WorksheetsLayers of the Atmosphere Quiz
Total questions: 56
Worksheet time: 28mins
On what basis are the layers of the atmosphere categorized?
The amount of clouds in each layer
The type of gases in each layer
How temperature varies with height
The amount of precipitation in each layer
Which layers of the atmosphere have a greater density and therefore a greater pressure?
Layers closest to the sun
Layers closest to the moon
Layers closest to the earth
Layers farthest from the earth
What is atmospheric pressure?
The humidity level in the air
The temperature of the air
The force or mass per unit area of air
The amount of oxygen in the air
At what altitude does the Thermosphere start?
50 km
80 km
170 km
520 km
Which layer of the atmosphere is directly above the Stratosphere?
Troposphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
What is the approximate temperature at the boundary between the Mesosphere and the Thermosphere?
-100°C
0°C
100°C
500°C
Which layer of the atmosphere is the highest according to the diagram?
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Exosphere
Which layer of the atmosphere is closest to the Earth?
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Troposphere
Thermosphere
What percentage of the total atmospheric mass is found in the Troposphere?
50%-60%
75%-80%
90%-95%
65%-70%
How does temperature change with altitude in the Troposphere?
Temperature increases with altitude.
Temperature remains constant with altitude.
Temperature decreases with altitude.
Temperature fluctuates unpredictably with altitude.
Where do most of our weather events occur?
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Troposphere
Exosphere
How far does the Troposphere extend above sea level?
5-11 miles
12-20 miles
3-5 miles
20-30 miles
What is the stability of air in the Troposphere?
Air is very stable.
Air is fairly unstable.
Air is completely stable.
There is no air in the Troposphere.
From what altitude does the stratosphere extend above sea level?
About 17 km
About 48 km
About 10 km
About 30 km
What is a characteristic of the air in the stratosphere?
It is less stable than in the troposphere
It is more stable, allowing many aircraft to fly in it
It has more vertical air movement than in the troposphere
It is wetter than in the troposphere
Where is the ozone layer found?
In the troposphere
In the stratosphere
In the mesosphere
In the thermosphere
What happens to the temperature as altitude increases in the stratosphere?
It decreases
It remains constant
It increases
It fluctuates unpredictably
Compared to the troposphere, the stratosphere is:
Wetter
Drier
The same in terms of humidity
Not comparable in terms of humidity
Why do pollutants that reach the stratosphere tend to stay there for a long time?
Because there is more vertical air movement
Because the stratosphere is wetter
Because there is less vertical air movement
Because the temperature is lower
What are PSCs and where do they occur?
Polar stratospheric clouds, occurring in the lower stratosphere near the poles
Precipitation storage clouds, occurring in the upper stratosphere near the equator
Polar surface clouds, occurring in the mesosphere
Precipitation stratospheric clouds, occurring globally in the stratosphere
What is the altitude range of the Mesosphere?
20 – 50 km
50 – 85 km
85 – 120 km
100 – 150 km
Why is not much known about the Mesosphere?
It is too cold for research instruments.
It is too high for jets and weather balloons and too low for satellites.
It is fully explored.
It is not important for scientific research.
Where do most meteors burn up?
Stratosphere
Troposphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
What happens to temperatures in the Mesosphere as altitude increases?
Temperatures increase with altitude.
Temperatures remain constant with altitude.
Temperatures decrease with altitude.
Temperatures fluctuate unpredictably with altitude.
Which types of strange clouds and lightning are associated with the Mesosphere?
Cumulus and Heat lightning
Cirrus and Sheet lightning
Elves and Sprites
Nimbus and Fork lightning
How far does the thermosphere extend above the Earth's surface?
50-500 km
90-1000 km
10-100 km
100-500 km
What orbits within the thermosphere?
Satellites
The International Space Station
The Hubble Space Telescope
The space shuttle
How are temperatures in the thermosphere characterized?
They decrease sharply then level off.
They remain constant throughout.
They climb sharply then level off.
They are extremely cold throughout.
What is the thermosphere technically still considered a part of?
The stratosphere
Outer space
The mesosphere
Our atmosphere
Which natural phenomena occur in the thermosphere?
Rainbows and halos
Auroras (Northern and Southern Lights)
Cloud formations
Meteor showers
What is the Exosphere?
