Our worldAges 13-15

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. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Why are low-lying coral atoll nations particularly vulnerable to global warming: thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets raise sea levels, or mountains grow taller?
Why are low-lying coral at… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
What term describes the fr… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
6. How does planting trees (afforestation and reforestation) affect atmospheric carbon dioxide: growing trees absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis, or they release coal?
How does planting trees (a… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
7. Where on Earth do glowing auroras (Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis) occur when solar particles interact with atmospheric gases: in the thermosphere / ionosphere near the poles, or on the ocean floor?
Where on Earth do glowing … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
8. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
0.93% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
9. 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
10. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
50 · 85 km · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
11. 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
12. Which gas makes up the largest proportion (about 78%) of Earth’s dry atmosphere: nitrogen or carbon dioxide?
78% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 104737 · 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. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Why are low-lying coral atoll nations particularly vulnerable to global warming: thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets raise sea levels, or mountains grow taller?
Thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets raise sea levels
Warming oceans expand and land ice melts, raising global mean sea level.
5. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
Albedo
Fresh snow and ice have high albedo (reflecting most sunlight), whereas dark ocean water has low albedo.
6. How does planting trees (afforestation and reforestation) affect atmospheric carbon dioxide: growing trees absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis, or they release coal?
Growing trees absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis
Forests act as carbon sinks by fixing atmospheric carbon into biomass.
7. Where on Earth do glowing auroras (Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis) occur when solar particles interact with atmospheric gases: in the thermosphere / ionosphere near the poles, or on the ocean floor?
In the thermosphere / ionosphere near the poles
Charged solar-wind particles excite oxygen and nitrogen high in the polar thermosphere.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
Mesosphere
Air friction in the mesosphere vaporises most incoming meteoroids as shooting stars.
11. 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.
12. Which gas makes up the largest proportion (about 78%) of Earth’s dry atmosphere: nitrogen or carbon dioxide?
Nitrogen
Dry air is approximately 78% nitrogen (N₂), 21% oxygen (O₂) and 1% other gases.

12 questions · Seed 104737 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Why are low-lying coral atoll nations particularly vulnerable to global warming: thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets raise sea levels, or mountains grow taller?
Why are low-lying coral at… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
What term describes the fr… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
6. How does planting trees (afforestation and reforestation) affect atmospheric carbon dioxide: growing trees absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis, or they release coal?
How does planting trees (a… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
7. Where on Earth do glowing auroras (Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis) occur when solar particles interact with atmospheric gases: in the thermosphere / ionosphere near the poles, or on the ocean floor?
Where on Earth do glowing … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
8. Which noble gas is the third most abundant gas in dry air (about 0.93%): argon or neon?
0.93% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
9. 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
10. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
50 · 85 km · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
11. 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
12. Which gas makes up the largest proportion (about 78%) of Earth’s dry atmosphere: nitrogen or carbon dioxide?
78% · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 104737 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Why are low-lying coral atoll nations particularly vulnerable to global warming: thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets raise sea levels, or mountains grow taller?
Thermal expansion of seawater and melting ice sheets raise sea levels
Warming oceans expand and land ice melts, raising global mean sea level.
5. What term describes the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back into space by bright surfaces like snow, ice and clouds: albedo or viscosity?
Albedo
Fresh snow and ice have high albedo (reflecting most sunlight), whereas dark ocean water has low albedo.
6. How does planting trees (afforestation and reforestation) affect atmospheric carbon dioxide: growing trees absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis, or they release coal?
Growing trees absorb CO₂ via photosynthesis
Forests act as carbon sinks by fixing atmospheric carbon into biomass.
7. Where on Earth do glowing auroras (Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis) occur when solar particles interact with atmospheric gases: in the thermosphere / ionosphere near the poles, or on the ocean floor?
In the thermosphere / ionosphere near the poles
Charged solar-wind particles excite oxygen and nitrogen high in the polar thermosphere.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. In which atmospheric layer above the stratosphere (50–85 km) do most meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere: the mesosphere or the troposphere?
Mesosphere
Air friction in the mesosphere vaporises most incoming meteoroids as shooting stars.
11. 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.
12. Which gas makes up the largest proportion (about 78%) of Earth’s dry atmosphere: nitrogen or carbon dioxide?
Nitrogen
Dry air is approximately 78% nitrogen (N₂), 21% oxygen (O₂) and 1% other gases.

12 questions · Seed 104737 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification