The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere

1. The Air Around You

   • Weather is the condition of Earth's Atmosphere at a particular time and place.
   • The Atmosphere is the envelope of gases that surrounds the planet.
   • Composition of Gases
     • The Atmosphere is made up mixture of atoms and molecules of different kinds.
     • Nitrogin
       • Most common gas in the atmosphere
       • Makes more than 3/4 of the air we breathe
       • Each Nitrogen molecule is made up of 2 nitrogen atoms.
     • Oxygen
       • Second most common gas in the atmosphere
       • Two oxygen molecules, except in ozone which is a form of oxygen with 3 oxygen molecules
     • Carbon Dioxide
       • essential to life 
       • One atom of carbon and two of atoms of oxygen.
     • Other Gases
       • Mostly Argon and Carbon Dioxide
     • Water Vapour
       • WATER VAPOR IS THE GASEOUS FORM OF WATER
       • TWO HYDROGEN ONE OXYGEN
     • Particles
       • The air we breathe contains tiny solid and liquid particles of dust, smoke, salt, and other chemicals. 
   • Importance of Atmosphere
     • The atmosphere makes conditions on Earth suitable for living things.
     • Contains oxygen and gases
     • KEEPS EARTH'S SURFACE WARM ENOUGH FOR WATER TO EXIST AS A LIQUID.
     • Protects living things from ultraviolent radiation.
     • PREVENTS EARTH FROM METEORS!!!!!!!
   • Air Quality
     • pollutants R HARMFUL CHEMICALS FOUND IN AIR, WATER, OR SOIL.
     • Pollution Sources
       • MOSTLY RESULT IN BURNING FOSSIL FUELS
     • Smog and Acid Rain
       • CAUSED BY BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS
   • Improving Air Quality
     • Has improved over the past 30 years

2. Air Pressure

   • Air as mass
   • Air Properties
     • Air also has density and pressure
     • Mass  in a given volume of air is called density.
     • Density= Air/ Volume
     • Density
       • Air also has density and pressure
     • Pressure
       • Te force of pushing on an area or surface is called pressure
   • Measuring Air Pressure
     • A barometer is a instrument that is used to measure air pressure.
     • Mercury Barometers
       • A mercury barometer consists of a glass tube open at the bottom end and partially filled with mercury.
     • Aneroid Barometers
       • An Aneroid  Barometer has airtight metal chamber 
     • Units of Air Pressure
       • One inch of mercury is about 33.87 millibars.
   • Altitude and Properties of Air
     • Altitude is the distance above sea level
     • Altitude Affect Air Pressure
       • The lower u go the higher the air pressure
     • Air Pressure also Affects Density
       • The molecules that make up the atmosphere are farther apart at higher altitudes than they are at sea level

3. Layers of the Atmosphere

   • Four main layers classified based on changes in temperature: Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere and Thermosphere
   • Troposphere
     • The layer of the atmosphere in which Earth's weather occurs. 
     • Shallowest layer, contains all the mass of the atmosphere
     • RAIN SNOW MOST STORMS AND MOST CLOUDS OCCUR HERE
   • Theremosphere
     • Outermost layer
     • Thermo means heat
     • LOWER LAYER IS IONOSPHERE Aurora borealis or northern lights happen here.
     • OUTER LAYER IS EXOSPHERE
     • temperature is the average amount of energy of motion of each molecule of each substance.
   • Stratosphere
     • SECOND LAYER, CONTAINS OZONE LAYER WHICH ABSORBS ULTRA-VIOLENT RADIATION. 
   • Mesosphere
     • Protects earth's surface from being hit by most meteorides

4. Energy in Earth's Atmosphere

   • The movement of heat in the atmosphere causes temperatures to change, winds to blow, and rain to fall.
   • Energy from the Sun
     • Electromagnetic waves is a form of energy that can move through the absence of space.They are classified according to wavelength, or distance between waves. 
     • Radiation is the direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves.
     • Most of the energy from the sun travels to earth in the form of visible light.
     • Non-Visible Radidtion
       • Infrared radiation has longer wavelength then red light, and it's invisible, but it can still be felt as heat
       • Ultra-violent has shorter wavelengths that violet light which is also invisible, it can cause sunburns, skin cancer, and skin cancer.
     • Visible Light
       • Visible lights include all the colors in the rainbow
       • The different colors are the results to different wavelengths: Red and orange have the longer wavelengths whereas indigo and violet have the shorter wavelengths.
   • Energy in the Atmosphere
     • Some sunlight is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere before it can reach the surface, the rest passes through the atmosphere to the surface.
   • Energy at Earth's Surface
     • The process by which gases hold hat in the air is called the greenhouse effect.
     • When earth's surface is heated, it radiates most of the energy back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation.

5. Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere

   • Heat transfer in the atmosphere plays an important role in influencing Earth's weather.
   • Thermal Energy and Temperature
     • The total energy of motion in the particles of a substance is called thermal energy.
     • Measuring Temperature
       • Air temperature is usually measured with a thermometer
       • A thermometer is a thin glass tube with a bulb on one end that contains a liquid, usually colored alcohol. 
     • Temperature Scales
       • Temperature is measured by units called degrees
       • 2 scales r commonly used Fahrenheit scale and celsius scale.  
   • How Heat is Transferred
     • Heat is transferred in 3 ways.
     • Radiation
       • radiation is the direct transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves.
     • Conduction
       • The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid is called Convection.
     • Convection
       • The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another that are touching is called conduction
     • Heating the Tropospere
       • In the troposphere heat is transferred mostly by convection
       • The upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cold air are convection currents.

6. Winds

   • Wind.....
   • Wind?
     • Wind is the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
     • Winds are caused by differences in air pressure which is caused by the unequal heating of the atmosphere.
     • Measuring Wind
       • Winds can be measured by an anemometer.
     • Wind-Chill Factor
       • The increased cooling a wind can cause is called the wind-chill factor.
   • Local Winds
     • Local winds are caused by the unequal heating of Earth's surface within a small are
     • Local winds are winds that blow over short distances.
     • Sea Breeze
       • A sea breeze is a local wind that blows in from an ocean or lake.
     • Land Breeze
       • The flow of air from land t body of water is called land breeze.
   • Global Wnds
     • Global winds occur over a large area
     • They r caused by the unequal heating of Earth's surface  
     • Global Convection Currents
       • Temperature differences between the equater and the poles produce giant convection currents in in the atmosphere.
     • Coriolis Effect
       • The way Earth's rotation makes winds curve is called the Coriolis effect.
   • Global Wind Belts
     • Global Wind Belts...
     • Doldrums
       • Doldrums are a calm area at the equator where warm air rises.
     • Horse Latitudes
       • Horse Latitudes are calm areas of falling air.
     • Trade Winds
       • Trade winds blow from the Horse Latitudes to the Equator.
     • Prevailing Westerlies
       • Prevailing Westerlies blow awy from the Horse Latitudes.
     • Polar Easterlies
       • Cold air near the poles sinks and flows back to ward lower latitudes.
     • Jet Streams
       • About 10 km above Earth's s surface there are bands of high speed winds called jet streams.