Question 1

Sunsets are red because sunlight must pass through more atmosphere then,and the atmosphere scatters even more light at bluer wavelengths,transmitting mostly red light.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Use the following choices to answer the atmosphere composition questions:
-Which best describes the composition of the atmosphere of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  mostly carbon dioxide
B)  individual atoms,such as sodium and potassium
C)  mostly molecular nitrogen,with a lesser amount of molecular oxygen
D)  mostly molecular oxygen,with a lesser amount of molecular nitrogen
E)  mostly methane,with a lesser amount of carbon dioxideF) B) and C)
G) B) and D)

Question 3

A planet with an albedo of 10 percent absorbs 10 percent of the sunlight that strikes it and reflects the other 90 percent.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

How would the atmospheric temperature structure differ from the generic structure if a planet had no greenhouse gases?

Accepted Answer

With no greenhouse g...

Question 5

Which of the following best explain what we think happened to outgassed water vapor on Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ultraviolet light split the water molecules,and the hydrogen then escaped to space.
B)  Water was removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions with surface rock.
C)  It is frozen as water ice in craters near the poles.
D)  It turned into carbon dioxide by reacting with nitrogen in Venus's atmosphere.E) All of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 6

What would happen to Earth if we somehow moved our planet to the orbit of Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Temperatures would rise only slightly,but enough to melt the polar caps.
B)  The fact that we have oceans would moderate the temperature change due to moving our planet,so temperature would hardly change at all.
C)  Being so much closer to the Sun would almost immediately cause the surface of Earth to melt,and all our cities would then be destroyed by the hot lava.
D)  Earth would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect and become as hot or hotter than Venus.E) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 7

Without greenhouse gases,Earth's surface would be frozen over.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

In the context of a planetary atmosphere,what is a bar?

Accepted Answer

A)  the surface pressure on any planet
B)  a description of the atmospheric composition on Earth
C)  a place where lawyers can get sodas and other drinks
D)  a unit of pressure roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure at sea level on EarthE) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 9

Based on everything we have learned about Venus and Mars,what is the most surprising aspect of Earth's climate history?

Accepted Answer

A)  the fact that the temperature of our planet has remained relatively steady throughout our planet's history
B)  the fact that Earth apparently got a lot of atmospheric gas from outgassing by volcanoes
C)  the fact that Earth had enough water to form oceans
D)  the fact that Earth's climate can be affected by changes in its axis tiltE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 10

Earth and Venus both presumably had similar gases outgassed from their volcanoes.Briefly explain how their atmospheres ended up so different.

Accepted Answer

On Venus,water and carbon dioxide remain...

Question 11

What important change in the Sun over the past four billion years is thought to be very important to understanding the climates of Venus,Earth,and Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  a gradual weakening of the solar wind with time
B)  a gradual dimming with time
C)  a gradual brightening with time
D)  a gradual reduction in the amount of ultraviolet and X-ray radiation coming from the SunE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 12

The ionosphere is a layer of ionized gas that is

Accepted Answer

A)  above the exosphere.
B)  between the thermosphere and the exosphere.
C)  within the thermosphere.
D)  within the stratosphere.
E)  within the troposphere.F) None of the above
G) D) and E)

Question 13

Why is the Coriolis effect so weak on Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)  because Venus is so hot
B)  because Venus rotates so slowly
C)  because Venus has such a thick atmosphere
D)  because Venus has such a strong greenhouse effectE) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 14

In the context of Earth's climate history,what do we mean by snowball Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  This term is used to describe all the ice ages that have occurred in the past few million years.
B)  It refers to a time when polar regions had much more snowfall than normal.
C)  It is what we expect to see happen on Earth in about a billion years.
D)  It refers to a very deep ice age that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago.E) C) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 15

Use these processes for the following questions.
-Which process is the primary source of the atmospheric gases on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  outgassing from volcanoes
B)  evaporation and vaporization
C)  bombardment
D)  thermal escape
E)  chemical reactions with surface materialF) A) and C)
G) A) and D)

Question 16

The sky is blue because

Accepted Answer

A)  molecules scatter blue light more effectively than red light.
B)  molecules scatter red light more effectively than blue light.
C)  the Sun mainly emits blue light.
D)  the atmosphere transmits mostly blue light.
E)  the atmosphere absorbs mostly blue light.F) All of the above
G) B) and D)

Question 17

According to current science,why didn't oxygen begin to accumulate in the atmosphere for more than a billion years after life appeared on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oxygen released by life was removed from the atmosphere by chemical reactions with surface rocks until the surface rock could absorb no more.
B)  Early forms of animal life consumed the oxygen released by plants during the first billion years of life on Earth.
C)  Early life did not release oxygen,and oxygen releasing organisms didn't evolve for a billion years after the earliest life.
D)  Oxygen released by life was removed from the atmosphere by dissolving in the ocean until the oceans could dissolve no more.E) B) and C)
F) A) and C)

Question 18

Which of the following is not an expected consequence of global warming?

Accepted Answer

A)  an increase in the severity of winter blizzards
B)  an increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes
C)  melting of polar ice and glaciers
D)  the entire Earth warming up by the same amountE) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 19

Ultraviolet light is absorbed in the

Accepted Answer

A)  exosphere.
B)  thermosphere.
C)  stratosphere.
D)  troposphere.
E)  none of the aboveF) C) and D)
G) All of the above

Question 20

All the following statements are true.Which one explains why convection can occur in the troposphere but not in the stratosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Atmospheric pressure is much greater in the troposphere than in the stratosphere.
B)  The stratosphere contains significant amounts of ozone but the troposphere does not.
C)  Temperature declines with altitude in the troposphere but increases with altitude in the stratosphere.
D)  Clouds tend to form in the troposphere but not the stratosphere.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Exam 10: Planetary Atmospheres: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds

Based on everything we have learned about Venus and Mars,what is the most surprising aspect of Earth's climate history?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How would the atmospheric temperature structure differ from the generic structure if a planet had no greenhouse gases?

Correct AnswerverifiedWith no greenhouse g...View AnswerShow Answer

A planet with an albedo of 10 percent absorbs 10 percent of the sunlight that strikes it and reflects the other 90 percent.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Sunsets are red because sunlight must pass through more atmosphere then,and the atmosphere scatters even more light at bluer wavelengths,transmitting mostly red light.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

All the following statements are true.Which one explains why convection can occur in the troposphere but not in the stratosphere?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the context of a planetary atmosphere,what is a bar?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why is the Coriolis effect so weak on Venus?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following best explain what we think happened to outgassed water vapor on Venus?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Earth and Venus both presumably had similar gases outgassed from their volcanoes.Briefly explain how their atmospheres ended up so different.

Correct AnswerverifiedOn Venus,water and carbon dioxide remain...View AnswerShow Answer

The sky is blue because

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What important change in the Sun over the past four billion years is thought to be very important to understanding the climates of Venus,Earth,and Mars?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Without greenhouse gases,Earth's surface would be frozen over.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What would happen to Earth if we somehow moved our planet to the orbit of Venus?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to current science,why didn't oxygen begin to accumulate in the atmosphere for more than a billion years after life appeared on Earth?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The ionosphere is a layer of ionized gas that is

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Ultraviolet light is absorbed in the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Use these processes for the following questions. -Which process is the primary source of the atmospheric gases on Earth?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Use the following choices to answer the atmosphere composition questions: -Which best describes the composition of the atmosphere of the Moon?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the context of Earth's climate history,what do we mean by snowball Earth?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is not an expected consequence of global warming?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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With no greenhouse g...
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On Venus,water and carbon dioxide remain...
View Answer

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