The Atmosphere

1. Weather

The condition of the atomosphere over a short period of time

2. Climate

The average weather conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time

3. Meteorologist

A person who studies the weather

4. Climatologist

A person who studies the climate

5. Atmosphere definition

A huge layer of air and gases that streches from earth’s surface to the beginning of outer space. Without the atmosphere weather and life wouldn’t exist

6. Why is the atmosphere essential for life on earth (OWHS)

Oxygen, Water, heat, shield

7. (Atmosphere essential) Oxygen

Provides oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for plants to photosynthesise

8. (Atmosphere essential) Water

Provides water vapour which is a source of water through the hydrological cycle

9. (Atmosphere essential) Heat

Distributes heat by the wind taking heat from the equitorial regions to the poles and cold air from the poles to the equator

10. (Atmosphere essential) Shield

Shields earth from harmful solar radiation and meteors

11. Two types of gasses in the atmosphere

Permanent and variable

12. Permanent gasses characteristics

Do not change significantly in proportion and exist in a greater amount

13. Variable gasses characterisitics

Vary from time to time and place to place and exist in a lesser amount

14. Permanent gasses

Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon

15. (Permanent gasses) Nitrogen percentage

78%

16. (Permanent gasses) Oxygen percentage

21%

17. (Permanent gasses) Argon

0.9%

18. Variable gasses

Water vapour and carbon dioxide

19. Liquids in the atmosphere

are found in the form of condensed water droplets in the clouds and rain

20. Solid particles

Include dust, salt crystals, volcanic ash, soot. These provide solud surfaces for water vapour to condense on (CONDENSATION NUCLEI)

21. Structure of the atmosphere

Refers to the different layers, determined by temperature changes that occur with height

22. Four layers of the amosphere

Troposphere (TRu), Stratosphere (ST), Mesosphere (ME), (in) Thermosphere (THe), (exam - exosphere)

23. (Layers of the atmosphere) Troposphere characteristics

Closest to the earth, the layer we live in and weather occurs.

24. (Layers of the atmosphere) Stratosphere characteristics

The layer where the ozone layer lies

25. Ozone layer role in the stratosphere

Filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation

26. (Layers of the atmosphere) Mesospehere characteristics

Coldest layer and the layer where meteors burn up

27. (Layers of the atmosphere) Thermosphere chracteristics

Excessively high temperatures caused by oxygen and nitrogen abosrbing raditation and converting it to heat.

28. (Layers of the atmosphere) Lower portion of the thermospshere

Ionosphere

29. (Layers of the atmosphere) Upper portion of the thermosphere

Exosphere

30. (Layers of the atmosphere) Exosphere characteristics

Satellites orbit the earth

31. Lapse rate

The decrease of temperature of air with altitude (change in temperature with a change in height)

32. Positive lapse rate

Temperature decreses

33. Negative lapse

Temperature increases

34. Inversion

Describes the atmospheric conditions when the temperature increases with altitude

35. (Layers of the atmosphere) Troposhere lapse rate

Positve (temperature decreases)

36. (Layers of the atmosphere) Stratospehere lapse rate

Negative (temperature increases)

37. (Layers of the atmosphere) Mesosphere lapse rate

Positive (temperature decreases)

38. (Layers of the atmosphere) Thermosphere lapse rate

Negative (temperature increases)

39. (Something about aeroplanes)

40. Something about what happens as you move up

41. Ozone layer

a layer of gas that protects the earth from the suns harmful raditaion

42. Causes of Ozone Depletion

Aerosols, air conditioners, refrigerants and industrial cleaning products release CFCs into the atmosphere (these become unstable and break down due to ultraviolet radiation)

43. What is the main consequence of ozone depletion

Leads to more of the Sun’s dangerous UV radiation entering the troposphere

44. Effects of Ozone depletion on people

Skin cancer, Eye cataracts (Blindness), lowering of immune systems (increased illness in people and animals), Increacse in the incidence of malaria, increased rainfall/floods

45. Effects of Ozone depletion on the environment

Altered weather patterns, Increase in surface temperatures, changes in the life cycles of plants (impacts food chains), death of microscopic organisms (basis of the foodchain), change in weather patterns

46. Ways of reducing ozone depletion

Education, swapping sprays out for other products, responsible consumption (factories), clean energy / reduced consumption, supporting climate efforts and green policies

47. Four processes of atmospheric heating

Insolation, Absorbtion, Reflection and scattering

48. (Heating of the atmosphere) Insolation

Short wave radiation coming into the atmosphere from the sun (incoming solar radiation, short because sun is hot)

49. (Heating of the atmosphere) Absorbtion

Heat energy from insolation is absorbed by clouds, dust particles, and dark surfaces

50. (Heating of the atmosphere) Reflection

Light (clouds and snow) and shiny objects reflect insolation before it reaches the earth’s surface, expressed in the albedo (percentage of light reflected or 0-1)

51. (Heating of the atmosphere) Impacts amount of reflection

Angle of the sun’s rays. Eg, sun is low (MORNING) more reflection, sun is overhead - less reflection (midday)

52. (Heating of the atmosphere) Scattering

Small particles and gasses diffuse the sun’s rays in random directions with no change in wavelength (reflected back into space)

53. Three ways heat is transferred in the atmosphere

Radiation, Conduction, Convection

54. (How heat is transferred in the atmosphere) Radiation

Heat is transmitted along waves, suns short wave insolation is given off again after the earth absorbs it in longer waves lengths (long wave terrestial radiation)

55. (Heating of the atmosphere) Length of waves

Suns waves are short as the sun is extremely hot and earth’s waves are long because the earth is a relatively cool body

56. (Heating of the atmosphere) Conduction

Heat is transferred from molecule to molecule (touch and transferred). Not effective with gasses as they keep moving and come into contact with new molecules

57. (Heating of the atmosphere) Convection

Heat is transferred by the movement of molecules in gasses or liquids, hot air rises and cool air sinks

58. (Electromagnetic spectrum????)

59. Latent heat

Energy that is hidden and latent energy is when there is a phase change

60. Greenhouse effect

The process where certain gasses enter the earth’s atmosphere (carbon dioxide and methane) trap heat by allowing sunlight to enter but preventing some of the heat from escaping back into space, thus warming the planet

61. Process of the greenhouse effect

Insolation comes towards the earth, some is reflected and abosrbed, earth also releases terresterial radiation, some of this heat passes but most is captured and retained by greenhouse gasses

62. Why does the troposphere have a positive lapse rate

Air is most dense by the sea, there is more water vapour and carbon dioxide to absorb heat from outgoing terresterial radiation.

63. Positive impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect

Rise in global temperature means more of the earth is suitable for settlements and farming, differenet climate zones(diff plants grow in diff climates) develop and differernt biomes (w diff animals and plants) can appear

64. Negative impact of the enhanced greenhouse effect on earth

Earth gets warmer and climate changes, places can become too hot to grow crops, too much or too little rain, sea levels can rise

65. Greenhouse effect impact on people

social

People need and can utilize various biomes, global warming can forced people to change wheere they live and how / where they grow their food (Eg too hot and dry for agriculture, heavy rain and rising sea levels). Food can become expensive

66. Ways to reduce the greenhouse effect general solutions

Sustainable energy, Electric cars, public transport, gov policies, awarness and education