Lesson 3 - The Atmosphere, Solar Radiation and Earth'

Atmosphere

the smallest of the Earth’s geological reservoirs

Atmosphere

its limited size makes it potentially vulnerable to contamination

very rapid

The mixing time of the atmosphere is _____.

dilutes

The mixing, while distributing contaminants widely, _____ them at the same time.

much slower

The spread of contaminants in the ocean is _____ and in the other reservoirs of the Earth takes place only over geological timescales of millions of years.

Atmosphere

a layer of gases surrounding a planet or other material body of sufficient mass that is held in place by the gravity of the body

Atmosphere

is more likely to be retained if the gravity is high and the its temperature is low

Troposphere

its temperature is highest near the surface of the Earth and decreases with altitude

6.5 degrees Celsius per 1 m (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit per 1,000 ft) of altitude

What is the temperature gradient of the troposphere?

Earth’s surface, Sun, absorb, radiate, heat

_____ is a major source of heat for the troposphere, although nearly all of that heat comes from the _____. Rock, soil, and water _____ the Sun’s light and _____ it back into the atmosphere as _____.

higher near, greater density of gases

The temperature is also _____ near the surface because of the _____.

rise

The higher gravity causes the temperature to _____.

rising and sinking of air

The _____ in the troposphere means that all of the planet’s weather takes place in the troposphere.

Temperature Inversion

Air temperature in the troposphere increases with altitude and warm air sits over cold air. What is this called?

Inversions

are very stable and may last for several days or even weeks

Inversions

form over land at night or in winter when the ground is cold. The cold ground cools the air that sits above it, making this low layer of air denser than the air above it.

Inversions

form near the coast where cold seawater cools the air above it. When that dense air moves inland, it slides beneath the warmer air over the land.

Inversions

they often trap pollutants and produce unhealthy air conditions in cities

Smoke

makes a temperature inversion visible

Smoke

is trapped in cold dense air that lies beneath a cap of warmer air

thin layer, does not change with height

At the top of the troposphere is a _____ in which the temperature _____. This means that the cooler, denser air of the troposphere is trapped beneath the warmer, less dense air of the stratosphere.

rarely mix

Air from the troposphere and stratosphere _____.

stratosphere, so little mixing

Ash and gas from a large volcanic eruption may burst into the _____, the layer above the troposphere. Once there, it remains suspended there for many years because there is _____ between the two layers.

lower portions of the stratosphere, little air turbulence

Pilots like to fly in the _____ because there is _____.

increases, altitude

In the stratosphere, temperature _____ with the _____.

Sun

What is the direct heat source for the stratosphere?

stable, little mixing

Air in the stratosphere is _____ because warmer, less dense air sits over cooler, denser air. As a result, there is _____ of air within the layer.

Ozone Layer

found within the stratosphere between 15 to 30 km (9 to 19 miles)

Ozone Layer

its thickness varies by the season and also by altitude

Ozone Layer, ozone gas

is extremely important because _____ in the stratosphere absorbs most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

High-energy UV light

_____ penetrates cells and damages DNA, leading to cell death (which we know as a bad sunburn).

Ozone Layer

without it to reflect UVC and UVB radiation, most complex life on Earth would not survive long

UVB radiation

even with the ozone layer, it still manages to reach Earth’s surface, especially where solar radiation is high

mesosphere

Temperatures in the _____ decrease in altitude.

Stratosphere

Because there are few gas molecules in the mesosphere to absorb the Sun’s radiation, what is its heat source?

extremely cold, -90 degrees Celsius (-130 degrees Fahrenheit)

The mesosphere is _____, especially at its top, about _____.

low density, 99.9%, very low

The air in the mesosphere has extremely _____: _____ of the mass of the atmosphere is below the mesosphere. As a result, air pressure is _____.

Mesosphere

In this layer, a person traveling through the mesosphere would experience severe burns from ultraviolet light since the ozone layer which provides UV protection is in the stratosphere below.

Mesosphere

In this layer, there would be almost no oxygen for breathing.

Mesosphere

In this layer, an unprotected traveler’s blood would boil at normal body temperature because the pressure is so low.

Mesosphere

Here, meteors burn in the mesosphere even though the gas is very thin.

Shooting Stars

What are burning meteors called?

International Space Station (ISS)

orbits within the upper part of the thermosphere, at about 320 to 380 km above the Earth

Thermosphere

Here, the density of molecules is so low that one gas molecule can go about 1 km before it collides with another molecule.

very cold

Since so little energy is transferred, the air feels _____.

Ionosphere

is within the thermosphere

Ionosphere

gets its name from the solar radiation that ionizes gas molecules to create a positively charged ion and one or more negatively charged electrons

electric currents, free ions

The freed electrons travel within the ionosphere as _____. Because of the _____, the ionosphere has many interesting characteristics.

