Unit 4 Apes review

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4.4 Atmosphere - ATM (9.14)
Miller&Spoolman text pages: 18.1, p475-476
Learning Objective: Describe the structure and composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Essential Knowledge
1. The atmosphere is made up of major gases, each with its own relative abundance.
2. The layers of the atmosphere are based on temperature gradients and include the troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
Gasses of Earth’s Atm  Nitrogen ~78% -Mostly in the form of N2 (unusable to plants unless FIXED by bacteria
in soil)
 Oxygen ~21% -Produced by photosynthesis and needed for human/animal respiration
 Argon ~0.93% -inert, noble gas
 Water Vapor ~0 – 4% - varies y region and condidtions. Acts as temporary Green
House Gas, but less concerning than CO2. Quickly cycles through atmosphere and
doesn’t stay in the atmosphere for months or years like CO2 does.
 Carbon dioxide ~0.04% - Most important Green House Gas leads to global warming.
Removed from atmosphere by photosynthesis
Characteristics of Layers Troposphere = change (weather occurs here) – Most dense bc closest
to earth’s layer. Most water vapor and oxygen found here.
-Ozone (O2) in the troposphere is harmful to humans (respiratory
irritant) and damages plant stomata and forms smog
Stratosphere = “S” for second , less dense due to less pressure from
layers above – OFFICIAL THICKER Ozone layer is found here that
absorbs UVA and UVC rays which can mutate DNA of animals (cancer)
Mesosphere – Middle – even less dense
Thermosphere = Therm = hottest temp; absorbs harmful x-rays and UV
radiation, charges gas molecules flow under solar radiation producing
Northers Lights (aurora borealis)
Exosphere – outermost layer where atm merges with space
Temperature Gradient
Layer’s of earth’s atm
are based on where tem gradient chance
with distance from earth.
Layer Inc / Dec? Facts/why?
Thermo
Increases Hottest layer bc absorbs of
highly energetic solar
radiation in this layer – It’s
the hottest place on earth!
Meso
Decreases Bc density decreases, leaving
fewer molecules to absorb
sun (COLDEST place on earth)
Strato
Increases Bc the top layer of
stratosphere is warmed by
UV rays
Tropo
Decreases Air gets further from warmth
of earth’s surface
Which layers have an direct relationship between altitude and temp?
Stratosphere and Thermosphere
Respire /
Respiration -
WE DO NOT
SAY BREATH
in or out
oxygen. We

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4.5 Global Wind Patterns (9.55)
Miller&Spoolman text pages: 7.1, p146-147
Learning Objective: Explain how environmental factors can result in atmospheric circulation.
Essential Knowledge: Global wind patterns primarily result from the most intense solar radiation arriving at the
equator, resulting in density differences and the Coriolis Effect.
Air Properties Warm Air rises and cools and expands out
and rises bc becomes less dense, and holds
more moisture
Cold Air, expands and air molecules condense and becomes more
dense (and eventually will become so heavy and will condense
down as rain), also holds less moisture
Hadley Cell – Direct sunlight at equator warms the air, warm air
rises and expands and cools – condensing eventually coming
down as precipitation (that’s why there’s so much of rain at the
equator), the cool air continues to rise, continues to cool and expand out, and it will sink at 30 degree N and
S (deserts form here due to lack of moisture in air)
Coriolis Effect Coriolis Effect is
 Caused by: Earth’s rotation/spin on its axis
0*-30* wind moves E to W
 Why? Bc earth is spinning
Bc earth is spinning W to E
30*-60* wind moves W to E
 Why? Bc earth spins faster at 30 degrees than
compared to 60 degrees.
Global Wind Patterns 1. ______ Air rising at equator = low pressure
a. ______air sinking down at 300 = high
pressure
2. 0o - 30 winds blows E to W AKA (Eastern Trade)
a. Drives: Ocean current clockwise in N
hemisphere and CounterCW in Southern
hemisphere.
3. 30o - 60o: winds blows W to E AKA (Westerlies)
a. Drives: Weather patterns of N America
Something to notice...
 Wind blows away from the EQ
 Wind blows toward from 30*

