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Do now: Please pick up the atmosphere handout up front.

Abiotic Factors Determining Biomes: Atmosphere, Global Wind & Ocean Currents, Proximity to Large Bodies of Water, and The Rain Shadow Effect. Do now: Please pick up the atmosphere handout up front. P lot the data, then draw a smooth curve. Earth’s Atmosphere.

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Do now: Please pick up the atmosphere handout up front.

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  1. Abiotic Factors Determining Biomes: Atmosphere, Global Wind & Ocean Currents, Proximity to Large Bodies of Water, and The Rain Shadow Effect Do now: Please pick up the atmosphere handout up front. Plot the data, then draw a smooth curve.

  2. Earth’s Atmosphere • Atmospheric layers delineated by temperature • Gasses w/constant proportions • Nitrogen 78% • Oxygen 21% • Argon 0.09% • Carbon Dioxide 0.039% • Particulate Matter (PM) • Ash • Soot • Pollen • Mineral dust • Salt spray

  3. Sun emits EMS: Radio  micro IR  visible  UV  X-rays  Gamma • Main part of the spectrum absorbed in the thermosphere  x-rays & gamma rays • Main part of the spectrum absorbed the by ozone layer  UV • Main part of the spectrum that reaches the Earth’s surface  Visible • Main part of the spectrum that is radiated by the Earth’s surface and then absorbed by GH gasses  IR

  4. NASA Earth Observatory: The Greenhouse Effect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzCA60WnoMk

  5. Unequal Heating of Earth The unequal heating is due to: • The variation in angle at which the Sun's rays strike • The amount of surface area over which the Sun's rays are distributed • Some areas of Earth reflect more solar energy than others. (Albedos)

  6. Unequal Heating of Earth As the Sun's energy passes through the atmosphere and strikes land and water, it warms the surface of Earth. But this warming does not occur evenly across the planet. The % of incoming sunlight that is reflected from a surface is called its albedo.

  7. Global Atmospheric Circulation Global patterns of air movement are initiated by unequal heating of the Earth Convection Currents • Wind currents are driven by differences in pressure largely dictated by temperature. • These pressure differences cause rising and sinking air • Climate (temp and precipitation) or terrestrial biomes can be expected. • Winds don’t flow straight b/c Earth is spinning

  8. Earth's Rotation and the Coriolis Effect As Earth rotates, this causes a deflection of objects that are moving directly north or south.

  9. Global Wind Currents

  10. Earth's Rotation and the Coriolis Effect • Coriolis Effect- the deflection of an object's path due to Earth's rotation. • The prevailing winds of the world are produced by a combination of atmospheric convection currents and the Corioliseffect.

  11. Global Ocean Currents Global ocean currents are mainly a result of global wind patterns and also show deflection due to the Coriolis Effect. The circular pattern of major ocean currents are called gyres. Gyres that cross latitudes, bring in warm or cold water into their new surroundings, and affect climate in that region.

  12. Proximity to Large Bodies of Water • Water has a high specific heat capacity. • The specific heat of a substance is the heat needed to change the temperature of one gram of the substance by one degree Celsius. • Some substances (ex. air) change temperature with the addition of very little energy, while others, like water, need greater amounts of energy to change. • So, the specific heat capacity of water helps regulate climate in coastal regions. • Coastal regions have narrower ranges in temperature compared to inland areas.

  13. Topography & The Rain Shadow Effect

  14. The Rain Shadow Effect • When air moving inland from the ocean that contains a large amount of water vapor meets the windward side of a mountain range (the side facing the wind), it rises and begins to experience cooling. • Because water vapor condenses as air cools, clouds form and precipitation falls. • The presence of the mountain range causes large amounts of precipitation to fall on its windward side. • The cold, dry air then travels to the other side of the mountain range (the leeward side), where it descends. • This air is now warm and dry and produces arid conditions on the leeward side forming the region called a rain shadow.

  15. Clouds & Fog

  16. Closure: • What are the four layers of the atmosphere from least to most dense. • In what two layers does most of the absorption of light occur? Be specific- type of light and where. • Explain the greenhouse effect. Homework: • Practice drawing out the global wind currents. Label and color code global ocean currents. • Biomes triangles and CE Scrapbooks due 12/10

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