3 CHAPTER SOLAR AND TERRESTRIAL RADIATION __________________________________________________________
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. The frequency of an electromagnetic wave is ______ proportional to its wavelength. a. directly b. inversely *b. inversely 2. a. b. c. Wavelength is the distance between successive troughs. crests. Both of these are correct.
*c. Both of these are correct. 3. All of the following types of electromagnetic radiation have wavelengths longer than that of visible light with the exception of a. infrared radiation b. microwaves c. radio waves. d. ultraviolet radiation. e. None of these is correct. *d. ultraviolet radiation. 4. All of the following types of electromagnetic radiation have wavelengths shorter than that of visible light with the exception of a. gamma rays b. ultraviolet radiation c. radio waves d. X rays e. None of these is correct. *c. radio waves 5. a. b. c. d. The portion of the visible spectrum having the shortest wavelength is red. orange. green. blue.
e. violet *e. violet 6. All of the following types of electromagnetic radiation have frequencies higher than that of visible light with the exception of a. ultraviolet. b. gamma rays. c. infrared radiation. d. X rays. e. None of these is correct. *c. infrared radiation. 7. a. b. c. d. e. The ultimate source of solar radiation is convection. nuclear fission. nuclear fusion in the sun. sunspots. solar tides.
*c. nuclear fusion in the sun. 8. a. b. c. d. e. Solar radiation that reaches Earth's surface consists of infrared radiation. visible radiation. ultraviolet radiation. All of these are correct. None of these is correct.
*d. All of these are correct. 9. a. b. c. d. e. The portion of solar radiation that is responsible for sunburn is infrared radiation. visible radiation. ultraviolet radiation. microwaves. X rays.
*c. ultraviolet radiation. 10. Today, the solar altitude is maximum around a. sunrise. b. 6 pm. c. noon. d. 9 am.
e. sunset. *c. noon. 11. Earth is closest to the sun during the a. Northern Hemisphere winter. b. Northern Hemisphere summer. c. Southern Hemisphere spring. d. Southern Hemisphere fall. e. Southern Hemisphere winter. *a. Northern Hemisphere winter. 12. On the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the noon sun has an altitude of 90 degrees where? a. Tropic of Cancer b. Arctic Circle c. Tropic of Capricorn d. Antarctic Circle e. the equator *c. Tropic of Capricorn 13. During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the number of hours of daylight ______ the number of hours of darkness. a. is equal to b. is more than c. is less than *b. is more than 14. During winter in the Southern Hemisphere, the number of hours of daylight ______ the number of hours of darkness. a. is equal to b. is more than c. is less than *c. is less than 15. Except right at the poles, nights are everywhere about 12 hours long when? a. equinoxes b. solstices c. aphelion d. perihelion e. 21 December
*a. equinoxes 16. At the equinoxes, the noon sun has an altitude of 90 degrees at the a. north pole. b. equator. c. Tropic of Capricorn. d. Arctic circle. e. Tropic of Cancer. *b. equator. 17. Earth's solar constant a. is actually variable. b. refers to the intensity of solar radiation that actually reaches Earth's surface. c. is about 0.5 calories per square centimeter per minute. d. must be measured at perihelion. e. must be measured at aphelion. *a. is actually variable. 18. As solar radiation travels through the atmosphere, a portion of that radiation is a. absorbed by gases. b. reflected by clouds. c. scattered by dust particles and molecules. d. All of the above are correct. e. None of the above is correct. *d. All of the above are correct. 19. Through absorption, solar radiation is a. converted to heat energy. b. scattered to space. c. reflected to space. d. destroyed. e. None of the above is correct. *a. converted to heat energy. 20. Earths planetary albedo is __________ the albedo of the moon. a. about the same as b. less than c. greater than *c. greater than 21. Which one of the following surfaces has the lowest albedo for solar radiation?
a. b. c. d. e.
green grass fresh snow old snow black asphalt white beach sand
*d. black asphalt 22. Which one of the following surfaces has the highest albedo for solar radiation? a. ocean water b. black asphalt c. fresh snow d. green grass e. old snow *c. fresh snow 23. Which one of the following surfaces absorbs the highest percentage of incident solar radiation at noon? a. fresh snow b. clouds c. land d. the ocean e. green grass *d. the ocean 24. The average albedo of the ocean is a. greater than that of clouds. b. greater than Earth's planetary albedo. c. less than 10 percent. d. about 30 percent. e. more than 60 percent. *c. less than 10 percent. 25. On a clear day, the albedo of the sea surface is lowest a. at sunrise. b. at noon. c. at sunset. *b. at noon. 26. Radiational heating of the atmosphere is caused by a. absorption of solar radiation. b. emission of infrared radiation to space.
