Energy in the Atmosphere

Global climate is determined

• completely by greenhouse gas emission from human activities.
• by the transfer of solar energy at and near the Earth's surface.
• by solar energy interacting with land but not water.
• by clouds reflecting all of the Sun's energy back into space.

Winds are caused by air moving around in the atmosphere. Wind turbines harness the mechanical energy in wind and convert it into electricity. What is the source of the mechanical energy in wind?

• nuclear energy
• solar energy
• geothermal energy
• chemical energy

Convection occurs in the Earth's 

• oceans
• mantle
• atmosphere
• all of these

When the ground gets warm, it emits an invisible type of light called infrared light, this light can travel into the atmosphere and heat the air that it encounters. What type of heat transfer is described?

• precipitation
• conduction
• radiation
• convection

During the day, land gets hotter than water because it takes less energy to increase the lands temperature. Warm air rises and is replaced by cool air, creating a sea breeze that blows from the ocean to the land. Which form of heat transfer helps create sea breeze?

• Radiation only
• Conduction & radiation
• Convection & Conduction
• Convection only

Convection currents, which affect weather and climate, are created by

• the uneven heating of the Earth
• mining of the seafloor
• erosion of ocean beaches
• slow, constant tectonic movement

When hot wet air rises, a large anvil-shaped cloud can form to produce heavy rain. The type of heat transfer that causes the air to circulate and form such clouds is called:

• Convection
• Conduction
• Radiation
• Evaporation

The difference in air temperature over land compared to over water causes convection currents in the atmosphere. How would a person at the beach experience these convection currents?

• They would feel that the sand is hot

• They would feel wind as the air moves

• They would feel that the water is cold

• THey would feel the heat of the Sun

The atmosphere flows in large convection currents. What happens during atmospheric convection?

• Warm air rises, and coool air sinks.
• Cool air circles pockets of warm air.
• Cool air rises, and warm air sinks.
• Warm air circles pockets of cool air.

The method of heat transfer that plays a central role in transferring heat energy within the atmsophere and the ocean is

• Radiation
• Reflection
• Convection
• Conduction