Composition
Nitrogen-78%: fundamental for living organisms
Oxygen-21%:produced through photosynthesis
Water Vapor 0-4%:higher or lower depending on region
Carbon Dioxide <<1%: currently increased due to fossil fuels, greenhouse gas
Methane-<<<1%: greenhouse gas-400 million tons per year
Nitrous Oxide-<<<1%: greenhouse gas-6million tons per year
Ozone-<<<1%: absorbs harmful UV radiation form the sun, very important,
depleted due to photochemical smog
Ionosphere (aurora)
Layers
Troposphere- 0-7 miles above the surface, 75% of the
atmosphere’s mass is in the troposphere, weather occurs
here
Stratosphere- temperature increases with altitude due to
absorption of heat by ozone, contains the ozone layer
Mesosphere- temperature decreases with altitude,
meteors burn up in this layer
Thermosphere (Ionosphere) – temperature increases with
altitude due to gamma rays, X-Rays, and UV Radiation,
northern lights aurora occurs here
Weather
Where does weather occur? THE TROPOSHERE
Weather is-caused by the movement or transfer of heat
energy which influences temperature, air pressure,
humidity, precipitation, etc.
-Energy can be transferred through Radiation (solar
energy), Conduction (collisions of heat-carrying
molecules), or Convection (primary way energy is
transferred from hot to cold)
Regions near the equator receive the most solar energy.
Factors that Influence
Climate
Air Mass-large body of air with similar temperature and moisture content
Air Pressure- decreases with altitude, low pressure causes stormy weather, high
pressure creates fair weather
Albedo- reflectivity- snow and ice have high albedo
Altitude- greater altitude equal colder temperature
Angle of Sunlight- areas close to equator receive most sun
Carbon Cycle- carbon dioxide increases warming
Clouds- hold water vapor, cause rain (high level clouds are ice crystals)
Distance to Oceans- the closer to an ocean, the more humid an area is
Fronts- cold fronts, warm fronts
Land Changes- deforestation and urbanization
Landmass Distribution- different materials absorb different amounts of heat
Latitude- the higher, the less solar radiation
Location
Humidity- moisture traps in heat causing warmth
Mountain Ranges- effects rain receiving, mountain altitude makes cooler air,
shadows make cooler air
Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes- produce carbon dioxide creating warming
Wind Patterns
Earths Rotation
Human Caused problems- pollution
Factors of Climate Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7DLLxrrBV8
Major Climate Periods
2,000,000 B.C.E to 12,000 B.C.E= Pleistocene
Ice Age- large glacial ice sheets covered North
America, Europe, and Asia
12,000 B.C.E to 3000 B.C.E- The Earth started to
warm up after the ice age.
Coriolis Effect
-the influence of Earth's rotation, which tends to turn air
and water toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere
and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere
Atmospheric Pollution
Atmospheric pollution can be defined as the introduction into the
atmosphere of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological material that
are harmful or humans and other living organism, as well as damage
the environment.
The main pollutant is fossil fuels. (sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides,
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and other volatile organic
compounds(VOCs), particulate matter, persistent free radicals, and
heavy metals.)
2.4 million people die each year from diseases caused, or made
worse, by atmospheric pollution.
The first
picture
shows
space junk
around the
Earth.
Second
shows an
ozone hole.
The one
above this
is photochemical
smog.
Some strange but helpful
YouTube videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCXC1tOCB0I
Just in case you didn’t know the difference
between temperature and climate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkaY1dvZer4
Just in case you didn’t know the layers of the
atmosphere.
Helpful Sites and Study
Aides for the Atmosphere
http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_1_1.htm
http://www4.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog10
1/textbook/atmosphere/atmospheric_compositio
n.html
http://quizlet.com/4052445/ap-environmentalscience-atmosphere-and-winds-flash-cards/