Exam 1: The Earths Atmosphere

Which gas is responsible for the temperature inversion in the stratosphere?

A towering cloud, or cluster of clouds, accompanied by thunder, lightning, strong gusty winds, and heavy rain is called a(n)____.

____________________ radar is a tool used by meteorologists to observe the winds and precipitation intensities associated with severe thunderstorms.

Explain how ozone (O₃) can play both a beneficial and a detrimental role in the earth's atmosphere.

Atmospheric concentrations of ____ can vary significantly depending on time and location.

Near the earth's surface, ____ occupies about 78% and ____ about 21% of the total volume of dry air.

The thermosphere is where charged particles from the sun interact with air molecules to produce ____.

Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through the process of ____.

What is a region in the atmosphere where air temperature remains constant with height?

The only substance found naturally in the lower atmosphere that can exist as a solid, a liquid, and a gas is ____.

Would you expect wind speeds to DECREASE or INCREASE when a frontal system passes?

Scientists pose hypotheses, or informed predictions about how our natural world will behave, using the ____________________ method.

The majority of atmospheric ozone (about 97%) is found in the ____.

The letters H and L on a surface weather map refer to regions of high and low ____.

In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, surface winds tend to blow ____ and ____ around an area of surface low pressure.

The primary source of water vapor and carbon dioxide to the earth's early atmosphere was most likely ____.

Lines of latitude on a map represent the ____.

Describe how deforestation affects the concentration of CO₂ in the earth's atmosphere.

A tropical storm system with winds in excess of 74 mi/hr is called a(n) ____.

The earth's first atmosphere (approximately 4.6 billion years ago) was most likely composed of ____.