1. ATMOSPHERE UNIT Images taken from: http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/astronomy/Solarsystem/TheSolarsystem/theearth/TheEarth%27sAtmo sphere/atmosphere.gif, http://ourpreciouslambs.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/earths-atmosphere.jpg, http://www.greendiary.com/entry/breathable-atmosphere-discovered-long-ago/, http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/dees/V1003/images/polar.vortex.jpg, http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/astronomy/Solarsystem/TheSolarsystem/theearth/TheEarth%27sAtmo sphere/atmosphere.gifhttp://ourpreciouslambs.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/earths-atmosphere.jpg http://www.greendiary.com/entry/breathable-atmosphere-discovered-long-ago/ http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/dees/V1003/images/polar.vortex.jpg http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/etc/graphs.html

2. Label the following gases in the atmosphere pie chart.

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

4. 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

5. Composition  Nitrogen – 78%  Oxygen – 21%  Argon – 0.93%  Neon, Helium, Krypton 0.0001%  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

6. Composition of the Atmosphere

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

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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.”

13. Label the following gases in the atmosphere pie chart.

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

15. 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.

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

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

18. 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

19. POLAR VORTEX CFC MOLECULE STEALING O2

20. 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

21. OZONE IMAGES

22. MONTREAL PROTOCOL  Developed in 1987  prohibits production and use of CFCs and most other ozone damaging chemicals by the year 2000.  To date, 150 nations representing over 95 percent of the world’s CFC consumption have signed this treaty.

23. 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

24. EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

25. 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