INTRO TO METEOROLOGY - EXAM 1
2025 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere? - ANS 1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere
What part of the atmosphere do we live in? - ANS The Troposphere
What "lids" separate each layer of the atmosphere? - ANS 1. Tropopause
2. Stratopause
3. Mesopause
4. Thermopause
What is the standard lapse rate of the troposphere? - ANS 6.5ºC/1000m. or 3.6ºF/100ft.
Why do we have seasons? - ANS The seasons are regulated by the amount of incoming solar
radiation (insolation) received at the surface.
We have seasons because of:
- The angle we are tilted at causing direct sunlight to hit Earth.
- The length of daylight.
(How close the Earth is to the sun matters far less than these 2 things)
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, Weight - ANS The force acting on an object due to gravity.
Mass x Gravity
Mass - ANS The quantity of matter in an object.
Density - ANS the amount of mass in a given space (volume).
Mass/Volume
Troposphere - ANS - Surface to about 6-10 miles.
- Higher in the summer and tropics.
- Temp. decreases with height because it is heated by the surface and not directly by sunlight.
- Almost all of what we call weather occurs here.
- 80% of Earth's mass is the troposphere.
Stratosphere - ANS - Situated between 6.2-8.1mi. and 31mi.
- Temp. increases with height because the ozone layer absorbs UV light and warms up as a
result
- Layered portion of atmosphere.
- 99% of the atmospheric mass resides below the stratopause
Mesosphere - ANS Up to about 53 miles
Thermosphere - ANS - Goes up to about 75mi.
- The top layer of the atmosphere.
Copyright ©2025 THEBRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
2025 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere? - ANS 1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere
What part of the atmosphere do we live in? - ANS The Troposphere
What "lids" separate each layer of the atmosphere? - ANS 1. Tropopause
2. Stratopause
3. Mesopause
4. Thermopause
What is the standard lapse rate of the troposphere? - ANS 6.5ºC/1000m. or 3.6ºF/100ft.
Why do we have seasons? - ANS The seasons are regulated by the amount of incoming solar
radiation (insolation) received at the surface.
We have seasons because of:
- The angle we are tilted at causing direct sunlight to hit Earth.
- The length of daylight.
(How close the Earth is to the sun matters far less than these 2 things)
Copyright ©2025 THEBRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Weight - ANS The force acting on an object due to gravity.
Mass x Gravity
Mass - ANS The quantity of matter in an object.
Density - ANS the amount of mass in a given space (volume).
Mass/Volume
Troposphere - ANS - Surface to about 6-10 miles.
- Higher in the summer and tropics.
- Temp. decreases with height because it is heated by the surface and not directly by sunlight.
- Almost all of what we call weather occurs here.
- 80% of Earth's mass is the troposphere.
Stratosphere - ANS - Situated between 6.2-8.1mi. and 31mi.
- Temp. increases with height because the ozone layer absorbs UV light and warms up as a
result
- Layered portion of atmosphere.
- 99% of the atmospheric mass resides below the stratopause
Mesosphere - ANS Up to about 53 miles
Thermosphere - ANS - Goes up to about 75mi.
- The top layer of the atmosphere.
Copyright ©2025 THEBRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
