Atmosphere - AP Environmental Science

Atmospheric circulation is the process in which air heated at a lower altitude rises because it is less dense than cold air, and the resulting cooling and dispersal/fall of the chilled air results in a natural circulation of air in the atmosphere.

Unlike the other processes, driving a hybrid vehicle does not actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. Trees and native flora that are planted absorb atmospheric carbon, fossilization removes carbon from the active recycling of carbon, and carbon dioxide readily dissolves in seawater. Driving a hybrid car releases less carbon into the atmosphere than driving one powered solely by fossil fuels; however, driving a hybrid vehicle does not actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. Hybrid vehicles produce fewer carbon emissions, but they do not take carbon out of the atmosphere.

All of the products are exchanged except for nitrogen dioxide; most nitrates are exchanged between the soil and the atmosphere. Oxygen is readily exchanged between air masses and water masses during the water cycle. Carbon dioxide is also absorbed by the oceans from air masses through gas exchange. Lastly, heat is also exchanged mainly due to the differences in specific heat content of water and the surrounding air.

Trade Winds are a result of hot air from the equator rising, cooling and then sinking and dispersing within the 30 N to 30 S range, with a range of 30 degrees on both sides of the equator.

An easy way to know where the weather occurs in the atmosphere is to think of clouds. Since clouds are where precipitation originates and another form of a cloud can be low dwelling fog, you know that weather must appear close to the earths surface, and the lowest part of the atmosphere is the Troposphere.

The correct response is "Hadley." George Hadley developed the theory of the Hadley Cell. This is the only answer choice that referred to a scientist that studied atmospheric movements. Two of the answer choices have nothing to do with the atmosphere and they are general theories of ecology such as the Janzen-Connell hypothesis regarding biodiversity and the Hardy-Weinberg principle that is associated with genotype frequencies. Last, Mason and McLeod were fabricated for the sake of the question.

The Coriolis effect is the interaction between an object traveling on Earth and the rotation of the Earth. Objects appear to be moving in straight lines, but are actually moving in curves in space.

The troposphere contains the majority of the atmosphere's water vapor, and is thus the layer in which weather occurs.

Greenhouse gases cause heat rays from the sun that hit Earth to be retained on the planet's surface, which raises temperatures and has a potential to change climates. Excess carbon in the atmosphere is absorbed largely by the planet's oceans, which results in acidification. Chlorofluorocarbons (or CFCs) are potent greenhouse gases that also deplete ozone. The greenhouse effect does not result in an increase in heat energy entering earth, but actually retains the heat already entering earth at a higher rate than normal.

While hot air does rise over colder air, density of air particles is more the determining factor for temperature change in the atmosphere. Heat energy is retained better at lower altitudes because there is a greater density of air particles, resulting in greater insulative properties than at higher altitudes, where air particle density is much less.

The ozone layer is contained in the stratosphere, protecting life in the trophosphere from harmful cosmic radiation.

The following mnemonic device may be useful to remember the earth’s atmospheric layers in order: The Silly Monkeys Twirled Endlessly (Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere). All of the choices are part of the earth’s atmospheric layers.

Since the aurora borealis is caused by electrons from the Sun striking against oxygen atoms in the the highest level of the atmosphere, it must occur in the thermosphere (also known as the ionosphere). The thermosphere extends up to 60 miles or even higher.

The correct response is troposphere. This is the lowest part of the atmosphere where our weather patterns and rain clouds reside.

The correct response is stratosphere. Over 90% of the ozone layer is found in the stratosphere.

The stratosphere contains the most concentrated amount of ozone in any layer of the atmosphere, and is found at the bottom towards the troposphere. The troposphere is where weather occurs and sustains life on Earth. The ionosphere contains atoms stripped of their electrons, and the exosphere is the part of the atmosphere that bleeds into space.

The El Niño phase of ENSO is associated with warmer surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific and higher rainfall in the central Pacific. Storms and hurricanes are more frequent in the central Pacific. There is a weaker upwelling of nutrient-rich water off the coast of South America during this phase.

The correct response is Pacific Ocean. ENSO occurs specifically in the Pacific Ocean, thus its impacts will most strongly impact countries bordering the Pacific.

The correct response is La Nina. The La Nina has low air pressure and cooling, while El Nino contains high air pressure and warming. Madden-Julian oscillation and Coriolis effect do not make sense as answer choices.

Climate may impact the population dynamics of a keystone species, but not the other way around.