The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere
“Our Ocean of Air!”
“The Thin Blue Line”
 A. What is Weather?
The state of the atmosphere at any given time
or place.
 B. What is Meteorology?
The study of weather and the atmosphere.
 C. What is Air?
A mixture of different gases and particles.
 D. What is the Atmosphere?
The gaseous portion of a planet. It is the layer of air
around Earth. It is about 300 miles thick.
• No defined top to the atmosphere
• The atmosphere is very shallow—and is less
than 2% of the Earth’s thickness

Over 90% of
atmosphere in
the lowest 16km
& is where nearly
all weather occurs
 E. What is the Composition of Air?
1/ Nitrogen (N2)- 78% blue sky
2/ Oxygen (O2) – 21% from plants!
3/ Argon (Ar) < 1%
An Inert gas – does not react
with anything!
4/ Carbon dioxide (CO2) < 0.1 %
5/ Variable Components: Water
vapor(H2O), dust, ozone (O3),
pollutants.
The gases that makeup the Atmosphere
 F. Photosynthesis-Respiration Cycle
(Plants and Animals)
1/ Photosynthesis by plants makes food and Oxygen.
CO2 + H2O + sunlight  C6H12O6 + O2
2/ Respiration by animals releases energy and CO2.
O2 + C6H12O6  Energy + CO2 + H2O
Earth: The Power of the Planet-
The Atmosphere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ViCNJAkHg
 G. Layers of the Atmosphere
1. The atmosphere is divided into layers
according to temperature and chemistry.
2. Temperature
Layers:
There are five
temperature
layers of the
atmosphere:
Can you identify
them?
~ 300 miles!

~ 100 miles!

~ 50 miles!

~ 30 miles!

~ 6 miles!
Temperature Layers:
2. There are five temperature
layers of the atmosphere:

5th C Exosphere
4th W Thermosphere
(w/ Ionosphere)
3rd C Mesosphere
2nd W Stratosphere
(w/ Ozone Layer)
1st C Troposphere
 Chemical
Layers
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Ionosphere
Mesosphere
Ozone Layer
Stratosphere

Troposphere
 Layers of the Atmosphere
Exosphere
- 400-600 miles

Thermosphere
- 50-400 miles Still would feel cold

Mesosphere
- 30 to 50 miles up

Stratosphere
- 6 to 30 miles in height
Ozone Layer
Troposphere
- 6 miles in height
a. Troposphere
1) Lowest layer
2) Temperature
decreases.
3) All weather.
4) Highest clouds.
5) 6 miles high
6) 90% of
atmosphere
is squeezed here!
b. Stratosphere
1) Second layer
2) Air is very thin!
3) Temperature
increases…still
cold though.
4) Supersonic Jets…
‘Mach’ speeds!
5) Ozone layer blocks
UV rays!
c. Mesosphere
1) ‘Middle’ layer
2) Temperature
decreases.
3) Air is very thin!
4) Spy planes
5) Weather balloons
d. Thermosphere
1) ‘heat’ layer
2) Temperature
increases.
3) Meteors
4) Ionosphere
blocks
harmful rays.
5) Auroras
e. Exosphere 1) Atmos. blends into space
2) Space Station / Satellites
3. Chemical
Layers:
There are two
chemical layers of IONOSPHERE
the atmosphere:
The Ozone layer
and
the Ionosphere. OZONE LAYER
 
a. The Ozone Layer
is a chemical layer in
the stratosphere
that blocks harmful
UV rays from the
sun!
1/ Ozone is made up of O3.
2/ Ozone is poisonous to us on the ground! 
3/ A ‘hole’ in the Ozone was detected in the
1980’s.
4/ Depletion was due to the chemical CFC used
in aerosols and refrigeration. Today they are
banned throughout the world.
b. The Ionosphere is a chemical layer of the
Thermosphere and Exosphere that blocks
harmful rays of the sun.
1/ The ionosphere is made up of ions. Ions are
charged atoms and free electrons (plasma).
2/ Radio waves ‘bounce off’ the ionosphere
allowing us to send broadcasts around the
world (Ham Radio).
3/ The ionosphere
is affected by solar
events (solar
wind). The
Auroras occur
here.
Exosphere

Thermosphere Ions Ionosphere

Mesosphere
Ozone Layer

Stratosphere

Troposhere
 H. A radiosondes is a tool used for
studying upper atmosphere

Radiosondes are released from the inflation building and move up through the atmosphere
(20 miles) sending back weather information along the way.
1. Weather Balloons carry radiosondes.

The balloon with the radiosonde is launched twice daily...at 11z and
23z (GMT)...unless otherwise necessary.
I. Heating the Atmosphere
1. How is heat transferred?
a/ Radiation- travels as wave energy from the sun.

Absorbed
 Heating the Atmosphere
b/ Conduction- travels by
contact (touch) through a
substance. Only a short
distance.

c/ Convection- Hot rises and

cold sinks. Currents of hot
and cold air/liquid transfer
heat over distance.
Convection
Currents
J. The Earth’s Heat Budget:

1. 30% reflected
back to space
(albedo)
2. 70% absorbed
by Earth

 19% absorbed by water

vapor and clouds, 51%
absorbed by Earths
surface
 The Earth’s Heat Budget:

3. 70% are
radiated back to
space as infrared
radiation mostly
at night when
skies are clear.
4. Short wave Radiant energy (sunlight) 
warm up atmosphere and surface  Turns into
long wave infrared energy which escapes Earth
over time.
 K. Greenhouse Effect
1. Greenhouse gases
prevent long-wave
infrared energy (heat)
from escaping the
Earth’s atmosphere.
Temperatures rise over
time as a result.
2. Some Greenhouses
gases are carbon
dioxide, water vapor
and methane.
3. A little
greenhouse
effect is good…
keeps earth
warm.
Too much
greenhouse
effect is hell!
Example:
Venus.
4. Increasing
amounts of CO2
due to burning of
fossil fuels (oil,
gas, coal, wood) is
increasing the
greenhouse effect
and causing global
temperatures to
rise.
5. This will result in warmer average annual
temperatures, shifting weather patterns, more
tornado’s and hurricanes; melting ice caps, and
rising sea level.
L. Temperature decreases with Altitude
1. Normal Lapse Rate: 1oC for every 160
meters.
2. Sometimes temperature inversions occur.
Warm air gets stuck on top of colder air.
Upside down! Becomes a pollution (smog)
event that can cause sickness and death.
 Cooler Air

Warm Air blocks the pollution from escaping

like a lid.

Cool Air
 M. Seasonal Temperatures
1. Direct rays of Summer- hotter Summers
Warmest month is July.
2. Indirect rays of Winter – cooler Winters
Coldest month is January.
N. Daily Temperatures
1. Warmest time of day
is about 4 pm.

2. Coldest time of day

is about 4 am.
3. Water is cooler
during the day and
warmer at night.
Think of swimming
during the summer.

4. Land gets hotter

during the day and gets
cool at night.
Think sand at the beach.
 O. Showing Temperatures
Isotherms
are lines of
equal
temperature
on a weather
map.
 P. Heat Equator
Isotherms
lines shift
23.5o N and S
of equator
with the
direct rays of
summer.