Atmospheric Structure

as CO2 and water vapor were removed, it became enriched in BLANK

nitrogen

atmosphere pressure always BLANK with increasing altitude

decreases

density

mass/volume ; the more air in the same volume, the greater the density ; if the same mass of air is compressed, the density increases

do temps normally increase or decrease in the troposphere

decrease

earth used to mainly consist of BLANK and BLANK ; why not anymore

hydrogen and helium ; light gases so escaped into space or lost as earth collided with other large bodies

for air, the force is simply the...

weight of all the air from point of measurement to top of the atmosphere

gravity

the force pulling air down (higher in the atmosphere, pressure will be less)

how ozone is destroyed

nitric acid clouds -\> burst of UV -\> creates Chlorine -\> eats O3

important things about mesosphere

"middle" sphere ; pressure is 1-.01 mb or less ; cooling occurs b/c there is little ozone to absorb energy

important things about the stratosphere

it is 'stratified' so not much mixing ; temp increases bc ozone absorbs UV energy

important things about the thermosphere

very low density and pressure (mean free path) ; temp increases because the few molecules there absorb solar energy and travel very rapidly

is O3 good in the troposphere or stratosphere

stratosphere

most abundant permanent gases

nitrogen and oxygen

most and least abundant gases

water vapor and carbon dioxide ; least is CFCs

most important thing about the troposphere

almost all weather affecting mankind occurs here

order of atmospheric layers

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

our secondary atmosphere consists of mainly 3 things ; why

water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen ; could be bc of outgassing and water from water-bearing "cosmic snowballs"

permanent gases

these gases remain in a constant concentration from place-to-place and time-to-time

pressure

amount of force applied by the atmosphere over some area (decreases with height exponentially)

pressure \=

force / area

variable gases

distribution varies over time and space; while only a small part of the atmosphere, these gases are the most important for weather and climate

water vapor, CO2, and methane are BLANK

greenhouse gases

what are aerosols

small solid particles and liquid droplets ; formed by both human and natural processes ; can reduce visibility ; help is the formation of clouds

what is atmospheric pressure measured in?

inches of mercury, millibar

what is it called when temperature increases with height

inversion

what is the lapse rate

the vertical variation in temperature