Atmosphere of Earth

The Earth’s atmosphere is a

dynamic system that is
changing continuously while
undergoing chemical and
physical change.

It is the thin layer of gases that envelopes the earth. Gases in the
air support plant and animal life. Some gases even block rays the
radiation of the sun.
COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

Air is a mixture of many gases, each with its own physical

properties and varying quantities of both solid and liquid particles.

1. Nitrogen (78%)
- the most abundant and
important gas in the
atmosphere. It dilutes oxygen to lessen the rate at which
oxidation or burning occurs.

-It is important element in the body of plants and animals

2. Oxygen (21%)
- Breath of life, it is the most important gas in the atmosphere.
The energy exhibited by animal life is released by using the
oxygen to burn the foods, releasing energy and carbon dioxide.

- it aids in the purifying water, decaying waste matter and

destroying germs.
3. Carbon Dioxide (0.03%)

-plays an important role in life. It is used in the plant’s

photosynthesis.

-in industries, it is used in making soda water, and carbonated

drinks.

- When in solid form, it known as “dry ice” which is used in

refrigiration.

-it helps keep the atmosphere warm.

4. Argon (1%)
- used in the incandescent light bulb.

Other gases are Neon, Helium, and Methane.

In addition to gases, the atmosphere also contains particulate

matter such as dust, volcanic ash, rain, and snow.

They can sometimes remain in the atmosphere for relatively long

periods of time. Volcanic ash from the 1991 eruption of Mt.
Pinatubo in the Philippines, for example, darkened skies around
the globe for over a year.
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE

1. Troposphere

- is the layer closest to Earth's surface. It is 4 to 12 miles (7 to

20 km) thick and contains half of Earth's atmosphere. Air is
warmer near the ground and gets colder higher up. Nearly all of the
water vapor and dust in the atmosphere are in this layer and that is
why clouds are found here.
2. Stratosphere

-is the second layer.

-Ozone is abundant here and it heats the atmosphere while also

absorbing harmful radiation from the sun.

-The air here is very dry, and it is about a thousand times

thinner here than it is at sea level. Because of that, this is where jet
aircraft and weather balloons fly.
3. Mesosphere

- the top of the mesosphere, called the mesopause, is the

coldest part of Earth's atmosphere, (minus 90 C).

-This layer is hard to study. Jets and balloons don't go high

enough, and satellites and space shuttles orbit too high.

- Scientists do know that meteors burn up in this layer.

4. Thermosphere

- Temperatures can get up to 2,700

degrees F (1,500 C) at this altitude.

- Air density is so low that most of

this layer is what is normally thought
of as outer space. In fact, this is where
the space shuttles flew and where the
International Space Station orbits
Earth.
5. Exosphere

- the highest layer, is

extremely thin and is where
the atmosphere merges into
outer space.

-It is composed of very

widely dispersed particles
of hydrogen and helium.
 WEATHER
AND CLIMATE
Weather & Climate

Weather and climate describe the world outside the window -

whether it’s hot or cold, humid or dry, sunny or cloudy.

Weather is the short term conditions present in the moment that let
people know what to wear today and whether or not to bring an
umbrella.

Climate describes the long term conditions that let people know what
clothes to keep in their wardrobe all year long and whether they need
to own snow boots, flip flops or both.
Elements of Weather and Climate

1. WIND
Wind is the movement of air parallel to Earth’s surface.

2. TEMPERATURE
Refers to the degree of coldness or hotness of the air, water, soil and
living organisms.

Temperature changes may also be associated with wind direction. In

the Northern Hemisphere winds from the south usually bring rising
temperatures, while northerly winds are normally accompanied by
falling temperatures
3. HUMIDITY
Humidity is the amount of moisture/vapor in the air. Water exists in
the air in gaseous form, called water vapor. Warm air can contain
more vapor than cold air can.

When the air feels damp, the humidity is high. If humidity is low,
there is very little moisture in the air. Low humidity can cause lips
crack and skin dryness.
4. CLOUD
It is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of minute liquid droplets,
frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a
planetary body

On Earth, clouds are formed as a result of saturation of the air when

it is cooled to its dew point, or when it gains sufficient moisture.
5. PRECIPITATION

Precipitation is water released

from clouds in the form of
rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow,
or hail. It is the primary
connection in the water cycle
that provides for the delivery
of atmospheric water to the
Earth. Most precipitation falls Sleet- a form of precipitation consisting of
ice pellets, often mixed with rain or snow.
as rain.
Hail- It is distinct from ice pellets, though
the two are often confused. It consists of
balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of
which is called a hailstone
GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The "greenhouse effect" is the warming that happens when certain

gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat. These gases let in light but
keep heat from escaping, like the glass walls of a greenhouse.

