The Atmosphere :The Atmosphere CHAPTER 23


23.1 Characteristics of the Atmosphere :23.1 Characteristics of the Atmosphere Meteorologist study weather climate and the atmosphere Air is Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Argon Air can be between 1 and 4 % water vapor Ozone O3 absorbed UV radiation


Slide 3:Dust and salt are also found in the atmosphere Oxygen is cycled through the ecosystem and the atmosphere The Nitrogen cycle


Slide 4:ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 99% of atmosphere with in 32 k of surface 1 cm2 column of air masses 1.03 kg Changes with altitude


Slide 5:Mercurial Barometer, measures pressure by how high the mercury is pushed. 760 mm is standard (29.92 inches) 1 atmosphere Millibars = .001 atmosphere Aneroid Barometer, with-out liquid


Slide 7:Layers of the atmosphere Troposphere (Tropo-change) closest to surface Tropopause boundary of troposphere and stratosphere. Temp remains constant altitude is variable


Slide 8:Stratosphere temp rises due to absorption of radiation by ozone Stratopause boundary between stratosphere and mesosphere Mesosphere (meso-middle) coldest part of atmosphere Thermosphere Nitrogen and oxygen absorb solar radiation, increasing the temperature


Slide 9:Hard to find temp in near vacuum Ionosphere, lower part of thermosphere, gases hit by radiation lose electrons to become ions (charged particles) clouds of electrons that reflect radio waves back to earth Exosphere outer part of Thermosphere, almost complete vacuum


Slide 10:Air pollution temperature inversion, layer of cold air with a cap of warm air, traps pollution next to ground.


23.2 Solar Energy :23.2 Solar Energy Radiation from sun span from radio waves to Gamma waves Wavelength the distance from one peak to the next 104 to 10-15 meters


Slide 13:Frequency Hz (Hertz) How many times a peak passes a certain point per second Shorter wavelengths have higher frequency and more energy


Slide 16:Radio/ TV 104 to 100 meters Microwaves 10-1 to 10-4 meters Infrared 10-5 to 10-6 meters Visible 10-6 meters Ultraviolet 10-7 to 10-9 meters X-Rays 10-10 to 10-12 meters Gamma rays 10-13 to 10-15 meters


Slide 17:Short wavelengths (Gamma, X-rays and most ultraviolet) absorbed in upper atmosphere, (Mesosphere and upper stratosphere) Infrared absorbed by CO2 and O2 only small amounts of visible light are absorbed Scattering, radiation reflects or refracts sending it in other directions


Slide 18:20% of energy absorbed by gases, dust, clouds, 30% reflected, 50% absorbed by Earth’s surface 30% (.3) reflected is called albedo Moon has .07 albedo Absorption of energy by surface reflects back as long infrared waves which reflect back off water and carbon dioxide


Slide 19:Greenhouse effect - infrared rays released by the Earth have long wavelengths that get reflected back, trapping heat. Energy hitting the Earth varies according to latitude, elevation, location of large bodies of water and winds


Slide 20:Conduction, heating due to contact, air is a poor conductor Convection moves air in cells Trades, westerlies, polar easterlies, doldrums 0,30, 60, degrees lat


Slide 22:Jet stream – West to East follows top of cells, strongest during winter


Local winds :Local winds Gentle winds that extend less than 100 km are breezes Sea breezes - warm air above land rises, replaces by cool sea air, evening Land Breezes - Warm sea air rises, morning


Bibliography :Bibliography http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/science/FIRST.html http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/DIAL.html http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro201/wavelength.htm http://www.newmediastudio.org/DataDiscovery/Hurr_ED_Center/Easterly_Waves/Trade_Winds/Trade_Winds.html


Bibliography cont. :Bibliography cont. http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/art-1038 http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/global/jet.htm