The Atmosphere
What is the atmosphere?
Layer of gases surrounding Earth that protects life and regulates temperature
What is climate?
The long-term average weather conditions of a region
What greenhouse gases do H₂, CO₂, and CH₄ represent?
Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Methane
What is deforestation and how does it affect climate?
The removal of trees, which decreases carbon absorption and increases CO₂ levels.
What is conduction?
Heat transfer through direct contact.
List the layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest.
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere.
What two gases make up most of our atmosphere, and their percentages?
Nitrogen - 78%, Oxygen - 21%.
What is the most abundant greenhouse gas?
Water Vapor
What are the three types of fossil fuels?
Coal, oil, and natural gas
What is convection?
Heat transfer through fluid movement, like warm air rising.
What does the ozone layer protect us from?
Harmful ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) rays.
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Climate is long-term patterns, weather is short-term atmospheric conditions
What happens to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere as temperature increases?
Water Vapor Increases
What causes thinning in the ozone layer?
Chlorofluorocarbons - CFCs.
What is radiation?
Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves, like the sun’s energy reaching Earth.
In which layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
Why do different locations on Earth have different climates?
Factors like latitude, altitude, ocean currents, and geography affect climate
Why do we see variation in CO₂ emissions on a seasonal basis?
Plants absorb CO₂ in the spring and summer, releasing it in fall and winter.
What is happening to cities like Miami and New Orleans due to climate change?
Rising sea levels are causing flooding and land loss
What is the rain shadow effect?
Mountains block moist air, causing one side to be wet and the other dry.
In which layer do we find hydrogen, helium, and carbon dioxide?
Exosphere
Why do northern parts of Indiana get more snow than southern parts?
Lake-effect snow from the Great Lakes.
What are three consequences of global warming?
Sea level rise, extreme weather, habitat loss.
Why did paleontologists find alligator fossils in the Arctic?
The climate was much warmer in the past.
What is infrared radiation and where does it come from?
Heat energy emitted by the Earth’s surface that comes from the sun.