Unit 6 Guide: Foundations of Earth Science
The Atmosphere
Key Concepts and Questions to Be Able to Explain and Answer:
1. Which gasses compose our atmosphere? Which one is most abundant?
2. What is air pressure? How does air pressure change with altitude?
3. What is the relationship between air temperature and density? Does cold air have a higher or lower
density than warm air?
3. What are the 5 layers of our atmosphere? How does the temperature change with altitude in the four
lower layers? Draw a profile of the atmosphere and show how the temperature changes within each layer.
4. What is the ozone layer? In which layer of the atmosphere is it found? What agents harm the ozone
layer? What are the effects of a thinning ozone layer?
5. In which layer is ozone considered to be a pollutant? What are the negative effects of ozone in this layer?
6. Explain the greenhouse effect. What are the positive aspects of the greenhouse effect on Earth? What
are the potential negative consequences of the greenhouse effect on Earth?
7. Draw and label an energy budget for Earth.
8. Compare and contrast conduction, convection, and radiation. Be able to give examples of each.
9. What causes our global winds? How does the Coriolis Effect impact the global winds?
10. Draw a map of Earth and show the name/direction of the global winds at various latitudes.
11. Use a diagram to describe land and sea breezes. Use a diagram to describe mountain and valley
breezes.
Assessments
Quiz
Unit 6 Test
Formal Lab Report
Date: _____________
Date: _____________
Date: _____________
Reading Assignments:
Students will be assigned readings from the following pages in the text book.
Chapter 15
pages 424-451
Vocabulary
atmosphere
thermosphere
greenhouse effect
radiation
air pressure
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
Doldrums
Valley breeze
ionosphere
exosphere
ozone layer
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
jet stream
mountain breeze
heat
temperature
conduction
convection
land breeze
Coriolis effect
Polar Easterlies
Westerlies
Trade Winds
sea breeze
How to Receive up to 5 Bonus Points for Completing the Unit Guide:
1. Type or handwrite an answer to each Unit Objective Question. Unless stated in the
question, all answers must be given in complete sentences.
2. Define each of the vocabulary terms. Do not just copy the definition out of the book’s
glossary. Use and add on to the definition we developed in class by giving additional
information and examples of each word.
3. Attach completed questions and definitions to your Unit Guide and turn it in at the beginning
of class on test day. Unit Guides will NOT be accepted late. Incomplete unit guides will also
NOT be accepted. You must answer ALL unit objective questions and define ALL terms.
4. Mrs. Froehlich will review your Unit Guide and determine the number of bonus points to be
added to your test. Bonus points will be granted based on correctness and completeness of
answers and definitions.