Earth’s Atmosphere
What newsworthy weather events have you noticed in the media?
Weatherbug target1http://achieve.weatherbug.com/Home.aspx# target1 pleriiradar/ pleriiradar/
Can you describe what you see in this picture? In this chapter you will learn about Earth’s atmosphere, and the gases that support life.
Size of the Earth 1. Diameter = from the north pole to the south pole it’s ~ 7916 miles 2. Circumference ~ 24,901 miles Equator- imaginary line that divides the earth into hemisphere’s (north and south)
Tell the person next to you what the 3 most important features of earth 1. land lithosphere 2. air atmosphere 3. water hydrosphere
Viking---astronomy connection
Past Atmosphere 4 billion yrs ago Methane Ammonia Water 5-2 Development of Earths atmosphere
Atmosphere at 3.8 billion yrs. old Methane Ammonia water hydrogen Carbon dioxide nitrogen water New gases
Water water H20H20 H H H Ozone= 3 oxygen atoms combined together to form a protective layer
Due to the ozone Blue-green bacteria started to become more abundant used sunlight, carbon dioxide (co2) and water to make food, their byproduct was oxygen
Present Atmosphere
5-3 Layers of the Atmosphere What do mountain climbs have to carry as they climb higher into the atmosphere?
La Rinconada, Peru
Layers of the atmosphere depends on temperature changes
Troposphere 11 mi. 31mi. 56 mi. 1.Almost all weather occurs here 2. Extends 11miles high 3. Jet stream
Convection currents Currents of air are produced as warm air rises and cool air replaces it.
Convection currents Movement of air caused by a difference in temperature What’s really happening Cool dense air is sinking and warm, less dense air is rising, causing a movement of air
Stratosphere Lower stratosphere temp. = extremely cold
Stratosphere Jet stream winds- strong eastward wind that blows horizontally around the earth
Stratosphere Ozone layer Cold = -76°f Warm = 64° f Ozone ( a form of oxygen, O3) reacts with the uv light to warm the air Protects earth from harmful uv radiation
Stratosphere Temperatures increase as you ascend. Why? The Ozone Layer absorbs ultraviolet rays, giving off heat. The Jet Stream
Video-15 min GL_DPo
Mesosphere coldest area of the atmosphere Shooting Stars- what are they? Protect us from falling meteoroids
Meteoroids, meteors and meteorites Meteoroid: An object in space no smaller than a speck of dust and no larger than an asteroid. Most are thought by scientists to be pieces of asteroids or comets. Meteor: The streak of light that forms when a meteoroid burns while traveling at high speed through Earth's atmosphere (a "shooting star" or "falling star"). Meteorite: The remnants of a meteoroid that has passed through the atmosphere and struck the Earth.
Thermosphere No definite Limit Very Hot? Why Nitrogen and Oxygen absorb a lot of UV radiation and convert it to heat Thin air makes seeing objects in space more easily.
Ionosphere Lower layer of the thermosphere Gas molecules are electrically charged Radio waves bounce back Brilliant light displays of aurora borealis occur here
Thermosphere No definite upper limit Outer layer of thermosphere Satellites orbit Earth here Communicate long-distance telephone and television signals Watch weather and weather patterns Exosphere
Magnetosphere Extends above Earth Magnetic field that traps charged particles from the sun Particles follow the lines of magnetic force and bounce back and forth from one pole to the other Sometimes breaking through into the ionosphere to produce auroras
Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights