Q&A Hero

Q: A study of jet contrails following the grounding of commercial flights after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks found that A) contrails have a very limited effect on the Earth's energy budget. B) contrails reduce diurnal temperature ranges in regions with a high density aircraft. C) contrails contribute more to cloud-albedo forcing than cloud-greenhouse forcing. D) contrails are difficult to distinguish from natural cirrus clouds.

Q: An increase in the amount of high altitude, thin clouds would A) cool the planet in a process called cloud-albedo forcing. B) warm the planet in a process called cloud-greenhouse forcing. C) have no effect on the planet's temperature because insolation is constant.

Q: If the surface of Earth were to suddenly turn white, the temperature of the planet would ________ because ________ insolation would be absorbed. A) decrease; less B) decrease; more C) increase; less D) increase; more

Q: Because of the process known as ________ the Sun appears above the horizon ________ it has actually risen. A) transmission; before B) transmission; after C) refraction; before D) refraction; after E) reflection; before

Q: Which of the following is correctly matched? A) insolation shortwave radiation UV, visible, and near infrared B) insolation longwave radiation thermal infrared radiation C) terrestrial radiation shortwave radiation UV, visible, and near infrared D) terrestrial radiation shortwave radiation thermal infrared radiation

Q: Why is a greenhouse an imperfect analogy for how the Earth's atmosphere behaves? A) A greenhouse allows longwave radiation to escape and mix with the surrounding air, unlike the Earth's atmosphere. B) The glass of a greenhouse is designed to allow transmission of both longwave and shortwave radiation, whereas certain atmospheric constituents only allow transmission of shortwave radiation. C) It is exceedingly rare for a greenhouse to contain carbon dioxide like the Earth's atmosphere contains. D) Passage of longwave radiation to space is delayed by certain atmospheric constituents, but not trapped like an actual greenhouse.

Q: The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines ________ global albedo, resulting in a temporary ________ of the Earth. A) increased; cooling B) decreased; cooling C) increased; warming D) decreased; warming

Q: Which of the following is a nonradiative transfer of longwave radiation to the atmosphere? A) The greenhouse effect. B) Latent heat transfer. C) Stratospheric ozone radiation. D) Conduction from the surface.

Q: The Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 affected the atmosphere in all of the following ways except which? A) The atmospheric albedo increased. B) An increase occurred in the amount of energy absorbed in the atmosphere. C) A worldwide decrease in surface temperatures occurred in the two years after the eruption. D) A decrease in atmospheric aerosols.

Q: When a surface assimilates radiation, the process is called A) absorption. B) transmission. C) diffuse radiation. D) refraction.

Q: The general term describing the pollution related decline in insolation to insolation to the Earth's surface is A) greenhouse effect. B) earthshine. C) Global dimming. D) Atmospheric albedo.

Q: If a surface absorbs insolation, A) its temperature increases. B) its temperature decreases. C) its temperature is unaffected. D) refraction occurs. E) diffuse radiation occurs.

Q: On a cloudy day, Earth's surface receives A) direct insolation. B) diffuse radiation. C) direct radiation. D) a reduced daylength.

Q: The sky (lower tropopause) appears blue in color because of A) reflection. B) scattering. C) absorption of blue wavelengths of visible light. D) diffuse radiation.

Q: The assimilation of radiation by molecules of matter is A) refraction. B) absorption. C) reflection. D) transmission.

Q: Which of the following is true of the albedo of water? A) It changes, depending upon the Sun angle. B) It is greatest when the Sun is low in the sky. C) It never changesalbedos are constant values. D) It is less for frozen water than for liquid water.

Q: Which of the following has the lowest albedo? A) fresh snow B) croplands C) light roof D) forests E) the Moon

Q: Earth's average overall albedo is A) 31 percent. B) 51 percent. C) 69 percent. D) unknown.

Q: Which of the following has the highest albedo? A) forests B) asphalt C) dry, light sandy soils D) fresh snow

Q: The albedo of a surface is a measure of which of the following processes? A) transmission B) reflection C) scattering D) solar radiation receipt

Q: The reflective quality of a surface is known as its A) conduction. B) absorption. C) albedo. D) scattering.

Q: An image that appears near the horizon when layers of air are at different temperatures and densities is a(n) ________ and an example of ________. A) reflection; albedo B) Rayleigh scatter; albedo C) reflection; refraction D) mirage; refraction

Q: Refraction results in changes in both ________ and ________ of light. A) color and reflection B) conduction and convection C) Rayleigh scattering and mie scattering D) albedo and absorption E) speed and direction

Q: When light passes from one medium to another, resulting in a change in speed and direction of insolation, A) transmission happens. B) Rayleigh scattering is the predominant effect. C) refraction occurs. D) it is usually not affected physically.

Q: Scattering caused by atmospheric particles larger than the wavelengths of light is A) mie scattering. B) refraction. C) Rayleigh scattering. D) transmission.

