Question 1

A student says, “Earth’s atmosphere is like a life-support system.” Define the term atmosphere.

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Question 2

A weather forecast shows rain and thunderstorms over a city. Identify the atmospheric layer where almost all weather happens.

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Question 3

A hiker notices it is much colder on a mountain than at sea level. Outline one reason why temperature usually decreases with altitude in the lower atmosphere.

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Question 4

A doctor warns that high UV levels increase the risk of skin cancer. Suggest one way the atmosphere protects living organisms from harmful radiation.

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Question 5

After a snowfall, a student notices the ground is much brighter than usual. Define the term albedo.

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Question 6

A polar coastline changes from sea ice to open water during summer. State which surface has the higher albedo.

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Question 7

A city replaces a dark asphalt schoolyard with a light-coloured surface. Suggest one way this could affect local temperature.

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Question 8

Table 1 shows albedo values for different surfaces. Using the data, identify the surface that would absorb the most solar energy.

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Question 9

A student says sunlight is short-wave and heat leaving Earth is long-wave. Define the term long-wave radiation.

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Question 10

During a clear night in a desert, temperatures drop quickly after sunset. State one reason why this happens in terms of outgoing radiation.

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Question 11

Figure 1 lists greenhouse gases present in air near a busy city and near a remote ocean. Identify two greenhouse gases from the list.

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Question 12

A coastal town experiences more cloudy days during the wet season. Outline one way increased cloud cover can change Earths energy budget.

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Question 13

Table 1 shows incoming solar energy and the percentage reflected by two surfaces. Calculate the albedo difference between fresh snow and dark ocean.

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Question 14

A city replaces many dark roofs with white reflective roofs. Explain how this could affect local air temperature during daytime.

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Question 15

Figure 2 shows a simple energy budget for Earth. Calculate how many units of the incoming energy are absorbed by Earths surface.

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Question 16

A satellite measures incoming solar radiation of 400 W m-2 over a surface with an albedo of 0.30. Calculate the absorbed solar radiation.

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Question 17

A student asks why the equator is not endlessly heating up while the poles stay frozen. Outline two mechanisms that redistribute heat from the tropics to higher latitudes.

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Question 18

A warm, humid air mass rises near the equator and later produces heavy rainfall in a cooler region. Explain how latent heat transfer helps redistribute heat globally.

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Question 19

A commercial jet cruises at about 11 km altitude. Identify the atmospheric layer it is usually flying in.

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Question 20

A science teacher says, “The stratosphere is stable compared with the troposphere.” Outline two features of the stratosphere that help explain this.

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Topic 6.1: Introduction to the Atmosphere Questions

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