Diagramming the Atmosphere and Oceans
The atmosphere and ocean have a lot in common. Both have different layers and these
different layers have different chemical and physical properties. There are warm spots
and cool spots. Pressure changes as you move through them. Different things live at
different places in both the atmosphere and the ocean. The atmosphere is fluid and
always changing, with currents and even waves. As you can see, we live in an ocean – it just
happens to be made of air instead of water.
Today you will be analyzing elevation/depth, temperature, pressure, and composition, and
using these factors to identify the different layers of the atmosphere and ocean.
Procedure:
1. On the paper provided, plot the thermal structure of the atmosphere using the
data in Table 1.
2. On the paper provided, plot the thermal structure of the ocean using the data in
Table 2.
3. On the paper provided, plot atmospheric pressure vs. altitude using the data in
Table 3.
4. On the paper provided, plot water pressure vs. depth using the data in Table 4.
5. On the paper provided, label the layers of the atmosphere and ocean. Using the
diagrams on Pages 430 and 480 of the Earth Science textbook to help identify the
different layers.
a. Atmosphere – Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
b. Ocean - Intertidal Zone, Neritic Zone, Open Sea Zones, Bathyal Zone,
Abyssal Zone
6. Add the following pictures to your layers diagram:
a. Mt. Everest extending from Earth up to 9 km
b. Clouds at 3 km
c. Geese at 6 km
d. Jet Stream between 11 and 13 km
e. Ozone Layer at 45 km
f. Meteor Shower at 60 km
g. Euphotic Zone from surface down to 100 m
h. Photic Zone from 100 m to 200 m
i. Aphotic Zone from 200 m to bottom of ocean
j. Thermocline from 300 m to 800 m
7. On the paper provided, construct a pie chart showing the composition of sea water
and the atmosphere using the data in Tables 5 and 6.
8. Using complete sentences, answer the questions provided.
Table 1
Thermal Structure of the
Atmosphere
Elevation
Temperature
Surface
20
5 km
-20
10 km
-55
20 km
-55
35 km
-20
45 km
0
55 km
0
70 km
-50
85 km
-85
95 km
-85
110 km
-40
125 km
0
140 km
50
Table 4
Change in Water Pressure with Depth
Depth
Water
Water
Meters
Pressure
Pressure
(Atmospheres)
(PSI)
Surface
1
14.7
10
2
29.4
50
5
73.5
100
10
147
500
50
735
1000
100
1470
1500
150
2205
Table 2
Thermal Structure of the
Ocean
Depth
Temperature
°C
Surface
20
100 m
20
300 m
20
400 m
18
500 m
12
700 m
6
900 m
5
1100 m
4
1300 m
4
1500 m
3
Table 5
Composition of Atmosphere
Element
Percent Total
Composition
Nitrogen
78%
Oxygen
21%
Argon
Less than 1%
Water Vapor
Varies
Carbon
0.04
Dioxide
Other
Less than 1%
Ar, Ne, He,
NH4, O3
Table 2
Change in Air Pressure with Elevation
Elevation
Air Pressure
Air
km
(Atmospheres) Pressure
psi
Surface
1
14.7
5
0.55
8.1
10
0.30
4.4
15
0.19
2.8
20
0.10
1.5
25
0.050
0.7
30
0.010
0.147
35
0
Table 6
Composition of Seawater
Element
Percent Total
Composition
Oxygen
32.1%
Hydrogen
64.2%
Chlorine
1.9%
Sodium
1.1%
Other
0.7%
Mg, S, Ca, K,
Br, C, Sr, Si,
Fl, Al, P, I
Diagramming the Atmosphere and Ocean
Composition of the Atmosphere and Oceans
1. What two elements are most common in the atmosphere?
2. What two elements are most common in the oceans?
3. What elements do the atmosphere and oceans have in common?
4. A lot of carbon dioxide is dissolved in the oceans. If this gas were released into the
atmosphere, what do you think might happen?
