Atmosphere Basics
The instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure is a…
Barometer
Energy from the sun reaches Earth as…
Electromagnetic radiation
Narrow bands of fast-moving upper-atmosphere winds are called…
Jet streams
Which processes remove water vapor from the air?
Condensation & precipitation
Clouds form when water vapor condenses around…
Condensation nuclei
What harmful effect can temperature inversions cause?
Pollutants trapped near Earth’s surface
Which type of solar radiation reaches Earth MOST easily?
Visible light
Cool air blowing from land to water is a…
Land breeze
The mass of water vapor in a given volume of air is…
Absolute humidity
Precipitation made of ice lumps is…
Hail
The two most abundant compounds in the atmosphere are carbon dioxide and…
Water vapor
After the surface warms, the atmosphere is heated by…
Heat energy re-radiated from the ground
Because of the Coriolis effect, an object moving north curves…
East
The dew point is when condensation rate…
Equals evaporation rate
Clouds with “nimbo/nimbus” in their name are…
Storm clouds
Why are average temperatures lower at the poles?
Sunlight strikes at a low angle
Why is the warmest part of the day in the late afternoon?
Delayed heating of Earth’s surface
Local wind patterns are influenced by local conditions and…
Global wind patterns
If temperature stays the same and moisture increases, relative humidity…
Increases
Clouds that bring thunderstorms are…
Cumulonimbus
What fraction of solar radiation is reflected by a surface is called its…
Albedo
When ice melts, latent heat is…
Absorbed
Which two factors are components of wind?
Atmospheric pressure + gravity
A solid changing directly to a gas is called…
Sublimation
What do scientists study upper atmosphere data for?
Tracking weather systems