APES Lap 4

atmosphere

thin layer of gases that surrounds earth

stratosphere

absorbs radiation

mesosphere

burns up meteors

troposphere

moderates climate

troposphere

transports and recycles water and nutrients

78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon

composition of atmosphere

water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane

variable amounts of ________ in atmosphere

thermosphere

atmosphere's top layer

thermosphere

where northern lights happen

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

layers of atmosphere

troposphere

the lowest atmospheric layer; from 4 to 11 miles high

troposphere

air for breathing

troposphere

temperature declines with altitude

statosphere

contains ozone layer

stratosphere

temperature increases with altitude

mesosphere

temperature decreases with altitude

mesosphere

extremely low air pressure

thermosphere

ionic radiation, very hot, very thin air

tropopause

limits mixing between troposphere and the layer above it

atmospheric pressure

measures the force per unit area produced by a column of air

decreases

atmospheric pressure _______ with altitude

relative humidity

the ratio of water vapor a given volume of air contains to the amount it could contain at a given temperature

location, time

temperature varies with ________ and ________

ozone, burning fossil fuels

____ found in the troposphere is from _________

troposphere

region most affected by the greenhouse gas effect

troposphere

region that contains the majority of molecules in the atmosphere

heats air, moves air, creates seasons, influences weather and climate

energy from the sun _____, ______, ______, _________

solar radiation

________ is highest near the equator

toward, half

each hemisphere tilts ______ the sun for ___ the year

convective circulation

less dense, warmer air rises and creates vertical currents

warmer, moister

air near Earth's surface is ________ and _______ than air at higher altitudes

rising, expands, cools

_______ air _____ and _____

weather

specifies atmospheric conditions over short time periods and within a small geographic areas

climate

describes patterns of atmospheric conditions across large geographic regions over long periods of time

front

the boundary between air masses that differ in temperature, moisture, and density

warm front

the boundary where warm moist air replaces colder, drier air

cold front

the boundary where colder, drier air displaces warmer, moister air

high-pressure system

air that moves away from a center of high pressure as it descends

fair weather

high-pressure systems bring _____

low-pressure system

air moves toward the low atmospheric pressure at the center of the system and spirals upward

clouds and precipitation

low=pressure system brings _________

hadley cells

near the equator, surface air warms, rises, and expands

moisture, heavy rainfall

hadley cells release ______ and ______ near the equator

ferrel and polar cells

life air

coriolis effect

the north-south air currents of the convective cells appear to deflected from a straight path

curving global wind patterns

the coriolis effect results in _________

doldrums

near the equator, few winds

trade winds

between the equator and 30 degrees latitude, blow from east to west

westerlies

from 30 to 60 degrees latitude, originate from the west and blow east

lichen, sulfur

____ is an indicator species for bad because it is sensitive to ____

hazardous atmosphere

-contains a toxic chemical above the PEL
- has less than 19.5% oxygen
- contains a combustible gas within its explosive limit

air pollution

material added to the atmosphere that can affect climate and harm organisms, including humans

natural or anthroprogenic

______ or _____ air pollution release directly into the air

dust storms, volcanoes, fires

natural sources of air pollution

volcanism

contributes to the cooling of earth's atmosphere

primary pollutants

directly harmful and can react to form harmful substances

secondary pollutants

form when primary pollutants interact or react with constituents or components of the atmosphere

NO

nitrogen oxide

NO2

nitrogen dioxide

NO3

nitrate

NO2

nitrite

HNO3

nitric acid

SO4

sulfate

H2SO4

sulfuric acid

H2CO3

carbonic acid

HNO2

nitrous acid

carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter

primary pollutants

nitric acid, PANs, ozone, sulfuric acid

secondary pollutants

air pollutants

gases and particulate material added to the atmosphere

sunlight, water, oxygen

secondary pollutants undergo a transformation in the presence of ______, ________, _______

carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, suspended particulates, volatile organic compounds, ozone

major pollutants

CO, SO2, NOx, VOCs, PM, lead

six criteria pollutants

CO2

not regulated ad a pollutant under the U.S. Clean Air Act

incomplete combustion

CO is a highly toxic gas that forms during the _______ of carbon-containing materials

60,000

SPM is responsible for about ______ premature deaths a year in the US

dust storms

hundreds of millions of tons of dust are blown westward across the Atlantic Ocean by trade winds every year

unsustainable farming and grazing, erosion, desertification

dust storms come from

aerosols

reflect sunlight back into space and cool the atmosphere and surface

volatile organic compounds

emitted as gases from liquids or solids

smog

unhealthy mixtures of air pollutants over urban areas

industrial smog

industries burn coal or oil; fossil-fuel combustion

cool hilly areas

where does industrial smog occur

SOx

primary pollutants of industrial smog

SO3, H2SO4, PM

secondary pollutants of industrial smog

fossil fuel burning

anthropogenic source of industrial smog

Beijing, China

areas with industrial smog problems

photochemical smog

morning traffic exhaust releases

NOx, VOCs

primary pollutants of photochemical smog

ozone, PANs

secondary pollutants of photochemical smog

Los Angeles, California

problem location of photochemical smog

hot sunny and windless days

when would photochemical smog happen

Mexico City

another place where photochemical smog happens

precipitation, wind, sea salt spray, chemical reaction

reduction in air pollution

buildings block wind, hills and mountains, urban heat island, temperature inversions, migrating pollution, VOCs

increases air pollution

thermal inversion

a layer of cool air occurs beneath a layer of warmer air

inversion layer

the band of air in which temperature rises with altitude

urban heat island

cities often hotter than surrounding countryside

buildings block wind, heating buildings, little surface water, stone re-emits solar energy

causes of urban heat island

Montreal Protocol

restricted CFC production globally

hot, dry, clear, no wind

ozone action days