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4.6 Watersheds (10:15) *this topic will be covered out of order
Miller&Spoolman text pages: 8.4, p178-180
Learning Objective: Describe the characteristics of a watershed.
Essential Knowledge: Characteristics of a given watershed include its area, length, slope, soil, vegetation types,
and divides with adjoining watersheds.
Watershed What is a watershed? All of the land that darins into a specific body of water
(river, lake, bay, etc.)
Boundaries are determined by: slope, ridges, of land divide watersheds
(diff. runoff directions)
More vegetation = More infiltration and groundwater recharge
Greater slope = Faster velocity of runoff and more soil erosion
Soil permeability determines runoff vs. infiltration rates
Human activities of a watershed impact the water quality (Ex:
agriculture, clearcutting, urbanization, dams, mining)
Home sweet Properties of an Estuary: Mix of fresh and salt water + nutrients in sediment make estuary
habitats like the salt marshes in the bay HIGHLY productive.
Ecosystem Services of the Chesapeake Bay
-Tourist revenue – hotels, restaurants, permits
-Water filtration (grass roots trap pollutants)
-Habitats for food sources (fish and crabs)
-Storm protections (absorbing buffering floods)
Human Impacts on the Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Pollution (N & P) leads to eutrophication in the Bay...Describe Eutrophication
-Algae bloom due to increase N/P  decreased sunlight 
plants below surface die  bacteria will use up all the O2 
hypoxia (low 02) and dead zones
Major N/P Sources
1 Discharge from sewage treatment plants (N/P levels from
human waste)
2 Animal waste from CAFOS (manure lagoons)
3 Synthetic fertilizer from agriculture fields and lawns
Other major pollutants
1 Endocrine disruptors (from sewage treatment)
2 Sediment pollution (deforestation, urbanization, tilling
agricultural fields)
ALL that increases turbidity (reduced photosynthesis) and
covers over rocky streamed habitats.

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Solutions A. Cover Crops – Using some plant in between the
main crops to help trap runoff and keep the soil
from running off too
B. Riparian Buffers – Planting plants along the side
of a river or body of water and the root structures
trap pollutants from going into the nearby body
of water
C. Animal Manure Mgmt – turning manure into fertilizer pellets instead of the manure going into bodies
of water
DEF – Target Human Sewage- Septic tank to collect waste and slowly drain sewage naturally or use
microbes to eat a lot of waste before it drains into bodies of water.

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4.7 Solar Radiation and Earth’s Seasons (10:35)
Miller&Spoolman text pages: 7.1, p146
Learning Objective: Explain how the sun’s energy affects the Earth’s surface.
Essential Knowledge
1. Incoming solar radiation (insolation) is the Earth’s main source of energy and is dependent on season and
latitude.
2. The angle of the sun’s rays determines the intensity of the solar radiation. Due to the shape of the Earth, the
latitude that is directly horizontal to the solar radiation receives the most intensity.
3. The highest solar radiation per unit area is received at the equator and decreases toward the poles.
4. The solar radiation received at a location on the Earth’s surface varies seasonally, with the most radiation
received during the location’s longest summer day and the least on the shortest winter day.
5. The tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation causes the Earth’s seasons and the number of hours of daylight in a
particular location on the Earth’s surface.
Solar Intensity & Latitude What is INSOLATION? The amount of solar radiation (energy of the sun’s rays) reaching an area measures in
Watts/m^2
Intensity of insolation depends on
1 Angle of insolation
2 Amount of atmosphere that the sun must pass
through to get to earth’s surface
Equator has higher insolation bc
Angle of insolation is perpendicular = more direct
Higher latitudes have less insolation bc
Far more oblique angle (less direct)
Solar Intensity & Season Angle of sun rays affected by (2): Amount of atmosphere sun
passes through and angle of insolation.
 Causes (3):
-sun’s rays have to pass through shorter atmosphere –
which leads to a small surface area
-sun’s rays have to pass further distance of atmosphere –
which scatters the energy (larger surface area)
SOLSTICE – June and December, N or S hemisphere is maximally
tilted toward sun (summer and winter)
EQUINOX – March and Sept, N and S hemisphere equally facing
the sun
Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees N) and Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees S)
Changes in seasons are caused by tilt by the axis (23.5 degrees)
Albedo What is ALBEDO? The proportion of light that is reflected by a surface.
High Albedo: reflect more light, and absorb LESS (ice/snow) heat
Low Albedo: reflect less light and absorb MORE (water) heat.

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Albedo & Surface Temperature Urban Heat Islands vs. Rural Areas vs. the Poles
Urban Heat Islands are hotter than surrounding rural area due to low albedo of blacktop.
Rural Area – have more trees, grass, water so it reflects more than urban heat islands
The Poles- are colder due to higher albedo
4.8 Earth’s Geography and Climate (9.40 – stop at 7.30)
Miller&Spoolman text page: 7.1, p145-148
Learning Objective: Describe how the Earth’s geography affects weather and climate.
Essential Knowledge
1. Weather and climate are affected not only by the sun’s energy buy by geologic and geographic factors, such as
mountains and ocean temperature.
2. A rain shadow is a region of land that has become drier because a higher elevation area blocks precipitation from
reaching the land.
Climate &
Geography Climate is largely determined by angle of insolation and
atmosphere.
 Equator receives most intense insolation: higher temp, air
rises, high precipitation.
 Higher Latitudes receive less insolation: cooler temp, air
rises, less precipitation
Geography also plays a role
 Oceans – moderate
temperature and add moisture
to the air
 Mountains – disrupt wind and
product rain shadow effect
Rain Shadows Windward (left side of diagram) -side facing the ocean will get
more rain bc warm moist air from ocean hits the windward side
of the mountain, rises, cools (condensing H20 vapor and
causing rain)  lush green vegetation.
Leeward (right side of diagram) – very dry bc most of moisture
has been precipitated on opp side so dry air descends and
warming as it sinks, leads to dry arid desert conditions.
D
raw, label, color-code, and describe.
Blue = trade wind
Green = vegetation bc windward side
Red= desert bc arid and dry air as air
descends

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4.9 El Niño and La Niña (11:37)
Miller&Spoolman text page: Supplement 5, S19-21
Learning Objective: Describe the environmental changes and effects that result from El Niño or La Niña events (El
Niño-Southern Oscillation).
Essential Knowledge
1. El Niño and La Niña are phenomena associated with changing ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific
Ocean. These phenomena can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns.
2. El Niño and La Niña are influenced by geological and geographic factors and can affect different locations in
different ways.

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Global Ocean Surface Currents GYER / GYRE: Large ocean circulation pattern that happens bc of global wind patterns.
General direction
 0-30*- push eq. current to E to W
 30-60*- Westerlies push mid lat
currents W to E
 N Hemis - wind and ocean most
clockwise
 S Hemis - wind and ocean move
countercw

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Thermohaline Circulation Thermohaline Circulation connects and mixes:
Oceans, mixing salt, nutrients, and temperature
Describe movement, temp, etc
Warm water from Gulf of Mexico moves toward N pole and it cools and evaporates. The saltier and colder
water at poles is more dense, making it sink and spreads along the ocean floor. It rises back up into shallow
warm ocean current at upwelling zones.
Effect on climate?
Moderates temperatures of diff areas of the globe. For example, the warm air moves towards Europe and
makes it warmer in those area than countries in the same latitude.
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) ENSO- El Nino Southern Oscillation
Pattern of shifting atmospheric
pressure and ocean currents in the
pacific ocean between South America
and Australia/Southeast Asia.
-Oscillates or shifts regularly from El
Nino (warmer, rainier) to La Nina
(cooler, drier) conditions along coast of South America.
In general – El Nino
La Nina
Normal Year El Niño La Niña

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Trade winds blow water
East TO West
SAm: High pressure
Conditons:
Increase in upwelling off coast of SA
(cool temp + good fisheries)
AUS / SE Asia: Low pressure
Conditions: Rising air expands so
low pressure
Trade winds WEAKEN then blow
West TO East
SAm: Low pressure
Conditons:
Milder winters but rannier and
warmer weather so can lead to
flooding AND decrease in upwelling
AUS / SE Asia: High pressure
Conditions:
Cooler than normal conditions and
drought like conditions
Positive effects:
Milder winters
STRONGER Trade winds blow
East to West (normal BUT stronger)
SAm: High pressure
Conditons:
Cooler than normal weather,
increase upwelling
AUS / SE Asia: Low pressure
Conditions:
Ranier conditions which can lead to
flooding.