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The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere. What is the atmosphere?. All of the gases that surround Earth Create an insulating “blanket” around the planet that keep the temperature within a constant range. What gasses are in the atmosphere?. Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% Other 1%

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The Atmosphere

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  1. The Atmosphere

  2. What is the atmosphere? • All of the gases that surround Earth • Create an insulating “blanket” around the planet that keep the temperature within a constant range

  3. What gasses are in the atmosphere? • Nitrogen 78% • Oxygen 21% • Other 1% • Other includes Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Water Vapor

  4. The atmosphere also contains solids – called “atmospheric dust”

  5. Gravity • The force that pulls everything to the earth • How does gravity affect the layering of the atmosphere? Denser materials are closer to the earth. Denser layers of the atmosphere will be closer to the earth.

  6. Denver, CO is a mile high city. If you were to ski in the Denver area, you might have a hard time breathing – WHY IS THIS? Since you are exercising you have to breath more to get the amount of oxygen your body needs. However – the air at this elevation is less dense so the air molecules are more spread out and there are less of them available.

  7. What are the layers of the atmosphere?

  8. Troposphere • Layer nearest to the earth’s surface • About 18 km high • Densest layer • Within this layer temperature decreases as altitude increases • Where greenhouse gasses are

  9. Stratosphere • From 18 km to 50 km • Contains ozone • Ozone molecules absorb UV energy from the sun and heat up this layer • Therefore temperature Increases as altitude increases

  10. Mesosphere • From 50 km to 80 km high • Coldest layer • Temperature decreases as altitude increases

  11. Thermosphere • Hottest layer – reaching temperatures of 2000 degrees celcius ( 3632 F) • An organism wouldn’t be able to feel the heat here because the molecules are so far apart that they don’t bump into each other or the organism • Molecules in this layer absorb harmful x-rays and gamma rays from the sun • Aurora – Solar lights occur in this layer

  12. Interpret this Graph • What happens as to the temperature as you rise through the… Troposphere? Stratosphere? Mesosphere? Thermosphere?

  13. Where is the Ozone layer and what does it do? • Ozone layer is in the stratosphere • The ozone layer absorbs UV radiation from the Sun. • UV radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. • Exposure to UV radiation can lead to skin cancer

  14. How does energy move around within the atmosphere?

  15. How does the atmosphere keep us warm?

  16. What are greenhouse gasses? • Any gas that can trap heat radiated by the earth and radiate it back toward the surface of the planet • Includes Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Water Vapor, and Methane

  17. What happens when there are too many greenhouse gas molecules in the atmosphere?

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