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AOS 100 Quiz 2
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the solar constant? | 1367 W/m² — the average amount of solar energy received per square meter at the top of Earth's atmosphere. |
| What percentage of solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth's surface? | 51%, mostly in the visible spectrum. |
| What percentage of solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere? | 19%, mostly ultraviolet and some infrared. |
| What happens to the remaining 30% of solar radiation? | It is reflected or scattered back into space. |
| What is albedo? | The percentage of incoming light that is reflected or scattered by a surface. Earth's average albedo is 30%. |
| Why is the sky blue? | Because shorter wavelengths like blue are scattered more effectively by atmospheric molecules. |
| What factors increase atmospheric scattering? | Longer path length, more water vapor (paler skies), and more aerosols (redder/oranger skies). |
| What is the atmospheric greenhouse effect? | The absorption and re-emission of infrared radiation by the atmosphere, which warms Earth’s surface. |
| What does Earth's annual energy balance mean? | Over a year, the total incoming solar energy equals the outgoing energy, maintaining a stable climate. |
| Is energy balance maintained at all latitudes? | No. High latitudes lose more energy than they gain; low latitudes gain more than they lose. |
| At what latitude is Earth's energy balance achieved? | Around 38° latitude. |
| How is energy redistributed across latitudes? | Through atmospheric processes like advection and latent heat transfer (e.g., weather systems). |
| Why is it warmer in July in the Northern Hemisphere, even though Earth is farther from the Sun? | Because the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, receiving more direct sunlight. |
| What is the angle of Earth's axial tilt? | Approximately 23.5°. |
| What is the difference between solstice and equinox? | Equinox: Sun is directly over the equator. Solstice: Sun is at its maximum tilt (23.5°) north or south of the equator. |
| What is the angle of Earth's axial tilt? | 23.5 degrees. |
| What is the Solar Zenith Angle? | The angle at which the sun's radiation strikes a location: 0° = directly overhead 90° = sun at the horizon |
| What happens during an equinox? | The sun is directly over the equator. |
| What factors affect solar radiation at the surface? | Incoming solar angle Hours of daylight Length of atmospheric path |
| What happens during a solstice? | The sun strikes the equator at an angle of 23.5 degrees. |
| What is the Tropic of Cancer’s latitude? | 23.5° N |
| What is the Tropic of Capricorn’s latitude? | 23.5° S |
| What happens on June 21 (Summer Solstice)? | Sun is directly overhead Tropic of Cancer Northern Hemisphere starts summer Arctic Circle (66.5° N) has 24 hours of daylight Antarctic Circle (66.5° S) has 24 hours of darkness |
| Why isn’t the Arctic hot during 24-hour daylight? | The sun’s angle is low, so radiation is less intense. |
| What happens on December 21 (Winter Solstice)? | Sun is directly overhead Tropic of Capricorn Northern Hemisphere starts winter Southern Hemisphere starts summer |
| What causes temperature to increase during the day? | Incoming radiation exceeds outgoing radiation. |
| What causes temperature to decrease at night? | Outgoing radiation exceeds incoming radiation. |
| When is the peak temperature during the day? | Around 3 PM. |
| Why is temperature variation greater near the ground? | Less mixing and more direct heating/cooling. |
| What is radiation inversion? | A temperature increase with height caused by stronger nighttime cooling near the ground than above. |
| What factors control regional temperature variations? | Latitude, surface type, elevation, land/water distribution, weather, advection, and cloud cover. |
| When does nocturnal inversion occur? | On clear, calm nights with long hours of darkness. |
| What causes valley inversions and thermal belts? | Cold air flows downhill and pools in valleys, creating warmer zones higher up. |
| What are heating and cooling degree days based on? | A threshold of 65°F: Heating Degree Days = 65°F − average daily temperature Cooling Degree Days = average daily temperature − 65°F |
| What is humidity? | The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. |
| What percentage of atmospheric water comes from ocean evaporation? | 85% |
| What is water vapor? | Invisible, high-energy water molecules always present in the atmosphere. |
| What happens in unsaturated air? | Evaporation exceeds condensation. |
| What happens in saturated air? | Evaporation equals condensation; excess vapor condenses into liquid. |
| What are condensation nuclei (CN)? | Tiny particles (like aerosols) that water vapor condenses onto to form cloud droplets. |
| How does temperature affect saturation? | Warm air requires more water vapor to reach saturation than cold air. |
| What are two ways air can reach saturation? | Adding water vapor or cooling the air. |
| Why is water vapor important? | It fuels storms (latent heat), forms clouds/precipitation, and absorbs infrared radiation. |
| What is absolute humidity? | Mass of water vapor per volume of air. |
| What is specific humidity? | Mass of water vapor per mass of air. |
| What is mixing ratio? | Mass of water vapor per mass of dry air. |
| What is actual vapor pressure? | The partial pressure exerted by water vapor in the atmosphere. |
| What determines saturation vapor pressure? | Temperature — warmer air has higher saturation vapor pressure. |
| What factors influence regional temperature variations? | Latitude, surface type, elevation, land/water distribution, weather, advection, and cloud cover. |
| How can vapor pressure change? | By changing temperature (affects kinetic energy and pressure) - cooling it By changing the number of water molecules |
| Why does warm air hold more moisture than cold air? | Because SVP increases with temperature, allowing more water vapor in warm saturated air. |
| What is relative humidity (RH)? | A measure of how close air is to saturation: RH = 100% × (Actual Vapor Pressure / Saturation Vapor Pressure) |
| How can relative humidity change? | By adding or removing water vapor (affects actual vapor pressure) |
| What is dew point temperature? | The temperature air must be cooled to (at constant pressure) to become saturated. |
| What does a higher dew point indicate? | More water vapor in the air. |
| What is dew point depression? | The difference between air temperature and dew point; smaller difference means more saturation. |
| What is frost point temperature? | The dew point when the temperature is below freezing. |
| What happens when you add a water molecule to saturated air? | You must lose one elsewhere to maintain balance. |
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