1. What are the three most abundant gases in Earth’s atmosphere? Give the percent (%) composition for each. Of these gases, which are biologically available?

2. Name and describe the first two layers of Earth’s atmosphere. Which would be considered an absorbing layer? Which is a non-absorbing layer? How do we know?

3. Describe how air pressure varies with altitude? What is the effect on air temperature?

4. What is humidity? How does the temperature of air influence how much water vapor the air can hold? 

5. How do temperature and humidity influence the density of air? Relate these factors to atmospheric pressure.

6. What causes air to rise? What happens to it as it rises? At what latitude(s) do air masses typically ascend?

7. What causes air to sink? What happens to it as it sinks? At what latitude(s) do air masses typically descend?

8. What is the difference between weather and climate? Which atmospheric layer contains the greatest mass and generates the weather?

9. What two factors influence atmospheric pressure and how? Describe how this gives rise to atmospheric convection.

10. How does air temperature change as air expands? as it is compressed? How does this relate to atmospheric convection?

11. Describe in detail what happens when air containing water vapor rises. Relate the hydrologic cyle to the movement of energy in the atmosphere.

12. Arid climates are found centered at the latitudes of 30°N, 30°S, 90°N,and 90°S. Use what you know about atmospheric circulation to explain why?

13. At what latitude(s) are the most humid climates found? Use what you know about atmospheric circulation to explain why?

14. How does solar heating vary with latitude and why? 

15. How does solar heating vary with the seasons and why?

16. How and where (at what latitudes) do atmospheric convection cells form? Name and describe ONE. (Up to THREE different students may respond, provided different convection cells are described.)

17. Describe the Coriolis Effect and how it influences the movement of air masses. Relate to the pattern of prevailing winds.

18. What is meant by thermal equilibrium? Is Earth’s heat budget in balance?  Explain why or why not.

19. What is the meteorological equator? Why is atmospheric circulation centered at the meteorological equator rather than the geographical equator?

20. What is a monsoon? Why and where do they typically occur?

21. How are extratropical cyclones similar to tropical cyclones? How are they different? Include the Coriolis Effect in your explanations.

22. Explain how sea breezes and land breezes form.

23. If you were sailing across the Atlantic, which would be easier: to sail from New York to Great Britain or from Great Britain to New York? Why?

24. Explain why the doldrums (around 0° latitude) and the horse latitudes (at about 30°N & S) are terrible places for sail-powered travel. Which way does the wind blow at these latitudes?

25. What is the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)? Where is it located? And how or where does it move over the course of a year?

26. Formulate a hypothesis about how you think winds influence the ocean. (Multiple students may respond provided different hypotheses are shared.)

27. Explain why hurricanes mainly make landfall on eastern coastlines