Category 1: Earth's Spheres & Layers
Name the Three sub-systems that interact to make up Earth's biosphere.
What is Atmosphere (air), Lithosphere (land/crust), and Hydrosphere (water).
Explain the key distinction between "weather" and "climate".
What is Weather refers to local atmospheric conditions at a specific time (day-to-day). Climate refers to long-term average weather patterns over a period of at least 30 years.
What is the primary source of energy that drives Earth's climate and weather systems?
What is Solar radiation ( or Energy from the Sun. )
What method of thermal energy transfer occurs when heat is passed directly from molecule to molecule through contact without the particles moving locations?
What is Conduction?
State the formula used to calculate the quantity of thermal energy (Q) required to change the temperature of a given mass of a substance without a phase change.
What is Q= mcΔT
What are the Two most abundant gases that make up Earth’s atmosphere, and what are their approximate percentages?
What is Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%).
Classify this statement as either weather or climate: "Lethbridge has an average January temperature of -7.8 °C .
Climate (it refers to a long-term historical average).
Define albedo and identify whether fresh snow has a high or low albedo.
What is Albedo is the percentage of solar radiation reflected by a surface. Fresh snow has a high albedo (reflects up to 90–95% of incoming light).
What is the primary, naturally occurring greenhouse gas responsible for trapping most thermal energy in Earth's atmosphere?
What is Water Vapor (H2O)?
How much thermal energy is required to raise the temperature of 50.0g of liquid water from 10C to 30C? (Water = 4.19 J/g C).
What is Q= mcΔ T --> (50.0g)*(4.19 J/g C)*(20.0C) = 4190J or 4.19kJ
which atmospheric layer does almost all of Earth's weather occur, and what happens to temperature as altitude increases within this layer?
The Troposphere; temperature decreases as altitude increases
Contrast anecdotal evidence with instrumental/scientific evidence of climate change.
What is Anecdotal evidence relies on personal stories/memory (qualitative, biased). Instrumental evidence relies on precise, standardized measurements using equipment
What specific characteristic of Earth causes us to experience seasonal changes throughout our orbit around the Sun?
What is Earth's axial tilt (or Angle of Inclination of 23.5°)
Describe how atmospheric convection currents are created near the equator.
What is Solar radiation heating air at the equator, causing it to expand, become less dense, and rise; cooler, denser air moves in underneath to replace it
Why do coastal cities like Vancouver experience less seasonal temperature fluctuation than inland prairie cities like Lethbridge?
What is water has a very high specific heat capacity (4.19 J/g C), meaning oceans absorb and store large amounts of thermal energy with minimal temperature changes, moderating coastal air
Which atmospheric layer contains the ozone layer (O₃), and what crucial function does it perform for living organisms?
What is The Stratosphere; it absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun
Explain how ice core samples provide indirect (proxy) evidence of ancient climate conditions.
What is Trapped air bubbles in annual ice layers preserve atmospheric gas composition (like CO2 levels) and isotope ratios from thousands of years ago.
Why do polar regions receive less intense insolation than equatorial regions, even when the Sun is shining?
What is Earth's spherical shape, solar rays hit the poles at a larger Angle of Incidence, spreading the energy over a larger surface area.
What is the Coriolis Effect, and how does it affect global wind directions in the Northern Hemisphere?
It is the apparent deflection of moving air/objects caused by Earth's rotation, causes winds to bend to the right in the Northern Hemisphere
Calculate the amount of thermal energy required to completely melt 3.00 mol of ice at 0.0 C without changing its temperature. (Hfus = 6.01 kJ/mol)
Q = n* Hfus = (3.00 mol)*(6.01 kJ/mol) = 18.03 --> 18.0 kJ).
While the atmosphere is warmed by solar radiation, what two sources of energy warm the Earth's lithosphere?
What is Incoming radiant energy from the Sun and geothermal heat from Earth's molten core/mantle
List Two examples of indirect evidence used by paleoclimatologists other than ice core sampling
What is Tree ring analysis, fossilized pollen samples from lake beds, or fossilized insect records.
Compare a solstice to an equinox in terms of daylight hours and Earth's tilt relative to the Sun.
What is a solstice occurs when a hemisphere is tilted maximum toward or away from the Sun (longest or shortest day of the year). An equinox occurs when Earth is tilted sideways to the Sun (equal hours of daylight and night).
Explain what it means for Earth's global Net Radiation Budget to be balanced, and identify which regions have a surplus versus a deficit.
What is Earth's total incoming radiation equals total outgoing radiation (Net = 0).
Equatorial regions have a radiation surplus (absorb more than they radiate).
Polar regions have a radiation deficit (radiate more than they absorb).
Calculate the thermal energy absorbed when 90.10g of liquid water at 100C is completely vaporized into steam.
Mwater = 18.02 g/mol
Hvap = 40.65kJ/mol
Step 1 (Moles): n = m/M= 90.10g/18.02 g/mol
--> 5.00 mol.
Step 2 (Energy): Q = n Hvap --> 5.00mol* (40.65kJ/mol) = 203.25kJ or 203 kJ