Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
1. Earth's first atmosphere (approximately 4.6 billion years ago) was most likely composed of
____.
a. nitrogen and oxygen
*b. hydrogen and helium
c. carbon dioxide and nitrogen
d. oxygen and carbon dioxide
2. The primary source of water vapor and carbon dioxide for Earth’s early atmosphere was most
likely ____.
a. photosynthesis
b. ozone reactions
*c. outgassing
d. nitrogen chemical reactions
3. The most abundant gases in Earth's present day atmosphere (by volume) are ____.
a. carbon dioxide and nitrogen
b. oxygen and water vapor
*c. nitrogen and oxygen
d. oxygen and helium
4. Near Earth’s surface, ____ occupies about 78% and ____ about 21% of the total volume of
dry air.
*a. nitrogen; oxygen
b. hydrogen; oxygen
c. oxygen; hydrogen
d. nitrogen; water vapor
5. Atmospheric concentrations of ____ can vary significantly depending on time and location.
a. hydrogen
*b. water vapor
c. helium
d. argon
6. The only substance found naturally in the lower atmosphere that can exist as a solid, a liquid,
and a gas is ____.
a. carbon dioxide
*b. water
1
,Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
c. methane
d. ozone
7. Which process is an example of condensation?
a. water vapor formation
*b. cloud droplet formation
c. photosynthesis
d. ice formation
8. The greenhouse effect is directly enhanced by ____.
a. photosynthesis
*b. addition of water vapor to the atmosphere
c. chemical weathering
d. carbon dioxide dissolution in the oceans
9. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through the process of ____.
a. fuel combustion
b. respiration
c. volcanic activity
*d. photosynthesis
10. Average atmospheric CO2 concentrations have ____ over the past 100 years.
a. slightly decreased
b. remained constant
c. significantly decreased
*d. increased
11. Which gas in the upper atmosphere shields Earth’s surface from the sun’s harmful
ultraviolet rays?
a. nitrogen
b. methane
*c. ozone
d. chlorofluorocarbons
12. Tiny solid or liquid particles of various compositions that are suspended in the atmosphere
are called ____.
2
,Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
*a. aerosols
b. carcinogens
c. greenhouse gases
d. chlorofluorocarbons
13. The "ozone hole" is observed above ____.
a. the equator
b. Australia
*c. Antarctica
d. Asia
14. In sunlight, nitrogen dioxide reacts with hydrocarbons and other gases to produce ____.
a. weather elements
*b. surface ozone
c. the ionosphere
d. pollution
15. The vertical profile of ____ is variable in each layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
*a. air temperature
b. air pressure
c. altitude
d. air density
16. In a temperature inversion, air temperature ____.
*a. increases with increasing height
b. decreases with increasing height
c. increases with decreasing height
d. remains constant with increasing height
17. A radiosonde ____.
a. measures particulate matter in the atmosphere
b. monitors surface weather conditions in remote areas
*c. measures the vertical distribution of atmospheric temperature, pressure, and
humidity
d. uses radio waves to determine the height of the ionosphere
18. All of the weather we are familiar with on Earth occurs in the ____.
3
, Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
a. exosphere
b. stratosphere
c. mesosphere
*d. troposphere
19. Jet streams are found within the ____.
a. thermosphere
*b. tropopause
c. stratopause
d. exosphere
20. Which gas is responsible for the temperature inversion in the stratosphere?
a. carbon dioxide
b. nitrogen
*c. ozone
d. argon
21. Air density is greatest in the ____.
a. heterosphere
b. thermosphere
c. ionosphere
*d. homosphere
22. The thermosphere is where charged particles from the sun interact with air molecules to
produce ____.
