The Atmosphere Notes
Composition
 Invisible mixture of ___________
o Nitrogen & Oxygen ________ common in lower level
o ___________ more common in upper atmosphere
o Water __________ & Carbon dioxide in smaller amounts
 Other materials
o _________
o Rock particles & ________
Structure of the Atmosphere
1st layer- ___________________
- height from earth is ___ km -16km
- temperature-around ______ oF
- air pressure and density – ___________________
as you go up.
Tropopause- ____________________
2nd layer- Stratosphere
- height _______ km from troposphere
- temperature ____ oF
- upper region contains oxygen-(_____________ layer)
- absorbs _______ radiation
Stratopause- boundary
_______ layer- Mesosphere
-height from stratosphere is ____ km
-temperature – 100o F
-____________ _______ up in this layer
Mesopause- boundary
4th layer- _____________________
-height from Mesosphere about _______ km
-some __________ craft orbit here
-absorbs a lot of ________________
-temperature 1000oF
-contains ____________________
-electrically ____________ particles (____) are in place by earth’s magnetic field
-radio signals can be reflected off
Thermopause- boundary
5th layer- _______________
-extends into outer space
-_________________ orbit here
-____ ______________ belts found here (collects radiation from sun to protect us)
Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere
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Radiation: _________ that travels in the form of waves (a wave is a carrier of energy)
o Earth & atmosphere are ____________ by radiation
o Is absorbed or _______________
o Wavelength: _________ from the crest of one wave to the crest of another wave
o Waves with ______ wavelengths have ______ energy than waves with long wavelengths
Radiant Energy
o __ % is ____________ back by the atmosphere, clouds & Earth’s surface
o 20 % is ______________ by _______________
o 50 % is absorbed by Earth’s ____________
o The surface cools, _______ waves of energy are given _____
o The surface _______, it _________ long waves of energy (greenhouse effect)
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse Effect: the _________ in temperature
that the Earth experiences because certain ________
in the atmosphere ________ energy from the sun.
Without these gases, ______ would _________ back
into _________ & Earth’s average temperature would
be about 60ºF ____________.
Greenhouse gases: water vapor, ________ ___________,
nitrous oxide, and _____________
Runaway Greenhouse Effect: could cause ___________
of glaciers, _______ off protective atmospheric layers,
_________ in _________  occurs on planet _______
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Ways of Movement
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As radiant energy is absorbed by the earth or atmosphere, it moves from __________
concentration to _______ concentration
1. Conduction: heat moves from one object to another
while ___ __________ with each other
2. Convection: heat energy is moved by a _____________
(ex: water, wind)
Convection current: continuous _______________ of air
(think of convection currents in Earth’s mantle)
Dew Point
 Dew point – _______________ to which air must be _________ to become saturated.
(it will rain)
 When relative ______________ (amount of ____________ in air) is high dew point is
close to air’s temperature.
 ____________________ doesn’t need to be lowered much for saturation.
 If relative humidity is _______; dew point is much _______ than _____ temperature
o so need a ____________ ________________ in temperature for saturation
The Water Cycle
 The water cycle has ____ starting or ____________ point
 _____% of Earth’s water is in the ocean
 The _______ drives the water cycle as it _________ Earth’s oceans and rivers
 Evaporation: ________that is heated turns into a ______(water _________) and
enters Earth’s atmosphere
 Sublimation: ice & snow can be directly turned from a _________ into a ______
Transpiration:
 The process of evaporation from ___________is called transpiration. (In other words,
it’s like plants sweating.)
Condensation
 As water (in the form of ______) rises higher in the atmosphere, it starts to ______
and become a _____________ again. This process is called ________________
 When a __________ amount of water vapor condenses, it results in the formation of
_________________
 You can see this at home when you take a ___________ and the windows and mirrors in
the bathroom _______ up. You can also do this by breathing on a mirror.
Precipitation
 Precipitation occurs when so much __________ has condensed that the air
___________ hold it anymore. The clouds get ________ and water _________ back
to the earth.
 Forms: rain, hail, sleet or ___________
Accumulation
 When rain falls on the land, some of the water is called ____________
. Most groundwater eventually returns to the ____________.
 Other _________________________________into streams or rivers.
___________ that collects in rivers, streams, and oceans is called
Aquifers
 Runoff, and ground-water seepage, ___________
_____________________________________.
 Not all ______________ flows into rivers, though.
Much of it _______ into the _________________
___________________.
 Some water ____________ __________ into the
ground and replenishes _____________ (saturated
subsurface rock), which store ___________ amounts
of __________________ for long periods of time.
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 Water Cycle Overview
 Over time, though, all of this water keeps _________, some to ___________ the
ocean, where the water cycle "ends" ... oops - I mean, where it "______________"
More on Rain
Process to form rain.
A. _________-cloud process
- tiny droplets form by __________________ and then grow by ___________ into and
______________ with other droplets.
- _____________ sizes are more likely to _______ than same size.
- in the _________ longer, __________ droplets.
- larger droplets grow around a large ___________ nuclei ( condensation nuclei)
- droplets ____________ from _________________ when falling.
B. Ice process
- in ____________ layer of clouds
- __________ cooled water evaporates __________ and deposits on the ice crystal.
- larger ice crystals get ___________ enough, the start to ________.
- as they fall they will _________ with _____________ temperatures.
CLOUDS
Clouds- __________ droplets and /or pieces of ______ floating in atmosphere.
- most form in _____________________
- indicated direction and speed of wind and amount of water vapor by ________ & position.
*For water to condense from air
1. air must contain __________ vapor
2. condensation nuclei (_________ in air)
3. air _________________ must drop to the _______ point.
* Air cools by:
1. Coming into ___________ with cool surface.
ex. Cold water
2. As _____________ radiates from it into space.
ex. ________ forms in early morning after clear nights temp.
_____________ ground decreases to _______ point.
( fog is _____________ near ground)
3. As air____________ it ______________
ex. Clouds form when air rises to _______ point. Causes flat bases on clouds
Temperature changes occurring without heat – ______________changes.
TYPES OF CLOUDS
 Clouds: named by ________________.
1. Cumulus- heaped, ___________ clouds often flat base.
 Form- ___________air rises, only when
temperature falls to dew point.
Found- _____ altitudes
Shows- __________ weather
o below 2km and 7km are ________cumulus
o above 7km are __________cumulus.
 - may extend into atmosphere this forms __________ heads- __________nimbus
-May bring ___________ weather. (thunder, hail, lightening and tornadoes)
 * ______________ or nimbo- cloud is precipitating.
2. Stratus- ________________ out where large
body air slowly lifted.
 - indicate _________ weather
 - block sun for long periods of time
o below 2km and 7km are _______stratus.
o above 7km are ___________stratus
 * cirrostratus causes a ________ around sun or moon.
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__________stratus- light but steady __________
or snow that lasts more than a day.
3. Cirrus- __________ at high altitudes.
 thin and ___________
 Form- temperature is __________ freezing
- made of ice crystals.
 Found- where air is _________
 Shows- ________-weather
CLUES TO WEATHER
 Cirrus clouds followed by cirro__________- _________ period, temperature increases.
 Cumulus followed by Cumulo__________- short period of heavy _________ and
temperature _________________.