Meteorology 10
Homework #1 Answers
1. What is the primary source of energy for the earth’s atmosphere? The sun and the
solar energy it produces.
2. Of the four most abundant gases in our atmosphere, which one shows the greatest
variation from place to place at the earth’s surface? Water vapor
3. Explain how the atmosphere “protects” inhabitants at the earth’s surface. The ozone
layer absorbs harmful solar radiation. Greenhouse gases prevent massive diurnal
variations. Ionosphere helps control buildup of electricity
4. What are some of the important roles that water plays in our atmosphere? Needed for
creation of clouds/precipitation, stores/releases latent heat, and is a essential
greenhouse gas
5. On the basis of temperature, list the layers of the atmosphere from the lowest layer to
the highest. Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.
6. Briefly describe how the air temperature changes from the earth’s surface to the lower
thermosphere As you move up in altitude, temperatures decrease in the troposphere,
increase in the stratosphere, decrease in the mesosphere and increase in the
thermosphere
7. (a) What atmospheric layer contains all of our weather? (b) In what atmospheric layer
do we find the highest concentration of ozone? The highest average air temperature?
a) troposphere b) stratosphere; thermosphere
8. Even though the actual concentration of oxygen is close to 21% (by volume) in the upper
stratosphere, explain why, without proper breathing apparatus, you would not be able
to survive there. It’s basically 21% of nothing. There are so few molecules, so there is
simply not enough air to breathe.
9. How does weather differ from climate? Weather occurs at a particular time and place.
Climate is a time-averaged condition.
10. Rank the following storms in size from largest to smallest: hurricane, tornado, midlatitude cyclone, thunderstorm. Mid-latitide cyclone, hurricane, thunderstorm, tornado