a. ozone
*b. auroras
c. radio waves
d. humidity
23. The exosphere is ____.
a. where jet streams are found
b. the ozone layer
*c. the upper limit of our atmosphere
d. where air density is greatest
4
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
1. Earth's first atmosphere (approximately 4.6 billion years ago) was most likely composed of
____.
a. nitrogen and oxygen
*b. hydrogen and helium
c. carbon dioxide and nitrogen
d. oxygen and carbon dioxide
2. The primary source of water vapor and carbon dioxide for Earth’s early atmosphere was most
likely ____.
a. photosynthesis
b. ozone reactions
*c. outgassing
d. nitrogen chemical reactions
3. The most abundant gases in Earth's present day atmosphere (by volume) are ____.
a. carbon dioxide and nitrogen
b. oxygen and water vapor
*c. nitrogen and oxygen
d. oxygen and helium
4. Near Earth’s surface, ____ occupies about 78% and ____ about 21% of the total volume of
dry air.
*a. nitrogen; oxygen
b. hydrogen; oxygen
c. oxygen; hydrogen
d. nitrogen; water vapor
5. Atmospheric concentrations of ____ can vary significantly depending on time and location.
a. hydrogen
*b. water vapor
c. helium
d. argon
6. The only substance found naturally in the lower atmosphere that can exist as a solid, a liquid,
and a gas is ____.
a. carbon dioxide
*b. water
1
,Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
c. methane
d. ozone
7. Which process is an example of condensation?
a. water vapor formation
*b. cloud droplet formation
c. photosynthesis
d. ice formation
8. The greenhouse effect is directly enhanced by ____.
a. photosynthesis
*b. addition of water vapor to the atmosphere
c. chemical weathering
d. carbon dioxide dissolution in the oceans
9. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through the process of ____.
a. fuel combustion
b. respiration
c. volcanic activity
*d. photosynthesis
10. Average atmospheric CO2 concentrations have ____ over the past 100 years.
a. slightly decreased
b. remained constant
c. significantly decreased
*d. increased
11. Which gas in the upper atmosphere shields Earth’s surface from the sun’s harmful
ultraviolet rays?
a. nitrogen
b. methane
*c. ozone
d. chlorofluorocarbons
12. Tiny solid or liquid particles of various compositions that are suspended in the atmosphere
are called ____.
2
,Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
*a. aerosols
b. carcinogens
c. greenhouse gases
d. chlorofluorocarbons
13. The "ozone hole" is observed above ____.
a. the equator
b. Australia
*c. Antarctica
d. Asia
14. In sunlight, nitrogen dioxide reacts with hydrocarbons and other gases to produce ____.
a. weather elements
*b. surface ozone
c. the ionosphere
d. pollution
15. The vertical profile of ____ is variable in each layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
*a. air temperature
b. air pressure
c. altitude
d. air density
16. In a temperature inversion, air temperature ____.
*a. increases with increasing height
b. decreases with increasing height
c. increases with decreasing height
d. remains constant with increasing height
17. A radiosonde ____.
a. measures particulate matter in the atmosphere
b. monitors surface weather conditions in remote areas
*c. measures the vertical distribution of atmospheric temperature, pressure, and
humidity
d. uses radio waves to determine the height of the ionosphere
18. All of the weather we are familiar with on Earth occurs in the ____.
3
, Test Bank For Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere
Chapter_01___Earth_s_Atmosphere
a. exosphere
b. stratosphere
c. mesosphere
*d. troposphere
19. Jet streams are found within the ____.
a. thermosphere
*b. tropopause
c. stratopause
d. exosphere
20. Which gas is responsible for the temperature inversion in the stratosphere?
a. carbon dioxide
b. nitrogen
*c. ozone
d. argon
21. Air density is greatest in the ____.
a. heterosphere
b. thermosphere
c. ionosphere
*d. homosphere
22. The thermosphere is where charged particles from the sun interact with air molecules to
produce ____.
a. ozone
*b. auroras
c. radio waves
d. humidity
23. The exosphere is ____.
a. where jet streams are found
b. the ozone layer
*c. the upper limit of our atmosphere
d. where air density is greatest
4
