Upper Atmosphere

Basics

1. Understanding the atmosphere

Worksheet 2: Weather researchers quiz

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Find the right answers!

1) Why do weather balloons burst at altitudes between 30 and 35 kilometers? The balloons burst, because:

a) very aggressive birds fly in this region.
b) the air pressure decreases with increasing altitude and the gas inside the balloon expands more and more.
c) the balloons are equiped with a self destruct mechanism. This mechanism explodes the balloon at these altitudes.
d) sunlight destroys the skin of the balloon at these altitudes.

2) Which measuring method uses the interaction of molecules and light?

a) SONAR
b) SODAR
c) LIDAR
d) RADAR

3) Which measuring device is used to make measurements at altitudes above 40 km?

a) satellites
b) airships
c) weather balloons
d) research air planes

4) What proportion of the stratosphere does the ozone layer take up?
It is about:

a) 1/10.
b) 1/1000.
c) 1/1000 000.
d) 1/1000 000 000.

5) Which statement(s) is (are) true?

a) In the troposphere, the temperature increases with increasing altitude.
b) The tropopause is a very calm region of the atmosphere.
c) In the stratosphere, the temperature decreases with increasing altitude.
d) The tropopause is characterised by a temperature minimum.

6) What is the air pressure at a height of 11,000 metres?
It is about:

a) 500 hPa.
b) 250 hPa.
c) 120 hPa.
d) 60 hPa.

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About this page:

authors: M. Seesing, M. Tausch - Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
reviewer: Dr. Elmar Uherek - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
last update: 2004-05-13