The Atmosphere

18.1
 The Atmosphere
•Made up of mainly two
gases:
–Nitrogen 78%
–Oxygen 21%
–Trace Gases 1%
Layers of the Atmosphere
•made up of 5 layers:
–Troposphere
–Stratosphere
–Mesosphere
–Ionosphere
–Thermosphere
 1. Troposphere
• The atmospheric layer we live in.
• Almost all weather occurs here.
• Contains water vapor and oxygen.
• Highest density
• Temps decrease as you increase
altitude until you reach the top of the
layer called the tropopause.
 Troposphere
• Within the troposphere a
temperature inversion may occur.
• This is a condition where warmer
air traps cooler air near the
Earth’s surface.
• This can cause air to get thick
with pollution, where it can’t
escape.
Temperature Inversions
 2. Stratosphere
–Lacks O2 and water vapor. (no
weather)
–Contains the ozone (O3) layer.
(this layer absorbs solar UV radiation)
–Temperatures increase as you gain
altitude.
–Higher altitude than most aircraft
would fly
Stratosphere
 3. Mesosphere
–The coldest of layer of the
atmosphere. (-80 C)
0

–Temperature decreases
with altitude
 4. Ionosphere
• Consists of upper mesosphere and
lower thermosphere.
• Contains charged ions that reflect
radio waves allowing transmissions to
travel great distances.
• Radio waves will travel farther at
night than during the day. (less ions)
• Where the aurora borealis can be
seen. (exited photons)
Aurora Borealis – Northern lights
 5. Thermosphere
•Most outer layer.
•Hottest layer (980 C)
0

•temperatures will increase

with increase altitude
•It absorbs solar radiation
 Early Atmosphere
•Early atmosphere was much
different during Earth’s early
days.
•Volcanic eruptions released H2,
ammonia, methane. CO, CO2
and N2.
•No oxygen was present
 Changing Atmosphere
• Around 2.5 billion years ago single
celled organisms evolved to capture
the suns energy and CO2 to start the
photosynthesis process
• Then plants began appearing
releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
 Present Atmosphere
• 350 million years later aerobic
animals came along and balanced
the atmosphere.
• They took in oxygen and released
carbon dioxide as a by product
during respiration.
• And thus the O2 and CO2 cycle was
created.
Carbon Dioxide/ Oxygen Cycle
 Our affect on the atmosphere.
#1 Natural Stratosphere Ozone
• Protects us from UV radiation.
• Can be destroyed by
chlorofluorocarbons or CFC’s
• Used during 1950s thru 1980s in
refrigerators and spray cans.
• CFCs are now banned in most
countries
• Ozone layer is repairing itself
 #2 Man-made Ozone
•Ozone while helpful in
stratosphere, is very toxic if
trapped in the troposphere.
•Main gas pollutant from
cars, trucks, factories that
causes smog.
Ozone Issues:
 Greenhouse effect
• The process by which the
atmosphere traps some of the
energy from the sun in the
troposphere.
• CO2, water vapor, and other gases
absorb the suns energy
(greenhouse gases)
• Keeps the planets climate
balanced
#3 Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
• We are adding more and more CO2
and other greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere:
–Forest fires and volcanoes
–Air Pollution from fossil fuel burning
–Increasing human population
–Decrease in plant life and rain forest
–Increase of cattle grazing
#4 Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
• The cause of global warming (climate
change)
• We are experiencing a major shift in
the balancing of the Earth’s climate.
• All species and ecosystems are feeling
the affects and there are many signs
that it is happening.
• Still being debated whether man-
made
Signs of Climate Change:
Increasing Land drying up
Increasing global temperatures
Coral Reef Bleaching due to
increasing ocean temperatures
Endangering Animal Species
Melting Ice Caps
Melting Glaciers
Rising Sea levels
Increasing Extreme Weather Events
Are we not realizing the changes?
The Problem of Not Taking Action:
Not Much of a Debate:
Risk Assessment
A Political Satire
Water and Wind

18.2
 The Water Cycle
•The continuous movement
of water from atmosphere
to Earth and back.
•4 mechanisms of travel
 The Water Cycle
• Water enters the atmosphere:
1.Evaporation
• Evaporation occurs at the lakes,
rivers, and oceans.
2.Transpiration
• evaporation of water through
plant’s leaves.
Transpiration
 The Water Cycle
Water Exits:
3. Condensation
• Water vapor rises until it is cool enough
to condense to form clouds.
4. Precipitation
• When the cloud become full of water
droplets they will release moisture back
down to Earth in the form of rain, sleet,
ice, or snow.
 Condensation

