Module 4: Atmosphere

Introduction to meteorology
➔ The earth is surrounded by a
large envelope of gases called
atmosphere.
➔ The condition of the
atmosphere and the changes it
undergoes influence all
physical, chemical and
biological activities over the
earth.
➔ The study pertaining to
lower atmosphere and its
changes is called
atmosphere physics or
meteorology.
➔ In modern usage,
meteorology denotes the
science of weather and
includes the study of
atmospheric phenomena.
“Meteorology can be defined as the science that deals with
the study of the atmosphere.”
Divisions of
Meteorology
Marine meteorology

“Meteorology pertaining to
the sea and ocean is called
marine meteorology.”
Aeronomy

“The science of aeronomy

investigates both the chemical
and physical properties of the
atmosphere and the changes
that occur in these as the
result of external and internal
forces.”
Bio-meteorology

“The scientific study of

the interactions
between living
organisms and their
atmospheric
environment called
biometeorology.”
 Structure
of the atmosphere
 The atmosphere falls into several concentric
spheres on the basis of temperature as
follows:
● Troposphere
● Stratosphere
● Mesosphere
● Thermosphere
● Exosphere
Troposphere
➔ From surface towards upwards
temperature decreases with
altitude. This region is called
troposphere.
➔ The decrease ceases at the
tropopause, at a height of nearly
18km over the equator and
roughly 8km over the poles.
➔ The temperature at the
tropopause is of the order of -
80˚C over the equator and
around -56˚C over the poles.
➔ The height as well as
temperature of the tropopause
varies with the seasons and
weather situation, the lowest
values occurring during the
winter.
Stratosphere
➔ “Above the troposphere is an
isothermal layer followed by a
region of inversion extending
up to nearly 50km.This is
termed as the stratosphere.”
➔ Temperatures increase from
around 20km becoming roughly
0˚C by about 50km, which is
stratopause.
➔ This rise in temperature is due to the absorption of
ultraviolet radiation in the ozone layer between, say,
20 and 50km.
➔ This region sometimes gets rapidly warmed, mainly in
the higher latitudes, at times by as much as 30 to 40˚C
in a matter of a few days. This phenomenon is termed
explosive warming of the stratosphere.
Mesosphere
➔ Above the stratosphere is the
mesosphere extending from
roughly 50 to 80km.
➔ The temperature in this
region once again decreases
with altitude, lowering to
about -95˚C at the mesopause
around 80km.
Thermosphere

“Temperatures rise rapidly

above the mesopause,
reaching nearly 1000˚C by
about 300km. This region is
known as the
thermosphere.”
Exosphere
➔ The lighter gases, hydrogen
and helium, slowly become free
of the earth’s gravitational field
and escape to space by about
600km.
➔ This region has been named as
the exosphere, which gradually
merges into the interplanetary
space.
Gases
➔ The atmosphere we live in is a mixture of gases composed
mainly of nitrogen and oxygen.
➔ The proportion of the various gases in the atmosphere by
volume is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and the
rest 1 percent made up of small amounts of argon, carbon
dioxide, neon, helium, krypton, xenon, hydrogen and traces
of ozone, methane, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides etc.
➔ The atmospheric gases are held on to the earth by the pull of
gravitation.
➔ Each constituent has its own role to play in sustaining life on
earth.
➔ Oxygen is essential for us to live and for combustion to
take place.
➔ The role of nitrogen is also important.
➔ We cannot breathe pure oxygen.
➔ Nitrogen slows down the burning process.
➔ Carbon dioxide
constitutes 0.03
percent and
provides food for
plants through
photosynthesis,
which replenishes
oxygen.
➔ Ozone is found mostly between 20 and 50km with the
maximum concentration around 25km amsl.
➔ It absorbs the ultraviolet radiation from the sun and thus
filters the injurious radiation from harming us.
➔ Carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb the infrared
radiation emanating from the earth and prevent excessive
radiational cooling.
➔ The atmosphere acts as a protective cover to the earth by
regulating the heat flow.
Water vapour
➔ Water vapor is present
in varying proportions.
➔ This composition
remains more or less
constant upto a height of
80km.
➔ The moisture content in
the atmosphere varies
depending on the latitude,
temperature, wind and
atmospheric systems.
➔ Water can be present in
the vapour, liquid or solid
phase, sometimes as
much as 4 percent.
➔ Water and its change of
phase are important in
the occurrence of weather
phenomena.
➔ Water vapor decreases
as altitude increases.
Aerosols
➔ Atmospheric aerosols are a suspension of fine solid and
liquid particles in the atmosphere.
➔ These clouds of suspended matter range from dust and
smoke to mists, smogs and haze.
➔They are not always the result of pollution
from human activities; some enters the
atmosphere from volcanic eruptions or dust
storms.
➔ Some aerosols particles are invisible to the
human eyes because they are smaller than the
wavelength of light.
 The Green House Effect
• The greenhouse effect
is a term that describes
how natural gases in
the earth's atmosphere
reduce the amount of
heat escaping from the
earth into the
atmosphere.
• The more of these
gases there are, the
more the Earth heats
up.
 How do greenhouses work?

