meterology

what is the relationship between altitude and air pressure

the higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure

what are the contents of the atmosphere

78% nitrogen, 2% oxygen, 1% argon

where does nitrogen come from?

outgassing, volcanic acitivity

where does oxygen come from?

photosynthesis

what does ozone do and where is it located

absorbs and blocks uv rays, in the stratosphere

variables in earths atmosphere

carbon dioxide, water, ozone

what is the principal source of atmospheric gasses

outgassing

how have gasses been released

released thru rock from volcanic eruptions + meteor impacts breaking up earths surface, 85% of which happened in 1st million years after earth formed

how did argon develop

radioactive decay of potassium-40 (k-40)

how did hydrogen and oxygen form

h2o vapor disassociation from uv radiation

h2 properties

very light, most escapes to dpace

o2 properties

heavier, sticks around

why did nitrogen become abundant

too heavy to escape to space and product of outgassing

qualities of nitrogen

non polar, doesnt break down in water (soluble, stays in gas form)

what came first, the atmosphere or the ocean?

the atmosphere

how did the water cycle start

4 bya, planed cooled enough for water vapor in atmosphere to condense and turn into rain, rain filled basins, basins became oceans, water cycle began

troposphere temp

decreases as altitude increases, air moves away from heat source (ground)

what happens in the troposphere

weather

why is all life confined to the troposphere

stable temps, highest concentration of oxygen, water cycle

stratosphere temp

increases as altitude increases bc ozone layer traps radiation

what happens in the troposphere

ozone layer, all planes and jets fly here

mesosphere temp

decreases as altitude increases bc the air is thin so heat isnt trapped

what happens in the mesosphere

meteors burn up, protecting earth

thermosphere temp

increases as altitude increases bc its closest to the sun and receives the most solar radiation

thermosphere qualities

high temps but low air density so heat isnt felt

what happens in the thermosphere

northern lights, iss and space shuttle orbit here

exosphere

upper most layer of atmosphere as it fades into space

earths avg temp

15c or 59f

what does earths temp depend on

how much radiation is absorbed

what affects how much radiation is absorbed

greenhouse gases, radiation, reflection, albedo, absorption

greenhouse gases

carbon dioxide, methane, ozone

greenhouse effect

natural process by which certain gasses in the earths atmosphere trap heat

what would happen w/o the greenhouse effect

earths temp would be so cold it was unliveable

what is the most signficant source of radiation in the eocsystem

the sun

how does the amount of radiation objects emit change

all objects emit the same amount but the wavelength depends on the temp of the object

relationship between radiation wavelengths and temp

as temp increases the wavelengths emitted by the object decrease

how does the suns emitting radiation effect objects

as the objects absorb the suns radiation they warm up (energy absorbed → temp increase)

what is reflection

when solar radiation bounces off a surface w/o being absorbed

breakdown of 30% of radiation reflected

4% ground, 6% air, 20% clouds

albedo

the amount of light an object reflects back into space (white = high, black = low)

what happens to absorbed radiation

its captured and given off as heat (infrared radiation)

absorbed wavelengths turn into…

longwaves

breakdown of radiation absorbed

4% clouds, 16% air, 50% earth

scattered

leftover wavelengths given off in every direction

why is scattering important

affects color of the sky, visibility, and light thru fog/clouds

why is the sky blue?

shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered more effectively

why do sunrises/sets happen

longer wavelengths = less scattered light

specific heat

the amount of heat needed to raise the temp of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree c (measured in joules)

relationship btwn level of specific heat and temp to heat/cool

the higher the specific heat the longer to heat/cool

how does earths atmosphere gain energy

conduction, absorbing insolation, convection, coriolis effect

conduction

as air touches earths surface it absorbs energy

what do winds produce

heat bc they cause friction as they move over earths surface

coriolis effect

winds deflect right in northern hemi and left in southern hemi bc of earths rotation

what is the major form of heat transfer in the atmosphere

convection

what causes differences in air pressure

differences in air density

what is wind

the parts of the convection currents that run parallel to the earths surface

what is air pressure

pressure due to the weight of the atmosphere pushing down on a given area

why is the relationship between altitude and air pressure inverse

the higher we go in altitude the less air molecules there are

how is air pressure measured

using a barometer in millibars or inches of mercury

the molecules in warm air are…

spread out, less molecules putting pressure on an area, less dense

the molecules in cold air are…

close together, more molecules putting pressure on an area, more dense

if warm air replaces cool air…

air pressure will decrease

if cool air replaces warm air…

pressure will increase

how does the atmosphere balance itsself?

air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, creating wind

what happens in high pressure systems

air pressure increases moving from the outside of a system to the inside

what way do winds move in a high pressure system

clockwise, spiraling outward

qualities of a high pressure system

air in the center sinks bc its cold and dense, good weather

what happens in low pressure systems

air pressure decreases moving from outside of system to inside

what way do winds move in a low pressure system

counterclockwise, spiral inwards

qualities of a low pressure system

air in center rises bc its warm and light, bad weather

what is the pressure gradiant

the change in pressure over a given distance

relationship btwn pressure gradiant and speed of wind

the greater the pressure gradiant, the faster the wind

what are isobars

lines of equal air pressure

relationship btwn distance of isobars, pressure gradiant, and wind speed

the closer the isobars, the higher the pressure gradiant, the faster the wind

how to calculate pressure gradiant

change in pressure/change in distance

why does uneven heating occur

land heats faster, water heats slower

what causes local breezes

uneven heating

when does sea breeze occur

the day

what does land heating faster than water lead to

low pressure

where does air sink during sea breeze

over water

when does land breeze occur

night

where does air sink during land breeze

land

what currents are involved w local breezes

convection