Atmosphere

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Atmosphere

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Composition of the Earths Atmosphere

• The atmosphere is a mixture of gases with some
  suspended solids and liquids.
• Nitrogen is the most common gas at 78 of the
  atmosphere.
• Oxygen is the next most common gas at 21

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Composition of the Atmosphere
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Earths Atmosphere

• Trace amounts of other gases are found that total
  only 1 water vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Neon,
  Methane,Ozone, Hydrogen, Helium

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Other Planets Atmospheres

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Earths Atmosphere

• Brown Smog is made from nitrogen oxides and
  hydrocarbons. (L.A. type)
• Gray Smog is from burning coal or oil and
  contains sulfur oxides.
• Ozone is a pollutant when it is near the ground.
  It is in most smogs.

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Structure of the Atmosphere

• There are five main layers in the atmosphere.
• The lowest layer is the Troposphere.
• The Stratosphere and Mesosphere are the next
  highest layers.
• The Thermosphere and then the Exosphere are the
  highest layers.

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Layers of the Atmosphere
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Layers of the Atmosphere

• A. The Troposphere
• 1.Close to the ground
• 2. Contains 75 of the Earths gases.
• 3. Weather, clouds and smog occur at this level.
• It ends at 10 Km above sea level.

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Layers of the Atmosphere
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Layers Of the Atmosphere

• B. The Stratosphere
• The ozone layer is within the stratosphere. It
  is a thin layer of O3 which absorbs UV radiation.
• C. The Mesosphere is the middle layer.
• D. The Thermosphere contains the ionosphere. The
  ionosphere is a layer of electrically charged
  particles. Radio waves bounce off of it.
• E. The Exosphere is the highest level before
  space.

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Atmospheric Pressure

• Gases in the atmosphere have mass and weight.
  Gravity pulls on the molecules and causes
  pressure.
• Pressure is force exerted on an area.
• P F/A
• At sea level there are more molecules of air
  above an area, so there is more pressure.

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Units for Pressure

• The S.I. Unit for pressure is Atmospheres (Atm)
• The old unit used on T.V. is inches Hg
• ( Which is mercury)
• A metric unit is mm Hg ( millimeters)
• Another unit used is millibars (mb)

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Temperature in the Atmosphere
NAME Height (Km) Temperature (Celcius)
Exosphere 500 Km 600-1000
Thermosphere 200 - 500 0-600
Mesosphere 50 -150 -5 to 0
Stratosphere 10 - 50 -60 to -5
Troposphere 0 10 -60 to 50

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The Ozone Layer

• 20 Km above sea level
• Ozone is 3 atoms of oxygen.
• Located in the Stratosphere.
• Ozone absorbs UV radiation from the sun.
• ODPs Ozone Depleting Gases
• CFCs are ODPs Chlorofluorocarbons
• CFCs break the ozone down to oxygen molecules

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Energy from the Sun

• Radiation is the transfer of energy by
  electromagnetic waves. EM waves
• 30 of the radiation from the sun is reflected
  off of the Earth.
• 50 of the radiation is absorbed by Earths
  surface.
• Clouds and the atmosphere absorb 20 .

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Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere

• Conduction the transfer of energy when
  molecules bump into one another.
• Air near the heated surface of the Earth is
  heated by conduction.

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Energy Transfer

• Convection - the transfer of heat by the flow
  of materials.
• Heated air is less dense and rises, cold air
  sinks. This flow of air is called a convection
  current.

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The Water Cycle

• The Hydrosphere All of the water on the Earths
  surface.
• 97 of water is salt water, only 3 is fresh.
• 67 of the fresh water is frozen at the polar
  ice-caps , which are 2 miles thick in some
  places.

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The Water Cycle

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The Water Cycle

• Water evaporates and becomes a gas.
• The evaporated water rises in the atmosphere.
• As the water rises, it cools.
• As the gaseous water cool, it condenses to form a
  liquidclouds.
• Precipitation is next the water falls as rain,
  snow, sleet, or hail.

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Water Cycle

• Water is recycled constantly.
• Water is purified through the water cycle.

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Movement of Air

• Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the
  Earths surface and atmosphere.
• Areas of temperature difference create areas of
  pressure difference.
• Wind is the movement of air from areas of high
  pressure to areas of low pressure.

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Movement of Air

• The Coriolis Effect the rotation of the Earth
  shifts the wind to the right and north.
• The Jet streams high altitude, strong winds.
  The flow west to east in the U.S.
• The Jet stream has a major effect on weather.

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Movement of Air

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Movement of Air

• Sea Breezes created during the day because
  solar radiation warms the land more than the
  water. It comes in from the sea.

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Movement of Air

• Land Breezes created at night, cold air over
  the land forces up the warmer air over the sea.
  The wind goes out to sea.
• Monsoon winds are seasonal winds that occur in
  tropical areas. ( This creates a wet, very rainy
  season.)

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Tools of Meteorology

• Anemometer
• Barometer
• Psychrometer
• Rain Gauge
• UV Meter
• Weather Satellite
• Weather Balloon