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The Earth's Atmosphere TheThe EaEartrthh’s’s AtAtmomosphsphereere Earth’Earth’ss AtmospAtmospheherree AtmospAtmospherehere isis thethe gaseougaseouss layerlayer thatthat surrsurroundsounds thethe eeartharth IsIs aa mixmixtureture ofof ggasesases tthathat isis nanaturturallallyy odorodorlleess,ss, colourcolourless,less, tastetastelessless andand forformlessmless AiAirr isis blendblendeded soso thorthoroughlyoughly tthathat itit behavebehavess asas ifif itit wweerere aa singlesingle ggasas ThThee AtAtmospmospheherere AiAirr isis heldheld toto tthehe earearthth bbyy thethe forceforce ofof ggravity:ravity: TThehe furfurtherther awayaway frfromom thethe ssoourceurce ofof ggravitatravitatiiononalal attrattractionaction (e(eartharth)) ththee lowerlower thethe aattrattractictioonalnal forforcece MoMorere airair molecmoleculesules araree heldheld clclososerer toto thethe earearthth ththanan atat highehigherr elevaelevatitioonsns AtmosphAtmosphereere isis mormoree dedensense nenearar ththee sursurfaceface tthanhan atat highhigherer elevatioelevationsns ThThee AtAtmospmospheherere NoNo rerealal “t“top”op” –– atmatmospherospheree ddriftsrifts ofofff toto nothingnothingnessness aabovebove aboaboutut 101000 kmkm 97%97% ofof tthehe weighweightt andand 100%100% ofof tthehe watewaterr vapovaporr reresisiddee iinn thethe bottbottomom 3300 kmkm DDensiensittyy TThhee dendensisittyy (m(massass perper ununiitt volume)volume) ofof thethe atmoatmossppherehere quicklyquickly decrdecreaseseases wwithith iinncreacreassiningg elevatelevatiioonn aboaboveve seasea llevevelel DensityDensity ofof thethe atmoatmoss cancan bebe mmeasureeasuredd asas iitt exexertertss itsits weightweight asas aa ppressurressuree ((forceforce perper unitunit aarea)rea) TThehe prpressureessure thethe atmoatmoss exexertertss onon tthehe sursurfaceface iiss knowknow asas airair pressupressurere . Air pressure at sea levell == 1013 mb . Air pressure at the top of the stratosphere (50km) = 0.78 mb CCompoompositionsition ofof thethe aattmomosphespherere Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Oxygen – O2 21% Animals Together, Nitrogen and Oxygen account for 99% of the atmosphere, by volume! Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Oxygen – O2 21% Animals Argon – Ar 0.93% Inert Gas 93% of the remaining 1% is Argon, an inert gas! Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Oxygen – O2 21% Animals Argon – Ar 0.93% Inert Gas Carbon Dioxide – CO2 0.0325% Plants Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Oxygen – O2 21% Animals Argon – Ar 0.93% Inert Gas Carbon Dioxide – CO2 0.0325% Plants Neon – Ne 0.0005% Inert Gas Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Oxygen – O2 21% Animals Argon – Ar 0.93% Inert Gas Carbon Dioxide – CO2 0.0325% Plants Neon – Ne 0.0005% Inert Gas Krypton – Kr 0.0001% Inert Gas Proportion of Elements in Dry Air (by volume) Nitrogen – N2 78% Plants Oxygen – O2 21% Animals Argon – Ar 0.93% Inert Gas Carbon Dioxide – CO2 0.0325% Plants Neon – Ne 0.0005% Inert Gas Krypton – Kr 0.0001% Inert Gas Hydrogen – H2 0.00005% Helium – He <0.00001% Inert Gas Xenon – Xe <0.00001% Inert Gas Methane – CH4 <0.00001% The Atmosphere Water Vapor H2O 0 to 4% Ozone O3 0.0 to 0.0012% Chlorofluorcarbons – CFCs (e.g., Freon) Changing Concentrations of: . Ozone . Carbon Dioxide . Methane . Water Vapor Climate Change! ImImpoportanrtantt RRoolesles PPllayayeded bbyy TTrracacee GGaasseses CarbCarbonon DioxDioxideide . AnAn impoimportanrtantt absoabsorberrber ofof outgooutgoiinngg terterrestrrestrialial raradiationdiation . It,It, alongalong withwith waterwater vaporvapor,, serserveve asas thethe prprimarimaryy memeansans ofof prevepreventingnting rrapidapid heheatat lossloss ffromrom thethe eartearthh anandd atmatmospheospherere babackck intointo sspacepace ImImpoportanrtantt RRoolesles PPllayayeded bbyy TTrracacee GGaasseses Water Vapor - . An important absorber of outgoing terrestrial energy . Amounts vary from 0 to 4% depending on of evaporating water available and distance that source . This can cause tremendous differences in temperatures within the atmosphere http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_wv_us.html ImImpoportanrtantt RRoolesles PPllayayeded bbyy TTrracacee GGaasseses Liquid Water – . Causes clouds to form… this affects the amount of heat absorbed by the earth and