Unit 4

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Unit 4 Climate Change
http//wallpapers.free-review.net
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Earths Biosphere

• The climate of a region is affected by
  interactions among components of Earths
  biosphere.
• Earths biosphere is the thin layer of the Earth
  that is able to support life.
• The relatively thin layer of Earth that has
  conditions suitable for supporting life is
  composed of all the living things on Earth and
  the physical environment that supports them.

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Earths Biosphere

• Earth may be divided into four spheres
• Biosphere (bio living, Sphere ball) The
  living layer around the planet
• Includes atmosphere, lithosphere, and
  hydrosphere

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Earths Biosphere

• Atmosphere (atmos gas) The gas layer around
  the planet
• Lithosphere (lithos rock) The rock layer
  around the planet
• Hydrosphere (hydro water) The water layer
  around the planet

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Atmosphere

• Air is the mixture of different gases found in
  the Earths atmosphere.
• The layer of gas that extends out 300km from the
  Earths surface.
• Major gasses Oxygen and Nitrogen
• Trace Gases Argon, carbon dioxide, helium,
  methane, and krypton

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The Composition of the Atmosphere

• The atmosphere is approximately
• 78 nitrogen gas
• 21 oxygen gas
• 1 other gases
• (argon, carbon dioxide, etc.)

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Atmosphere

• In addition to these gases, the atmosphere also
  contains atmospheric dust, made up of abiotic
  (non-living) and biotic (living) particles.
• Air quality is affected by the quantity of
  particles.
• Smog, a word combining smoke and fog, occurs
  when soot particles combine with car exhaust in
  the air.

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The Components of the Atmosphere

• The atmosphere is subdivided into regions
  according to their distance from Earths surface.
  
• These layers are described in terms of
  temperature, chemical composition, air movement,
  and density, which may differ from place to
  place.

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Layers in the Atmosphere
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Layer Altitude from the Earths Surface (km) Temp Range (C) Characteristics
Troposphere 0-10 20 60 80 percent of atmospheric gas by mass can support life contains most of the carbon dioxide and water vapour in the atmosphere contains almost all of the atmospheric dust in the atmosphere where weather takes place
Stratosphere 1050 0 60 contains most of the ozone gas in the atmosphere, which protects living organisms from damaging high-energy radiation clumps of cells found but no other life Air temperature increases with height as ozone gas absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation.
Mesosphere 5080 0 100 very little gas Air is thin, and atmospheric pressure is low. fewer oxygen molecules (O2)
Thermosphere 80 100 to 1000 very little gas Gas particles are hot during the day and cold at night.
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The Lithosphere

• The solid portion of Earth that floats on the
  semifluid portion of the mantle.
• The lithosphere is home to many micro-organisms,
  plants, and animals, including humans. It is the
  outer surface of Earth (its crust) plus the solid
  part of the upper mantle.

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The Lithosphere

• It extends downward from Earths surface and
  varies in thickness from 5 km in the ocean to 100
  km beneath the continents.
• Only a few meters is warmed by the sun, the rest
  is warmed by decaying radioactive material

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The Lithosphere

• Movements in the lithosphere can affect climate.
  The science of plate tectonics describes how the
  different plates of Earths lithosphere move over
  the mantle.
• When plates collide, mountains form. The
  windblown side of mountain ranges receive rain
  while the other side is dry.
• Volcanic eruptions can spew millions of tonnes of
  ash high into the atmosphere, blocking the sun
  and cooling the global climate for a few years.

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The Hydrosphere

• All of the water on Earth.
• About 97 percent of this water is salt water in
  Earths oceans.
• The other 3 percent is fresh water. Groundwater,
  lakes, and streams, ice in snow and glaciers

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The Hydrosphere

• Many different organisms, from whales to algae,
  live in the large water bodies of the
  hydrosphere.
• Most organisms in the lithosphere or atmosphere
  need water to survive.
• The hydrosphere is warmed by incoming solar
  radiation.

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Weather vs. Climate

• Weather is the condition of the atmosphere in a
  specific place at a specific time. It describes
  factors such as wind, temperature, humidity,
  precipitation.
• Climate refers to the condition of the atmosphere
  over a large area, averaged over many years.

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Climate factors

• The 4 main factors affecting an areas climate
  are

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Climate factors

• The 4 main factors affecting a specific areas
  climate are (more factors tomorrow)
• Latitude

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Climate factors

• The 4 main factors affecting an areas climate
  are
• Latitude
• Elevation

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Climate factors

• The 4 main factors affecting an areas climate
  are
• Latitude
• Elevation
• Air masses that flow
• over the area

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Climate factors

• The 4 main factors affecting an areas climate
  are
• Latitude
• Elevation
• Air masses that flow over the area
• Nearness to large bodies of water

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Climate Zones Biomes

• A biome is a large geographical region with a
  defined range of temperature and precipitation -
  its climate.

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Climate Zones Biomes

• A biome is a large geographical region with a
  defined range of temperature and precipitation
  its climate.

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Biomes

• Each biome is characterized by the plant (and
  animal) life that is adapted to it.
• E.g. the cold, dry tundra is characterized by its
  lichens, mosses, and sedges.

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The Science of Earths Biomes

• Dividing Earth into biomes helps scientists study
  and understand how the biotic and abiotic
  components of each biome interact and how the
  biomes interact with each other.
• Biome divisions also make it easier for
  scientists to predict how different groups of
  organisms may be affected by changes in a region,
  such as a decrease in precipitation or an
  increase in summer temperatures.

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Climatographs

• The climate of any particular area can be
  analyzed using climatographs which compare
  precipitation and temperature over time.

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Canadian Biomes and Climate

• The six terrestrial biomes in Canada are tundra,
  boreal forest (also called taiga), temperate
  deciduous forest, temperate grassland, temperate
  coniferous forest, and mountain.
• Mountains show several different biomes as you
  climb, with tundra at the tops of the highest
  mountains.

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Canadian Biomes and Climate
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Canadian Biome Diagram pg 283-285 text