The Earth and Climate Chapter 1 Unit D

Objectives distinguish between weather and climate describe the major characteristics of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the lithosphere as part of the biosphere will define inversions explain how climate affects the lives and activity of people and other species distinguish between anecdotal and scientific evidence

Climate: Clues to the past Work on Activity D1 (textbook page 341) Scientists use tree cores to give us clues about past environmental conditions

Weather vs. Climate Weather – conditions of temperature, air pressure, cloud cover, precipitation (rain or snow), and humidity Occur at a particular place and time

Weather vs. Climate Climate – average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time (min. 30 years) Ex. Climate of Alberta: average temp in summer = 14 °C – 20 °C average annual precipitation = 442 mm

Telling the difference Identify the following statements as examples of weather or of climate: 1) today is very hot 2) we usually get a lot of rain this time of year PICTURES

The Biosphere The biosphere –the sphere of life – was named by Eduard Suess in 1875 but not fully described as a concept until the work of Vladimir Vernadsky in the 1920s.

The Biosphere Thin layer of Earth with conditions suitable for supporting life Composed of all living things on Earth and physical environment supporting them Biotic part – living component Abiotic part – non-living component

The Biosphere Three interacting abiotic components: Atmosphere – layer of gases surrounding the Earth Lithosphere – solid portion of Earth (rocks, minerals and elements) Hydrosphere – all water on Earth (liquid, vapor, and ice) (97% salt water)

Can you think of areas in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere that are NOT part of the biosphere?

The Biosphere Environmental conditions arise from interactions of these components with the Sun and interactions between the components Creates climate

The Atmosphere Rises over 500 km from surface of Earth Mixture of gases Most abundant gas is? Second most abundant? How are these gases used by living things? Also contains atmospheric dust Very small Include soot, pollen, micro-organisms

Atmosphere

Modelling Atmospheres Work on Activity D2 Will need graph paper More info about planet atmospheres at: http://msnucleus.org/mem bership/html/k- 6/uc/solar_system/5/ucss5 _3a.html

% Composition of Venus

% Composition of 3 Atmospheres

The Atmosphere Broken up into 4 layers (determined by average air temperature) Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Found at different altitudes Distance above Earth’s surface from sea level

Check out the Interactive Atmosphere: http://aspire.cosmic- ray.org/Labs/OurAtmosphere/atmosphere_main.html

Troposphere 0 – 10 km from Earth’s surface Average temp. = 15 °C (at surface)  - 60 °C (decreases) 80% of atmospheric gases by mass Layer which supports life Most CO2, water vapor and atmospheric dust Layer where most weather occurs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqo9UhLNn04&featu re=related (Bill Nye)

Stratosphere Above troposphere 10 km – 50 km above surface Temperature increases away from surface - 60 °C  0 °C Contains most ozone (O3(g)) making the ozone layer Ozone captures energy from Sun, increasing temp. with altitude

Mesosphere Third layer Temperature range: 0 °C  - 100 °C Very little gas

Thermosphere Farthest layer Temperature range: -100 °C  1500 °C (increases) Very little gas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CerJbZ- dm0&feature=related

Lithosphere Solid portion of Earth floating above semi-fluid upper mantle Extends from Earth’s surface to 100 km below Runs under continents and oceans Warmed mainly by the Sun and a little bit by molten mantle Differences in the lithosphere (i.e. amount of albedo) can affect amount of atmospheric water vapour, as well as our environmental conditions Portion life exists on is the crust

Lithosphere

Lithosphere The crust is the part of the lithosphere that life exists on, and is eggshell thin

Hydrosphere Water! 97% is salt water in oceans 3% fresh water  can be in lakes, streams or frozen (most fresh water is snow and glaciers, or ground water) Amount of water stays the same Warmed mainly by Sun

Interactions How do the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere interact? In pairs, brainstorm some ways they interact. We will be making a class list of the interactions you came up with

Altitude and Temperature Altitude- distance above the Earth’s surface In troposphere, tend to decrease temperature with altitude This trend can be reversed Inversion- reversal of normal temperature in the troposphere May trap unusually cold air close to the ground Happens more often near mountains Can trap pollutants