Earth S Atmosphere Booklet

Earth’s Atmosphere Booklet

Due Date: Friday, April 11

Instructions: Create a Booklet that describes in depth the following characteristics of the Earth’s atmosphere. Your booklet should be neat and understandable to a 7th grader. You should include diagrams and graphs wherever possible. Demonstrate as much depth of understanding as you can. Remember that this booklet should be written in your own words at the level a 7th grader can understand. Therefore, you must prove to me that you truly understand these concepts and are not just regurgitating something you read on a website. I am available to help you with this. I expect good products.

***For each question you answer, you will need to list your sources of information. This will be part of your grade.

* = outside resources needed (Internet, encyclopedia, etc.)

1. Composition of Earth’s atmosphere  What is the Earth’s atmosphere?* Chapter 11  What is a gas?*  Why is the atmosphere made mostly of gas?*  List at least 7 of the gases that make up our atmosphere and the percentage of each gas in the air.  Then make a pie chart showing the proportion of each gas in the atmosphere. ***Did you include your sources?

2. Describe the role of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere  What is ozone? What is its chemical structure?  Where in the atmosphere is ozone found? Chapter 11  What does ozone do? Why is it helpful to have ozone at high altitudes?  Explain how ozone gets formed in the upper atmosphere (be sure to include the role that UV light has in this process). Include a diagram of this process.*  Why is ozone harmful at low altitudes? How does ozone form at low altitudes?* ***Did you include your sources?

3. Structure of Earth’s atmosphere  Describe each of the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere Chapter 11  Include a drawing of these layers that includes the altitude at the bottom and top of each layer.  Draw and explain a graph that shows how temperature changes through each layer as you move from the Earth’s surface to the top of the atmosphere. The graph must be drawn by hand with each axis properly labeled. Don’t forget to explain it! ***Did you include your sources? 4. Solar Radiation  What is solar radiation?  Explain what is meant by the term insolation (NOT insulation). Be sure to Chapter 11 explain it in a way that is comprehensible for a 7th grader!!!*  What is albedo? (remember 7th graders!) Give an example of land-use that would have high albedo and an example of land-use that would have low albedo.  There are three main types of heat transfer—radiation, convection and conduction. Explain each and then explain why radiation must be the way the sun heats the earth.  Explain why so little solar energy hits the Earth’s surface, being sure to talk about scattering, absorption and reflection.*  Include a diagram that shows each of those three terms (scattering, absorption and reflection)*  What is the sun’s energy source? Explain it to a 7th grader!* ***Did you include your sources?

5. Air pressure and altitude  Explain how air pressure changes with altitude. Explain why it is so. Chapter 11  Draw a graph that demonstrates the relationship between air pressure and altitude. The graph must be drawn by hand with each axis properly labeled.*  Explain how the air pressure at Death Valley (lowest point in the U.S.) would compare to the air pressure on the top of Mount Everest (highest point in the world). Then explain why. ***Did you include your sources?

6. Humidity and Air  Explain the concept of relative humidity. Then explain the difference between Chapter 11 humidity and relative humidity.  What is the equation for relative humidity?*  What does adiabatic lapse rate mean?  What is condensation? What happens at the lifted condensation level?  What is meant by the term dew point?  Find the relative humidity and dew point for today in Raleigh-Durham.* ***Did you include your sources?

7. Clouds  How and why do clouds form? Chapter 11  Explain and diagram at least three different ways that clouds can form. Key terms for this will be:* o density/convective lifting o frontal lifting o convergence lifting o orographic lifting  Diagram Cirrus, Cumulus and Stratus clouds and explain how they differ in composition and altitude.  Why are some clouds made of water droplets while others are made of ice crystals? ***Did you include your sources?

8. Formation of Earth’s atmosphere  How did Earth’s atmosphere form? Where did the gases come from? This Chapter 22 happened several billion years ago  Describe how the atmosphere has changed from the early earth until now. ***Did you include your sources?

9. The Carolina Blue sky  Explain why the sky is blue.*  Explain how light can have different colors or wavelengths.*  For extra points, include a diagram that explains the concept.* ***Did you include your sources?

10. Wind  What is wind? Chapter 12  Why does it blow? What causes it?  Include a diagram showing general wind patterns across the globe—include the trade winds, prevailing westerlies, and polar easterlies.  Explain why the trade winds blow in the direction they do. Make sure to relate the direction they blow to the Coriolis Effect!  Why are “westerlies” called “westerlies”? What about easterlies? ***Did you include your sources?