Atmosphere

Albedo, EMR, Greenhouse effect, Layers

Troposphere

0-17 km above Earth's surface, site of weather, organisms, contains most atmospheric water vapor.

Thermosphere

The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere.

stratosphere

2nd layer of atmosphere-12 to 50 km, Ozone held here, absorbs UV radiation

mesosphere

3rd layer of the atmosphere

ozone

Thin layer of atmosphere that absorbs harmful radiation. “Good up high, bad nearby”

carbon cycle

the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back

radiation

Energy transmitted as particles or waves; especially from the sun

3 major components (gasses) of the atmosphere

Nitrogen, oxygen, argon

conduction

The process through which heat is transferred through direct contact between materials.

convection

a process by which air or a liquid rises or sinks because of differences in temperature

EMR

Electromagnetic Radiation - energy that travels from the sun to the earth in waves

Earth’s energy budget

The balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing energy from the Earth. It includes the absorption, reflection, and reradiation of energy in different forms.

Albedo

The amount of solar radiation reflected by a surface

Greenhouse Effect

the process by which an atmosphere warms a planet. Some gases in the atmosphere absorb some of the sun’s light energy.  This energy is then reradiated as heat

why ozone is good

Up high, It protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays (UV-b).

why ozone is bad

Ground-level or "bad" ozone is an air pollutant that damages human health, vegetation, and many common materials. It is a key ingredient of urban smog

Main greenhouse gasses

water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide