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Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Identify the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere and their key features. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What global deflection of moving air and ocean currents is caused by Earth’s rotation (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern): the Coriolis effect or the Doppler effect?
What global deflection of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
2. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
What happens to air pressu… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
3. What causes the enhanced greenhouse effect (anthropogenic global warming): rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities, or changes in Earth’s gravity?
What causes the enhanced g… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
4. What harmful solar radiation does the stratospheric ozone layer (O₃) absorb to protect living organisms on Earth: ultraviolet (UV) radiation or radio waves?
What harmful solar radiati… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Which outermost fringe of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
6. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
Why is carbon monoxide (CO… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
7. Why do commercial passenger jets often cruise in the lower stratosphere: the air is smoother with fewer convective storm clouds, or there is no gravity?
Why do commercial passenge… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
8. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
What happens to ocean pH w… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
9. In the troposphere, what generally happens to air temperature as altitude increases: temperature decreases, or temperature boils?
In the troposphere, what g… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
10. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
0.93% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Which three gases are the … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
12. What steady tropical winds blow toward the Equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere: the trade winds or the polar vortex?
What steady tropical winds… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What global deflection of moving air and ocean currents is caused by Earth’s rotation (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern): the Coriolis effect or the Doppler effect?
Coriolis effect
Earth’s rotation deflects winds and currents via the Coriolis effect.
2. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
Air pressure decreases
At higher altitudes there is less overlying air column above you, so atmospheric pressure is lower.
3. What causes the enhanced greenhouse effect (anthropogenic global warming): rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities, or changes in Earth’s gravity?
Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities
Burning fossil fuels and deforestation increase atmospheric CO₂ and methane, trapping extra heat.
4. What harmful solar radiation does the stratospheric ozone layer (O₃) absorb to protect living organisms on Earth: ultraviolet (UV) radiation or radio waves?
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
Stratospheric ozone absorbs most high-energy UV-B and UV-C radiation from the Sun.
5. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Exosphere
The exosphere is the uppermost atmospheric layer where gas molecules are extremely sparse.
6. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
It binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless toxic gas that blocks oxygen delivery.
7. Why do commercial passenger jets often cruise in the lower stratosphere: the air is smoother with fewer convective storm clouds, or there is no gravity?
The air is smoother with fewer convective storm clouds
The lower stratosphere is stable and above most turbulent weather.
8. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
Ocean acidification (pH decreases)
Dissolved CO₂ forms carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and making it harder for corals to build skeletons.
9. In the troposphere, what generally happens to air temperature as altitude increases: temperature decreases, or temperature boils?
Temperature decreases
The troposphere is warmed mainly from the ground up, so temperature drops by about 6.5 °C per kilometre of altitude.
10. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
Argon
Argon makes up about 0.93% of dry air.
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane
Triatomic and polyatomic gases like H₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ absorb and re-emit infrared radiation.
12. What steady tropical winds blow toward the Equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere: the trade winds or the polar vortex?
Trade winds
The trade winds are prevailing tropical easterlies in the lower portion of the Hadley cell.

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What global deflection of moving air and ocean currents is caused by Earth’s rotation (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern): the Coriolis effect or the Doppler effect?
What global deflection of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
2. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
What happens to air pressu… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
3. What causes the enhanced greenhouse effect (anthropogenic global warming): rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities, or changes in Earth’s gravity?
What causes the enhanced g… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
4. What harmful solar radiation does the stratospheric ozone layer (O₃) absorb to protect living organisms on Earth: ultraviolet (UV) radiation or radio waves?
What harmful solar radiati… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Which outermost fringe of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
6. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
Why is carbon monoxide (CO… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
7. Why do commercial passenger jets often cruise in the lower stratosphere: the air is smoother with fewer convective storm clouds, or there is no gravity?
Why do commercial passenge… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
8. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
What happens to ocean pH w… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
9. In the troposphere, what generally happens to air temperature as altitude increases: temperature decreases, or temperature boils?
In the troposphere, what g… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
10. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
0.93% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Which three gases are the … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
12. What steady tropical winds blow toward the Equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere: the trade winds or the polar vortex?
What steady tropical winds… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What global deflection of moving air and ocean currents is caused by Earth’s rotation (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern): the Coriolis effect or the Doppler effect?
Coriolis effect
Earth’s rotation deflects winds and currents via the Coriolis effect.
2. What happens to air pressure as you climb higher up a mountain (increasing altitude): air pressure decreases, or air pressure doubles?
Air pressure decreases
At higher altitudes there is less overlying air column above you, so atmospheric pressure is lower.
3. What causes the enhanced greenhouse effect (anthropogenic global warming): rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities, or changes in Earth’s gravity?
Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities
Burning fossil fuels and deforestation increase atmospheric CO₂ and methane, trapping extra heat.
4. What harmful solar radiation does the stratospheric ozone layer (O₃) absorb to protect living organisms on Earth: ultraviolet (UV) radiation or radio waves?
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
Stratospheric ozone absorbs most high-energy UV-B and UV-C radiation from the Sun.
5. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Exosphere
The exosphere is the uppermost atmospheric layer where gas molecules are extremely sparse.
6. Why is carbon monoxide (CO) from incomplete fuel combustion dangerous in enclosed spaces: it binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood, or it freezes rooms?
It binds to haemoglobin and reduces oxygen transport in blood
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless toxic gas that blocks oxygen delivery.
7. Why do commercial passenger jets often cruise in the lower stratosphere: the air is smoother with fewer convective storm clouds, or there is no gravity?
The air is smoother with fewer convective storm clouds
The lower stratosphere is stable and above most turbulent weather.
8. What happens to ocean pH when seawater absorbs excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid: ocean acidification (pH decreases), or water turns into oil?
Ocean acidification (pH decreases)
Dissolved CO₂ forms carbonic acid, lowering ocean pH and making it harder for corals to build skeletons.
9. In the troposphere, what generally happens to air temperature as altitude increases: temperature decreases, or temperature boils?
Temperature decreases
The troposphere is warmed mainly from the ground up, so temperature drops by about 6.5 °C per kilometre of altitude.
10. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
Argon
Argon makes up about 0.93% of dry air.
11. Which three gases are the main greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon?
Water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane
Triatomic and polyatomic gases like H₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ absorb and re-emit infrared radiation.
12. What steady tropical winds blow toward the Equator from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere: the trade winds or the polar vortex?
Trade winds
The trade winds are prevailing tropical easterlies in the lower portion of the Hadley cell.

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification