Guided Notes about the Earth

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Guided Notes about the Earths Atmosphere

• Chapter 11, Section 1

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• About 99 percent of the earths atmosphere is
  composed of nitrogen and oxygen. The percentages
  of these components are critical to life on
  earth.

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• 2. The amount of atmospheric water vapor on Earth
  is constantly changing. It can range from as
  much as 4 percent to as little as zero.

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• 3. The level of both carbon dioxide and water
  vapor are critical because they regulate the
  amount of energy that the atmosphere absorbs.

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• 4. When water changes from one state to another,
  heat is either absorbed or released, and this
  greatly affects atmospheric motions that create
  weather and climate.

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• 5. Ozone is a gas formed by the addition of a
  third oxygen atom to an oxygen molecule. It is
  important in the upper atmosphere because it
  absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
  Without an ozone layer, our skin could not
  tolerate exposure to the Sun.

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• 6. The troposphere contains most of the mass of
  the atmosphere, including the water vapor. This
  is the layer in which most weather takes place,
  and it is characterized by a decrease in
  temperature from bottom to top.

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• 7. The stratosphere is made up mainly of
  concentrated ozone, and it increases in
  temperature to the top of the layer.

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• 8. The Sun is shining on and warming some
  portion of the Earths surface at all times
  through the method of energy transfer called
  radiation.

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• 9. While the Earth is absorbing solar radiation,
  it is also continuously sending energy back into
  space. Only about 50 of incoming solar radiation
  is absorbed by the Earths surface.

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• 10. Over the course of a year, Earth sends back
  into space just about as much energy as it
  receives from the Sun. If the Earth sent back too
  much, it would gradually cool off. If it sent
  back too little, it would warm up to potentially
  dangerous levels.

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• 11.The energy radiated by Earths surface is
  absorbed by the atmosphere and warms air through
  the processes of conduction and convection.

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State how conduction affects the atmosphere

• Energy is transferred from the particles of air
  near the earths surface to the particles of air
  in the lowest layer of the atmosphere
• Conduction only affects a very thin atmospheric
  layer near the earths surface

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• 13.Convection is the transfer of energy by the
  flow of heated matter. As warm air rises, it
  expands and starts to cool. When it cools
  enough, it begins to sink because it increases in
  density.