Ecosystem Services of the
Atmosphere
By: Carlos Antonio Guanzon
8-Mandela
Ecosystem Services of the
Atmosphere
“Ecosystem Services are the benefits people get from the
ecosystem” (greenfacts.org)
- How do we benefit from the atmosphere?
- How does the atmosphere make life possible on Earth?
A. Ozone layer
B. Greenhouse gases
C. Weather and Climate
D. Solar Energy and Temperature
Regulation
E.
Protection from Meteors
leap.silvacom.com
Ozone Layer
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Stratosphere, 20-30 km from Earth’s surface
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O+O2 = O3
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Protection from UV radiation

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UV causes:
cataracts, immune system suppression, genetic damage,
skin cancer
Environmental Concern: depleting ozone layer
> Action Taken: CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) prohibition
Greenhouse Gases

Water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane

Absorbs heat from sun and re-radiate back to Earth’s surface
(papers.ssrn.com)
> without them surface temperature is about -18 degrees
Celcius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) (ase.tufts.edu)
homecollection.biz
Greenhouse Gases

Environmental Concern: Global warming
Action Taken:

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Fossil fuel : power plants, vehicles
Conservation of forest, planting of trees
Weather and Climate
(eo.ucar.edu)
Weather – the specific atmospheric conditions that exist at a
particular place at a particular time
- controlled by changes in air pressure

Example: low pressure: clear skies
high pressure: cloudy skies (rain)
Climate – behavior of atmosphere over a long period of time
- differs in regions of the world:
> amount of sunlight
> geographic factor: proximity to oceans, altitude
Solar Energy and Temperature
Regulation
cosscience1.pbworks.com
Solar Energy and Temperature
Regulation
Solar Energy:
30% reflected back to space
20% absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-radiated to earth’s
surface
50% absorbed by earth’s surface
Temperature of Earth:
Normal: 15° C/ 59° F
w/o Greenhouse gases: -18° C/ 0° F (*32° F freezing point)
w/o solar energy reflected: +250° F (212° F boiling point)
* based on moon’s temp (reflecting only 10% solar energy)
Protection from Meteors
Atmosphere (mesosphere) burns meteors before
they hit the surface of the Earth
•
Meteors travel fast causing the atmospheric
gases to compress quickly
•
Generate great amounts of heat, burning the
objects
•
•
temperatures can reach as high as 3,000
degrees Fahrenheit (1650 degrees Celsius)
outerspaceuniverse.org
Image References
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welter-4d.de/fplugs/freeplugins_en.html
leap.silvacom.com/algar-ecosystem-services-assessment-project-kickoff/
http://www.homecollection.biz/greenhouse-gases-for-kids/
http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/media/atmosphere-burning.jpg
http://cosscience1.pbworks.com/f/124819246
http://image.slidesharecdn.com/convection-120524143258-phpapp02/95/role-ofconvection-in-creation-of-winds-3-728.jpg?cb=1337870043
odule7-011.png
References
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p 509 and pp 518-523 of the Earth Science book
prezi.com/kj8nokadoiyg/how-does-our-atmosphere-make-life-on-earth-possible//
greenfacts.org/en/ecosystems/toolboxes/box2-1-services.htm
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1114354
http://ase.tufts.edu/cosmos/view_chapter.asp?id=21&
http://www.eo.ucar.edu/basics/wx_2.html
http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/how-earths-atmosphere-burns-meteorscomets-and-other-space-debris.html
http://powermylearning.org/playlist/atmosphere0?utm_source=pin&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=pmltd
http://cseligman.com/text/planets/atmosphere.htm