Earth Science: The Atmosphere - Structure and Temperature Study Guide

1. 	What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere (Hint: it is not oxygen)?

2. 	Which of the following terms best describes air?

3. 	The form of oxygen that combines three oxygen atoms into each molecule is called ____.

4. 	What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?

5. 	When does the summer solstice occur in the Northern Hemisphere?

6. 	When does the autumnal equinox occur in the Southern Hemisphere?

7. 	What is an equinox?

8. 	When air transfers energy to a cooler object, what happens to the air temperature?

9. 	What causes heat, or the transfer of energy from one object to another?

10. 	Which electromagnetic waves have longer wavelengths gamma, UV, infrared, or radio waves?

11. 	A metal spoon becomes hot after being left in a pan of boiling water. This is an example of ____.

12. 	Earth receives energy from the sun through what method of heat transfer?

13. 	The two most important heat-absorbing gases in the lower atmosphere are ____.

14. 	What are the 4 major temperature controls?

15. 	In general, what is true about places at higher altitudes?

16. 	Why are annual temperature ranges in the So. Hemisphere generally smaller than those in the No. Hemisphere?

17. 	True or false, temperature variations are the same over land and water? Explain.

18. 	Isotherms are lines that connect points of equal ____.

19. 	Many clouds have a high albedo and therefore tend to ____.

20. 	At night, how do clouds act as a blanket?