ozone layer protects living things on Earth from ____.
ultraviolet radiation
The layer of our atmosphere in which weather occurs is the ____.
troposphere
Heat from the sun reaches you by ____.
radiation
Winds are caused by differences in ____.
air pressure
Acid rain can form when ________________ in the air mixes with sulfur oxides to form sulfuric acid.
water
Which layer of the atmosphere protects Earth’s surface from being hit by most meteoroids?
mesosphere
Instruments used to measure air pressure are called ____.
barometers
The energy that heats Earth’s atmosphere is called ____.
infrared radiation
__________ winds blow from specific directions over long distances.
Global
Photochemical smog results from the interaction of pollutants in the presence of ____.
sunlight
Gases in the air hold much of the energy that is radiated from Earth’s surface in a process called the _______________.
greenhouse effect
As you rise upwards in the atmosphere, air pressure ____.
decreases
Water can exist as a liquid on Earth because the atmosphere _______________.
traps energy from the sun
Earth’s major wind belts are the trade winds, the prevailing westerlies, and the polar ______________.
easterlies
Pollution that comes from a widespread area and cannot be traced back to one source is called ____________ .
nonpoint-source pollution
When climbing a high mountain, you get out of breath easily because ____.
there is less oxygen in each cubic meter of air
Earth’s atmosphere is important to living things because it____.
provides all the gases that living things need to survive
Convection takes place because ____.
cold air is more dense than warm air
Clouds are classified by their shape. The three cloud classifications are ____________.
cirrus
cumulus
stratus
The majority of air pollution comes from this source.
burning of fossil fuels
Energy travels through space to Earth in the form of __________________ waves.
electromagnetic