ATMOSPHERE UNIT Images taken from: sphere/atmosphere.gif, sphere/atmosphere.gifhttp://ourpreciouslambs.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/earths-atmosphere.jpg

Label the following gases in the atmosphere pie chart.

What is the importance of the atmosphere?  Thin layer of gases that surround the planet  Makes Earth suitable for life

Life on Earth is suitable:  Traps energy from the sun which warms Earth’s surface  Keeps water a liquid  Protects living things from radiation of the sun  Prevents Earth’s surface from being hit by most meteoroids

Composition  Nitrogen – 78%  Oxygen – 21%  Argon – 0.93%  Neon, Helium, Krypton %  Natural cycles keep atmosphere stable like the H2O cycle, CO2- O2 cycle, N cycle  Carbon Dioxide – 0.038%  Water Vapor – 0 – 4%  Methane – trace  Ozone – trace  Sulfur Dioxide – trace  Nitrogen oxides - trace VARIABLE AMOUNTS

Composition of the Atmosphere

AIR QUALITY  Pollutants – harmful substances in the air, water, or soil  May be natural or man-made

POLLUTANTS  Molds  Pollen  Particles from forest fires  Soil erosion  Dust storms  Volcanic eruptions  Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) NATURAL MAN - MADE

PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG  Forms by the action of sunlight on chemicals (nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons also known as volatile inorganic compounds VOC’s) form ozone & other chemicals  Effect – irritates breathing passages, harms plants, animals, paint & plastics

Particulate Matter (PM): Inhalable Coarse Particles Primary Particles: come directly from construction sites, un-paved roads, fires and smokestacks. Secondary Particles: result from a series of chemical reactions in the atmosphere, much like the formation of ozone.

Air NOW animations Air NOW animations  Ozone formation clip  Ozone, good up high, bad nearby  Particle Pollution  Tell your parents and gas station attendants –“Don’t top it off.” “Don’t top it off.”“Don’t top it off.”

Label the following gases in the atmosphere pie chart.

ACID RAIN  Forms when water combines with nitrogen oxides (NOx) & sulfur dioxides (SO2) to form nitric acid (HNO3) & sulfuric acid (H2SO4)

EFFECTS OF ACID RAIN  Growth rates of trees, plants, etc.  Causes defects in egg-laying species  Corrodes buildings, statues, cars  “Steals” nutrients from soil  Flushes toxic metals into lakes, rivers, streams, etc.

OZONE LAYER  Protects the Earth from UV rays (alpha & beta rays)  Contained in the stratosphere  12 – 15 miles up in the atmosphere

UV RADIATION  Causes skin cancer  Weakens the immune system  Causes eye damage or blindness  Kills phytoplankton (basis of the marine food web)

OZONE DEPLETION  Ozone molecule is attacked by the chlorine atom from the Chloroflurocarbon (CFC) molecule  CFC’s come from: - refrigeration - refrigeration - air conditioning - air conditioning - cleaning agents - cleaning agents - inflating styrofoam products - inflating styrofoam products - aerosol cans - aerosol cans

POLAR VORTEX CFC MOLECULE STEALING O2

POLAR VORTEX  Global winds carry CFC’s to South Pole  CFC molecule attaches to ice crystals  In spring time – ice crystals melt – freeing the CFC molecule  Chlorine “breaks away” and attacks ozone molecule “stealing” oxygen  Every year the ozone hole will get bigger over Antarctica  Now holes are appearing in other parts of the world

OZONE IMAGES

MONTREAL PROTOCOL  Developed in 1987  prohibits production and use of CFCs and most other ozone damaging chemicals by the year  To date, 150 nations representing over 95 percent of the world’s CFC consumption have signed this treaty.

AIR PRESSURE  Result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area  Measured with a barometer (millibars)  Decreases with increasing altitude  High pressure – nice, fair weather  Low pressure – unsettled weather

EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

LAYERDISTANCETEMPOTHER THERMOSPHERE EXO100+KMTemp dropsSatellites Outer layer merges w/ space IONO80-100KM2000˚CGases become electronically charged Northern lights MESOSPHERE50-80KMDecreases to -100˚C Fewer molecules Coldest layer Burns up meteoroids STRATOSPHERE12-50KMWarms due to ozone layer 0˚C Ozone layer Absorbs UV light TROPOSPHERE0-12KMTemp w/ altitude to -60˚C Weather layer Contains the most gas molecules