Earth Science Regents Review - Water, Atmosphere, and Insolation

The ozone layer protects life on Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. The ozone layer is located between 17 kilometers and 35 kilometers above Earth’s surface in which atmospheric temperature zone?

• troposphere

• stratosphere

• thermosphere

• mesosphere

Compared to land surface temperature changes, water surface temperatures changes occur

• More slowly because water has a lower specific heat

• More slowly because water has a higher specific heat

• Faster because water has a lower specific heat

• Faster because water has a higher specific heat

The hydrosphere covers approximately what percentage of Earth’s lithosphere?

• 100%

• 50%

• 70%

• 25%

Which conditions on Earth’s surface will allow for the greatest amount of water to seep into the ground?

• gentle slope and permeable

• gentle slope and impermeable

• steep slope and permeable

• steep slope and impermeable

Equal masses of basalt, granite, iron, and copper received the same amount of solar energy during the day. At night, which of these materials cooled down at the fastest rate?

• basalt

• granite

• iron

• copper

Which diagram best represents the relative wavelengths of visible light, ultraviolet energy, and infrared energy?

• 
• 
• 
• 

What is the approximate percent of oxygen by volume present in Earth’s lower atmosphere?

• 21%

• 46%

• 33%

• 94%

An increase in the transparency of Earth’s atmosphere is often caused by

• a decrease in cloud cover

• a decrease in solar radiation

• an increase in airborne dust

• an increase in the duration of insolation

Earth’s early atmosphere contained carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, water vapor, methane, and ammonia. These gases were present in the atmosphere primarily because

• radioactive decay products produced in Earth’s core were released from Earth’s surface

• evolving Earth life-forms produced these gases through their activity

• Earth’s growing gravitational field attracted these gases from space

• volcanic eruptions on Earth’s surface released these gases from the interior

The diagram above represents Earth and the Sun’s incoming rays. Letters A, B, C, and D represent locations on Earth’s surface. Which two locations are receiving the same intensity of insolation?

• A and B

• B and C

• C and D

• D and B