1. Factors that affect the Atmosphere How does the earth System maintain its delicate balance? What atmospheric changes are the result of human activity? Why are these changes potentially harmful to the atmosphere?

2. The Greenhouse (G’House) Effect Greenhouse (G’house) Effect = good No g’house Effect = 60 O F cooler than avg. (around -40 O F) Runaway G’house Effect unregulated = bad. Venus atm = runaway g’house effect

3. Greenhouse (G’House) Effect How it works: Shortwave radiation (UV rays) enter the atmosphere easily. Earth’s surface absorbs and then radiates heat back out to space as long waves. Long waves trapped by (g’house) gasses and can’t escape atm. (G’house gasses = gasses that absorb heat in the atm.) Keeps the heat in, making us warm.

5. Greenhouse Gasses

6. Maintaining a Balance Earth System’s balance= delicate Maintained by recycling: –Heat –Carbon Dioxide uptake by plants –Oxygen intake by animals –H 2 O Cycle

7. Upsetting the Balance –Meteorite impacts –Volcanic Activity –Human Factors

8. Meteorite Impact Large meteorites landing displace ground cover forming the crater. Dust gets atm.= less sunlight & cooler climate. Disrupts photosynthesis = dead plants Dinosaurs?

9. Volcanic Activity Ash + g’house gassesAsh + g’house gasses –CO 2 –H 2 O Vapor –Methane –Nitrous Oxide After this eruption, Mt. Pinatubo 1991, the climate cooled by 1 O C for 2 years.After this eruption, Mt. Pinatubo 1991, the climate cooled by 1 O C for 2 years.

10. Human Impacts Increase in G’house Gasses –Use Fossil Fuels: Coal Oil refined to gasoline Natural Gas- Methane –Cow Emissions Decrease in CO 2 intake –Deforestation

12. CFC’s- air conditioners, and aerosol cans CO 2 from cars and manufacturing These gasses –Trap heat given off by earth’s surface –Cause pollution –Destroy ozone (CFC’s= worst to Ozone) Is this a cause of global warming?

15. Importance of Ozone Ozone (O3) is a naturally occurring gas that absorbs UV radiation in the stratosphere Loosing this gas increases the amount of UV radiation entering the atmosphere. Increased UV radiation leads to some cancers, cataracts, pre-mature aging, and weakening of the immune system.

18. Factors that affect the Atmosphere How does the earth System maintain its delicate balance? What atmospheric changes are the result of human activity? Why are these changes potentially harmful to the atmosphere?