Layers of the Atmosphere
Atmospheric Heating
Atmosphere Characteristics
Winds
Definitions
100

The lowest layer.  Weather only happens here.

What is the Troposphere?

100

The earth is warmed by this.

What is the sun's energy?

100

The most common gas in the atmosphere.

What is Nitrogen?

100

This causes wind.

What is unequal heating of the Earth's surface?

100

A mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth.

What is the atmosphere?

200

The second layer.  Ozone and jet stream are located here.

What is the Stratosphere?

200

The transfer of energy.

What is Radiation?

200

This gas makes up 21% of the Earth's atmosphere.

What is oxygen?

200

Narrow belts of high-speed wind that blow.

What is jet stream?

200

The measure of force that air molecules are pushing down on a surface.

What is air pressure?

300

The middle layer.  Meteors burn up here. 

What is the Mesosphere?

300

Thermal energy transfer between touching objects.

What is conduction?

300

Air pressure is the greatest in this layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

What is the troposphere?

300

Prevailing winds in Antarctica.

What are polar easterlies?

300

Protects the Earth from the Sun's harmful rays.

What is ozone?

400

The uppermost layer.

What is the Thermosphere?

400

Thermal energy transfer by matter in motion.

What is convection?

400

This causes stormy weather.

What is unstable air?

400

Local winds that blow toward the sea.

What are land breezes?

400

An indoor air pollutant.

What is radon?

500

This layer is part of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere.  

What is the Ionosphere?

500

The process by which gases in the atmosphere absorb thermal energy and radiate it back to earth. 

What is the greenhouse effect?

500

This causes differences in air temperatures at different altitudes.

What is the way gases absorb solar energy?

500

These winds were used by early Europeans to travel across the ocean from Europe to America.

What are trade winds?

500

When the amount of energy received from the sun and the amount of energy returned to space are about equal.

What is radiation balance?

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