Atmospheric Composition
What factor indicates a new layer of the atmosphere?
Temperature trend change
What season does North America experience when Earth is tilted away from the sun?
Winter
Aside from Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, nitrogen can be converted into a usable form by what natural phenomenon?
Lightning
What is the difference between a carbon sink and a carbon reservoir.
Sinks are short term storage areas, reservoirs are for long term storage.
What is the name of an individual who predicts the weather?
Meteorologist
For 50 points each: in what layer of the atmosphere would you find the following?
a) Meteors burning up
b) Weather
c) The Ozone layer
d) the Aurora Borealis
a) Mesosphere
b) Troposphere
c) Stratosphere
d) Thermosphere
For 100 points each, describe weather conditions during low pressure and high pressure systems.
High Pressure: dry, hot, few clouds
Low Pressure: rainy, cooler, cloud cover
Nitrogen is used in the production of what 2 things within our cells?
Proteins, amino acids, DNA, RNA, etc.
The phosphorus cycle does NOT include this place.
The atmosphere
What are the following two tools used for:
a) a sling psychrometer
b) barometer
a) measuring relative humidity
b) measuring air pressure
Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Argon - ~1%
Draw a diagram of the northern hemisphere and its 3 circulating air cells. Label the cells, and be sure their currents are circulating in the correct direction.
Polar cells - pole
Ferrel cells - middle
Hadley cells - equator
What are the 3 molecules that atmospheric nitrogen is converted to during fixation?
Ammonia NH3
Nitrite NO2 -
Nitrate NO3 -
How does Phosphorus enter soil and bodies of water?
When rocks are broken down through erosion and weathering, phosphorus is released into the surrounding area.
What types of readings are shown on an:
a) isobaric map
b) isothermic map
c) streamline map
a) air pressure
b) temperature
c) wind speed and direction
Identify the 3 major events that scientists believe led to the formation of our current atmosphere.
1. Water vapor condenses into oceans (~4.4 bya)
2. CO2 dissolves into the oceans (~4 bya)
3. Algae and plants begin to photosynthesize, allowing oxygen into the atmosphere (~2.5 bya)
What is the name of the phenomenon where the poles spin slower than the equator, which in turn drives global wind patterns?
Coriolis Effect
Why does atmospheric nitrogen need to be "fixed" by plants and bacterias before it can be processed by animals?
Atmospheric nitrogen is triple bonded, meaning it is too difficult for animal structures to break down. It is converted into usable forms so that when animals eat plants, the nitrogen passes to animal cells.
Give one pro and one con for the use of synthetic fertilizers as they relate to biogeochemical cycles.
Pro - they help with nitrogen fixing in the soil
Con - they can overload the soil with too much phosphorus
Give an example of an atmospheric feedback loop.
Water vapor - evaporation -> temp rises -> more water vapor -> traps more heat -> more evaporation
Ocean warming -> more evaporation -> more water vapor -> temp rises -> more ocean warming
Jet stream weakens -> brings heat north -> arctic warms -> jet stream weakens
List the layers of the atmosphere in order from closest to farthest.
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
Describe El Nino and La Nina conditions.
El Nino - Tradewinds reverse, blow west to east, warmer surface water builds up on the coast of Central and South America, rainy wet southern USA, dry northern USA
La Nina - Extra strong normal tradewinds blowing east to west, colder deep ocean water rises bringing nutrients to surface, rainy wet northern USA, dry southern USA
What is the name of the process by which nitrates are converted back into Nitrogen and Oxygen?
Dentrification
Draw a diagram of both the quick carbon cycle and the slow carbon cycle. Be sure to include at least 3 points in each cycle.
Quick - atmosphere -> plants through photosynthesis -> animals -> soil -> decomposition -> atmosphere
Slow - atmosphere -> ocean sediments -> volcanos -> atmosphere
Why is the ozone layer important?
Protects us from UV radiation.