Atmosphere

Atmospheric Basics
Atmospheric Composition…
• Nitrogen – 78%
• Oxygen – 21%
• Argon - .93%
• Carbon Dioxide -
.03%
• Water Vapor - .0
to 4%
• Trace Gases

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/atmosphere/chemicalsairrev1.shtml
 Key
Atmospheric
Components

• Oxygen (O2)
–Gas
–Organisms
need it to
break down
food for energy

http://schoolworkhelper.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/oxygen-transport.jpg
 Key Atmospheric
Components
• Carbon
Dioxide (CO2)
–Gas
–Minor role in
absorbing
heat
–plant
fertilizer

http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/current/ED101fa10/ccburke/Photosynthesis.html
Key Atmospheric
Components

• Ozone (O3)
–Gas
–Absorbs
ultraviolet
radiation from
the sun
http://mmedia.pl/ozone-layer-diagram-for-kids
 Key Atmospheric
Components
• Water
Vapor(H2O)
–Gas
–Major role in
absorbing heat
–source of
condensation
for clouds
 Key Atmospheric
Components

• Water
–Liquid
–source of rain

Singing in the Rain!

http://mypeartreehouse.blogspot.com/
Key Atmospheric
Components

• Ice
–Solid
–Makes up
snow, sleet, &
hail

http://www.austinskiers.org/trips0910/vail0910.htm Legendary Vail Powder!

 Key Atmospheric Components
• Dust, Salt,
Volcanic Ash
– Solids
– Provide solid
surface for water
vapor to condense
Salt Spray from Waves
(so that clouds can
form)
– Condensation
nuclei
– See next slide…
http://www.kidsgeo.com/images/ocean-waves.jpg
http://www.weatherfreaks.net/images/dust_storm3.jpg Dust Storm
The Structure of the
Atmosphere …

•http://ds9.ssl.berkeley.edu/lws_gems/3/images_3/layat510.jpg
 The Structure of the
Atmosphere – The Troposphere
• Description…
– Tropo- (change)
– 0-11 km
– highest air
pressure
– Contains most
gases of the
atmosphere
• Objects Found There
– Weather
– life forms
– jets
 The Structure of the
Atmosphere – The Stratosphere
• Description…
– Strato- (layer)
– 11-48 km
– Molecular heat
rises due to ozone
layer absorbing
UV radiation
• Objects Found There
– Ozone layer
– Weather balloons
 The Structure of the
Atmosphere – The Mesosphere
• Description…
– Meso- (middle)
– 48-95 km
– Temperature falls
b/c there’s not a
whole lot here!
• Objects Found There
– Meteors (shooting
stars) burn here
The Structure of the Atmosphere
– The Thermosphere

• Description…
– Thermo- (heat)
– 95-550 km
– Molecular heat
rises
• Objects Found There
– Ionosphere
– Auroras
 The Structure of the
Atmosphere – The Exosphere

• Description…
– Exo- (outside)
– Above 600 km
– Outermost layer
– Space!
• Objects Found There
– Some H and He
– Satellites
 Temperature Variations with
Altitude

The layers are

determined
by
temperature!

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/atmosphere/atmosphere/layers.gif
What Happens to the Sun’s
Energy?

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/cascade.GIF
The State of the
Atmosphere
 The Temperature of the
Atmosphere
The thermosphere is
the hottest layer of
the atmosphere but
it feels so cold…
b/c even though
molecules are
moving very fast
(which means they
are very hot), they
are so far apart that
there is no heat
transfer. Astronaut Bruce McCandless II
is feeling no heat!
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Astronaut
 The Temperature of the
Atmosphere

Dew Point - temperature to which air

must be cooled (at constant pressure)
to reach saturation.
a. Dew point tells us how much water is in
the air.
o This is when dew is formed!
o The higher the dew point, more humid
and uncomfortable the air.
 Vertical Temperature Changes
How is dew point
determined?
… determine the
temperature at
which dew
(condensation)
forms by
cooling the air.
 Humidity Changes with
Temperature…
What is humidity?
The amount of water air can hold at a given
temperature. This is a constant!
What is relative humidity?
The amount of water the air is actually
holding compared to how much it can hold
Relative humidity is determined
by....using a wet/dry bulb thermometer & a
relative humidity chart
 Air Pressure and Density…
Density is mass (of air) per volume.
Air pressure is…
… force exerted by molecules of
atmosphere as they are pulled
toward Earth’s center by gravity.
 Air Pressure and Density…
Air at the bottom of the atmosphere
(troposphere) has higher density and
pressure because...
… of the greater mass of the atmosphere
above you (it contains the most gases)
… This is similar to being at the bottom of
the ocean with tons of water above you!
… We are accustomed to the high air
pressure so it doesn’t squash us.
 Temperature-Density
Relationship
Warm Air…
a. As temperature
increases… air
becomes less dense.
b. Warm air is less
dense and will rise.
c. The upward
movement of warm
air lowers pressure.
d. So, warm air rising
causes low pressure.
 Temperature-Density
Cold Air… Relationship
a. As temperature
decreases… air
becomes more
dense.
b. Cold air is more
dense and will sink.
c. The downward
movement of cold air
raises pressure.
d. So, cold air sinking
causes high
pressure.
 http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/text/kids/Problem_Board/problems/light/sim3.html

Creating Wind…
a. Cool air, which is
denser, sinks.
b. This forces the warm air,
which is less dense to
move up.
c. Air moves from areas of
high density to areas of
low density.
d. In its simplest form,
wind can be thought of
as air moving from an
area of high pressure to
an area of low pressure.
 Wind…
The density imbalances that move air
to produce wind are created by…
The unequal heating of Earth’s
surface
Wind is measured by…
anemometers (mph or kph)
Wind speeds increase at high altitudes
b/c…
There are few to no obstacles
there
Moisture in the
Atmosphere
 Three Ways Clouds Can
Form…
a. from convection
currents
b. from warm air rising
over mountains
(orographic lifting)
c. when air masses of
different temperatures
meet
 Cloud Formation –
Convection Currents

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/home.rxml
 Cloud Formation – Orographic Lifting

Clouds form over a mountain.

http://www.envi.hufs.ac.kr/gwlee/session6/lift.html
Cloud Formation – Frontal

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/images/cloudformation_Fronts_small.jpg
 Cloud Types…Altitude
• Cirro- high
–Above 6000m
• Alto - middle
–Between
2000-6000m
• Stratus - low
–Below 2000m

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/clouds/cloud_heights.html
 More Clouds!

http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter5/summary.html
Meteorology
The Causes of Weather
Energy in the Atmosphere…
What two things are always in motion to distribute
heat energy on and around the Earth?
 ocean currents
 global wind systems

What explains why the poles are never very warm?

 The Sun’s rays don’t hit Earth as directly at
the poles as at the tropics. (So the same
amount of solar radiation is spread over a
larger area.)
 Air Masses…
• Continental
Tropical
–Abbreviation - cT
–Origin - land
–Origin - tropical
–Moisture Content
- dry
–Temperature -
warm http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/WeatherPatterns.html
 Air Masses…
• Maritime Tropical
–Abbreviation -
mT
–Origin –
ocean/water
–Origin - tropical
–Moisture Content
- humid
–Temperature -
warm
 Air Masses…
Continental Polar
–Abbreviation - cP
–Origin - land
–Origin – high
latitudes
–Moisture Content -
dry
–Temperature – cool
or cold
 Air Masses…
• Maritime Polar
–Abbreviation - mP
–Origin –
ocean/water
–Origin – high
latitudes
–Moisture Content
- humid
–Temperature –
cool or cold
 Air Masses…
• Arctic
(Continental)
–Abbreviation - cA
–Origin – land
–Origin - Arctic
–Moisture Content
– dry
–Temperature –
very cold
Air Masses That Affect Our
Weather…
 Global Wind Systems

http://pulse.pharmacy.arizona.edu/9th_grade/from_global/earth_science/images/wind_patterns.gif
http://www.topnews.in/files/atmosphere_wind_patterns.jpg
 2. Chart:Global Wind
Systems…
• Polar Easterlies
–Comes from the
east
–Located between
60 degrees
latitude and the
pole in both
hemispheres
–(60° - 90°)
 Global Wind Systems…
• Prevailing Westerlies
– Comes from the
west
– Located between 30
and 60 degrees
latitude in both
hemispheres
– (30° - 60°)
– This is the wind
system that directs
fronts across our
country.
 Global Wind Systems…
• Trade Winds
–Comes from the
east
–Located between
the equator and
30 degrees
latitude in both
hemispheres
–(0° - 30°)
The Intertropical Convergence
Zone
What is the intertropical convergence
zone (ITCZ)?
 The area near the equator where the
trade winds converge.
 Air is forced up and creates an area of low
pressure. (Remember – warm air rising!)
 The ITCZ provides the moisture for
many of the world’s tropical rain
forests.
 Picture on next slide…
 The Doldrums…
What are the doldrums?
 Another name for the ITCZ!
 Sailing ships would often get stranded
in this area because of the light (or
no!) winds.
 The phrase, “I’m stuck in the
doldrums,” came from this
phenomenon.

Looking for wind!

 Horse Latitudes…
Why were the horse latitudes so
named?
 Around the 30 degrees latitude,
sinking air creates a belt of high
pressure which causes weak winds.
 Sailors stranded here were said to
throw their horses overboard when
they couldn’t feed them!
 Weather Systems in the
USA
Which global wind
system is
responsible for
much of the
movement of
weather across the
USA and Canada?
 The prevailing
westerlies
The Causes of Weather
 Pressure Systems – High
Pressure
Cold air sinking
a.Fair weather
b.Rotates
clockwise
c.Represented
as a blue ‘H’
Good ‘H’air Day!
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/high_pressure.html
 Pressure Systems – Low
Pressure
a. Warm air rising
b. Clouds and
precipitation
c. Rotates counter-
clockwise
d. Represented as a
red ‘L’
‘L’ousy Weather
Day!
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/high_pressure.html
 http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_275ZCyVPoFk/TNAxxCklePI/AAAAAAAAAJs/VFM3DzpqDzg/s1600/meteo.jpg
http://www.cdli.ca/courses/sci2200/unit02_org01_ilo03/b_activity.html

Cold Front…
• Definition – Cold, dense air displaces warm air and forces
it up a steep front
• Symbol – blue icicles!
• Weather – clouds, showers, and thunder storms
 http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/WeatherPatterns.html
http://www.cdli.ca/courses/sci2200/unit02_org01_ilo03/b_activity.html

Warm Front…
• Definition – Advancing warm air displaces cold air and
moves up slowly
• Symbol – red lava rocks!
• Weather – extensive cloudiness and precipitation
 Stationary (Stalled) Front…
• Definition – Two air masses meet and neither advances
• Symbol – blue icicles alternate with red lava rocks
• Weather – some clouds and precipitation

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0129-stationary-fronts.php
http://www.nvwx.com/wximages/occluded_front.png

Occluded Front…
• Definition – A cold air mass moves so rapidly that it
overtakes a warm front and wedges the warm air up.
• Symbol – purple alternating rocks/icicles
• Weather – precipitation on both sides of the front

http://www.aggiecat.com/Logs/logs-0016-Jan-08/occluded_front_sm.jpg
Gathering Weather Data
Thermometer
– Measures
temperature
– Degrees
Celsius or
Fahrenheit
– Thermometers
contain liquids
that expand
when heated.
 Barometer
• Measures air
pressure
• Millibars or inches
of mercury
• A barometer may
contain mercury or
a vacuum inside a
metal chamber that
contracts or
expands with
changes in air
pressure.
http://robertwhite.com/marineimages/precision_barometer.jpg
Anemometer
– Measures
wind speed
– … mph or
km/h or
knots
– Has cupped
arms that
rotate as the
wind blows.
http://www.smg.gov.mo/www/dm/equip/ws.jpg
 Hygrometer
–Measures
relative humidity
– % age of water air
is holding
compared to how
much it can hold.
– Uses wet- and dry-
bulb thermometers
and determines
how fast the water
evaporates from
the wet bulb.
https://www.avogadro-lab-supply.com/item_images/Wet%20Dry3.jpg
– Measures the
height of Ceilometer
cloud layers &
estimates
cloud cover
– meters above
ground level
– Radar is
beamed at
the bottom of
the clouds
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter5/graphics/ceilometer.jpg
Upper Level Data

To make accurate forecasts, meteorologist

gather data up to 30,000 m.
A radiosonde is a balloon-borne package of
weather sensors (upper level data)
a. Radiosondes take measurement on
temperature, air pressure and humidity.
b. They can track how fast and in what
direction it is moving to determine wind
speed/direction.
http://www.windows2universe.org/milagro/images/radiosonde_sm.jpg
 Weather Radar and
Satellites
Radar pinpoints where
rain is falling at
any given moment
a. radio detecting
and ranging
b. A radar system
works by
bouncing radio
waves off large
rain drops.

http://radar.weather.go http://www.comet.ucar.edu/nsflab/web/remote/1221.htm

v/
 The Doppler Effect…
… is the change in https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=0rJPvGML9A0
wave frequency of
energy (sound or
light) as it moves
toward or away
from an observer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Kg9F5pN5tlI&safe=active
Meteorologists use Doppler
Radar to plot the speed at
which raindrops move
toward or away from a
radar station.
This allows them to detect
severe weather events!http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvut83IRCk1r285ovo1_400.jpg
 Weather Satellites…
a. Weather radar
tracks rain.
b. Weather satellites
track clouds.
 Station Models…
What is a station model?
 A record of weather
data for a particular
site at a particular
time
What is the advantage of
using a station model?
 A large amount of
data can be shown
in a small space

http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/Aviation-weather-reporting.html
 Station Model Symbols…
Cloud/Sky Cover Wind Speed

http://0.tqn.com/d/weather/1/0/R/-/-/-/cloudcover.gif http://www.scalloway.org.uk/images/knots.gif
The Nature of Storms
Thunderstorms and
Severe Weather
Average Number of Thunderstorm
Days Annually… Florida is #1!!
 Cause of
Thunderstorms…
• Warm air rises over a mountain
• Temperature difference b/tw
land & sea
• Fronts
 Types of Thunderstorms…
• Air Mass - Mountain
– Where… within one air mass over a mountain
– Why… warm air rises over a mountain, forming
storm clouds!
– When… midafternoon

http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge301/press&siever12.3.png
 Types of Thunderstorms…
• Air Mass - Sea-Breeze
– Where… coastal areas, esp. tropics/subtropics
– Why… temperature differences between land
and sea create convection cells and updrafts
– When… summer

http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/~wintelsw/MET1010LOL/web/notes/chapter11/ts_ingredients4summary.html
 http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter11/graphics/cf_xsect.jpg

Types of Thunderstorms…
• Frontal - Cold
– Where… at the leading edge of a cold front
– Why… cold air pushes warm air rapidly up at
the steep cold-front boundary
– When… anytime a cold front moves in!
 Types of Thunderstorms…
• Frontal – Warm
– Where… at the
leading edge of a
warm front
– Why… warm air
mass slides up
over a cold air
mass creating
clouds
– When… if a warm
front moves in with
enough moisture
and instability
http://www.atmoz.org/img/warm-front.png
 Lightning…
What is lightning?
 A giant spark of
static electricity
How does a lightning
bolt form?
 A ‘-’ channel of air
from a cloud
(stepped leader)
connects with a ‘+’
channel on the
ground (return
stroke). http://i.imwx.com/web/multimedia/images/blog/stepped_lightning2.jpg
 Lightning…
What causes
thunder?
 Super-heated
air expanding
and contracting

How hot is
lightning?
 30,000 degrees
Celsius
http://www.eoearth.org/files/119701_119800/119773/Step5.jpg
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/lightning/images/lightning8.jpg
 http://www.barransclass.com/phys1090/circus/JenkinsD/JenkinsD.html

Lightning Damage…
The damage that lightning can do…
 7500 forest fires/year
 300 injuries/ 93 deaths/year
 Property damage

Lightning-struck trees on the

Blue Ridge Parkway
http://www.sciencephoto.com/images/download_lo_res.html?id=670034119
 Lightning Safety…

“When lightning
roars, go indoors!”
 Tornadoes (Formation of…)
A. change in wind
direction &
speed creates
horizontal
rotation.
B. Strong updrafts
tilt rotating air to
vertical position.
C. Tornado forms
within rotating http://www.weatherwizkids.com/tornado_formation.jpg

winds.
 Tornado
A supercell is a
Alley The giant, self-sustaining
Midwest! storm that can
spawn tornados.
(A cP air mass from
Canada meets a mT
air mass from the
Gulf of Mexico)
Tornado Alley is in
the midwest.
Most tornadoes
occur in May.
http://midwestweather.net/archives/tornadoclimatology.htm
 The Enhanced Fujita Scale…
a. This scale is used
to classify a
tornado AFTER
the tornado has
passed by looking
at the damage
and effects of the
tornado.
b. EF0 to EF5
 Tornado Safety…
1. Move to a pre-designated shelter – to
a basement if possible.
2. Move to an interior room/hall, lowest
floor, under sturdy furniture. (A bath tub
is safest!)
3. Stay away from windows.
4. Get out of vehicles!
5. Don’t try to outrun a tornado.
6. If outside, lie flat in a ditch or depression.
7. Abandon a mobile home for a shelter.
Tropical Storms &
Hurricanes
 Tropical Cyclones…
A tropical cyclone can be
described as a…
 Large, rotating,
low pressure
storm
We call these storms…
 hurricanes
Tropical cyclones derive
energy from…
 Warm, tropical
oceans http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml
 Tropical Cyclones…
As a hurricane
strengthens, what do
the following
components do?
a. Air pressure in
eyewall–
decreases
b. Surface wind
speeds – increase
 Tropical Cyclones…

Which direction do tropical

cyclones turn in the
northern hemisphere?
 Counterclockwise
 It is a low
pressure system!
 Remember the
Coriolis effect?
Fran, 1996, Cape Fear, NC
Name was retired!
 http://www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/?n=hurricane_rita

Tropical Cyclones…
Tropical cyclones in the N. Hemisphere move steadily towards…
 the west!
Which wind system moves across the USA and usually
guides hurricanes out into the Atlantic Ocean?
 the prevailing westerlies

Hurricane Rita – 2005, 3rd lowest pressure in Atlantic (897 mb), hit as cat. 3
 Development of a Tropical
Cyclone…
Tropical Disturbance – a weak, low-pressure
system – group of thunderstorms collect
 http://www.uvs-model.com/WFE%20on%20tropical%20cyclone%20(Hurricane).htm

Development of a Tropical
Cyclone…
Tropical Depression – a disturbance begins
to rotate around the center of low pressure

Katrina as a
tropical
depression
 http://www.weatherstockphotography.com/

Development of a Tropical
Cyclone…
Tropical Storm – a depression is labeled a
storm when the wind speeds reach 39 mph.

Tropical Storm Dalila, July 2007

 http://www.weatherstockphotography.com/

Development of a Tropical
Cyclone…
Tropical Hurricane – pressure drops
and the wind speeds reach 74 mph

Dean
2007

Katrina
Ivan 2005
2006
 Classifying Hurricanes… The
Saffir-Simpson Scale

4 characteristics of a
hurricane described…
a. Wind speed –
how high?
b. Air pressure –
how low?
c. Potential for
damage – how
much?!
d. Storm surge
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/sshws_table.shtml?large
 Classifying Hurricanes…
The Saffir-Simpson Scale…
Categories 1 – 5
Category that does the most damage –
5
Wind speed of a cat 5? > 155 mph
Three most powerful storms to hit USA?
a. Florida Keys, 1935
b. Camille, 1969
c. Andrew, 1992
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastint.shtml
 Classifying Hurricanes…
A hurricane runs
out of energy
When it
moves over
land or cold
water

http://backyard.weatherbug.com/profiles/blogs/the-south-central-texas-445
 Hurricane Hazards…

The strongest
winds in a
hurricane
are in the…
 eye wall

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcp/localarea/Weather/PublishingImages/def1.gif
 Hurricane Hazards…
What is a storm surge?

When hurricane force winds drive a mound

of ocean water towards coastal areas

http://www.chathamemergency.org/images/storm%20surge%202.png
 Storm Surge…
a. 9 of every 10 people who die in a
hurricane are killed by the storm surge.
b. You should EVACUATE so you don’t get
killed by the storm surge!
 Hurricane Hazards…
What hurricane hazard is caused by
great amounts of rain?
 floods

Flooding from
Hurricane Fran
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1996/of96-499/text/PHOTOS.html
 Hurricane
Hazards…
Which agency is
responsible for
tracking and
forecasting
hurricanes?
 The National
Hurricane
Center in
Miami, FL
(FIU Campus)
(NOAA)
The World’s Best Hurricane
Safety Tip…

EVACUATE!!
Human Impact on Air
Quality
 Smog (Smokey Fog)…
1. Smog is a yellow-brown photochemical
haze.
2. Smog is caused by solar radiation
heating pollution (hydrocarbons &
nitrogen oxides mostly from car
exhaust).
3. Smog makes it difficult to breathe!
4. The major chemical in smog is ozone.
b/c Ozone irritates the eyes, nose,
throat, & lungs.
 Particulate Matter…
Four examples of particulate matter
include…
1. ash, dust, pollen, & asbestos fibers.
2. These are forms of SOLID pollutants in
the air.
Particulate matter is harmful to people
because it can…
get in lung tissues & cause breathing
difficulties & lung disease.
See next slide…
 Review Only! The
Greenhouse Effect
What is the greenhouse
effect? It is heat from
the sun being trapped by
the gases in our
atmosphere.
– A greenhouse effect you
may relate to is that of a
closed car on a cold, sunny
day in winter.
– The greenhouse effect is a
GOOD thing! It allows for
life on our planet!
http://www.uic.com.au/graphics/ueg1-1.gif
 Global Warming…
Global warming is…
… an increase in Earth’s average surface
temperature.
Some scientists believe that the cause of
global warming is...  Coal for electricity
… the burning of fossil fuels
 Gasoline for vehicles
Write examples in margin…  Natural Gas for
fireplaces and cooking

a. which releases carbon dioxide (CO2)

b. CO2 makes up only .04% of the
atmosphere! (4 out of 10,000 molecules)
 Fossil Fuel Use
• Fossil Fuels Used…
– Coal for electricity
– Gasoline for vehicles
– Natural Gas for fireplaces and cooking
There are many scientists who believe the Sun has
the major role in global warming/cooling.
To reduce levels of CO2 in the atmosphere people
can …
… reduce our use of fossil fuels! (And stop
breathing!) How?
 The Ozone Issue www.space.gc.ca

Review! The ozone

layer is found in
the stratosphere.

Ozone absorbs
ultraviolet
radiation
from the sun.
 Add to Margin of Notes: 3 Effects
of Ultraviolet Radiation…
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause
cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye) and
skin cancer.
Ultraviolet radiation can kill the eggs of certain
animals like amphibians because they lay their
eggs in shallow water.

www.matthews.co.nz www.waterencyclopedia.com
www.mja.com.au
 The Ozone Issue
Man-made chemicals
called (CFCs)
chlorofluorocarbons
react with ozone and
break it apart.

(The part of the CFC

molecule that reacts
with the ozone
molecule is the
chlorine atom.)

observe.arc.nasa.gov
 The Ozone Issue

CFCs are used as refrigerants, coolants,

propellants in aerosol cans, and Styrofoam.

www.ec.gc.ca
tiki.oneworld.net
 The Ozone Issue
We should eliminate sources of CFCs
worldwide. (CFCs were banned in the late
1980’s in industrialized nations. They are still in
use in some places in the world.)

“Under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, developing

countries committed themselves to halving
consumption and production of the CFCs by 2005
and to achieving an 85 percent cut by 2007.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020919/science.htm#2
 Acid Precipitation (Rain)
…
1. Acid precipitation (rain) is precipitation
with a pH of less than 5.
The pH of natural precipitation is 5.0 to 5.6.
2. Acid precipitation forms when sulfur
dioxide (SO2) & nitrogen oxides (NO2)
combine w/ atmospheric water to create
sulfuric acid & nitric acid.
3. Six types of acid precipitation are acidic
rain, snow, fog, mist, gas, and dust.
4.Nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide come from
volcanoes, marshes, and human
activities
Coal-burning Power Plant –
Jacksonville, FL

5. The source of acid

precipitation that receives
the most attention is
caused by coal-burning
power plants in the
midwestern USA.
 Acid Rain… Easy on
the acid
rain, guys!
6. Three effects of
acid precipitation
are the damage it
causes to…
a. … aquatic
ecosystems
b. … plants & soil.
c. … stone
buildings &
statues.
Acid Rain…
7. Prevention:
Use wet
scrubbers on
smoke stacks of
coal-burning
power plants.
(to reduce sulfur
emissions)
 Station Model…

http://visual.merriam-webster.com/images/earth/meteorology/station-model.jpg
 http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/Jet_Stream/DI68G1.jpg

Jet Streams…
• Definition of Jet Stream…
– Narrow bands of fast, high altitude
westerly winds (which resemble jets of
water)
– Jet streams follow the boundaries
between hot and cold air and are
strongest in the winter.
A Jet Stream As It Appears on
a Weather Map…
 Jet Streams…
• Location by Wind Systems…
A. Polar jet stream (separates polar
easterlies from prevailing westerlies)
B. Subtropical jet stream (where the trade
winds meet the prevailing westerlies)