The Atmosphere and

Atmospheric Chemistry
  Consists of the thin layer of mixed gases
covering the Earth's surface.
- water    - 78.1% nitrogen   – 21.0% oxygen –
0.9% argon   - 0.03% CO2

 Normally, air contains a large variety of trace

Atmosphere level gases at levels below 0.002%, including
the ff: 
- neon    - methane  - krypton  - hydrogen  -
sulfur dioxide     - nitrous oxide  - xenon  - ozone 
- nitrogen dioxide          - ammonia  - carbon
monoxide
  Is divided into several layers on the basis of
temperature.
 Troposphere – extending altitude from the
Earth's surface to approximately 11 km.
 Stratosphere – from about 11 km to
approximately 50 km.

Atmosphere  The most significant feature of atmospheric chemistry is

the occurrence of "photochemical reactions" resulting
from the absorption by  molecules of light is given by the
equation, E = hv
  Where, h = Planck's constant
       And v = frequency of light
  One of the most significant photochemical
reactions is the one responsible for the presence
of ozone in the stratosphere, which is initiated
when 02 absorbs highly energetic ultraviolet
radiation in the wavelength tanges 135 – 176
nanometers (nm) and 240 – 260 nm in the
stratosphere :

Atmosphere                 02 + uv ----> O + O

 The oxygen atoms produced by the

photochemical dissociation of O2 react with
oxygen molecules to produce ozone, O3
O + O2 + M ----> O3 + M
  Oxides of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen are
important constituents of the atmosphere and
Gaseous Oxides are pollutants at higher levels.

in the  CO2 is the most abundant – increase in

Atmosphere atmospheric CO2 may will cause general
atmospheric warming – the "greenhouse
effect" 
  The most abundant hydrocarbon in the
atmospheric is methane released from
underground sources as natual gas CH4, and
produced by the fermentation of organic
Hydrocarbons matter. 
and  Methane is the least active atmospheric
Photochemical hydrocarbon
Smog In the presence of NO, under conditions of
temperature inversion, low humidity, and
sunlight, these hydrocarbons produce undesirable
photochemical smog.
  Particles – ranging from aggregates of a few
molecules to pieces of dust readily visible to the
naked eye are commonly found in the atmosphere.
 Condensation nuclei – very small particles serves as
bodies for atmospheric water vapor to condense
Particulate upon and are essential for the formation of rain
Matter drops.
Atmospheric  Aerosols – colloidal sized particles in the
Constituents  atmosphere 
 Dispersion aerosols – formed by grinding up bulk
matter;
 Condensation aerosols – particles formed from
chemical reactions of gases  
  Atmosphere – a protective blanket which nurtures life on the
Earth and protects it from the hostile environment of outer
space.
 Source of carbon dioxide for plant photosynthesis and of
oxygen for respiration

Importance of  It provides the nitrogen that nitrogen-fixing bacteria and

ammonia – manufacturing plants use to produce chemically
the bound oxygen.
Atmosphere   Atmospheric transports water from the oceans to land, thus
acting as the condenser in a vast solar – powered still.
 Protective shield, the atmosphere absorbs most of the cosmic
rays from outer space and protects organisms from their
effects.
  Atmospheric Science- deals with the movement of air
masses in the atmosphere, atmospheric heat balance, and
atmospheric chemical composition and reactions.
 Atmospheric Composition – dry air within several
Physical kilometers of ground level consists of two major components

Characteristics  - Nitrogen, 78.08% (by volume) -oxygen, 20.95%

of the Two minor components
Atmosphere -Argon, 0.934%       -Carbon dioxide, 0.036%
In addition to argon, four more noble gases,
- Neon,1.818x10-3%        - Helium, 5.24x10-4
- Krypton, 1.14x10-4%    - Xenon, 8.7x10-6%
  The atmosphere is stratified on the basis of the
temperature, density relationship resulting from
Stratification of interactions between physical and
the Atmosphere photochemical (light-induced chemical
phenomena) process in air.
  The physical and chemical characteristics of
the atmosphere and the critical heat balance of
Energy Transfer the earth are determined by energy and mass
transfer processes in the atmosphere.
in the
 Energy transport, which is crucial to eventual
Atmosphere 
reradiation of energy from the earth, is
accomplished by three major mechanism:
  Conduction- energy occurs through the interaction
of adjacent atoms o molecules without the bulk
movement of matter and is a relatively slow means
of transferring energy in the atmosphere.
 Convection – involves the movement of whole
Energy Transfer masses of air, which may either relatively warm or
in the cold.
Atmosphere  Mechanism by which abrupt temperature variations
occur when large masses of air move across an area.
 Radiation – energy in earth's atmosphere occurs
through electromagnetic radiation in the infrared
region of the spectrum.
  Meteorology- the science of atmospheric
phenomena, encompassing the study of the
9.5 Atmospheric movement of air masses as well as physical
Mass Transfer, forces in the atmosphere.
Meteorology and - heat 
Weather - wind 
- transitions of water 
  Meteorology is affected by the chemical properties of the
atmosphere
 Weather- is define in terms of seven major factors 
Atmospheric Mass
- Temperature     - clouds  - winds  - humidity – horizontal
Transfer, Meteorology visibility  – atmospheric pressure  – type and quantity of
and Weather precipitation
 Climate- is a longer term variations and trends within a
particular geographical region in those factors that compose
weather
  The driving force behind weather and climate is the distribution
and ultimate reradiation to space of solar energy.
Atmospheric  A large fraction of solar energy is converted to heat by
Water in Energy evaporation of water into the atmosphere

and Mass  As water condenses from atmospheric air, large quantities of

Transfer  heat are released.

 Atmospheric water can be present as vapor, liquid or ice.
  Relative Humidity- expressed as a percentage,
Atmospheric describes the amount of water vapor in the air
Water in Energy as ratio of the maximum amount that the air can
and Mass Transfer  hold at that temperature.
  Are major feature of troposphere 
 These air masses are uniform and horizontally
homogenous 
 These characteristics are determined by the
nature of the surface over which a large air
Air Masses mass forms.
- polar continental air masses- cold land regions
- polar maritime air masses – polar oceans
- tropical continental air masses – tropics
- tropical maritime air masses - tropics
  Solar energy received by earth is largely
distributed by the  many of huge masses of air
with different pressures, temperatures and
moisture contents separated by boundaries
Air Masses called fronts. 
 Wind -  a horizontally moving air
 Air Current – a vertically moving air
  In topography, the surface configuration and
relief features the earth's surface may strongly

Topographical affect winds and air currents.

Effects  Differential heating and cooling of land

surfaces and bodies of water can result in local
convective winds.
  A mass of cold air moving such that it displaces of warm air is
a cold front.
 A mass of warm air displacing one of cold air is warm front.
Weather Fronts  Swirling Cyclonic Storms – such as typhoons, hurricanes and
and Storms tornadoes – are created in low pressure areas by rising masses
of warm, moist air.
  Climate – is the single most important
influence on Earth's environment.
 Consisting of long term weather patterns over
large geographical areas.

9.7 Global  Monsoon – seasonal variations in wind patterns

Climate and between oceans and continents.

Microclimate  Microclimate – highly localized climatic

conditions 
- it effects are largely determined by the uptake
and loss of solar energy very close to earth's
surface.
  Although Earth's atmosphere is huge and has an
Human enormous ability to resists and correct for
Modification of detrimental change, it is possible that human
activities are reaching a point at which they
Ultimate may be adversely affecting climate.