5. The graph is based on the composition of clean, dry, air. As pollutants, water vapor,
and other things are added to the air, what will happen to the percentage of nitrogen
and oxygen?
6. Do you think the amount of hydrogen and oxygen in the oceans changes over time?
Explain.
7. Which layer probably has the most oxygen? Explain why.
8. The mass of a CO2 molecule is 44 AU. The mass of an oxygen molecule is 32 AU. The
mass of a nitrogen molecule is 28 AU. Although the percent composition of gasses in
the atmosphere is generally the same, there are slight differences as you go up
through the atmosphere. Based on your answer to #3 and the information provided in
this question, what would you predict happens to the composition of the atmosphere as
you move higher in altitude?
9. Hydrogen has a molecular weight of 1. Nitrogen has a molecular weight of 7. Oxygen
has a molecular weight of 8. Both nitrogen gas and oxygen gas occur as molecules – N2
and O2. Remember that clean dry air is mostly nitrogen and oxygen. With that in mind,
which is denser – dry air or moist air?
10. Every year CO2 is emitted by industries, transportation, people, and volcanoes. Every
year, billions of living things inhale oxygen. Use what you know about plants and animals
to explain why oxygen makes up almost 22% of the atmosphere and CO2 makes up less
than 1%.
Structure of the Atmosphere and Oceans
11. What is the basis for dividing the atmosphere into layers?
12. What is the basis for dividing the ocean into layers?
13. Which layer of the atmosphere is the thickest? Which layer is the thinnest?
14. Which layer of the ocean is the thickest? Which layer is the thinnest?
15. Which layer of the atmosphere is the warmest? Which layer is the coldest?
16. Which layer of the ocean is the warmest? Which layer is the coldest?
17. In what layer is the air pressure the greatest? In what layer is the air pressure the
least? What physical force is responsible for the differences in air pressure?
18. In which layer is the water pressure the greatest? In which layer is it the least?
What physical force is responsible for the difference in water pressure?
19. In which layer of the atmosphere do most organisms live? Describe that layer in terms
of pressure, temperature, and chemical composition.
20. In which later of the ocean do most organisms live? Describe that layer in terms of
pressure, temperature, and chemical composition.
21. Why are special ships (i.e pressurized air planes or deep-sea submersibles) necessary
for traveling in or exploring areas higher or deeper than the Earth’s surface?
22. Suggest some reasons why the temperature increases in the Stratosphere.
23. Suggest some reasons why the temperature levels off in the thermocline.
24. Some scientists divide the thermosphere into two other layers – the ionosphere and
the exosphere. Why does this not make a lick of sense?
25. Some scientists add a layer to the bottom of the ocean (hadalpelagic zone) where the
trenches go deeper. Why does this not make a lot of sense?
26. Despite the fact that the molecules in the thermosphere receive lots of solar energy
and get very hot, why might the thermosphere feel very cold to us if we could go
there?
Origin of the Atmosphere and Oceans
27. The original atmosphere was hydrogen and helium left over from the solar nebula.
Suggest why these really really light elements did not last long but why planets like
Saturn and Jupiter still have a lot of these really really light elements.
28. The secondary atmosphere was a result of the very intense volcanic activity. How do
you think we know that the secondary atmosphere was mostly water vapor, carbon
dioxide, and sulfur dioxide?
29. Life began in the oceans about 3.5 billion years ago but did not move out onto land until
about 0.7 billion years ago. What do you think took so long to get life up onto land?
Hint: Think about what in the atmosphere we need to protect us from the Sun and why
we could not leave water until that formed.
30. The salinity (amount of salt) in the oceans has increased over time. Suggest some
reasons why.
31. Using what you know about Continental Drift (think 4th grade science), how have the
oceans changed over time?
Summary
32. Write a summary paragraph (five to ten sentences) describing explaining how the ocean
and atmosphere are similar. Be sure to address composition, temperature change,
pressure change, and elevation/depth.
Composition of the
Atmosphere
Composition of the Ocean