Evaporation
 Water Vapor
• Water vapor is always in the air
• Humidity
–The quantity/amount of water
vapor in the atmosphere
• Relative humidity (percentage)
–is the actual amount of water in the
atmosphere compared to maximum
amount it can hold.
• The higher the temperature, the
more water that can be held in the
air.
I hope this planet
doesn’t have
any water
 Dew Point
•The temperature at which
water vapor molecules start
to form liquid water.
•Higher the humidity the
higher the dew point.
 Clouds
•Form from the rising of
warm water vapor in the
troposphere.
•Made up of tiny condensed
droplets of liquid water.
•3 main types
 1. Cirrus Clouds
•highest altitude clouds
•appear wispy and light.
Cirrus Clouds
2. Stratus Clouds
•layered or sheet like clouds
•form at lower altitudes.
Stratus Clouds
3. Cumulus Clouds
•white and fluffy
•appear at many levels.
Cumulus Clouds
Other Clouds
• Other clouds are a combination
of the 3 cloud types.
• The root nimbus means the
cloud contains precipitation.
(grayer color)
• Ex. cumulonimbus produce
thunderstorms
Nimbostratus
Cumulonimbus
 Air pressure
(Barometric Pressure)
•The pressure due to the weight
of the atmosphere.
•Measured with an instrument
called a barometer.
•Air pressure decreases with
altitude in the troposphere
Mercury Barometer
 Wind
• Caused by differences in air
pressure between air masses.
• The greater the difference the
stronger the wind.
• Air always flows from high
pressure to low pressure
–Pressure inside a plane is greater,
so air would be sucked out if a
window broke
Cabin Pressure
 Wind and the Earth
•Coriolis effect.
the change in direction of
an object’s path due to
Earth’s rotation.
 Wind and the Earth
•Winds in the Northern
hemisphere curve right.
• Winds in the southern
hemisphere curve left.
coriolis effect
Weather and
Climate

18.3
 Weather
• The condition of the atmosphere
at any given time
• Weather is caused by traveling
air masses.
–Large bodies of air with the
same general characteristics
throughout.
 Fronts
•A boundary where two air
masses with different
densities meet.
•Fronts cause precipitation,
change in temperature,
and a change in wind
direction.
 Front Types
•Warm front
-warm air moves over
cooler air forming clouds.
-Produces steady rain or
snow for a couple of
days.
 Front Types
•Cold fronts
-Cold air moves under slow
moving warm air
-Brings high winds,
thunderstorms, and
possible tornadoes.
warm/cold fronts
 Weather Events
1. Thunder Storms
• Lightening is caused by a build up of
electrical charges from water droplets
and ice crystals in clouds.
• When opposite charges are found on
the ground or other clouds, lightening
strikes.
• Thunder is the sound of lightening.
 Thunder Storm Safety
•If you count to 10 or less
after seeing lightening
before hearing thunder,
then the storm is less than
two miles away.
 2. Tornadoes
• Form during severe thunderstorms.
• Form from cool air from the north,
and warm air from south.
• Tornadoes begin as a funnel cloud that
intensifies until it touches ground
• Most violent winds on Earth 310mi/hr
• Most common in the Midwest
 3. Hurricanes
• Very large storms with high winds.
• Also known as cyclones and
typhoons
• Form in the tropics
• Created by rising warm water
vapor from warm ocean water.
• Then powered by the energy
released from water vapor
condensing into clouds
 Weather maps
•Produced by meteorologists to
help forecast weather.
•They use many variables
–Precipitation and cloud cover
–Wind speed
-Air pressure (isobars)
–fronts
 Climate
• Average weather
condition over many
years for a particular
region.
• It is not measured day by
day.
Climate Affected By:
1. Latitude (closeness to equator)
• Angle at which the sun hits Earth
2. Cycling of seasons and season Length
• The tilt of the earth’s axis as it travels a
revolution around the sun is the reason
that we have seasons.
3. Yearly rainfall
4. Topography (type of land)
• Elevation, amount of water, mountains or
flatness