Question 1

Examine the figure below.What is the main driver that causes Hadley circulation in a planet's atmosphere to break up into zonal winds?

Accepted Answer

A)  The planet's rapid rotation 
B)  Heating from the solar wind 
C)  Hurricanes developing along the planet's equator 
D)  Convection driven by solar heating 
A)  The planet's rapid rotation 
B)  Heating from the solar wind 
C)  Hurricanes developing along the planet's equator 
D)  Convection driven by solar heating

Question 2

We do not expect Mercury to have an atmosphere at all because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it is small 
B)  it has a high temperature 
C)  it is bombarded by intense solar radiation 
D)  all of the above 
A)  it is small 
B)  it has a high temperature 
C)  it is bombarded by intense solar radiation 
D)  all of the above

Question 3

Based solely on mass,which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain a secondary atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  The Moon 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  The Moon

Question 4

The presence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor in a planet's atmosphere is direct evidence of:

Accepted Answer

A)  high surface temperatures as the planet formed 
B)  volcanic activity 
C)  cometary impacts 
D)  the presence of liquid water early in the planet's history 
A)  high surface temperatures as the planet formed 
B)  volcanic activity 
C)  cometary impacts 
D)  the presence of liquid water early in the planet's history

Question 5

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly)enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick.What percentage of Earth's radius (6,400 km)does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans (3 km)?

Accepted Answer

The Earth's atmosphere is 250/6,400 = 0.

Question 6

Why did the terrestrial planets lose their primary atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their low gravities couldn't hold them. 
B)  The solar wind blew them away. 
C)  Their high surface temperatures made them chemically react with rock. 
D)  The centrifugal force from their fast rotation rates made them fly off. 
A)  Their low gravities couldn't hold them. 
B)  The solar wind blew them away. 
C)  Their high surface temperatures made them chemically react with rock. 
D)  The centrifugal force from their fast rotation rates made them fly off.

Question 7

It took approximately __________ years for oxygen to become a large component of the Earth's atmosphere.

Accepted Answer

A)  3,000 
B)  1 million 
C)  3 billion 
D)  1 billion 
A)  3,000 
B)  1 million 
C)  3 billion 
D)  1 billion

Question 8

The major difference in the composition of Earth's atmosphere compared to the atmospheres of Venus and Mars is a direct consequence of:

Accepted Answer

A)  life on the planet 
B)  a geologically active interior 
C)  a moderate greenhouse effect 
D)  the presence of liquid water 
A)  life on the planet 
B)  a geologically active interior 
C)  a moderate greenhouse effect 
D)  the presence of liquid water

Question 9

What is unique about Venus's rotation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus rotates very rapidly,once every nine hours. 
B)  Venus rotates in the opposite direction compared to the direction it orbits the Sun. 
C)  Venus's rotational axis is tipped by 90 degrees relative to its orbital axis. 
D)  All of the above are unique characteristics of Venus's rotation. 
A)  Venus rotates very rapidly,once every nine hours. 
B)  Venus rotates in the opposite direction compared to the direction it orbits the Sun. 
C)  Venus's rotational axis is tipped by 90 degrees relative to its orbital axis. 
D)  All of the above are unique characteristics of Venus's rotation.

Examine the figure below.What is the main driver that causes Hadley circulation in a planet's atmosphere to break up into zonal winds?

We do not expect Mercury to have an atmosphere at all because:

Based solely on mass,which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain a secondary atmosphere?

The presence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor in a planet's atmosphere is direct evidence of:

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly)enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick.What percentage of Earth's radius (6,400 km)does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans (3 km)?

Why did the terrestrial planets lose their primary atmospheres?

It took approximately __________ years for oxygen to become a large component of the Earth's atmosphere.

The major difference in the composition of Earth's atmosphere compared to the atmospheres of Venus and Mars is a direct consequence of:

What is unique about Venus's rotation?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: The Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

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Exam 7: Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

Examine the figure below.What is the main driver that causes Hadley circulation in a planet's atmosphere to break up into zonal winds?

We do not expect Mercury to have an atmosphere at all because:

Based solely on mass,which of the following terrestrial planets would you expect to retain a secondary atmosphere?

The presence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor in a planet's atmosphere is direct evidence of:

Earth's atmosphere is a (seemingly)enormous blanket roughly 250 km thick.What percentage of Earth's radius (6,400 km)does this represent? How does it compare to the average depth of the oceans (3 km)?

Why did the terrestrial planets lose their primary atmospheres?

It took approximately __________ years for oxygen to become a large component of the Earth's atmosphere.

The major difference in the composition of Earth's atmosphere compared to the atmospheres of Venus and Mars is a direct consequence of:

What is unique about Venus's rotation?

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

Light and Telescopes

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: The Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters