Earths atmosphere is made up of
78% nitrogen 21% Oxygen
Water vapor in the atmosphere is the source of
clouds and rain
The amount of energy the atmosphere aborbs depends on
carbon dioxide levels
Solid particles in the atmosphere consist of
salt and dust
Ozone layer is earths most important layer bc
absorbs harmful radiation
Stratosphere
temp increases with altitude, contains concentrated ozone
Mesosphere
Layer above stratosphere,coldest middle layer temps decrease with altitude
Troposphere
Weather occurs within the layer, high pressure, temps decrease with altitude
Exosphere
Outermost layer, above thermosphere
Thermosphere
between mesosphere and exosphere, hottest,lowest pressure contains ionosphere and aurora borealis, temp increases with altitude.
Sun
source of all energy that reaches the Earth
methods energy is transferred from Earths surface to the air
Conduction, Convection and Radiation
Convection
the transfer if thermal energy by the movement of heated gas/liquid circulating. Warm air vertically rises expands and sinks and cools creating a convection current.
Conduction
Heat transferred through direct contact, heats between land and air when molecules collide.
Radiation
Heat is transferred through electromagnetic waves
Temperature
measure if how rapidly or slowly molecules move,measured in kelvin,celsius and most commonly in the U.S Farenheit
Heat
the transfer of energy that takes place bc of temp differences
Rain drops
Water vapor goes through condensation (cools and turns from gas to liquid)
Condensation
Air must be saturated before this occurs, water vapor cooling and turns from gas to a liquid state.
Saturation
the point at which air holds as much water vapor it can possibly hold
Dew point
The temp at which air must be cooled at constant pressure to reach saturation then condensation can occur
Lifted condensation
The height above the surface at which condensation occurs
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Air is denser near Earths surface than high in the atmosphere
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Particles of air in the atmosphere exert pressure on Earths surface
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Air pressure is lower at the top of a mountain than at lower elevations
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In the troposphere air increases with decreasing altitudes along with air pressure that increases
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As you move up from earths surface wind speed increases bc air meets with less friction from earths surface
Relative humidity
The amount of water in the air compared to the amount of water it could possibly hold
What is the relative humidity of fully saturated air
100%
what happens to the air as it forms clouds
Warm air rises and expands and cools which leads to water vapor condensing to form clouds
What causes the air to rise in this pic
Orographic lifting
What causes the air in this pic to rise
the collision of the warm air mass with the colder one (warm air rises)
What type of cloud formation is shown
Orographic lifting
How does condensation nuclei help clouds form?
Water vapor condenses on the nuclei and forms around them
Precipitation
All forms of water that fall from clouds
Stratus
Low, layered clouds
Coalescence
when small cloud droplets collide to form lager ones
Cirrus
Wispy, high altitude clouds made of ice crystals
Cumulus
form at all altitudes "heap upon" look like cotton balls
Cumulonimbus
indicate storms
Water cycle
the constant movement of water between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface
Evaporation
the process of water changing from a liquid to a gas
Condensation
water vapor rises in the atmosphere, cools, changes into liquid cloud droplets
Precipitation
Cloud droplets combine to form larger droplets and fall to the Earth
Sun
The water cycles draws its energy from this
Ozone layer
blocks ultraviolet radiation from the Sun
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Both temp and pressure decrease with height in the Troposphere
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The amount of water in a given volume of air is its absolute humidity/saturation
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The height in the atmosphere at which condensation occurs is the lifted condensation level
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A temp inversion is an increase in temp with height in its atmosphere
Cloud droplets form
Condensation nuclei are particles of dust at which this forms
Orographic lifting, clouds form when moist winds....
encounter mountains
latent heat
heat that is stored in a substance
How do we name air masses?
Humidity and Temp
How do we characterize air masses that form over Oceans?
Wet(humid)
How do we characterize air masses that form over land?
dry(Continental)
How do we characterize air masses that form near the equater
wet,wwarm (MAritime Tropics)
How do we characterize air masses that are near the Poles
(Cold) Arctic Polar
What time of air masses form over Oceans?
Maritime
What type of Air masses form over land?
Continental
What type of air masses would be colder?
Polar
What type of air masses would be warmer?
Tropical
Whats the humidity and temp of Ct
Dry and Warm
Whats the humidity and temp of Mt
Wet and Warm