Skills Worksheet Concept Review In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the term or phrase. 1. layers of the atmosphere 2. radiation 3. conduction 4. convection 5. Coriolis effect 6. global winds 7. trade winds 8. westerlies 9. polar easterlies 10. front a. all forms of energy that travel through space as waves b. prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30 and 60 latitude in both hemispheres c. the curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth s rotation d. troposophere; stratosphere; mesosphere; thermosphere e. polar easterlies meet warm air from the westerlies, creating a stormy area f. the transfer of energy as heat through a material g. prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60 and 90 latitude in both hemispheres h. prevailing winds that blow from 30 to 0 latitude in both hemispheres i. looping patterns of air flow, called convection cells, that move from the poles to the equator j. the movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations; can result in the transfer of energy as heat 11. The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surround Earth. Which of the following is NOT a gaseous component of the atmosphere? a. carbon dioxide c. particulates b. argon d. nitrogen 12. Atmospheric pressure presses on the liquid mercury in a well of this instrument. The mercury rises in a tube as the atmospheric pressure rises. What is this instrument? a. mercurial barometer c. aneroid barometer b. altimeter d. thermometer Holt Earth Science 1 The Atmosphere
Concept Review continued 13. Changes in atmospheric pressure cause the sides of this instrument to bend inward or outward. Changes are measured on a scale. What is this instrument? a. mercurial barometer b. altimeter c. aneroid barometer d. thermometer 14. All radiant energy reaches earth as a form of a. light waves. b. sound waves. c. electromagnetic waves. d. ultraviolet waves. 15. Solar energy warms Earth when radiation is a. reflected. b. refracted. c. scattered. d. absorbed. 16. Which of the following affects local wind patterns? a. trade winds b. local temperature variations c. solar storms d. season changes 17. The gas that makes up most of Earth s atmosphere is a. oxygen. b. argon. c. nitrogen. d. ozone. 18. All of the following are particulates EXCEPT a. carbon dioxide. b. salt particles. c. volcanic ash. d. pollen. 19. The atmospheric layer that is closest to Earth and is where all weather conditions exist is the a. troposphere. c. stratosphere. b. mesosphere. d. thermosphere. 20. The main source of air pollution is a. the nitrogen cycle. b. temperature inversions. c. smog. d. the burning of fossil fuels. Holt Earth Science 2 The Atmosphere
Section: Characteristics of the Atmosphere In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the term or phrase. 1. atmosphere 2. troposphere 3. stratosphere 4. mesosphere 5. thermosphere a. the layer of the atmosphere in which temperature increases as altitude increases; contains the ozone layer b. the coldest layer of the atmosphere in which temperature decreases as altitude increases c. the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a constant rate as altitude increases; the level where all weather conditions exist d. the uppermost layer of the atmosphere; includes the ionosphere e. a mixture of gases, primarily nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, that surrounds Earth 6. Atmospheric pressure is measured with a(n) a. altimeter. c. scale. b. barometer. d. thermometer. 7. Which of the following is an effect of air pollution? a. chlorofluorocarbons c. pollen distribution b. volcanic ash dispersal d. destruction of the ozone layer 8. Which of the following uses the bending sides of a sealed metal container to measure atmospheric pressure? a. ionosphere c. thermometer b. mercurial barometer d. aneroid barometer 9. One harmful effect of temperature inversions is a. hydrocarbons. c. smog. b. global warming. d. the greenhouse effect. 10. The two most abundant compounds in the atmosphere are carbon dioxide and a. particulates. c. water vapor. b. ozone. d. nitrogen oxide. Holt Earth Science 33 The Atmosphere
Section: Solar Energy and the Atmosphere In the space provided, write the letter of the definition that best matches the term or phrase. 1. electromagnetic spectrum 2. albedo 3. greenhouse effect 4. conduction 5. convection a. the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide and water vapor in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation b. all of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation c. movement of matter due to differences in density caused by temperature variations d. the transfer of energy as heat through a material e. the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected off the surface of an object 6. Energy from the sun travels to Earth as a. visible light. c. ultraviolet rays. b. infrared rays. d. radiation. 7. The solar radiation least absorbed by the layers of the atmosphere before reaching Earth is a. visible light. c. X rays. b. radio waves. d. ultraviolet rays. 8. After Earth absorbs infrared rays that heat the ground, what kind of energy does the atmosphere absorb from the ground? a. albedo c. solar b. thermal d. mirage 9. A delay between Earth s absorption of solar energy and an increase in temperature makes the warmest part of a day a. morning. c. afternoon. b. noon. d. evening. 10. Average temperatures are lower near the poles because sunlight strikes the ground at an angle a. greater than 90%. c. of 90%. b. smaller than 90%. d. of 180%. Holt Earth Science 34 The Atmosphere
Section: Atmospheric Circulation In the space provided, write the letter of the definition that best matches the term or phrase. 1. Coriolis effect 2. trade winds 3. westerlies 4. polar easterlies 5. convection cells a. prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30 latitude to the equator in both hemispheres b. the curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth s rotation c. the three looping patterns of air flow that exist in each hemisphere d. prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30 and 60 latitude in both hemispheres e. prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60 and 90 latitude in both hemispheres 6. The narrow bands of high-speed winds that blow in the upper atmosphere are called a. trade winds. c. horse latitudes. b. convection cells. d. jet streams. 7. Local winds are influenced by local conditions and local a. season. c. temperature. b. air quality. d. time zone. 8. Winds that extend over distances of less than 100 km are a. gales. c. light air. b. storms. d. breezes. 9. The trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet at the equator in a narrow zone of weak variable winds called a. the doldrums. c. subtropical jet streams. b. the wind belt. d. prevailing winds. 10. What kind of wind blows cool air from land to water? a. sea breeze c. land breeze b. mountain breeze d. valley breeze Holt Earth Science 35 The Atmosphere