Introduction to the Atmosphere

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Introduction to the Atmosphere
Chapter 1

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

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1.1 Meteorology, Weather, and
Climate

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Focus on the Atmosphere

Weather in the United States:
 Theweather in the U.S. varies greatly.
 Weather influences our daily lives.


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 Meteorology
 Study of atmosphere
 Weather
 State of atmosphere at any given time & place
 Climate
 “Average weather”
 Generalized weather variation for a given place
 Climate data can not predict weather.


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Meteorology, Weather, and Climate


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Element- quantities or properties that are
measured regularly to help explain the nature
of weather and climate
1. Air temperature
2. Air humidity
3. Type and amount of cloudiness
4. Type and amount of precipitation
5. Air pressure
6. Speed and direction of wind

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Atmospheric Hazards:
Assault by the Elements

Lightning Tornadoes

Thunderstorms Blizzards

Hurricanes Heat waves
Cold Waves Fog


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Atmospheric
Hazards: Assault
by the Elements


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1.2 The Nature of Scientific Inquiry


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The Nature of Scientific Inquiry

Scientific inquiry is a collection of facts,
observations, or measurements.
 Hypothesis:
 Remember before a hypothesis can become
accepted as a theory it must pass objective
testing and analysis
 Theory:
 Hypothesis that has passed many tests


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The Nature of Scientific Inquiry
Scientific Methods:
 Are not recipes
 Involve creativity and insight
 Raise questions
 Collect data
 Raise questions leading to hypotheses
 Cause hypotheses to be accepted or rejected
 Create results shared with the scientific
community for further testing


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1.3 Earth’s Spheres


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Earth’s Spheres


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Earth’s Spheres

The Earth is made up of four spheres.
 Geosphere- Solid Earth
 Atmosphere- Gaseous Envelope
 Hydrosphere- Water
 Biosphere- All life

All the spheres are intertwined.
 Soil is part of all 4 spheres.


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Geosphere

The geosphere consists of the solid Earth.
It extends from the surface to the center,
which is approximately 6400 km.
3 Principal Regions:
 Core
 Mantle
 Crust


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Atmosphere

99% of the atmosphere is within 30 km of
Earth’s surface.
It protects the Earth.
Weather occurs in the atmosphere.
 Weather is affected by the interactions between
the atmosphere and earth, and the atmosphere
and space


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Hydrosphere

Oceans make up 71% the Earth’s surface.
 Average depth of 3800 km (12500 feet)
Additional parts of the hydrosphere:
 Lakes
 Rivers,streams
 Glaciers
 Underground water


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Biosphere

The biosphere includes all life on Earth.
 On the ocean floor
 In boiling hot springs
 On air currents in the lower atmosphere


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1.4 Earth as a System


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Earth as a System

 Earth system science:
 Scientists have recognized they must learn how
the Earth’s individual components (land, water,
air, and life-forms) are interconnected.
 System:
 A system is a group of interacting or
interdependent parts that form a complex whole.


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Earth as a System

Contains subsystems- i.e. carbon cycle
Spatial Scales
 Fractions of mm to thousands of km
Time scales
 ms to billions of years


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Composition of the Atmosphere
Major components:
 The composition
varies from time to
time.
 Oxygen and
nitrogen make up
99% of the volume.


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Carbon dioxide:
 0.0391% of atmosphere
 Absorbs energy- great absorber of heat
 Part of the carbon cycle


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Variable components:
 Water vapor
 0–4% by volume
 Clouds and precipitation
 Aerosols
 Very small solid and liquid particles like dust,
soot, sea salts
 Absorb or reflect radiation
 Cause cloud formation and red/orange sunrises
and sunsets

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Variable components:
 Ozone (O3)
 There is much less ozone in the lower
atmosphere.
 At higher altitudes, in the stratosphere, (10–50
km), ozone absorbs UV radiation.
 Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays from
the sun


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1.5 Ozone Depletion- A Global
Issue

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Ozone Depletion—A Global Issue

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs):
 CFCs break down ozone in the upper
atmosphere.
 CFCs are common in refrigerants and aerosol
products.


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 The
Antarctic
ozone hole


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Effects of ozone depletion:
 It causes more UV radiation to reach the
surface.
 UV radiation is known to cause cancer.
 It impacts the human immune system.
 UV radiation can also promote cataracts.


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1.6 Vertical Structure of the
Atmosphere

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Vertical
Structure of
the
Atmosphere


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Vertical Structure of the
Atmosphere
Pressure changes:
 An increased altitude decreases pressure,
because atmospheric pressure is the weight of
air above you
Temperature changes:
 Increasing altitude causes a decreased
temperature in the troposphere.


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Vertical Variations in Composition

 Homosphere:  Heterosphere:
 Lower layer, < 80  Uppermost layer, > 80
km km
 Roughly the same  Occurs in shells
proportion of
 Lower shell—N2
component gases
 Next shell—O2
 Next shell—He
 Outermost shell—H

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Ionosphere:
 The ionosphere is located 80–400 km above the
Earth’s surface.
 At this altitude, atoms of oxygen and nitrogen
become ionized and absorb shortwave solar
energy.


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Troposphere:
 Temperature decreases with altitude.
 Environmental lapse rate 6.5° C/km (variable)
 The tropopause marks the top and the lowest
temperature.


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Stratosphere:
 Temperature increases with altitude.
 The ozone layer is concentrated in the
stratosphere.
 Remember ozone absorbs the suns rays
 The stratopause marks the top and the highest
temperature.


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Mesosphere:
 Temperature decreases with altitude.
 The mesopause marks the top and its lowest
temperature.
Thermosphere:
 The thermosphere has no well-defined upper
limit.
 Temperature rises.
 There are 3 layers of varying ion density, D, E,
and F.

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Auroras:
 Aurora borealis (northern hemisphere)
 Aurora australis (southern hemisphere)
 Occur in the ionosphere
 Earth’s magnetic field traps solar particles.
 Auroras emit light.


Introduction to the Atmosphere

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