Practice Test: The Atmosphere

What process transfers heat by the movement of a fluid?

• thermal transfer

• convection

• radiation

• conduction

By what process can heat be transferred through empty space?

• conduction

• convection

• scattering

• radiation

Where does the mesosphere occur in Earth's atmosphere?

• between the stratosphere and the thermosphere

• between the troposphere and the stratosphere

• between the thermosphere and the exosphere

• between the ionosphere and the exosphere

In which of the layers of Earth's atmosphere is the ozone layer found?

• stratosphere

• troposphere

• mesosphere

• exosphere

Which of the atmosphere's four main layers contains both the ionosphere and exosphere?

• stratosphere

• mesosphere

• thermosphere

• exosphere

How does the temperature of the air change as you go higher in the troposphere?

• it fluctuates (goes up and down)

• it increases (it goes up)

• it decreases (goes down)

• it stays constant (the same)

What form of heat transfer is responsible for global winds and ocean currents?

• convection

• conduction

• radiation

• absorption

The model above shows the general movement of global winds. The paths of global winds along Earth's surface are shown with dashed lines.

Why do the paths of global winds curve as illustrated rather than moving in a straight line?

• differences in air temperature

• differences in air pressure

• Earth's revolution around the sun

• Earth's rotation on it's axis

Which of the following best describes why sea breezes occur?

• Convection currents cause warmer air over land to rise. The warmer air is replaced by cooler air coming from the ocean.

• Convection currents cause cooler air over the water to rise. The cooler air is replaced by warmer air coming from the land.

• Convection currents cause warmer air over the water to rise. The warmer air is replaced by cooler air coming from the land.

• Convection currents cause cooler air over land to rise. The cooler air is replaced by warmer air coming from the ocean.

The image shows three kinds of heat transfer in the troposphere.

What kind of heat transfer is represented by the letter B? What happens to some of the energy from this process as it travels through the troposphere?

• Convection; it is absorbed by clouds and reflected by gases in the atmosphere.

• Conduction; it is absorbed by the clouds and reflected by gases in the atmosphere.

• Radiation; it is reflected by clouds and absorbed by gases in the atmosphere.

• Scattering; it is reflected by clouds and absorbed by gases in the atmosphere.