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3-2 The Atmosphere

3-2 The Atmosphere. The Atmosphere. A mixture of gases surrounding the earth Insulates the earth, maintaining a temperature that allows living things to survive. composition. Nitrogen – 78% Oxygen – 21% Other – 1% ( argon, CO 2, methane CH 4, H 2 O)

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3-2 The Atmosphere

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  1. 3-2 The Atmosphere

  2. The Atmosphere • A mixture of gases surrounding the earth • Insulates the earth, maintaining a temperature that allows living things to survive

  3. composition • Nitrogen – 78% • Oxygen – 21% • Other – 1% ( argon, CO2, methane CH4, H2O) • Solids: dust, soil, salt, ash, skin, hair, pollen, • bacteria, viruses, aerosols (liquid droplets)

  4. Pressure • Atmosphere (gasses have mass) pulled toward earth by gravity • Atmosphere is more dense near the surface • Pressure decreases as you increase altitude

  5. Layers of Atmosphere (4)-based on temperature changes • Troposphere – nearest the earth to 18 km • Site of weather • Most dense layer • Temperature decreases as altitude increases

  6. Layers of Atmosphere • Stratosphere – 18 km – 50 km • Temperature rises as altitude rises • Contains ozone layer (traps UV energy & warms the air). Ozone O3

  7. Layers of Atmosphere • Mesophere – 50 km – 80 km • Coldest layer -93 degrees C

  8. Layers of Atmosphere • Thermosphere – 80 km – 550 km • Temperatures above 2000 degrees C. N & O absorb solar radiation. Not hot, because molecules do not strike each other & transfer heat. • N & O absorb radiation & become charged (ions) Ions radiate light forming aurora borealis (Northern Lights)

  9. Energy in the atmosphere • How is energy transferred in the atmosphere? • What is energy? • What forms do energy take?

  10. How is energy transferred? • Heat likes to move from a heat source to a heat sink. • Radiation is movement of energy in electromagnetic waves (light)

  11. Energy transferred in 3 ways: • Radiation: across space • Conduction: flows from warm object to cold object • Convection: air currents unequal heating of atmosphere

  12. Heating the atmosphere • Solar energy (electromagnetic radiation) travels to earth in waves • 50% reaches the earth’s surface • 5% reflected by the surface of the earth • 20% absorbed by ozone, clouds, gases • 25% scattered & reflected by clouds & atmosphere

  13. Movement of air • Convection current causes weather

  14. Greenhouse effect • Gases in atmosphere (CO2, CH4, H2O, nitrous oxide) trap light energy & warms the air, radiating heat back to earth • Loss of greenhouse gases would cause earth to cool • Increases in CO2 cause earth to warm (global warming)

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