Q: The principle that explains the differential scattering of shorter wavelength radiation and accounts for the Earth's blue sky is A) mie scattering. B) refraction. C) Rayleigh scattering. D) transmission.

Q: Which two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect because of their ability to absorb infrared energy? A) oxygen and hydrogen B) ozone and dust C) nitrogen and oxygen D) water vapor and carbon dioxide

Q: Which of the following is true? A) The poles receive the highest amount of insolation. B) Th highest levels of insolation occur in the equatorial and tropical latitudes. C) There is always a very predictable latitudinal gradient of insolation. D) Insolation is equal at all surfaces across the globe.

Q: The insolation received at Earth's surface is A) usually low at the equator. B) generally greater at high latitudes because of daylength. C) greatest over low-latitude deserts with their cloudless skies. D) inadequate to sustain life.

Q: Describe how anthropogenic activity may influence both the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Q: Evaluate the economic costs and benefits of the Clean Air Act. Based on the cost benefit analysis, make an argument for either strengthening or weakening the Clean Air Act.

Q: What have been some of the significant achievements of the Clean Air Act?

Q: Write an essay on acid rain in which you discuss its sources, its effects, and the efforts that have been made to reduce the amount of pollutants that cause it.

Q: Which anthropogenic air pollutants are least harmful to humans? Most harmful, and in what ways? Which are most damaging to plants?

Q: Examine the effects of wind, landscape, and temperature inversion on air pollution.

Q: List and describe at least five natural sources of air pollution, as well as the source and effects of at least eight human-generated air pollutants.

Q: What is the role of ozone in the ozonosphere? Discuss and explain the chemical reactions that lead to its destruction.

Q: Ozone is found in both the ozonosphere and as a component of smog. Discuss its properties and function in the ozonosphere, and also its destruction by anthropogenic chemicals and the international efforts undertaken to ameliorate the destruction. Also examine ozone's production and effects at ground level.

Q: What is the environmental lapse rate, and which part of the atmosphere is it relevant?

Q: List and describe the four main gases of the homosphere. Which is least important to life?

Q: Trace the changing temperature of the atmosphere from Earth's surface to the top of the thermosphere.

Q: The atmosphere can be studied using three basic criteria: composition, temperature, and function. Discuss these three classifications, giving relevant details of each.

Q: Anthropogenic air pollution is limited to urban areas.

Q: Increased fuel efficiency may help mitigate urban pollution.

Q: Scientists predict that air quality will continue to improve even without emission regulations.

Q: A decline in sulfur dioxide has led to a lower pH in precipitation in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Q: Severe pollution conditions tend to develop during periods of low pressure systems.

Q: Temperature inversions have little effect on air pollution.

Q: Air pressure is produced through the motion, size, and number of air molecules.

Q: The Clean Air Act has not been cost effective.

Q: The Clean Air Act actually saves fewer than 1000 lives per year.

Q: Particulate matter has been associated with higher medical expenses.

Q: Ground-level ozone is the principal ingredient of photochemical smog.

Q: So far, the Arctic region has been free of air pollution.

Q: Air pollution can easily cross national boundaries.

Q: Annually, acid deposition costs and estimated $50 billion in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Q: Rainfall is naturally acidic due to the presence of carbonic acids.

Q: Normal rainfall has a neutral pH.

Q: Peroxyacetyl nitrates (PAN)are damaging to plants., but not to humans.

Q: Photochemical smog results from the interaction of sunlight with the combustion products of automobiles.

Q: Skin damage resulting from exposure to the Sun is cumulative; i.e., the skin never completely heals from previous sunburns.

Q: The higher the UV Index, the faster a person will sunburn.

Q: Atmospheric circulation ultimately connects all places on Earth to one another.

Q: Pollution generated in one country can cause problems in other countries.

Q: Natural sources produce greater quantities of air pollutants than do sources attributable to humans.

Q: Problems with air pollution occurred as far back in time as the Roman period (2000 years ago).

Q: Both nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide are principally produced by automobiles.

Q: Approximately fifty percent of the atmosphere is compressed by gravity below an elevation of 5500 m (18,000 ft).

Q: The atmosphere exerts an average force of approximately 1 kg/ (14.7 lbs/) at sea level.

Q: Captain Kittenger came close to the speed of sound during his record-breaking sky dive.

Q: Air pressure is only exerted downward.

Q: Depletion of the ozone layer is happening principally because of natural circulation dynamics in the upper atmosphere, not chemical reactions.

Q: Of the atmosphere's thermal layers, the stratosphere is the hottest.

Q: The heterosphere has a layered structure, whereas the homosphere occurs as an even mixture of gases.

Q: The normal lapse rate for temperature decreases is an average of 3C per 1000 m.

Q: The ozone hole has almost completely recovered.

Q: Political leaders in the United States worked swiftly to pass legislation banning CFCs.

Q: The role of CFCs in the depletion of stratospheric ozone was first hypothesized in the 1970s.

Q: Carbon dioxide is currently increasing at the rate of 3.1% per year.

Q: Oxygen is a byproduct of photosynthesis.