Layers and density weather/atmospheric/weather3.htm nov05/titan.en.shtml

Bolide falling to earth

Lake effect snow over the Great Lakes

II. The atmosphere A. The atmosphere is the ocean of gases, held in by gravity, that surrounds our planet. It is a mixture of gases. – Page 14 of the ESRT has a graph of the characteristics that change with altitude. – Page 1 shows us that the lowest level, called the troposphere, is primarily nitrogen and oxygen. – Water vapor is found ALMOST only in the troposphere, which is where ‘weather’ occurs.

III. The atmosphere A. Using the page of the ESRT, notice the following : – the atmosphere is divided according to the way in which temperature CHANGES with altitude. – Atmospheric pressure steadily decreases with altitude. The greatest pressure is at sea level, due to the weight of overlying molecules. – Pressures are given as negative exponents. – Water vapor concentrations are greatest at sea level, and almost nonexistent above the tropopause.

B. The levels of the atmosphere. – The troposphere has the greatest concentration of water vapor and the greatest pressure. – The stratosphere contains ozone, which absorbs ultraviolet (uv) rays, causing it to warm with increases in altitude. – Ozone is a form of oxygen, O 3 very different than breathable oxygen,O 2. – Ultraviolet light is a form of very powerful electromagnetic energy.

Practice – What is the temperature range of each of the layers? – What is the altitude of the tropopause? – In what layer is the air pressure ? – What is the pressure at sea level? – What is the temperature at a height of 25 miles? – What level controls incoming ultraviolet light? – Review Book: ch. 7 page read.

Classzone.com for weather for the atmosphere go to: tigations/es1702/es1702page01.cfm for atmosphere questions