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UNIT 4
Atmosphere
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| What Gases Make Up the Atmosphere? | Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, and trace gases |
| Pressure | A measure of force that acts over a certain area. |
| Barometer | A tool that measures air pressure |
| Gravity | Force that causes air to be pulled down towards Earth's surface. |
| What Determines the Layers of the Atmosphere? | Temperature trends as you move further from the Earth's surface. |
| Troposphere | Closest atmospheric layer to earth; contains 75% of all the mass of the atmosphere; the thinnest layer; weather occurs in this layer; thickest at the equator and thinnest at the poles; warmest near the earth's surface |
| Stratosphere | Layer above the troposphere; contains the ozone layer (protects the surface from dangerous UV radiation); causes the temperature to increase throughout the stratosphere |
| Mesosphere | The middle layer; most meteors burn up here; does not absorb energy from the sun |
| Thermosphere | Layer with very thin air; contains the International Space Station and Aurora Borealis; solar radiation first hits this layer |
| Exosphere | The outer edge/layer of our atmosphere; extends for thousands of miles; satellites orbit in this layer |
| Why do we have different seasons? | The tilt of Earth's axis determines different seasons; Earth's tilt remains the same as it orbits the Sun, but the Sun's light shines differently on the earth throughout the year |
| Tilt of the Hemisphere in Summer | Towards the Sun |
| Tilt of the Hemisphere in Winter | Away from the Sun |
| Tilt of the Hemisphere in Spring/Autumn | Neither towards nor away from the sun |
| Three Main Circulation Patterns on Earth | Three major bands of wind around the globe: Hadley cells, Ferrel cells, Polar cells |
| What is Nitrogen Needed For? | It's needed for amino acids and proteins, DNA, and RNA |
| What is Phosphorus Needed For? | It's needed for DNA, RNA, ATP, and the phospholipid bilayer |
| What Makes Gaseous Nitrogen So Hard to Break Apart? | Gaseous nitrogen has a triple bond, which makes it much harder to break down and use |
| How Can Nitrogen Be Converted Into Useful Forms? | Lightning, man-made fertilizer products |
| Dentrification | The process by which nitrate is converted back into nitrogen and oxygen; the opposite process from nitrogen fixation |
| How does the heating of the Earth create wind? | The unequal heating, such as the equator receiving the most solar radiation, causes global winds; the rotation of the earth and unequal distribution of land creates the three major bands of wind around the globe |
| Low Pressure: How does it affect rainfall? | Produces rainfall |
| High Pressure: How does it affect rainfall? | Prevents rainfall |
| Coriolis Effect | If something is traveling a greater distance in a shorter amount of time, it must be going faster: Points on the earth near the poles are spinning slower than regions near the equator |
| What causes circular air patterns? | When air masses that fall behind and push ahead encounter high and low pressure systems, they can create circular air currents |
| What enzyme do protists, fungi, and bacteria use to convert nitrogen into ammonia? | Nitrogenase; is used to break nitrogen's triple bond |
| Where is Phosphorus Found? | Found in rocks; the phosphorus cycle does not involve the atmosphere |
Created by:
fcampbel6126
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