UNCW GGY 130 – Geosystems Study Guide, Practice Questions & Exam Review
permanent gases - correct answer ✔✔- conc. stays
- most Atmospheric mass
Variable gases - correct answer ✔✔- conc. varies by loco
- "trace gases"
- water vapor
Methane - correct answer ✔✔- conc. = 1.7 ppm
- vars w/ season and loco
- decomposition of organic mat.
- Global heat budget
Atmospheric pressure - correct answer ✔✔measure of force exerted by the weight of
atmospheric mass
Troposphere - correct answer ✔✔- temp lowers w/ height
- unstable, warm air rises and cold air sinks
- contains most atmospheric mass
- nearly all weather + water vapor
- lid= tropopause
Stratosphere (10-50 km) - correct answer ✔✔- temp increases w/ height (temp inversion)
- solar radiation absorbed by ozone
- stable; no vertical mixing
, - Jet stream (strong vertical mixing)
- lid = stratopause
Mesosphere( 50 - 80 km) - correct answer ✔✔- temp decreases w/ height
- cold, dry, windy layer
- meteorites burn
- lid = mesopause
Thermosphere ( 80-210 km) - correct answer ✔✔_- ions split and heated by cosmic radiation
- northern lights
Exosphere (210 - 480 km) - correct answer ✔✔Transition onto outer space
solar declination - correct answer ✔✔- the latitude where the sun is directly overhead at noon
- identifies sub-solar point
- read from an analemma
earths overall albedo - correct answer ✔✔31%
beam spreading - correct answer ✔✔sunlight spreads out ( weakens) when @ an angle
Beam depletion - correct answer ✔✔Sunlight passes through more atmosphere and weakens
when entered through an angle
solar altitude - correct answer ✔✔- directness of solar radiation to the surface
- max in the summer
permanent gases - correct answer ✔✔- conc. stays
- most Atmospheric mass
Variable gases - correct answer ✔✔- conc. varies by loco
- "trace gases"
- water vapor
Methane - correct answer ✔✔- conc. = 1.7 ppm
- vars w/ season and loco
- decomposition of organic mat.
- Global heat budget
Atmospheric pressure - correct answer ✔✔measure of force exerted by the weight of
atmospheric mass
Troposphere - correct answer ✔✔- temp lowers w/ height
- unstable, warm air rises and cold air sinks
- contains most atmospheric mass
- nearly all weather + water vapor
- lid= tropopause
Stratosphere (10-50 km) - correct answer ✔✔- temp increases w/ height (temp inversion)
- solar radiation absorbed by ozone
- stable; no vertical mixing
, - Jet stream (strong vertical mixing)
- lid = stratopause
Mesosphere( 50 - 80 km) - correct answer ✔✔- temp decreases w/ height
- cold, dry, windy layer
- meteorites burn
- lid = mesopause
Thermosphere ( 80-210 km) - correct answer ✔✔_- ions split and heated by cosmic radiation
- northern lights
Exosphere (210 - 480 km) - correct answer ✔✔Transition onto outer space
solar declination - correct answer ✔✔- the latitude where the sun is directly overhead at noon
- identifies sub-solar point
- read from an analemma
earths overall albedo - correct answer ✔✔31%
beam spreading - correct answer ✔✔sunlight spreads out ( weakens) when @ an angle
Beam depletion - correct answer ✔✔Sunlight passes through more atmosphere and weakens
when entered through an angle
solar altitude - correct answer ✔✔- directness of solar radiation to the surface
- max in the summer
