Name______Date_____
Atmosphere CK12 Readings and Review Questions
With your group, read through the chapter and answer the “As YOU Read” questions. The questions are in order.After you finish please answer the “Thinking Critically” questions. You will rotate through 4 stations, with approximately 10 minutes as each station.
Be sure to take good notes! You are not expected to answer in complete sentences.
Station #1- Layers of the Atmosphere
Lesson Objectives
• Describe how the temperature of the atmosphere changes with altitude.
• Outline the properties of the troposphere.
• Explain the role of the ozone layer in the stratosphere.
• Describe conditions in the mesosphere.
• Explain how the sun affects the thermosphere.
Vocabulary- please provide a short definition of each vocabulary term.
• mesosphere-______
• ozone- ______
• stratosphere-______
• thermosphere-______
• troposphere-______
“As YOU Read” Questions:
1. How many layers is the Earth’s atmosphere divided into? Please take a minute and list the layers:
2. In the troposphere why is temperature higher near the surface than at higher altitudes?
3. The shortest layer of the atmosphere is the ______, which holds ____% of all the gas molecules in the atmosphere.
4. What mixes the air in the troposphere? ______
5. Figure 1.2:How does a temperature inversion affectair quality?
6. Why does air temperature in the stratosphere layer increases with altitude?
7. The stratosphere contains a layer of gas. What is this layer known as:______
What is the function of this layer?
8. Why does temperature decrease with altitude in the mesosphere?
9. What is located in the thermosphere? ______
Think Critically
1. How is a temperature inversion like the temperatures of the stratosphere and troposphere?
2. Explain why air mixes in the troposphere but not in the stratosphere.
3. Why is there a hole in the ozone layer? What do you think the consequences of that hole are?
Station #2- Energy in the Atmosphere
Lesson Objectives
• Describe how energy is transmitted.
• Describe the Earth’s heat budget and what happens to the Sun’s energy.
• Discuss the importance of convection in the atmosphere.
• Describe the greenhouse effect and why it is so important for life on Earth.
Vocabulary- please provide a short definition of each vocabulary term.
• conduction-______
• convection-______
• electromagnetic waves-______
• greenhouse effect-______
• temperature-______
“As YOU Read” Questions:
1. Describe radiation:
2. Using Figure 2.1, list the 8 forms of energy within the Electromagnetic Spectrum.
3. What is the difference between heat and temperature?
4. Describe the law of conservation of energy:
5. Compare and contrast high temperature particles and low temperature particles:
6. Most of the Earth’s energy comes from ______.
7. Which part of the Earth receives the most amount of solar radiation?
8. Why is conduction more effective at lower altitudes?
9. Because solar energy continually enters Earth’s atmosphere and ground surface, is the planet getting hotter?
Think Critically
1. Why do the polar regions reflect more solar energy than tropical regions?
2. What is the difference between conduction and convection?
3. On a map of average annual temperature, why are the lower latitudes so much warmer than the higher latitudes?
4.How does the atmosphere protect life on Earth from harmful radiation and from extreme temperatures?
Station #3- The Importance, Composition & Properties of the Atmosphere
Lesson Objectives
• Explain why Earth’s atmosphere is important.
• Describe the composition of the atmosphere.
• List properties of the atmosphere.
Vocabulary- please provide a short definition of each vocabulary term.
• air pressure-______
• altitude -______
“As YOU Read” Questions:
1. Why is Earth the only planet in the solar system known to have life?
2. Why is the atmosphere important?
3. How do the gases in the atmosphere protect Earth?
4. What role does the atmosphere play in the water cycle?
5. Describe the relationship between the atmosphere and weather:
6. Draw the pie graph to represent the various types of gases found in air:
7. List the 2 factors that affect air density:
8. If you are standing at sea level, you have more than a ton of air pressing against you. Why doesn’t thepressure crush you?
Think Critically
1. State how living things interact with the atmosphere.
2. Why does weathering on Earth’s surface depend on the atmosphere?
3. Explain how and why the density of air changes with altitude.
4. What causes the atmosphere to lose energy and become cooler?
Station #4- Air Movement
Lesson Objectives
• List the properties of the air currents within a convection cell.
• Describe how high and low pressure cells create local winds.
• Discuss how global convection cells lead to the global wind belts.
Vocabulary- please provide a short definition of each vocabulary term.
• high pressure zone-______
• jet stream-______
• land breeze-______
• low pressure zone-______
• sea breeze-______
“As YOU Read” Questions:
1. Give a quick explanation of figure 4.1:
2. What makes/creates wind?
3. Explain convections role in creating weather:
4. Local winds are a result of:
5. Describe the convection cells occurring north and south of the equator:
** We will discuss the Coriolis Effect in class**
6. Between which atmospheric layers is the jet stream located?
Think Critically
1. Draw a picture of a convection cell in the atmosphere. Label the low and high pressure zones and where the windis.
2. Under what circumstances will winds be very strong?
3. How do local winds affect the weather in an area?
4. How do the global wind belts affect the climate in an area?