Atmosphere, the Earth, and the Sun

Question 1

What is atmospheric pressure?

Answer 1

The force exerted by the weight of air

Question 2

Where is atmospheric pressure highest, at sea level or on top of a mountain?

Answer 2

At sea level

Question 3

Whats the general rule for the troposphere?

Answer 3

As the altitude increases, the pressure decreases

Question 4

With a higher altitude is there more or less oxygen available?

Answer 4

Less oxygen

Question 5

What happens to temperature with change of altitude?

Answer 5

It varies with different altitudes, being cold at some and very hot at others. In the stratosphere and thermosphere, the temperature rises!

Question 6

Where does the energy for all of the earth come from?

Answer 6

The sun

Question 7

What is the chemical build up of the sun?

Answer 7

76% Hydrogen and 22% Helium

Question 8

Where does the energy from the sun come from?

Answer 8

The sun is a big nuclear reactor. It converts Hydrogen to Helium by nuclear fusion, and gives off lots of energy in the process!

Question 9

How does the energy get to the earth?

Answer 9

Through electromagnetic radiation (EMR)

Question 10

What is electromagnetic radiation?

Answer 10

It is energy emitted by charged particles. It exhibits wave pattern as it travels through space.

Question 11

What are the two rules of electromagnetic radiation?

Answer 11

1. Everything gives off EMR
2. Wavelength is determined by temperature. Hotter surfaces = shorter wavelength EMR. Cooler substances = longer wavelength EMR

Question 12

What does most of the suns energy come to the earth as?

Answer 12

Short waves, that are a visible part of the spectrum

Question 13

What does most of the energy leaving the earth go out as?

Answer 13

Earth’s EMR is the infrared range. It goes out as long waves.

Question 14

What is incoming solar radiation called?

Answer 14

Insolation (Incoming SOLar radiATION)

Question 15

What is the outgoing longwave *thermal infrared) radiation from the earth called?

Answer 15

Terrestrial Radiation

Question 16

What part of the earth receives the most insolation?

Answer 16

The equator gets direct insolation (2.5 more energy than poles)

Question 17

What part of the earth receives the least insolation?

Answer 17

The poles get the least amount of insolation

Question 18

At high latitudes, how is incoming solar radiation spread? How much energy is per unit area?

Answer 18

It is spread over a larger area than at low latitudes, so energy per unit area is relatively low.

Question 19

What are the two major controls on the potential insolation (i.e. energy) for any geographic location

Answer 19

1. Sun angle (higher angle = more insolation NRG)

2. Day length (longer days = more insolation)

Question 20

How do the two major controls for potential insolation vary and what are they determined by?

Answer 20

They both vary with latitude and are determined by Earth-Sun relationships.

Question 21

What direction does the earth orbit around the sun

Answer 21

Counterclockwise

Question 22

What the rotations and revolutions of all of the planets in the solar system?

Answer 22

Counterclockwise

Question 23

What 3 planets rotate clockwise and what are the three called?

Answer 23

Venus, Pluto, and Uranus. Counterrevolutionaries

Question 24

What is aphelion?

Answer 24

North Hemisphere Summer

Question 25

What is perihelion?

Answer 25

North Hemisphere Winter

Question 26

What is the Plane of the Ecliptic?

Answer 26

The imaginary plane containing the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Question 27

What is the reason for seasons?

Answer 27

Earths Tilt and axial parallelism

Question 28

What are solstices?

Answer 28

North Hemisphere Summer and North Hemisphere Winter. It is the circle illumination that touches arctic and antarctic circles

Question 29

What are equinoxes?

Answer 29

It is from March 20-September 22. It is when the circle of illumination touches all of the poles equally. This means there is a 12 hour day and night at all latitudes!

Question 30

What is axial parallelism?

Answer 30

As the earth orbits the sun, axis stays tilted in the same direction (pointed toward Polaris, the North Star)

Question 31

What is the Quaternary period?

Answer 31

The last two million years of glacial episodes, “ice ages”

Question 32

What is the Pleistocene Epoch?

Answer 32

2,000,000 - 10,000 BP

Question 33

What is the Holocene Epoch?

Answer 33

Last 10,000 years - Present (interglacial)

Question 34

Why do we have these glacial/ interglacial cycles?

Answer 34

One of the major known causes is changes in Earth-Sun Geometry over time

Question 35

What are changes in the Earth’s orbital parameters known as?

Answer 35

Milankovitch Cycles (this is a mathematical explanation of climate change)

Question 36

What are the three major parameters of the Milankovitch Cycles?

Answer 36

1. Orbital Eccentricity
2. Axial tilt, varies from 22.5º-24.5º
3. Precession: earth’s “wobble”, change in direction of tilt, timing of the equinox

Question 37

What makes Milankovitch Cycles important?

Answer 37

The asymmetry of earth’s landmasses. It’s all about the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 38

When/where does aphelion (farthest from the sun) occur?

Answer 38

It occurs in the North Hemisphere summer (July 4) when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun.

Question 39

What dates make up the Solstice?

Answer 39

June 21 and Dec 22. 24 hour day and night at poles

Question 40

What dates make up the equinoxes?

Answer 40

Mar 21 and Sept 22. 12 hour days all over the globe

Question 41

Make sure you look at the way the earth rotates around the sun and how that affects season!!!!

Answer 41

Look in your book or powerpoint!

Question 42

During the North Hemisphere Winter solstice, what are the annual day lengths at different altitudes?

Answer 42

Equator - 12 hours the entire time
15ºN - 11 hours to 13 hours
30ºN - 10 hours to 14 hours 
45ºN - 9 hours to 15 hours 
60ºN - 5 hours to 19 hours