• Greenhouses work
by trapping heat
from the sun.

• The glass panels of

the greenhouse let
in light but keep
heat from
escaping.
How does Greenhouse Effect occur?
 What are these gases?
• Greenhouse gasses are those which
causes the Greenhouse effect.
• The greenhouse
gases are:

➢Water Vapor
➢Carbon dioxide
➢Nitrous Oxide
➢Methane
➢CFCs
 Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon dioxide is one of the primary Green House
gas, comprising of 54% of the all Green House
gasses.
• For the past 60 years the rise in the level of carbon
dioxide is alarming enough to cause severe
setbacks in eco-systems

World’s major polluters

Where do all the carbon dioxide gases come
from?
• Carbon dioxide
➢ Human respiration.
➢ Industrialization
➢ Burning of fossil fuel to generate
electricity
➢ Burning of forest (lesser trees)
➢ Carbon dioxide is now 1/3 more than
before Industrial Revolution
 Methane
• Methane accounts • It remains in the
for 20%of the atmosphere for 10-12
‘enhanced years. (Less than
greenhouse effect’. other greenhouse
gases)
 CFC
CFC is a harmful gas that depletes the
ozone layer and causes greenhouse effect
• Sources of CFCs
(Chlorofluorocarbons)
▪ Aerosol sprays
▪ Coolants in fridge
▪ and air cons
▪ Cleaning solvents
➢ Each CFC molecule
can trap as much
heat as 100 000 CO2
molecule.
➢ Can remain in the
atmosphere for a long
time
 What Might Happen?
• This warming trend is expected to bring
droughts and flooding of low lying coastal
areas as the polar ice caps melt and raise
sea level.
• The expected negative impact of the
greenhouse effect on human life has been
assessed by some scientists to be second
only to global nuclear war.
 Global Warming
• The average global temperature has increased
by almost 1º F over the past century.

• Scientists expect the average global

temperature to increase an additional 2º to 6º F
over the next hundred years. Even a small
increase in temperature over a long time can
change the climate.
 • Effects of Global Warming

Human
Health
• Heat stress and other
heat related health
problems are caused
directly by very warm
temperatures and
high
humidity.Example-
Heat exhaustion and
heat stroke.
 Ecological Systems
• Plants and animals
➢Climate change may alter the world’s
habitats.
All living things are included in and rely on
these
places.

➢Most past climate changes occurred

slowly, allowing plants and animals to
adapt to the new environment or move
someplace else.

➢Plants and animals may not be able to react

quickly enough to survive if future climate
changes occur as rapidly as scientists
predict.
Climatic Change
• Global warming will lead to an increase in the
evaporation of water ! more water vapor.
• With more water vapor, more rain fall is expected.
• But it is not evenly distributed:
➢ Dry areas ! severe drought condition,
water shortage and heat waves occurs
➢ Wet areas ! floods and avalanches
(landslides)
Climatic Change
• Other problems may arise:
➢ Destroy food crop ! rice, wheat and corn
➢ Affect animals ! need to migrate
➢ Encourage growth of weed and pests !
may
lead to diseases like dengue fever,
cholera which are deadly.
 How to reduce the Greenhouse
Effect
➢ BY THE GOVERNMENT:

• Stabilization of the
population growth.
• Reduction of air pollution
from industries (international
agreements)
• Reduction of desertification
and protection of the
rainforest against the
clearance (national
programs)
• Finding alternative fuel
 How to reduce the Greenhouse
Effect
➢ BY PEOPLE:

• Reduce the use of fossil

fuel
• Stop the clearance of
the forest
• Follow the
recommendations to
reduce the emission of
Greenhouse gases.
 How to reduce the Greenhouse
Effect
➢BY US
• Be well inform about the consequences
of Greenhouse Effect
• Change your lifestyle habits to help
save the environment
• Plant trees/conduct massive
Afforestration.
• Eliminate the use of CFCs
 Ways you can help make our planet
better.
• Bike, Bus and Walk-
You can saves
energy by
sometimes taking
the bus, riding a
bike or walking,or
try carpooling.
• Creating mass
awareness.
 Ways you can help make our planet
better.
• Recycle – When you
recycle, you send
less trash to the
landfill and you help
save natural
resources like trees
and elements such as
aluminum.
Recycle cans, bottles,
plastic bags and
newspapers.
 Ways you can help make our planet
better.
• When You Buy, Buy
Cool Stuff
➢B u y P r o d u c t s
that don’t use as
much energy
➢ Buy recyclable
products instead of
non-recyclable
ones.

• Solar Energy – can be

used to heat homes,
buildings, water and to
make electricity.
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
➢ Kyoto treaty
(1997) ! was
started to reduce
emission of
greenhouse
gases by 5% of
1990s levels by
2012.
 INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT

• The ParisAgreement: is
an agreement within the
framework of the United
Nations Framework
Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
dealing with greenhouse
gases emissions
mitigation, adaptation
and finance starting in
the year 2020.