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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. Which gas makes up the largest proportion (about 78%) of Earth’s dry atmosphere: nitrogen or carbon dioxide?
78% · 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. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Which outermost fringe of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
4. Which lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere (from the surface to about 8–15 km) contains most clouds and weather: the troposphere or the thermosphere?
8 · 15 km · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Which layer of the atmosph… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 45 · 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. 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.
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. 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.
4. Which lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere (from the surface to about 8–15 km) contains most clouds and weather: the troposphere or the thermosphere?
Troposphere
Almost all water vapour, clouds and weather occur in the troposphere.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Stratosphere
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause to about 50 km altitude and houses the ozone layer.

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Which gas makes up the largest proportion (about 78%) of Earth’s dry atmosphere: nitrogen or carbon dioxide?
78% · 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. Which outermost fringe of the atmosphere gradually merges into outer space: the exosphere or the troposphere?
Which outermost fringe of … · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
4. Which lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere (from the surface to about 8–15 km) contains most clouds and weather: the troposphere or the thermosphere?
8 · 15 km · Earth’s atmosphere & climate
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Which layer of the atmosph… · Earth’s atmosphere & climate

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Earth’s atmosphere & climate

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
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. 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.
4. Which lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere (from the surface to about 8–15 km) contains most clouds and weather: the troposphere or the thermosphere?
Troposphere
Almost all water vapour, clouds and weather occur in the troposphere.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Which layer of the atmosphere lies directly above the troposphere and contains the protective ozone layer: the stratosphere or the exosphere?
Stratosphere
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause to about 50 km altitude and houses the ozone layer.

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification