| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What happens to air pressure as altitude increases? | It decreases. |
| What are auroras? | Shimmering lights caused by ions radiating energy. |
| Where are auroras found? | They are found in the ionosphere which is in the thermosphere layer. |
| What is the ozone layer? | Part of atmosphere that absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun. |
| Where is the ozone layer? | It is found in the stratosphere. |
| How are the 3 main gases distributed in the air? | Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21%, and Other Gases 1%. |
| List the layers of the atmosphere from sea level. | Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere. |
| What is another name for the distance above sea level? | Altitude or Elevation. |
| What property are the layers of the atmosphere based on? | Temperature. |
| How does temperature change as you move through the layers of the atmosphere? | Warm to cold/cold to warm. |
| What is the atmosphere? | A mixture of gases that surround a planet or moon. |
| What is significant about the troposphere? | We live here in this layer. It is the densest. |
| What is significant about the mesosphere? | It is the coldest. Meteors burn up. |
| Air has mass because it has ____________________ and _______________________. | Air pressure, density and volume. |
| Where are satellites found? | In the exosphere. |
| Explain the three transfers of heat. | Conduction – direct contact Convection – circular pattern radiation – transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves. |
| What is the greenhouse effect? | The warming of the Earth's surface due to thermal energy. |
| How is most of the heat transferred on Earth? | Through convection; cold rises and warm air sinks. |
| Describe the movement of convection currents. | Circular movement of air pushes. |
| What causes global warming? | The burning of fossil fuels increases average global warming. |
| Explain Coriolis Effect. | The apparent curving of the path of a moving object due to Earth's rotation. |
| How are all winds created? | The movement of air caused by differences in air pressure. |
| How are global winds formed? | The Coriolis Effect produces patterns of air circulation. |
| List the 3 Global Winds. | Trade winds, Westerlies, and Polar Easterlies. |
| List the 2 Calm Areas. | Doldrums and Horse Latitudes. |
| What are some differences between global and local winds? | Global winds are all around the world; Local winds are just around you and can come from any direction. |
| How are mountain breezes and valley breezes different? | Mountain breezes are cool and valley breezes are warm. |
| Describe properties of warm and cool air. | Warm air – low pressure, low density, rises Cool air – high pressure, high density, sinks |
| How does air move at the equator and at the poles? | Circular air movement. Warm air rises at equator and cool air sinks at the poles. |
| Which direction do winds move in the northern hemisphere? | Clockwise or to the right. |
| Describe the jet stream. | A narrow belt of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere. |
| What parts of the earth cools faster and heats up faster? | Land heats and cools faster than water. |
| Describe Land breezes. | Local night winds where warm air rises over land and lowers over water. Cools at land. |
| Describe Sea Breezes. | Local day winds where cooler air sinks |
