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The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere. The Atmosphere. The atmosphere is the envelope of gases that surround our planet It is a very thin layer compared to the radius of the Earth. State of the Atmosphere. We discuss and study the atmosphere in terms of the following variables: Pressure Temperature Wind

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The Atmosphere

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  1. The Atmosphere

  2. The Atmosphere • The atmosphere is the envelope of gases that surround our planet • It is a very thin layer compared to the radius of the Earth

  3. State of the Atmosphere • We discuss and study the atmosphere in terms of the following variables: • Pressure • Temperature • Wind • Humidity • Cloud cover • Precipitation type and amount • Visibility (distance one can see horizontally)

  4. Weather vs. Climate • Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular time and a particular place. • Climate is the long-term state of the atmosphere at a particular location.

  5. Atmospheric Composition Dry air (neglecting water vapor) is composed of the following gases: Nitrogen (N2) = 78% Oxygen (O2) = 21% Argon (Ar) = 1% Trace Gases Dust, bacteria, and other particulates

  6. Atmospheric Composition • Trace Gases • Gases that are only found by examining a million or billion air molecules • Examples include: • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) = 340 ppmv • Neon (Ne) = 18 ppmv • Helium (He) = 5 ppmv • Methane (CH4) = 2 ppmv • Hydrogen (H2) = 0.5 ppmv

  7. Composition of Air • There are many different types of gasses in the atmosphere • They include nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and other noble gasses • The gas that is most abundant is nitrogen

  8. Vertical Layers of the Atmosphere The Earth’s atmosphere has 4 distinct layers that are identified by the way temperature changes with height. These layers are: - Troposphere - Stratosphere - Mesosphere - Thermosphere

  9. Vertical Layers of the Atmosphere (continued) • Layers of the atmosphere are determined based on how temperature changes

  10. Troposphere • This is the layer closest to the Earth’s surface • Almost all the weather phenomenon we know of occurs in this layer. • The depth of the troposphere varies by the season (deeper in summer) • Temperature on average decreases with height.

  11. Stratosphere • The next layer above the troposphere • The boundary between the stratosphere and troposphere is called the tropopause. • The ozone layer is found here • Some clouds can form here near the poles • Temperature increases with height • Very little mixing occurs between the troposphere and stratosphere.

  12. Mesosphere • The mesosphere is the next layer above the stratosphere. • Clouds are rare in the mesosphere. • Temperature decreases with height in the mesosphere

  13. Thermosphere • The thermosphere rests above the mesosphere, and no clouds exist. • Temperature increases with height in the thermosphere. • The highest temperatures for the atmosphere occur in the thermosphere, but it doesn’t feel hot because the atmosphere is so thin up there.

  14. Thermosphere (continued) • This is where most small meteorites burn up and is also the location in the atmosphere that the northern lights occur (aurora borealis)

  15. Atmospheric Density • Density and pressure in the atmosphere decrease exponentially with height • Approximately 75% of the total atmosphere is in the troposphere • Approximately 99% of the atmosphere is the troposphere and stratosphere

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