biosphere + net radiation budget

the sun

• most important source of energy for life on earth

• a ball of hot plasma heated to incandescence through nuclear fusion reactions in its core

• radiates energy as electromagnetic wavelengths - UV, infared, visible light

electromagnetic spectrum of light

• infared - 50%

• visible - 41%

• Ultraviolet - 9%

sun power generation

• nuclear fusion takes place in sun

• occurs when hydrogen atoms violently collide in sun’s core and fuse to create a helium atom

• proton-proton chain reaction

• tons of energy produced

reliablity on sun

not all life but most of it

abiotic supports for life

• CO2

• O2

• light

• water

• nutrients (atoms + ions)

• top and bottom - extremes of where organisms can live (little to none)

• middle - most organisms live here or near

biosphere

region of

• lithosphere

• hydrosphere

• atmosphere

atmosphere

• air in the earth

• envelop of gasses surrounding a planet (earth)

layers of atmosphere

1. troposphere

• tropopause

2. stratosphere

• stratopause

3. mesosphere

• mesopause

4. thermosphere

• thermopause

5. exosphere

troposphere

• height: 0 to 12km

• lowest layer where weather happens

• contains most of air’s mass and supports life

tropopause

• turning point/boundry

• between troposphere and stratosphere

stratosphere

• Height: 12 km to 50 km

• Contains the ozone layer

• absorbs harmful UV radiation

• Jets fly in the lower stratosphere.

stratopause

• layer boundry

• seperates stratosphere from mesosphere

mesosphere

• Height: 50 km to 85 km

• Coldest layer

• Meteors burn up in this layer, creating shooting stars

• middle layer

mesopause

• middle boundary

• between mesosphere and thermosphere

thermosphere

• Height: 85 km to 600 km

• Very thin air

• extremely hot

• auroras occur here

• Satellites may orbit in this layer

exosphere

• Height: 600 km and up

• The outermost layer

• Gradually fades into space

• hydrogen and helium particles

troposphere temperature

• 15 °C

• warmer close to the Earth because the Earth radiates heat

stratosphere temperature

• -56.5 °C

• temp decrease further away from the surface

mesosphere temperature

• -2.5 °C

• temp increase due to the ozone layer absorbing solar radiation

thermosphere temperature

• -86.5 °C

• temp decrease due to air becoming thin and less molecules absorb incoming radiation

exosphere temperature

• 1200 °C

• High temperatures as thermosphere absorbs high E radiation (x-rays, UV)

troposphere pressure

• 100kPa

• air pressure is high and there is about 21% O₂

bottom stratosphere pressure

50kPa

middle stratosphere pressure

10kPa

upper stratosphere pressure

• 1kPa

• further from the surface = lower the pressure and O₂

thermosphere pressure

• <1kPa

• no O₂ here

factors affecting biodiversity in the atmosphere

• pressure

• temperature

atmosphere composition

• nitrogen - 78%

• oxygen - 21%

• argon - 0.9%

• other - 0.1%

hydrosphere

all water on earth

.

distribution of earth’s water

ocean zones

1. epologic zone

2. mesopelagic zone

3. bathypelagic zone

4. abysspelagic zone

5. hadal zone

light penetration

• decrease with depth

• red light absorbed quickly

• blue/green light penetrate much deeper

rate of photosynthesis

decreases with depth as light availability diminishes

rate of respiration

• organisms consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide to produce energy

• constant with depth - no light needed

water pressure - hydrosphere

pressure increase with depth

temperature - hydrosphere

temp decreases with depth

biodiversity - hydrosphere

organisms decreases with depth

Biodiversity influences in hydrosphere

• light

• water pressure

lithosphere

• earth (rock)

• the rigid outer part of the earth

limits of tolerence in the lithosphere

• water

• temperature

earth composition

1. crust - 8 - 40km

2. mantle - 2900km

3. outer core - 2250km

4. inner core - 1300km

latitude

• horizontal

• along equator

• east - west

longitude

• verticle

• along prime meridian

• north - south

net radiation budget

• energy out

• energy in

reflect

light hits something and bounces back

radiation

• light energy absorbed by objects

• converted to kinetic energy

• radiated out as heat (infared)

Earth's Net Radiation

• balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere

• total energy that is available to influence the climate

energy enters system

when sunlight penetrates the top of the atmosphere

energy exits system

• reflection by clouds

• aerosols

• Earth's surface

• thermal radiation - heat emitted by the surface and the atmosphere

positive net budget

average temperature will rise

negative net budget

average temperature will fall

net radiation budget formula

energy in - energy out

greenhouse effect

• The Sun gives off high-energy light rays

• These rays easily pass through

• earth absorb the high-energy rays.

• These surfaces heat up and then release that energy back into the air inside (low-energy infrared radiation (heat))

• Infrared rays get trapped

• infrared radiation has lower energy and longer wavelengths than visible light

• not let infrared rays out easily, so the heat gets trapped inside

• Temperature rises (it builds up)

greenhouse effect absorbtion

• surface

• clouds

• atmosphere

greenhouse effect reflection

• clouds

• atmosphere

types of greenhouse gasses

• CO2 (fossil fuels) - 57 %

• CO2 (deforestation) - 17 %

• CO2 (other) - 3 %

• methane CH4 (landfils, rice patties, livestock) - 14%

• Nitrous oxide NO₂ (fertilizer, waste) - 8 %

• HFC and CFC’s (industrial) 1 %