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The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere. The Atmosphere. Weather and Climate Atmospheric Composition Atmospheric Structure Energy, Heat, & Temperature Review of Earth-Sun Relationships Incoming Solar Radiation Atmospheric Heating What Controls Air Temperature? World Temperature Distribution. Terms. Weather

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The Atmosphere

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  1. The Atmosphere

  2. The Atmosphere • Weather and Climate • Atmospheric Composition • Atmospheric Structure • Energy, Heat, & Temperature • Review of Earth-Sun Relationships • Incoming Solar Radiation • Atmospheric Heating • What Controls Air Temperature? • World Temperature Distribution

  3. Terms • Weather • Short-term conditions; change often • Climate • Long-term composite of weather conditions; changes more slowly • Albedo • How reflective a surface is; higher albedo=more reflective

  4. Terms • Ozone • O3 molecules; shield Earth from UV rays • Climate proxy • Way of measuring climate conditions before records were kept • Ice cores, deep ocean sediments, others

  5. Weather and Climate PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  6. Weather and Climate PSCI 131: The Atmosphere • Weather: short-term condition; local • Climate: long-term conditions; regional or global

  7. Weather and Climate PSCI 131: The Atmosphere Weather data Climate data

  8. Atmospheric Composition PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  9. Major Components PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Composition • Don’t vary significantly

  10. Variable Components PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Composition • Vary by location and over time • Three important ones: • Water vapor • Aerosols • Ozone

  11. Variable Components: Water vapor PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Composition • Clouds, precipitation • Greenhouse gas (traps heat) • State changes absorb or release energy

  12. Variable Components: Aerosols PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Composition • Suspended solid or liquid particles • Dust, pollen, liquid water, bacteria, etc. • Refract light, give sky its color

  13. Variable Components: Ozone PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Composition • O3 molecules • Absorbs UV radiation • Concentrated in “ozone layer”

  14. Atmospheric Structure PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  15. Pressure PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Structure • Weight of air over a given location • Decreases with increasing altitude • 50% of atmosphere’s mass concentrated in lowest 4 miles (out of 90+ miles)

  16. Pressure PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Structure

  17. World-record parachutists PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Structure • Kittinger • 1960 • 19 miles • 614 mph max speed • Baumgartner • 2012 • 24 miles • 843 mph max speed

  18. Temperature-based Structure PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Structure • Four temperature-based layers • Troposphere (lowest) • Stratosphere • Mesosphere • Thermosphere (highest)

  19. Temperature-based Structure PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Structure

  20. Energy, Heat, & Temperature PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  21. Heat Energy PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Energy, Heat, Temperature • Drives atmospheric activity • Creates “weather” • Moves from hotter to cooler

  22. Heat Transfer PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Energy, Heat, Temperature

  23. Earth-Sun Relations (review) PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  24. PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Earth-Sun Relations

  25. PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Earth-Sun Relations

  26. Incoming Solar Radiation PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  27. Incoming Solar Radiation PSCI 131: The Atmosphere • Atmosphere can do three things to solar energy: • Reflection • Albedo: % of incoming energy that is reflected • Scattering • Absorption • All three keep energy from reaching surface

  28. PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Incoming Solar Radiation 100 % Incoming Absorbed: 50% land/sea, 20% atmosphere Reflected: 5% land/sea, 20% clouds Scattered: 5% atmosphere

  29. Atmospheric Heating PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  30. PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Atmospheric Heating The Greenhouse Effect 1) Short-wavelength (light) energy absorbed by surface. 2) Energy re-radiated at longer wavelengths (heat) by surface. 3) Greenhouse gases absorb heat, re-radiate it again.

  31. What Controls Air Temperature? PSCI 131: The Atmosphere

  32. Sun Angle PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Controls on Air Temperature • Sun angle controlled by • Latitude • Season

  33. Other Controls on Air Temp PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Controls on Air Temperature • Geographic location • Proximity to large bodies of water • Leeward vs windward side of continent

  34. Other Controls on Air Temp PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Controls on Air Temperature • Geographic location • Proximity to large bodies of water

  35. Other Controls on Air Temp PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Controls on Air Temperature • Geographic location • Leeward vs windward

  36. Other Controls on Air Temp PSCI 131: The Atmosphere: Controls on Air Temperature • Altitude • Higher = cooler average temps • Cloudiness • Ocean currents • Move heat from tropics to colder areas

  37. End of Chapter

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