Vocabulary
Define altitude.
How far above the Earth's surface you are.
What are the major 4 gases in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide
What are the 4 main layers of the atmosphere?
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Why does the temp decrease while moving up in the troposphere?
Because heat is absorbed by the ground and given off. As you move up, you move away from the heat source.
What is the biggest way that humans are changing the atmosphere?
Burning fossil fuels
Define weather.
The condition of the atmosphere in a specific time and place.
Explain how temperature changes as you increase in altitude.
Decreases in the troposphere, increases in stratosphere, decreases in mesosphere, increases in thermosphere
Which layer of the atmosphere contains ozone?
Stratosphere
Why does temperature increase in the stratosphere?
Because the ozone layer is absorbing solar radiation.
How do gases like carbon dioxide impact climate change?
They absorb more of the sun's energy warming the Earth's lower atmosphere.
Define greenhouse effect
The ability of the gases in the atmosphere to trap heat near the Earth's surface.
Why does all weather take place in the lowest region of the atmosphere?
This is where most of the water vapor is located and is due to uneven heating of the earth's surface.
Which layer is where all weather occurs?
Troposphere
Why does temperature decrease in the mesosphere?
Similar to troposphere, it's because you are moving away from a heat source. There is nothing absorbing radiation.
Weather occurs due to the presence of water vapor, but it varies heavily. Why?
Temperature, proximity to large bodies of water, and altitude. Warm air holds more water, locations away from water are drier, and as you move up less water can be held by the atmosphere.
Define homosphere.
They layers of the atmosphere that have an even spacing (distribution) of gases.
How does the Earth's atmosphere help protect us?
The ozone layer protects us from UV radiation; The mesosphere protects us from meteorites; the troposphere helps keep temperatures regulated and balanced
Which layer is where meteorites burn up?
Mesosphere
Why is the thermosphere so hot?
Because it is the first layer coming in contact with the sun's energy, so it absorbs a lot of the radiation.
Why is air quality in the troposphere important to human health?
This is the air we breathe, so if the air quality is bad it could negatively impact our bodies.
Define heterosphere.
The layers of the atmosphere where gases occur in distinct pockets and aren't evenly mixed.
Why does air pressure decrease as you move higher into the atmosphere?
Which layer has the most extreme temperatures?
Thermosphere
Why do we say that humans are responsible for climate change?
Because they are changing the composition of the atmosphere at a faster rate than the planet can adjust for by burning fossil fuels.
Why are pollutants like CFCs bad for the atmosphere?
They react with gases in the air and have negative impacts like breaking down the ozone layer