PHS200 Atmosphere, Circulation & Water Review
Hi there, I was hoping you could help me with this Homework assignment that follows….
Homework 10.1: Atmosphere, Circulation & Water Review
The relevant section(s) from Tarbuck & Lutgens (2015) is indicated. (Cite it if you use it!)
A.
Greenhouse Effect
(Sections 20.8 & 20.9)
1) Two of our neighboring planets are Venus and Mars. Compare the general atmospheric
conditions and the average surface temperatures of the two planets. What about the
geology of these two planets made them so different?
2) Does the existence of the atmospheric greenhouse effect influence the potential for
life to exist? Explain. Use evidence from Earth, Mars, and Venus in your answer.
B.
Coriolis Effect
(Sections 18.4)
1)
If the Earth was rotating (spinning) at a rate of 360° in 12 hours (instead of 24 hours)
speculate how you might expect the wind and cloud patterns to differ from the current
patterns. Would the number of cells change? Explain.
2) Find a high-resolution image or video of Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar
System. What can you conclude about Jupiter’s rate of rotation (spin) compared to
Earth’s? Explain how you came to your conclusion. (Remember to cite your source.)
3) Now, look up the answer to how fast Jupiter spins (Section 22.4). Were you right?
Discuss.
C. What makes water (H2O) special?
(Sections 16.8 & 17.1)
1)
a.) Read about some of the following special properties of water: “Facts about
Water”, “Heat capacity”, “Water, the Universal Solvent”, “The Water in You”,
“Why is the ocean salty,” “Salinity”, “ and “Water in the atmosphere”, by clicking
on those icons at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterproperties.html (You don’t
need to write summaries, here, but may summarize this reading with the rest of your
reading-assignment notes. However, use it to answer the next two questions.)
b) Pick a different, additional property of water that interests you, and summarize it.
2) If the Earth’s air pressure were substantially lower, what would happen to the boiling
point of water? Refer to the in-class demonstrations with the vacuum chamber.
How might this affect life on Earth?
3) What property of water helps it to moderate the climate in coastal regions, while the
inner portions of the continents experience more extreme temperatures? Explain
how this works.
4) Read about more of the special properties of water and life
here: www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/liquid-of-life.html
For what reasons is liquid water considered to be essential for life? Is it truly
impossible for life to exist without water
D.
Deep Ocean Currents
(Section 15.2. Also, read the information on the last sheet, including
the hyperlinks.)
One major theory involving the Oceanic Conveyor Belt is that global warming may
eventually lead to an ice age. Describe the sequence of events that may cause this to happen.
What natural processes could prevent this sequence of events from occurring?
E.
Thoughtful Question
Respond to the following:
1) The Earth experiences a variety of weather including wind, rain, snow, hail,
hurricanes, thunderstorms and tornadoes. Pose a thoughtful question related to
weather on other planets in our solar system. Thoughtful questions do not have
obvious answers!
2) Optional: Do your best to find an answer to the above question. (Sections 22.3 & 22.4)
F.
Submit
your written responses into the Homework 9 Assignment in Canvas, or you can
bring it to class and submit at the start of class, regardless of method.
References
Tarbuck, E.J. & Lutgens F.K. (2015). Earth Science (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson