HOUR 4.

INTRODUCTION TO THE
ATMOSPHERE-PART 2

OBJECTIVE: GAIN AN
UNDERSTANDING OF 2.
PRINCIPLE OF CLIMATE AND
WEATHER AND 3. INTERACTION
OF THE SPHERES OF THE EARTH.
PRINCIPLE OF CLIMATE AND
WEATHER = ELEMENTS
A. WEATHER
• WHAT IS “WEATHER”?
• TEMPERATURE?
• WIND?
• HUMIDITY?
• RAIN/SNOW/DRIZZLE?
• CLOUDS?
• OTHER?
 WEATHER CONSISTS OF “ELEMENTS”
•THE COLLECTION OF ELEMENTS MAKE
UP THE WEATHER – EXAMPLES:
•TEMPERATURE IS 80 DEGREES
•WIND IS NORTH AT 20 MPH
•SKY IS CLOUDY
•MENTIONING ONLY ONE TELLS US
LITTLE ABOUT THE “WEATHER”
•MORE WE INCLUDE – MORE WE KNOW
ABOUT WEATHER
 PRINCIPLE OF CLIMATE AND WEATHER
B. CLIMATE ~~~ WEATHER AND CLIMATE
•DIFFERENCE? YES.
•WEATHER ~~ WHAT IS HAPPENING / WILL
HAPPEN.
•CLIMATE ~~ GENERALIZATION OF
WEATHER.
•SUM OF ALL STATISTICAL WEATHER
INFORMATION
–BASED ON ACCUMULATION OF WEATHER
OBERSVATIONS OVER TIME
–INCLUDES VARIATIONS AND EXTREMES
–PROBABILITIES AND FREQUENCIES
INCLUDED.
 PRINCIPLE OF CLIMATE AND WEATHER
C. EARTH HEAT BUDGET BY ZONE:
BASIC CAUSE OF ALL WEATHER IS THE ~~
NON-UNIFORM HEATING OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE BY
THE SUN
 NON-UNIFORM HEATING OF THE
EARTH’S SURFACE BY THE SUN
DUE TO SUN’S POSITION IN THE SKY, DIFFERENT
PORTIONS OF SURFACE ARE HEATED DIFFERENTLY

DEPENDS ON LATITUDE
 NON-UNIFORM HEATING OF THE
EARTH’S SURFACE BY THE SUN
MUST BALANCE SURPLUS AND DEFICIT
HEATING REGIONS

BALANCE IS MAINTAINED BY ATMOSPHERIC

AND OCEANIC CIRCULATION
INTERACTION OF THE SPHERES OF THE EARTH
IN ADDITION OF THE ATMOSPHERE –
4 OTHER SPHERES

Lithosphere - EARTH’S SURFACE

Hydrosphere - OCEANS
Biosphere - LIFE
Cryosphere – GLACIERS AND ICE
INTERACTION OF THE SPHERES OF THE EARTH

CONTINENTIAL DRIFT

VOLCANOES –

BIOSPHERE – ATMOSPHERE

HYDROSPHERE – ATMOSPHERE

HYDROSPHERE – CRYOSPHERE
 SUMMARY

WHAT IS WEATHER

WHAT IS CLIMATE

WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE

WHAT ARE OTHER SPHERES

COMPOSTION OF ATMOSPHERE/TEMPERATURE
STRUCTURE