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Whatistheatmosphere?
TheAtmosphereandclimate
Zonesoftheatmosphere
Greenhouseeffect
Convectioncurrents
Weather
Atmosphere:
retainssolarheat,protectsusfromdeadlyradiationisspace,anddistributeswaterthatmakes
upmostofourbodies.
consistofgasmoleculesheldneartheearth'ssurfacebygravity
lightweighthydrogenandhelium
fourdistinctzonesofcontrastingtemperature
Itiscomposedofnitrogengas,oxygengas,watervapor,aerosolsminute,suspendedparticles,and
droplets.
ZONESOFTHEATMOSPHERE
Troposphere:
Weatheroccurshere.Adjacenttotheearthssurface
Convectioncurrentsredistributeheatandmoisturearoundtheglobe
heatedbyearthssurface
Thelayerofairnearesttotheearth'ssurfacebothtemperatureandpressureusually
decreasewithincreasingaltitude.
airinthislayerisinconstantmotionanddistributesheatandmoisturearoundthe
world
airabsorbsenergyfromthesunwarmedearth'ssurface,andfrommoisture
evaporatingfromoceans
Thetropospherecontainsabout75percentofthetotalmassoftheatmosphere
temperaturesdropwhenitgetsfurtherawayfromtheearth(60C(76F).
tropopause:whentheairisnolongerwarmerthanitssurroundings
Atmospheric:Atmosphericaerosolsareimportantincapturing,distributing,orreflectingenergy.
stratosphere:zoneintheatmosphereextendingfromthetropopause
nowatervapor,but1000xmoreozonethanthetroposphere
Ozoneabsorbsultravioletlight,whichwarmsupperpartofstratosphere
OzoneprotectsalllifeonearthsinceUVradiationdamageslivingtissues
OzoneisbeingdepletedbypollutantsincludingFreonandbromine
Thermosphere:heatedlayerbeginsatabout80km
Ionizedgasesandhightemperatures
Weather:shorttermforlocalpatterns
whatcaninfluenceweather?airmassessuchascoldairmassandhotairmasscomingtogether.
Climate:oppositeofweather,anditislongtermpatternsoftemperatureandprecipitationoverthe
years.Includingthingslikedrought.
aerosolsminuteparticlesorliquiddropletssuspendedintheair
convectioncurrents:aircurrentsstirtheatmosphere
ozone:(O
3
)pollutantneartheearth'ssurfaces
Absorbedsolarenergywarmsourworld
Abouthalfoftheincomingenergyreachestheearth'ssurface
Aboutonequarterreflectedbycloudsandtheatmosphere
Anotherquarterisabsorbedbycarbondioxide,watervapor,methane,ozone,andafewothergases
Someisreflectedbybrightsurfacessuchassnowandandiceandtherestisabsorbedbytheearths
surfaceandbywater
Albedo:Theratiooflightreflectedbytheplanettothatreceivedbyit
Blacksoil,pavement,andopenwater,forexample,havelowalbedos
darkercolors,loweralbedo,lightercolors,higheralbedos
Thegreenhouseeffectisenergycapturebygasesintheatmosphere
Atmosphereselectivelyabsorbslongerwavelengths
Greenhouseeffect:Anaturalphenomenawheretheatmospheretransmitssunlightwhiletrappingheat
GreenhouseGases:gasesintheatmosphere,especiallycarbondioxide,watervapor,nitrousoxides,
methaneandothersubstancesthatretainheat.
Convectionandatmosphericpressure:muchofsolarenergyabsorbedbytheearthisusedtoevaporate
water.
Evaporatedwaterstoresenergy,andwindredistributesit
Incomingsolarenergyevaporatestowater
CoriolisEffect
Theinfluenceoffrictionanddragonairlayersneartheearthdeflectsaircurrentstothe
directionofthearth'srotation
JetStreams
Powerfulwindsorcurrentsofairthatcirculatesinshiftingflowssimilartooceaniccurrentsin
theirextenandeffectonclimate
Monsoon
Aseasonalreversalofwindpatternscausedbythedifferentheatingandcoolingratesofthe
oceansandcontinents
ColdFront
Amovingboundaryofcoolerairdisplacingwarmerair
WarmFront
Along,wedgeshapedboundarycausedwhenawarmeradvancingairmassslidesoverneighboring
coolerairparcels
CyclonicStorms
StormswithwindsthatspiralclockwiseoutofanareaofhighpressureintheNorthern
HemisphereAndcounterclockwiseintoalowpressurezone
Hurricanes
Largecyclonicoceanicstormswithheavyrainandwindsexceeding119km/hr
Tornadoes
Aviolentstormcharacterizedbystrongswirlingwindsandupdrafts.Tornadoesformwhena
strongcoldfrontpushesunderawarm,moistairmassovertheland
Coldfront:Theweatherafterthecoldfrontpassesisusuallyclear,dry,andinvigorating.
Weather
changeintemperature,wind,andprecipitationthatchangesindaysorweeksInfluencedby
unevensolarheatingonearth'ssurface
Whydoesitrain?WatercondensesasaircoolsaircoolsasitrisesAirrisesinconvectioncurrents
wheresolarheatingisintense(overtheequator)
Condensationnuclei
(initiatecondensationofwatervapor)Particlesofsmoke,dust,seasalts,spores,andvolcanicashall
actascondensationnuclei
TheCorioliseffectexplainswhywindsseemtocurve
NorthernHemispherewindisbentclockwise(right)
SouthernHemispherewindisbentcounterclockwise(left)
Curveofthewindisknownasthe
CoriolisEffect
Corioliseffectproducescyclonicwinds(windmovementscontrolledbytheearth'sspin)
Hurricane
forcewindsthatcircletheeartharecalledjetstreamsandarefoundatthetopofthetroposphere
Oceancurrentsmodifyourweather
Surfaceoceancurrentsresultfromwindpushingontheoceansurface
Deepoceancurrentsarecreatedassurfacewatermovesandwaterwellsreplaceit