ATM 103 Exam 1 With
Complete Solution
What are the stages of hurricane development? - ANSWER 1) Tropical
disturbance/wave
2) Tropical Depression
3) Tropical Storm
4) Hurricane
What is the composition of the atmosphere? - ANSWER 79% Nitrogen, 20%
Oxygen, 1% Argon, <1% trace gases
What is the most abundant greenhouse gas? - ANSWER Water vapor
Roughly what percent of the greenhouse gas is caused by water vapor? -
ANSWER 60%
Why do greenhouse gases increase the Earth's temperature? - ANSWER They
absorb more radiation than the primary gases, and then emit a portion of
that radiation back to the surface.
Approximately how long ago did the Earth form? - ANSWER 4.5 BYA
How did the current atmosphere form? - ANSWER The early atmosphere was
mostly hydrogen and helium, but the Earth's gravitational force was not
strong enough to hold them. These eventually floated off. Through volcanic
outgassing, H2O, CO2, and trace amounts of Nitrogen, CH4, and NH3 were
, introduced to the atmosphere. Eventually, the water condensed to form the
oceans, the CO2 dissolved into the oceans and deposited as limestone, and
the Nitrogen started building up in the atmosphere. Life forms then began to
photosynthesize and added oxygen into the atmosphere, which eventually
accumilated. Some of this oxygen, with UV radiaton, dissociated to form the
ozone layer.
What is residence time? - ANSWER How long a certain molecule stays in the
atmosphere.
How do you calculate residence time? - ANSWER Mass of molecule in
atmosphere / Sum of Fluxes
How do you calculate the sum of fluxes for a residence time calculation? -
ANSWER Add either the fluxes into the atmosphere together or the fluxes
out of the atmosphere together.
Does "bad ozone" occur near the surface or in the stratosphere? - ANSWER
Near the surface.
Why is the ozone layer beneficial? - ANSWER It absorbs UV radiation.
What causes the ozone hole? - ANSWER CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons).
How do CFCs create the ozone hole? - ANSWER The CFCs steal an oxygen
atom from the ozone molecule.
CFC + UV -> Cl
Cl + O3 -> ClO + O2
Where is the ozone hole? - ANSWER Over Antarctica.
Why does the ozone hole only form where it does? - ANSWER Because
Complete Solution
What are the stages of hurricane development? - ANSWER 1) Tropical
disturbance/wave
2) Tropical Depression
3) Tropical Storm
4) Hurricane
What is the composition of the atmosphere? - ANSWER 79% Nitrogen, 20%
Oxygen, 1% Argon, <1% trace gases
What is the most abundant greenhouse gas? - ANSWER Water vapor
Roughly what percent of the greenhouse gas is caused by water vapor? -
ANSWER 60%
Why do greenhouse gases increase the Earth's temperature? - ANSWER They
absorb more radiation than the primary gases, and then emit a portion of
that radiation back to the surface.
Approximately how long ago did the Earth form? - ANSWER 4.5 BYA
How did the current atmosphere form? - ANSWER The early atmosphere was
mostly hydrogen and helium, but the Earth's gravitational force was not
strong enough to hold them. These eventually floated off. Through volcanic
outgassing, H2O, CO2, and trace amounts of Nitrogen, CH4, and NH3 were
, introduced to the atmosphere. Eventually, the water condensed to form the
oceans, the CO2 dissolved into the oceans and deposited as limestone, and
the Nitrogen started building up in the atmosphere. Life forms then began to
photosynthesize and added oxygen into the atmosphere, which eventually
accumilated. Some of this oxygen, with UV radiaton, dissociated to form the
ozone layer.
What is residence time? - ANSWER How long a certain molecule stays in the
atmosphere.
How do you calculate residence time? - ANSWER Mass of molecule in
atmosphere / Sum of Fluxes
How do you calculate the sum of fluxes for a residence time calculation? -
ANSWER Add either the fluxes into the atmosphere together or the fluxes
out of the atmosphere together.
Does "bad ozone" occur near the surface or in the stratosphere? - ANSWER
Near the surface.
Why is the ozone layer beneficial? - ANSWER It absorbs UV radiation.
What causes the ozone hole? - ANSWER CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons).
How do CFCs create the ozone hole? - ANSWER The CFCs steal an oxygen
atom from the ozone molecule.
CFC + UV -> Cl
Cl + O3 -> ClO + O2
Where is the ozone hole? - ANSWER Over Antarctica.
Why does the ozone hole only form where it does? - ANSWER Because
