ATMS 111 STUDY GUIDE WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTION
Which of the following are correct examples of weather and climate
phenomena? - ANSWER weather: a mid latitude cyclone will bring clouds and
rain to Seattle tomorrow
climate: Texas is typically warmer than Michigan in the winter
who was the first scientist to calculate the temperature change on Earth due
to a doubling of CO2, and when did he/she make this calculation? - ANSWER
Svante Arrhenius, 1890s
Approximately how much has the temperature increased from 1850 to 2010?
- ANSWER 1.3 degrees Celsius
The USA emits ___ total CO2 than China - ANSWER less
China emits ___ CO2 per capita than the USA. - ANSWER less
Which of the following would increase Earth's albedo?
- increasing clouds over the East Antarctic Ice Sheet
- sea ice in the Arctic melts
- trees are planted over large areas of the desert
- fewer clouds occur over the equator
- surface area of mid latitude glaciers increases - ANSWER surface area of
mid latitude glaciers increases
,Choose all of the following that are greenhouse gases.
- oxyen
- carbon monoxide
- water vapor
- carbon dioxide
- methane - ANSWER water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane
On average, how much incoming solar radiation is reflected back to space by
clouds, snow, ice, and other high albedo surfaces? - ANSWER 30%
What are the two main reasons that the high latitudes (near the poles) are
colder than the tropics (near the equator)? - ANSWER - the sun's rays pass
through more atmosphere before reaching the surface at higher latitudes
than the lower latitudes
- the sun's rays hit the surface at a shallower angle in the high latitudes, so
the same amount of radiation is spread over a larger surface area
Greenhouse gases absorb radiation that originates at Earth's surface
("terrestrial" radiation), and human activities have increased their
concentration in the atmosphere. This energy gets re-radiated by the
greenhouse gases in all directions, some of which causes warming at the
surface. - ANSWER true
TRUE or FALSE: The Sun is hotter than the Earth. The Sun emits primarily
longwave radiation and the Earth emits primarily shortwave radiation. The
, Sun's radiation is more energetic than Earth's radiation. Everything with a
temperature above absolute zero emits radiation. - ANSWER false
Water vapor is _______. - ANSWER the most abundant greenhouse gas
__________ is the driver of climate, and factors including ___________ affect
climate at a given location. - ANSWER the sun; topography, vegetation,
proximity to the ocean
Name the key lines of evidence that show the Earth has warmed (and is
warming) over the last 100 years or so (choose all that apply). - ANSWER -
ocean heat content is increasing
- glaciers are melting worldwide
- arctic summer sea ice is retreating
- sea level is rising
- surface temperatures are increasing almost everywhere
To absorb infrared radiation, a greenhouse gas needs at least _____ atoms.
These atoms will _____________ upon absorption of radiation, indicating the gas
has ______ energy. - ANSWER 3; bend, vibrate, rotate; gained
The three main components of Earth's atmosphere are Nitrogen (N2),
COMPLETE SOLUTION
Which of the following are correct examples of weather and climate
phenomena? - ANSWER weather: a mid latitude cyclone will bring clouds and
rain to Seattle tomorrow
climate: Texas is typically warmer than Michigan in the winter
who was the first scientist to calculate the temperature change on Earth due
to a doubling of CO2, and when did he/she make this calculation? - ANSWER
Svante Arrhenius, 1890s
Approximately how much has the temperature increased from 1850 to 2010?
- ANSWER 1.3 degrees Celsius
The USA emits ___ total CO2 than China - ANSWER less
China emits ___ CO2 per capita than the USA. - ANSWER less
Which of the following would increase Earth's albedo?
- increasing clouds over the East Antarctic Ice Sheet
- sea ice in the Arctic melts
- trees are planted over large areas of the desert
- fewer clouds occur over the equator
- surface area of mid latitude glaciers increases - ANSWER surface area of
mid latitude glaciers increases
,Choose all of the following that are greenhouse gases.
- oxyen
- carbon monoxide
- water vapor
- carbon dioxide
- methane - ANSWER water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane
On average, how much incoming solar radiation is reflected back to space by
clouds, snow, ice, and other high albedo surfaces? - ANSWER 30%
What are the two main reasons that the high latitudes (near the poles) are
colder than the tropics (near the equator)? - ANSWER - the sun's rays pass
through more atmosphere before reaching the surface at higher latitudes
than the lower latitudes
- the sun's rays hit the surface at a shallower angle in the high latitudes, so
the same amount of radiation is spread over a larger surface area
Greenhouse gases absorb radiation that originates at Earth's surface
("terrestrial" radiation), and human activities have increased their
concentration in the atmosphere. This energy gets re-radiated by the
greenhouse gases in all directions, some of which causes warming at the
surface. - ANSWER true
TRUE or FALSE: The Sun is hotter than the Earth. The Sun emits primarily
longwave radiation and the Earth emits primarily shortwave radiation. The
, Sun's radiation is more energetic than Earth's radiation. Everything with a
temperature above absolute zero emits radiation. - ANSWER false
Water vapor is _______. - ANSWER the most abundant greenhouse gas
__________ is the driver of climate, and factors including ___________ affect
climate at a given location. - ANSWER the sun; topography, vegetation,
proximity to the ocean
Name the key lines of evidence that show the Earth has warmed (and is
warming) over the last 100 years or so (choose all that apply). - ANSWER -
ocean heat content is increasing
- glaciers are melting worldwide
- arctic summer sea ice is retreating
- sea level is rising
- surface temperatures are increasing almost everywhere
To absorb infrared radiation, a greenhouse gas needs at least _____ atoms.
These atoms will _____________ upon absorption of radiation, indicating the gas
has ______ energy. - ANSWER 3; bend, vibrate, rotate; gained
The three main components of Earth's atmosphere are Nitrogen (N2),
