On National Teacher Day, meet the 2024-25 Kenan Fellows
Weather Part 1
1.
2. The cloud of gasses and suspended particles
surrounding earth
Becomes less dense as altitude increases
Made up of layers
Protective bubble that gives UV
protection, breathable air, and moisture
78% N2, 21% O2, .9% Ar, and .033% CO2
Water Vapor runs from almost 0% in deserts to
nearly 4% in tropical rain forests
3. 5 layers
Identified by
Thermal characteristics
Composition
Air movement
Density
4.
5. Starts at earths surface and runs to
between 4 and 12 miles thick depending
on latitude
11-12 miles thick at the equator and thins
to 4 miles thick at the poles
Temperature decreases as altitude
increases
Transitional zone between layers is called
a ______pause (tropopause)
6. From the tropopause to 31 miles above earth’s
surface
Holds 19% of atmosphere’s gases
UV radiation is absorbed by O2 molecules
making O3
Causes temperature to go up as altitude
increases
Divided by the stratopause
7. From stratopause to 53 miles above earth’s
surface
Less dense than stratosphere
As altitude increases, temperature decreases
Slows down meteorites, leaving a trail in the
night sky
8. From mesopause to 430 miles above earth’s
surface
Exposed to very high amounts of UV radiation
and X-rays
As altitude increase, temperature increases
Feels cold because of very low density
Contains ionosphere – causes radio waves to
reflect back to earth
Also causes aroras
9. From thermopause to 6200 miles above earth
Area where satellites orbit
10. Air has mass and therefore exerts pressure as it
piles up above us
As the density of air increases, the pressure of the
air increases
As the temperature of air increases, the density of
the air decreases
Air pressure is exerted in all directions at once
Standard air pressure at sea level is 14.7 lbs/in2
11. As elevation increases, air pressure
decreases, because there is less atmosphere above
you.
Due to this variation, air pressure at two different
locations cannot be compared.
We use sea level as the basis for a standard
conversion for each location.
Measure air pressure in inches of mercury or
millibars.
Standard air pressure at sea level is 29.92 inches of
mercury or 1013.2 millibars.
12.
13. Pressure systems are labeled as high or low
High pressure is associated with clear skies
Low pressure is associated with cloudy skies
Because cold air is more dense than warm
air, the highest air pressure readings are found
on cold, clear days.
14. Heat energy is transferred through:
Radiation
Conduction
Convection
The Sun’s heat is what fuels our planet’s weather.
15. Heat transferred through electromagnetic
energy. (excited atoms)
This is how the sun heats our planet
Dark objects absorb more radiation that light
colored objects
16. Transfers heat through two solid objects
touching
Metal spoon on a hot surface gets hot
17. Heat is transferred through moving fluids
Air in the atmosphere acts as a fluid
Hot air masses rise causing mixing of the
atmosphere
Also causes winds
Land heats up by radiation which heats air by
conduction, which heats atmosphere by convection
18. We have incoming energy from the sun and
outgoing energy reflected by earth’s surface
The air molecules trap some reflected
heat, creating a warming “blanket” around
earth
This stabilizes our temperature
Cloud cover traps even more of the reflected
heat closer to the earth’s surface
Cloudy nights cool off less that clear nights
19.
20. The ocean absorbs, stores, and releases heat
and moisture into our atmosphere driving much
of our weather.
The top 10 feet of ocean contains more heat
that the entire atmosphere.
21. Epipelagic – sunlight zone – surface to 660 ft
Wind causes mixing and therefore even temp dist
At end of layer is the thermocline – rapid decrease in temp
with relation to depth
Mesopelagic – twilight zone – 660 ft to 3,300 ft
Bathypelagic - midnight zone - 3,300 ft to 13,100 ft
Only light comes from bioluminescence
Constant temperature of 39o F
Abyssopelagic – 13,100 ft to 19,700 ft
Little to no life, pitch black, extreme pressure
Hadalpelagic – 19,700 ft to 35,000+ ft
trenches
22.
23.
24. Ocean water is salty.
Most of the salt is NaCl, but some is MgCl or KCl.
Different areas of the earth’s oceans are saltier
than others.
Around the equator and the poles are the least salty
because of high rain fall and ice melt.
The Atlantic, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea are the most
salty due to high evaporation.
Salinity is measured in grams of salt per liter.
Normal salt levels are around 35 g/l
25. The density of water increases as temperature
decreases up to about 40o F.
Between 40o F and 32o F, the molecules begin
locking together and decreasing the density.
As a result, ice floats and expands.
About 9% expansion by volume.
However, salt decreases the temperature at which
water freezes.
Sea water freezes around 28o F
26. The temperature and
salinity of the water impacts
is density.
The density of ocean water
directly impacts ocean
circulation patterns.
Ocean circulation patterns
influence most of our
weather patterns in one
way or another.
27. Surface currents along the west coasts flow toward
the equator and bring cold water from the poles to
the equator.
California Current that keeps San Francisco cool.
Surface currents along the east coasts flow toward
the poles and bring warm water to the poles.
Gulf Stream that keeps England warmer.
The deep ocean currents
that circulate the global
oceans is called the great
ocean conveyor.
28. Themohaline Circulation – Thermo (tempurature) & Haline (salt)
Water takes about 1000 years to complete
Sinking Up
welling
29. Because the land heats up and cools off more
quickly than the ocean, the difference in the air
temperature over these bodies, also heats
up/cools off correspondingly.
Warm air masses rise above land pulling in
cool ocean breezes during the day.
Warm air masses over water rise and pull cool
land breezes during the night.