The first layer of our atmosphere.
The layer of the atmosphere where weather occurs.
The final limit to our atmosphere.
The layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth's surface.
What was Earth's very early atmosphere probably composed of?
Oxygen and carbon dioxide
Nitrogen and oxygen
Hydrogen and helium
Methane and ammonia
Why would Earth's very early atmosphere have been quickly lost into space?
Because of the strong solar wind
Because Earth's gravity was too strong
Because Earth had a strong magnetic field
Because Earth had no magnetic field until its core formed
What gases were most likely contained in large amounts in the early atmosphere?
Oxygen and nitrogen
Ammonia and methane
Carbon dioxide and helium
Argon and krypton
Compared to the current atmosphere, the early atmosphere of toxic gases was:
Much thicker
About the same thickness
Much thinner
Not present at all
How was the early atmosphere created?
By the cooling of the Earth's surface
By the condensation of water vapor
By outgassing from volcanoes
By photosynthesis from early plants
What were the two main substances released as a result of outgassing from volcanoes?
Rocks and lava
Water and carbon dioxide
Gas for the atmosphere and water for the sea
Nitrogen and oxygen
What is the main concept illustrated by this image?
The water cycle
The process of photosynthesis
The formation of amino acids in early Earth conditions
The nitrogen cycle
What type of atmosphere was present based on the evidence from detrital deposits containing minerals that oxidize rapidly in the presence of oxygen?
An oxidizing atmosphere
A chemically reducing atmosphere
A neutral atmosphere
A helium-rich atmosphere
Which of the following minerals is mentioned as evidence for a chemically reducing atmosphere?
Quartz
Calcite
Pyrite (FeS₂)
Hematite
What does the presence of oxidized iron in Proterozoic rocks indicate?
No free oxygen was present
A significant amount of carbon dioxide was present
At least some free oxygen was present
The atmosphere was entirely oxygen-rich
Which process involves ultraviolet radiation in the upper atmosphere leading to the disruption of water molecules and release of oxygen and hydrogen?
Photosynthesis
Ozone layer formation
Photochemical dissociation
Hydrogen bonding
What could photochemical dissociation account for in terms of present-day oxygen percentage?
20% of present-day oxygen
2% of present-day oxygen
10% of present-day oxygen
50% of present-day oxygen
What forms when there is 2% oxygen in the atmosphere, creating a barrier against ultraviolet radiation?
Carbon dioxide
Water vapor
Ozone
Methane
Which activity of organisms was more important for introducing free oxygen into the atmosphere?
Respiration
Fermentation
Photosynthesis
Decomposition
What is the most abundant gas in the modern atmosphere according to the pie chart?
Oxygen (O₂)
Argon (Ar)
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
Nitrogen (N₂)
What is the percentage of Oxygen (O₂) in the modern atmosphere as shown in the pie chart?
78.084%
20.946%
0.9340%
0.03768%
Which gas has the smallest percentage in the modern atmosphere according to the pie chart?
Methane (CH₄)
Helium (He)
Hydrogen (H)
Krypton (Kr)
What is the relative abundance of Nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere in parts per billion by volume?
7.81 X 10^8
2.01 X 10^8
1.0 X 10^3
3.5 X 10^5
Which atmospheric species has a relative abundance of 1.0 X 10^2 parts per billion by volume and is of biologic and photochemical source?
Kr
H2
CO
N2O
According to the table, which of the following species is considered 'permanent' and has a radiogenic source?
Ne
He
Ar
CH4
What is the comment associated with Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the table?
variable, increasing
long lived
permanent
variable
Which species is indicated as having an increasing trend and is sourced industrially according to the table?
N2O
SO2
CCl3F
CH3Br
What process is depicted by the yellow lines coming from the sun towards the Earth in the diagram?
Scattering by aerosols
Absorption by water vapor and ozone
Reflection/absorption by clouds
Incoming solar radiation
Which process is indicated by the white arrows pointing away from the clouds in the diagram?
Scattering by aerosols
Absorption by water vapor and ozone
Reflection/absorption by clouds
Incoming solar radiation
According to the diagram, what happens to solar radiation when it reaches aerosols in the atmosphere?
It is absorbed by water vapor and ozone
It is reflected/absorbed by the Earth's surface
It is scattered
It passes through without interaction
