Lecture 8 Planet Earth 1

True or False: As seen from space, the Earth is mostly covered with water.

True

True or False: It is not possible to make inferences about the geologic activity at the surface of the Earth by viewing it from space.

False

True or False: The fact that all phases of water (liquid, solid, vapor) are present at or near the surface of the Earth,  gives a good indication of the range of temperatures found there.

True

Compared to the density of water, our Earth averages:

about 5 times denser

Given the overall density of the Earth and the composition of the surface rocks, what can we infer about the interior of the Earth?

the interior is much denser than the surface rocks

From the center of the Earth outward, the correct order is:

solid metallic inner core, molten metal outer core, silicate mantle and crust.

Seismic waves are most useful for mapping:

the Earth's core and mantle.

The relative size of the mantle of Earth compared to the core of the Earth is most similar to:

the meat of a cherry as compared to the pit of the cherry.

The the temperature inside of the Earth;

increases with increasing depth and is as hot as the surface of the Sun in the inner core

We determine the structure of the Earth's core using:

seismic wave data.

The Earth's magnetic field:

is generated in the Earth's outer core, has north and south magnetic poles that only roughly correlate with the Earth's rotation axis, and protects from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation from the solar wind

The Aurora Borealis (northern lights):

is generated by solar wind interaction with the Earth's magnetic field

The Earth's outer core:

is made of liquid iron and other metals, generates electric currents, generates the Earth's magnetic field, and rotates along with the rest of the Earth.

What is the primary cause of Earth's magnetic field?

Convection in Earth’s liquid outer core

High energy ultra violet (UV) light:

is absorbed by the ozone layer located in the stratosphere

On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth?

It reaches Earth's surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed.

What gas is the primary constituent of our atmosphere?

nitrogen

Why is the sky blue?

the atmosphere scatters the light from the Sun

What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight?

It is returned upward in the form of infrared light.

What happens to the heat that is radiated upward from the surface of the Earth?

it is absorbed by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

The Greenhouse Effect works by trapping:

outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth.

What is the percentage of Earth's atmosphere (by volume) that is carbon dioxide (CO₂)?

0.04

True or False: The atmosphere is slowly warming due to the increase in CO₂ from human actvity.

True

What is the main source of the energy that drives the greenhouse effect?

The Sun

Which of the following best describes how the greenhouse effect works?

Infrared radiation from the planet is trapped by gases in the atmosphere.

What would happen to Earth's surface temperature without the greenhouse effect?

It would be much colder.

Measurements of the the Earth's atmosphere since 1960 show:

Carbon Dioxide levels have increased by over 30%

Global temperature measurements since the beginning of the 20th century show:

temperatures remained relatively constant over the much of the 20th century then began to rise around 1980

Circulation of the Earth's atmosphere:

is powered by solar radiation

Convection in the Earth's atmosphere:

is caused by warm air near the Earth's surface rising due to heating from below, generates thunderstorms on a local scale, and generates global wind patterns that are separated into latitudinal zones due to the Coriolis effect.

The Coriolis effect is a result of:

Earth’s rotation

In which direction do winds curve in the Northern Hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect?

To the right

What happens in terms of atmospheric circulation?

air rises due to input of solar radiation, and air moves to the north and south

If the Earth did not turn from west to east

air rising up from the equator would rise and move all the way to the north and south poles

An object at the equator of the Earth:

is moving toward the east at 1000 mile per hour

Westerlies are prevailing winds found in:

Mid-latitudes

Houston lies on the boundary between which to major circulation cells/ wind belts:

The temperate westerlies and the tropical easterlies