c. photosynthesis. d. photodissociation of argon. e. evaporation of water. *a. absorption of solar radiation. 27. The principal absorber(s) of the solar radiation that is intercepted by the Earth-atmosphere is system (are) a. clouds. b. land c. ocean water. d. aerosols. *c. ocean water. 28. Earth's planetary albedo is about ______ percent. a. 31 b. 70 c. 23 d. 46 e. 8 *a. 31 29. According to Wien's displacement law, which one of the following objects emits its most intense electromagnetic energy at the shortest wavelength? a. an ice cube b. your hand c. the atmosphere d. the sun e. your desk *d. the sun 30. Earth's surface and atmosphere emit primarily what type of electromagnetic radiation? a. visible b. microwaves c. gamma rays d. infrared e. ultraviolet *d. infrared 31. The so-called greenhouse effect is primarily the consequence of atmospheric a. carbon dioxide. b. water vapor.
c. oxygen. d. ozone. e. methane. *b. water vapor. 32. At night, air temperatures near Earths surface tend to be lower when the sky is a. completely cloud covered. b. mostly cloudy. c. partly cloudy. d. overcast with high thin clouds. e. clear. *e. clear. 33. Solar radiation a. is at a shorter wavelength than terrestrial infrared radiation. b. does not interact with components of the atmosphere. c. heats the atmosphere which, in turn, heats Earth's surface. d. that reaches the outer atmosphere consists of mostly microwaves. e. None of the above is correct. *a. is at a shorter wavelength than terrestrial infrared radiation. 34. An infrared absorbing substance: a. clouds b. carbon dioxide c. water vapor d. methane. e. All of these are correct. *e. All of these are correct. 35. The ozone shield is situated within the a. troposphere. b. stratosphere. c. mesosphere. d. ionosphere. e. thermosphere. *b. stratosphere. 36. The principal threat to the ozone shield is (are) a. aircraft exhaust b. burning of fossil fuels c. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
d. volcanic eruptions. e. global warming. *c. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). 37. A thinner ozone shield would likely mean a. more intense UV radiation received at the Earth's surface. b. greater incidence of skin cancer. c. greater incidence of cataracts and other eye damage. d. All of the above are correct. e. None of the above is correct. *d. All of the above are correct. 38. The chief reason for the upward trend in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the mid-1800s is (are) a. burning of fossil fuels. b. deforestation. c. less photosynthesis worldwide. d. volcanic eruptions. e. CFCs. *a. burning of fossil fuels. 39. A gas that absorbs within the so-called atmospheric windows: a. methane b. nitrous oxide c. Both of the above are correct. d. None of the above is correct. *c. Both of the above are correct. 40. According to projections by global climate models, sea-level rise is expected to accompany global warming because a. heating sea-water causes it to expand. b. higher temperatures at high latitudes may partially melt the polar ice caps. c. Both of the above contribute. *c. Both of the above contribute. 41. A doubling of the absolute temperature of the sun's surface would cause the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth to a. be one-half the amount it now receives. b. be twice the amount it now receives. c. be sixteen times the amount it now receives. d. None of the above is correct.
*c. be sixteen times the amount it now receives. 42. Generally, as the temperature of a radiating surface decreases, a. the rate of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the surface will increase. b. the wavelength at which radiation from the surface is most intense will lengthen. c. Both of the above are correct. d. None of the above is correct. *b. the wavelength at which radiation from the surface is most intense will lengthen. 43. If the temperature of the sun were to increase, the wavelength at which solar radiation is most intense would a. remain the same. b. increase. c. decrease. d. None of the above is correct. *c. decrease. 44. Earth is closest to the sun in a. January. b. July. c. March. d. September. *a. January. 45. Formation and dissociation of ozone in Earth's atmosphere is related to the a. atmospheric absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. b. formation and maintenance of the "warm layer" in the stratosphere. c. Both of the above are correct. d. None of the above is correct. *c. Both of the above are correct. 46. Exactly one-half of the Northern Hemisphere is in sunlight during a. an equinox. b. the winter solstice. c. the summer solstice. d. any day of the year. e. 1 January *d. any day of the year. 47. Earth's rotational axis is oriented perpendicular to the sun's rays on the first day of
a. b. c. d.
spring. summer. winter. None of the above is correct.
*a. spring. 48. The period of daylight at any place on the Equator a. ranges from about 9 to 15 hours over the period of a year. b. ranges from about 11 to 13 hours over the period of a year. c. is essentially the same throughout the year. d. None of the above is correct. *c. is essentially the same throughout the year. 49. Compared to the rest of the 20th century, the global mean annual temperature during decade of the 1990s was relatively a. high. b. low. *a. high. 50. An infrared radiometer flown aboard a weather satellite is used to measure a. cloud surface temperature. b. the solar wind. c. the solar constant. *a. cloud surface temperature.