Radio Waves

bounce off the ionosphere and back to Earth at night

Van Allen Radiation Belts

two doughnut-shaped zones of highly charged particles that are located beyond the atmosphere in the magnetosphere

solar flares, solar wind, magnetic lines of force, equator, North Pole, South Pole, equator

The particles originate in _____ and fly to Earth on the _____. Once trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, they follow along the field’s _____. These lines extend from above the _____ to the _____ and also to the _____ then return to the _____.

massive solar storms, nighttime aurora

When _____ cause the Van Allen belts to become overloaded with particles, the result is the most spectacular feature of the ionosphere - the _____.

spiral, oxygen, nitrogen

The particles _____ along magnetic field lines toward the poles. The charged particles energize _____ and _____ gas molecules, causing them to light up. Each gas emits a particular color of light.

aurora borealis/northern lights

Spectacular light displays are visible as the _____ in the Northern Hemisphere.

aurora australis/southern lights

encircles Antarctica

exosphere, scarce

There is no real outer limit to the _____, the outermost layer of the atmosphere; the gas molecules finally become so _____ that at some point there are no more.

Solar Wind

What is beyond the atmosphere?

Solar Wind

is made up of high-speed particles, mostly protons and electrons, traveling rapidly outward from the Sun

Atmosphere

is composed of a mix of several different gases in differing amounts

• nitrogen

• oxygen

• argon

What are the permanent gases whose percentages do not change from day to day?

• nitrogen - 78%

• oxygen - 21%

• argon - 0.9%

What are the percentages of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon in the atmosphere?

• carbon dioxide

• nitrous oxides

• methane

• ozone

What are the trace gases?

Trace Gases

account for about a tenth of one percent of the atmosphere

Water Vapor

unique in that its concentration varies from 0-4% of the atmosphere depending on where you are and what time of the day it is

1%, 4%

In the cold, dry arctic regions water vapor usually accounts for less than _____ of the atmosphere, while in humid, tropical regions water vapor account for almost _____ of the atmosphere.

Water Vapor Content

very important in predicting weather

Atmospheric Stability

it is a measure of the atmosphere’s tendency to encourage or deter vertical motion

Vertical Motion

directly correlated to different types of weather systems and their severity

warmer

In unstable conditions, a lifted parcel of air will be _____ than the surrounding air at altitude.

Absolutely Unstable

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY

If the environmental lapse rate is greater than 9.8 Celsius per kilometer (i.e., greater than the dry adiabatic rate), then any rising parcel, saturated or not, will be warmer than its environment.

Absolutely Unstable

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY

The parcel will be buoyant.

Conditionally Unstable

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY

The environment lapse rate lies in the range between 4 Celsius per kilometer and 9.8 Celsius per kilometer.

Conditionally Unstable

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY

A rising parcel could become buoyant if at some point it becomes saturated. Whether it becomes saturated depends on the surface temperature and humidity.

Absolutely Stable

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY

If the environmental lapse rate is less than 4 Celsius per kilometer, then any rising air parcel will be colder than the environment, and will sink back down.

Absolutely Stable

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY

No matter if the parcel is saturated or not, it cannot become buoyant.

Condensation

the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water

Condensation

crucial to the water cycle because it is responsible for the formation of clouds that may produce precipitation

Precipitation

the primary route for water to return to the Earth’s surface within the water cycle

Condensation Nuclei

dust, carbon particle, pollen particle, (tiny particles)

Clouds

mass of small water droplets or tiny ice crystals that float in the air

Clouds

formed when the temperature of the air is below the dew point

Clouds

white in color because droplets and crystals scatters sunlight, and appears grey when blocking the sunlight

Clouds

classified on the basis of their shape and height

High Clouds

made of ice crystals due to the cold air in the upper sky

High Clouds

its base above the surface can be anywhere from 6,000 - 18,000 m in the tropics to 3,000 - 8,000 m in the polar regions

• Cirrus Clouds

• Cirrostratus

• Cirrocumulus

What are the types of clouds under high clouds?

Cirrus Clouds

the most common of the high cloud (5,000 - 13,000 m) group

Cirrus Clouds

composed entirely of ice and consist of long, thin, wispy streamers

Cirrus Clouds

commonly known as “Mare’s Tails” because of their appearance

Cirrus Clouds

usually white and predict fair weather

Cirrostratus

belong to the high cloud (5,000 - 13,000 m) group

Cirrostratus

sheet-like thin clouds that usually cover the entire sky

Cirrostratus

the sun or moon can shine through them

Cirrostratus

sometimes, the sun or moon will appear to have a halo around it

Cirrostratus

the ice crystals from the cloud refracts the light from the sun or moon, creating a halo with a width of your hand when you hold it out at arm’s length

Cirrostratus

usually come 12-24 hours before a rain or snow storm, which is especially true if middle group clouds are associated with it

Cirrocumulus

small rounded puffs that usually appear in long rows

Cirrocumulus

usually white, but sometimes appear gray

Cirrocumulus

the same size or smaller than the width of your littlest finger when you hold up your hand at arm’s length

Cirrocumulus

it they cover a lot of the sky, it is called a “Mackerel Sky” because the sky looks like the scales of a fish