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Atmosphere And Climate

Atmosphere And Climate. Atmosphere. Invisible layer of gases that surround the earth 78% nitrogen 21% oxygen 1% argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, water vapor, air pollutants Atmosphere becomes less dense as you move upwards into space. Atmosphere Origin.

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Atmosphere And Climate

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  1. Atmosphere And Climate

  2. Atmosphere • Invisible layer of gases that surround the earth • 78% nitrogen • 21% oxygen • 1% argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, water vapor, air pollutants • Atmosphere becomes less dense as you move upwards into space

  3. Atmosphere Origin • Gases were released from the planet itself • Functions: • Protects earth from uv rays, x-rays, cosmic rays • Allows visible light and infrared (heat) to penetrate, warming the earth • 2.3-2.7 billion years ago evolution of photosynthetic organisms

  4. Layers of the Atmosphere • Troposphere • Stratosphere • Mesosphere • Thermosphere • Exosphere • Memory technique: Troy smiled more than Ed

  5. Layers of the Atmosphere

  6. Layers of the Atmosphere

  7. Troposphere • Closest to the surface of the earth, extends about 6.2 miles up • Temp. decreases with increasing altitude • Weather occurs in this layer

  8. Stratosphere • Extends 6.2-28 miles up • Uniform temperature • Jets fly here • **contains ozone layer**

  9. Mesosphere • 28-50 miles • Lowest temperature in atmosphere (-138oC)

  10. Thermosphere • 50-310 miles • Temp. rises steadily with increasing altitude • Gases absorb x-rays and short wave uv radiation • Aurora borealis occurs here

  11. Aurora borealis

  12. Exosphere • 310 miles to space

  13. Atmospheric Dynamics • Atmospheric circulation • Transfers heat from equator to the poles (warm air near equator rises, then cools and sinks again) • Moderates earth’s temperature • The atmosphere circulation AND the ocean currents determine climate • Climate=avg. temp. and avg. precipitation

  14. Surface Winds • Connects the earth; carrying heat, moisture, plant nutrients, and long-lived pollution • Winds are complex horizontal movement of the atmosphere • Are the result of differences in atmospheric pressure and the earth’s rotation

  15. Differences in Atmospheric Pressure • Winds blow from high pressure to low pressure (the greater the difference between the high and low, the stronger the wind

  16. Earth’s Rotation • Earth rotates from west to east • Coriolis Effect: earth’s rotation causes the winds to be deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere

  17. Three Prevailing Winds • Winds are named for the direction they come FROM • Polar easterlies (north and south poles) • Westerlies (mid-latitudes) • Trade winds (tropics)

  18. Three Prevailing Winds

  19. The Ocean • Salt water covers ¾ of the earth’s surface (continuous body of water, but divided into 4 sections-Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic) • Pacific covers 1/3 of earth and contains more than ½ of earth’s water

  20. Ocean Currents • Caused by prevailing winds • Gyres: circular ocean currents • Influenced by Coriolis Effect • Varying density-warm water is less dense than cold water

  21. Gyres

  22. Weather • Short term properties of the troposphere such as: • Temperature • Pressure • Humidity • Precipitation • Cloud cover • Wind direction and speed

  23. Fronts • Boundary between 2 air masses with different temps and densities • Warm front • Cold front

  24. Warm Front • Boundary between an advancing warm air mass and the cooler one it’s replacing • Warm air is less dense, so it rises up over the mass of cooler air • First signs: high, wispy clouds • A moist warm front can bring days of cloudy skies and drizzle

  25. Warm Front

  26. Warm Front

  27. Warm Front

  28. Cold Front • Leading edge of an advancing mass of cold air • Wedges underneath (more dense) the warmer air mass • Produces thunderstorms

  29. Cold Front

  30. Cold Front

  31. Cold Front

  32. Air Pressure • Caused by tiny molecules bouncing off of each other; affected by gravity • Air pressure at the earth’s surface is greatest because of the weight of all of the other air particles being pulled by gravity • High pressure • Low pressure

  33. High Pressure • High, dry, cool • Winds are clockwise and out

  34. Low Pressure • Low, moist warm • Winds move counterclockwise and inward

  35. High Pressure/Low Pressure

  36. Extreme Weather • Tornados (form over land)-each year more than 800 touch down in the US • Tropical Cyclones (form over water) • Form over Atlantic Ocean=hurricanes • Form over Pacific Ocean=typhoons • The warmer the water where the storm tracks, the more energy the storm has and the more damaging it will be

  37. Tornado

  38. Hurricane/Typhoon

  39. Typhoons/Hurricanes • Negative Impacts-deaths, property damage • Ecological Benefits: • Flushes out excessive nutrients, dead and rotting sea grass from coastal bays and marshes. This flushing out in turn: • Reduced brown tides • Increased growth of sea grasses • Increased the number of shrimp, crabs, fish

  40. Climate • A region’s general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions over a long period of time (weather is more of a day to day thing) • 2 factors that determine climate: • Average temp. • Avg. precipitation

  41. Climate • Due to air and ocean circulation • Factors that determine global air/ocean circulation: • Uneven heating of the earth’s surface • Seasonal changes • Rotation of the earth • Long term variations in amount of solar energy striking the earth • Properties of air and water

  42. Uneven heating of the earth’s surface • At the equator it is warmest because rays are direct • At the poles it is coldest because rays hit at a low angle

  43. Uneven heating of the earth’s surface

  44. Uneven heating of the earth’s surface

  45. Seasonal Changes • The earth is tilted, sometimes toward the sun (our summer) and other times tilted away from the sun (our winter)

  46. Seasonal Changes

  47. Rotation of the Earth • Due to the Coriolis Effect, winds and ocean are deflected creating convection currents that transfer heat from the equator • http://www.uwf.edu/atc/projects/coriolis/main.swf

  48. Coriolis Effect

  49. Long Term Variations in the Amount of Solar Energy Striking the Earth • Earth wobbles on its axis (22,000 year cycle) • Earth tilts more (44,000 year cycle)

  50. Properties of Air and Water • Heat from the sun evaporates ocean water and transfers heat to the atmosphere • Convection currents circulate air, heat, and moisture • El Nińo • La Nińa • Air composition • Ozone

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