First, sunlight shines onto the Earth's surface, where it is absorbed

and then radiates back into the atmosphere as heat. In the
atmosphere, “greenhouse” gases trap some of this heat, and the rest
escapes into space. The more greenhouse gases are in the
atmosphere, the more heat gets trapped.
GLOBAL WARMING

The globe is heating up. Both land and oceans are warmer now than
record-keeping began in 1880, and temperatures are still ticking
upward. This temperature rise, in a nutshell, is global warming.

Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, cloud forests are dying,
and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace.

It's becoming clear that humans have caused most of the past
century's warming by releasing heat-trapping gases as we power
our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher
now than in the last 650,000 years.
What are El Niño and La Niña?

El Niño

El Niño means The Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish. El Niño was
originally recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America in the
1600s, with the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean.

Typical El Niño effects are likely to develop over North America during
the upcoming winter season. Those include warmer-than-average
temperatures in places which are generally cold. . The presence of El
Niño can significantly influence weather patterns, ocean conditions, and
marine fisheries across large portions of the globe for an extended period
of time.
La Niña

La Niña means The Little Girl in Spanish. La Niña simply "a cold
event."

La Niña episodes represent periods of below-average sea surface

temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific. Global
climate La Niña impacts tend to be opposite those of El Niño
impacts. In the tropics, ocean temperature variations in La Niña
also tend to be opposite those of El Niño.

During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than

normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest..
4 Types of Climate in the Philippines

There are four recognized climate types in the Philippines, and they
are based on the distribution of rainfall.

Type I.
Two pronounced season: dry from November to April and wet
during the rest of the year.

Type II.
No dry season with a pronounced rainfall from November to
January.

Type III.
Seasons are not very pronounced, relatively dry from November to
April, and wet during the rest of the year.
Type IV.
Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

There are three recognized seasons:

1. Tag-init or Tag-araw (the hot season or summer from March to

May),
2. Tag-ulan (the rainy season from June to November), and
Taglamig (the cold season from December to February)
3. The humid southwest monsoon (May-October) is known as
"Habagat". The cool and dry winds of the northeast monsoon
(November April) are called "Amihan".
HABAGAT VS AMIHAN

HABAGAT
• Summer Monsoon (West or southwest)
• characterized by a strong, generally West or southwest breeze
that is responsible for bringing significant rainfall to the Asian
subcontinent and to South and East Asia.

AMIHAN
• Winter Monsoon (North or northeast)
• features a generally less strong, East or northeast breeze that is
cool and dry (compared to the Summer Monsoon weather) with
prolonged periods of successive cloudless days
Weather Disturbances
 Weather Disturbances
- a term used to describe a change in atmospheric conditions
or weather patterns.

- The Philippines is located in the North Pacific Ocean where

the greatest number of cyclones form. An average of 22
cyclones form in this area every year, about 19 of which
enter the Philippine Area of Forecast Responsibility (or
Philippine Area of Responsibility, PAR). The Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) issues warning bulletins about a
typhoon only when it is within the PAR.
Tropical Cyclone

Tropical cyclones are low pressure areas that forms in the

tropics over the seas and ocean.

It is called a HURRICANE if the cyclone has sustained winds

of 74 mph or more.

The terms cyclone, typhoon and hurricane are almost just the
same. The name only varies depending to is location.
Tropical Cyclone

It is called cyclone in the Indian ocean and typhoon in the

western Pacific.

The Pacific Ocean is located between the Philippines and the

Marianas and Caroline Islands and it is where the typhoons are
formed, thus affecting greatly our country

Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth. They form

near the equator over warm ocean waters over the Atlantic
Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean.
Typhoons

Are considered as the most destructive weather disturbance

because it is characterized by heavy rains and violent winds.

Some places in the Philippines like Bicol region, Quezon

province, Nueva Vizcaya, Samar and Leyte are frequently
visited by typhoons because they are open to both northwest
and southern monsoons.

Southern Mindanao, Southern Visayas, Mindoro and Palawan

are seldom affected by typhoons because they are protected
mountain ranges.
How Typhoons are Formed?
Eye of the Storm
They are found at the center and are between 20-50km
in diameter. It is the focus of the hurricane, the point
about which the rest of the storm rotates and where the
lowest surface pressures are found in the storm

Skies are often clear above the eye and winds are
relatively light. It is actually the calmest section of any
hurricane.

Inter Tropical Convergence Zone

The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, is a

belt of low pressure which circles the Earth
generally near the equator where the trade winds of
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come
together. It is characterised by convective activity
which generates often vigorous thunderstorms over
large areas.