atmosphere . Can vary tremendously within the atmosphere IInsnsololatiationon loslossesses iinn ththee aatmtmososppherheree Dust - Gas molecules, dust, and other particulates are important because they can cause the sun’s rays to be scattered or absorbed Scattering - visible light rays to be turned aside in all possible directions. Under clear sky conditions, scattering sends about 5% of the incoming solar radiation back to space. Absorption - Solar rays strike gas molecules and dust, and their energy is absorbed and temperatures rise. This accounts for about a 15% decrease in solar radiation. Both carbon dioxide and water vapor are capable of directly absorbing some wavelengths of solar radiation. 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NewNew snow:snow: 80%80% OOlldd SSnnow:ow: 50%50% Clouds:Clouds: 50%50% IIce:ce: 35%35% Dark,Dark, wweett soil:soil: 5%5% LLiigght,ht, ddryry sosoiil:l: 40%40% AsAspphalt:halt: 5%5% ForeForest:st: 15%15% GrGrass:ass: 20%20% CrCrops:ops: 20%20% WaterWater –– hhiigghh incidentincident angleangle 50%50% WaterWater –– lowlow incideincidentnt ananglegle 5%5% AAververageage albedalbedoo ofof thethe earearth’sth’s ssuurfacerface:: 7%7% ElectromElectromagagnetneticic RadRadiatioiationn TThehe atmospheratmospheree isis generagenerallylly trtransanspaparrentent toto shorshortwatwavvee radradiationiation andand opaqueopaque toto lolongngwavwavee THTHEE GGRREEEENNHHOUOUSSEE EEFFFFECECTT Vertical Distribution of the Atmosphere TThhee TTroroposppospheherere LayeLayerr ofof thethe atmoatmospheresphere inin concontacttact withwith thethe susurfacerface TTememperperaturaturee decrdecreaseseases withwith heightheight bbecauseecause tthehe trtroposphoposphereere isis heatheateded frfromom belowbelow ((atmoatmospherspheree isis gengenerallyerally trtranspaansparentrent toto shshortwaveortwave radiaradiation)tion) LayeLayerr ththatat concontainstains allall weathweatherer andand aallll cloucloudsds ExExtetendsnds toto abouaboutt 1122 ttoo 1515 km;km; actualactual heightheight varvariieess wiwitthh latitudelatitude andand seasonseason (th(thiickeckerr asas temptemperatueraturere iinnccrreaseeasess)) MuMucchh waterwater vaporvapor andand dudustst –– fromfrom iinnterateractionsctions wiwitthh thethe surfsurfaceace ContainContainss abouaboutt 80%80% ofof thethe massmass ooff thethe atmatmospherospheree VVeerticalrtical DisDistrtribuibutiotionn ofof thethe AtmoAtmossphphereere ThThee TropTropopopauausese Small,Small, isothisothermermalal layerlayer aboveabove thethe ttroposropospherpheree IsothIsothermermalal –– nnoo temtemperaperaturturee chanchangege withwith heheightight AboutAbout 1212 toto 1515 kmkm iinn heheiigghtht –– actuaactuall heighheightt varvariieess wiwitthh latitudelatitude andand seasonseason VVeerticalrtical DisDistrtribuibutiotionn ofof thethe AtmoAtmossphphereere TheThe StratospStratospherehere LayeLayerr ofof thethe atmoatmospheresphere aboabovvee thethe trotroposphepospherere TTememperperaturaturee increaincreasesses wwitithh hheighteight becaubecausese ooff absoabsorptionrption ofof uullttravioletraviolet lighlightt byby oozzoonene ((OO3)) ExExtetendsnds upup toto aaboutbout 5050 kmkm inin heighheightt LittleLittle exexchanchangege ofof airair bbetweenetween troptropospherospheree aandnd strstratosphatosphereere –– littlelittle dusdustt oror waterwater vaporvapor StableStable airair llaayeryer –– llittittllee verticalvertical mmotionsotions bbecauseecause ofof ththee increincreasingasing temtemperperaturaturee withwith hheieigghtht ---- inverinversionsion VVeerticalrtical DisDistrtribuibutiotionn ofof thethe AtmoAtmossphphereere TheThe StStraratopatopauseuse SSmallmall,, iisothersothermamall lalayeryer ababooveve thethe strstratospheratospheree IsotherIsothermalmal –– nono tempertemperatatuurere cchahanngege wiwithth heightheight AAboutbout 5050 kmkm inin heheiightght VVeerticalrtical DisDistrtribuibutiotionn ofof thethe AtmoAtmossphphereere TThhee MesospMesospheherere LayeLayerr ofof thethe atmoatmospheresphere aboabovvee thethe strastratosphetospherere TTememperperaturaturee ddecreaecreasesses withwith heightheight becausbecausee ofof aa lacklack ofof ccoontactntact wwitithh thethe grogroundund aandnd aa lalackck ofof ozozoneone ExExtetendsnds upup toto aaboutbout 8080 kmkm inin heighheightt VVeerticalrtical DisDistrtribuibutiotionn
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