Chapter 20 - Chemistry in the Atmosphere

SO2

________ is oxidized into SO3, which in a series of complex mechanisms is eventually converted to sulfuric acid aerosols.

Volcanoes

________ are thought to be responsible for around two- thirds of the sulfur in the atmosphere.

solar radiant energy

The ________ received from Earth is distributed between 100 and 5000 nm over the wavelengths.

Radon 222

________ is a radioactive isotope that emits.

Radon decay products

________ will stick to both tobacco tar deposits in the lungs and solid particles in cigarette smoke, which can be inhaled by both smokers and nonsmokers.

Solar flares

________ are violent eruptions on the sun's surface that result in the ejection of a large number of electrons and protons into space.

death of plants

Following the ________ and animals, their tissues are oxidized to CO2 and return to the atmosphere.

Wavelengths

________ larger than 4000 nm, due to a far lower mean area temperature as compared to the sun, are typical for Earth's thermal radiation emitted by the Earth's surface.

process of photosynthesis

The ________ produces oxygen as a key by- product.

greenhouse

The so- called ________ effect describes the trapping of heat near Earths surface by gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide.

stratosphere

The ________, which is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, and ozone, is located above the troposphere.

Water

________ and carbons dioxide, but not nitrogen or oxygen, can absorb outgoing IR radiation.

IR

Water and carbon dioxide, but not nitrogen or oxygen, can absorb outgoing ________ radiation.

nitrogen oxides

The ________, or NOx, are a class of chemicals that can deplete stratospheric ozone.

dynamic equilibrium

Natural mechanisms create and destroy ozone, resulting in a(n) ________ that keeps ozone levels in the stratosphere constant.

polyatomic molecule

A(n) ________ can vibrate in several directions.

Acid rain

________ is harmful to plants and aquatic life.

UV

It acts as our protection against ________ radiation in stratosphere, causing skin cancer, genetic mutations and destruction of plants and other forms of vegetation.

ozone level

Although the ________ is very low in the stratosphere, solar radiation in 200- 300 nm can be removed.

input of sunlight

The ________ and electrons is oriented by the magnetic field of the Earth, so that the most auroral displays occur approximately 2000 kilometers in diameter in the north and south poles, in a doughnut formed zone.

term smog

The ________ "was coined to characterize the haze of smoke and fog that blanketed London in the 1950s.

Photochemical smog

________, which is created by the reactions of automotive exhaust in the presence of sunshine, is more well- known.

photodecomposition of water

The ________ vapor by UV light is another key source of oxygen.

solar radiant energy

The ________ received from Earth is distributed between 100 and 5000 nm over the wavelengths but many are focused between 400 and 700 nm, the visible area of the spectrum.