The Atmosphere

Are weather and climate the same thing?????

So what's the difference Weather is constantly changing, and it refers to the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place. Climate is based on observations of weather that has been collected over many years. Climate helps describe a place or region.

What makes up our atmosphere Air Water vapor Ozone Pollutants

Air is a mixture of different gases and particles, each with its own physical properties

Water Vapor The source of all clouds and precipitation. Has the ability to absorb heat and solar energy

Dust Some examples of dust particles are pollen, spores, and seeds Most dust particles are found in the lower atmosphere near their source Dust particles act as a surface for water vapor to condense on This is essential for the formation of clouds and fog

Ozone Layer Ozone is concentrated in the stratosphere, between 10 and 50 kilometers Ozone absorbs most of the UV rays from the sun Ozone absorbs most of the UV light from the sun. UV light is very harmful because it can damage the genetic material in living cells.

Ozone Eaters CFCs (chloroflourocarbons) are man-made chemicals found in spray cans and refrigerator coolants.

The Ozone Hole In 1985, a study showed that the ozone layer above the South Pole had thinned. As ozone decreases, more UV light hits the Earth. UV light can kill or damage skin cells.

Stopping the Thinning In 1987, many nations agreed to stop producing CFCs. This meeting was called the Montreal Protocol. It appears that the thinning of the ozone layer has slowed.

Human Influence Emissions from transportation vehicles account for nearly half the primary pollutants by weight.

Height and Structure of the Atmosphere Atmospheric changes Atmospheric pressure is the weight of the air above At sea level the average pressure is slightly more than 1,000 millibars One half of the atmosphere gradually merges with outer space

Height and Structure Continued… Temperature changes The atmosphere is divided into five layers based on temperature Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere

Troposphere The bottom layer Temperature decreases with an increase in altitude All weather occurs in this layer The thickness of the troposphere varies with latitude, but the average thickness is 12 kilometers The outer boundary of the troposphere is called tropopause

Stratosphere The temperature remains constant to a height of 20 kilometers then increases until the stratopause The stratopause occurs at about an altitude of 50 kilometers The reason for the increase in temperature is the abundance of ozone

Mesosphere The temperature decreases with altitude until the mesopause The mesopause is at a height of 80 kilometers

Thermosphere Contains very little of the atmosphere’s mass In this layer the temperature rises as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius

Exosphere and Ionosphere The Exosphere begins at a altitude of around 400 kilometers A transition zone between earth’s atmosphere and space The ionosphere and the exosphere together are known as the thermosphere

Now its your turn You have 10 minutes to draw your home and label the layers of the atmosphere. Be sure to include the ozone layer and label the height of each layer.

The Earth-Sun Relationships Solar energy is not distributed evenly over the earth’s surface The unequal heating of the earth drives currents and creates winds Energy from the sun is the most important control of our weather and climate

The Earth’s Principal Motions Rotation is the spinning of the earth on its axis The planet rotates once every 24 hours producing a daily cycle of daylight an darkness Revolution is the movement of earth in its orbit around the sun

The Seasons There is an annual shift in the solar angle or altitude of the sun

The Causes of the Seasons The tilt on the earth’s axis is the cause of the seasons In the northern hemisphere the earth is tilted toward the sun in the summer In the southern hemisphere the earth is tilted away from the sun The northern hemisphere receives more sunlight in the summer than in the winter Distance has no effect of the seasons

Why are summer days longer than winter days

The Angle of the Sun The angle of the suns rays also plays a part in the seasons: The angle of the sun makes a difference in how many atmospheres that rays have to travel through. If the sun is directly overhead, the rays only have to travel through one atmosphere. The angle will change the intensity the sun’s rays will hit the surface.

Summer Solstice In the summer solstice, the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, and occurs on June 21 or 22

Winter Solstice The sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, and occurs on December 21 or 22

Autumnal Equinox The sun is directly over the equator and occurs on September 21 or 22

Vernal Equinox The sun is directly over the equator and occurs on March 21 or 22

Temperature

Energy Transfer Heat is the energy transferred from one object to another because of a difference in the objects’ temperature Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the individual atoms or molecules in a substance

Three mechanisms of energy transfer as heat are: conduction convection radiation.

Conduction is the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity. Convection is the transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation within a substance Radiation is the transfer of heat through space by electromagnetic waves that travel out in all directions.

What happens to solar radiation? Some energy is absorbed by the object Some energy is reflected Some energy is scattered

Reflection occurs when light bounces off an object. Reflection radiation has the same intensity as incident radiation. Scattering produces a larger number of weaker rays that travel in different directions.

Cloud coverage and temperature. Did you know cloud cover can greatly impact who the temperature of an area changes.

Albedo is the fraction of total radiation that is reflected by any surface. Many clouds have a high albedo and therefore reflect back to space a significant portion of the sunlight that strikes them. At night they can hold heat and during the day they can reflect it.

Important Temperature Factors The most important temperature controls are: Specific heat Altitude Geographical Position Ocean Currents

Specific Heat Land heats more rapidly and to higher temp than water and cools more rapidly than water. Specific heat: water>land. Land surfaces are opaque so heat is only absorbed at the surface. Water is transparent so heat penetrates for a depth of many meters.

Water Factors Water is constantly mixing warm and colder waters. Evaporation from water bodies is greater than from land surfaces. Evaporation from water bodies is greater than from land surfaces

Altitude Altitude: higher altitudes are generally cooler than an elevation that is close to sea level

Geographical Positions Windward coastal location subject to prevailing winds experiences considerable different temp. from coastal location where prevailing winds are directed from the land toward the water. Mountains can act as barriers

Isotherms Isotherms are lines on a weather map that connect points where the temperature is the same. They are typically placed at intervals of 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Create and isotherm map Today you will create your own isotherm map.