Employee Assistance Programs | EAPS 100 Final Exam

Employee Assistance Programs | EAPS 100 Final Exam Which of the following atmospheric layers is where weather occurs? Troposphere Solar radiation transmits energy to the Earth's surface. True Solar radiation can be absorbed by the Earth's surface or reflected back into space. The ratio of reflected radiation to absorbed radiation is known as albedo. Which of the following surfaces has the highest albedo? Glacial Ice Asphalt Road Ocean Forest Canopy The Earth's surface absorbs solar radiation and then radiates it into the atmosphere as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases absorb this radiation and trap heat within the atmosphere. This process leads to which of the following properties of Earth's atmosphere? (Hint: From which direction is the atmosphere heated?) Pressure increases with altitude Temperature decreases with altitude in the troposphere Ozone O3 is formed in the thermosphere Temperature increases with altitude in the troposphere Atmospheric convection is driven by the uneven distribution of solar radiation at Earth's surface and the fact that the atmosphere is heated from below. True The Earth is a rotating sphere. This geometry means that the surface of the Earth at the equator is moving towards the East much faster than the the surface of the Earth at higher latitudes. If air was flowing AWAY from the equator, in which direction would it be deflected due to the Coriolis effect? East Wind tends to flow from areas of high pressure toward areas of low pressure. True Clouds form when air rises and _______, causing the relative humidity to increase to 100%. Cools What is the term for the ACTUAL vertical distribution of temperature in the Earth's troposphere? Environmental lapse rate When the adiabatic lapse rate is shallower than the environmental lapse rate, a package of air near the surface of the Earth will not spontaneously rise. How would we characterize atmospheric stability in this situation? Absolute atmospheric stability Warm fronts form when a package of warm air is advancing to replace a package of cold air. What type of weather would you expect to occur in an area in the few days prior to the passage of a warm front? Clouds and rain Hurricanes form where there are areas of extreme low pressure. True The above image shows the relationship between surface water salinity and latitude within the ocean. Remember that the salinity at the ocean's surface is determined by the rate of evaporation (this process leaves dissolved solids behind and increases salinity) relative to the rate of freshwater addition (rain, river discharge, and snowmelt all add freshwater and lower salinity). Why does the salinity of the ocean's surface water hit local maxima near the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn? High levels of evaporation Ocean currents tend to swirl in a clockwise manner in the northern hemisphere and a counterclockwise manner in the southern hemisphere. What is the term for this pattern of currents? Gyres The above image shows sea surface temperatures adjacent to the east coast of the United States and Canada. Red colors indicate warm water, and blue colors indicate cold water. Why is there a large area of warm water extending northeastward across the North Atlantic? Surface winds moving from the tropics toward higher latitudes are driving an ocean current and this current moving warm, tropical water to the northeast You experience a SINGLE, extremely hot day during the summer. This event indicates that the CLIMATE is getting warmer. False Polar regions typically have very little precipitation. True Which of the following answer choices are variables that affect the Earth's climate on long time scales (i.e., tens of thousands to millions of years)?