Warm Up 1. At 25 0 C, air contains 15 gH 2 O / m 3 air. Saturation point: 20 g/m 3 Calculate the relative humidity. 2. What is the dry adiabatic rate? 3. How does the temperature change within the thermosphere?
Jan 21, 2016
Warm Up
1. At 250 C, air contains 15 gH2O / m3 air. Saturation point: 20 g/m3 Calculate the relative humidity.
2. What is the dry adiabatic rate?3. How does the temperature change
within the thermosphere?
WARM UP
1. What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
2. What causes different layers in the atmosphere to form?
3. What is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
4. Where is the ozone layer located?
Chapter 17: Atmosphere
ATMOSPHERE - layer of gases and tiny particles surrounding the earth
WEATHER - general atmospheric conditions at a particular time and place
CLIMATE - general weather conditions over many years
Composition of the Atmosphere Elements: NITROGEN (N2)
OXYGEN (O2)
ARGON (Ar) Compounds: CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
WATER (H2O)
OZONE (O3) absorbs harmful UV RAYS (ultraviolet)
Composition of the Atmosphere Atmospheric Dust: SOIL
ASHMICROBESCRYSTALS
Ca Carbon Dioxide
Nitrogen
ARGON
All Others
Oxygen
Atmospheric Pressure
Gravity that is PULLING particles TOWARD EARTH
Ratio of: air weight . surface area on which it presses
Measuring Device for Atmospheric Pressure: BAROMETER (p.532) Atm.Pressure measured in N/m2. 1 Atm = 760 mmHg
Atmospheric Pressure
Δ Pressure: Higher altitude = FEWER gases = LOWER pressure
Lower altitude = MORE gases = HIGHER pressure
Δ Temperature: Higher altitude = LOWER pressure = LOWER temperature
Lower altitude = HIGHER pressure = HIGHER temperature
Atmospheric Layers
(1) TROPOSPHERE Closest to earth Holds the most CO2 and H2O vapor All WEATHER changes happen here Temperature ↓ as altitude
increases. Why? FARTHER FROM THE HEAT
ABSORBED BY EARTH
2) STRATOSPHERE From tropopause to 50km in
altitude Includes the OZONE LAYER (O3)
Temperature ↑ as altitude increases. Why? CLOSER TO O3 LAYER WHICH
ABSORBS UV LIGHT & HEAT
3) MESOSPHERE From stratopause to 80km in
altitude Coldest layer Temperature ↓ as altitude
increases. Why? FARTHER FROM O3 LAYER
(4) THERMOSPHERE From mesopause to outer space Temperature ↑as altitude
increases. Why? OXYGEN AND NITROGEN
ABSORB SHORT-WAVE, HIGH-ENERGY SOLAR RADIATION
Two layers: IONOSPHERE - lower layer.
Holds electrically charged particles. EXOSPHERE - upper layer.
Holds light gases (helium/hydrogen). No clear boundary between exosphere and space… Air gets thinner and thinner until you’re in outer
space.
Atmospheric Moisture
3 forms of water: ICE, LIQUID, or WATER VAPOR (most is in VAPOR form)
Phase Changes: HEAT energy causes an INCREASE in molecular motion.
*Motion causes molecular COLLISIONS and energy transfer.
Evaporation: molecules speed up and change from a LIQUID to WATER VAPOR
Condensation: molecules slow down and change from a GAS to a LIQUID.
Sublimation: SOLIDS change directly to a GAS. (Ex: DRY ICE)
Deposition: GASES change directly to a SOLID. (Ex: FROST)
Humidity = AMOUNT OF WATER VAPOR IN AIR SATURATED = air contains all of the
water vapor it can hold. When saturated, WARM air can hold
more water vapor than COLD air. Measuring Devices: HYGROMETER or
PSYCHROMETER
Specific Humidity = ACTUAL amount of moisture in the air. (Grams H2O / kg air)
Relative Humidity = percent mass of water vapor compared to mass water vapor at saturation.
Ex: At 200 C, air contains 14.3g H2O / m3 air. Saturation point: 17.1 g/m3
Specific Humidity: 14.3 g/m3
Relative Humidity: 14.3 g/m3 = 84% Relative Humidity
17.1 g/m3
Dew Point = TEMPERATURE to which the air must be cooled to reach saturation.
Depends on Relative Humidity. When temp. is below Dew Point:
CONDENSATION (dew) or DEPOSITION (frost) occur
Temperature Changes occur in 3 ways: CONDUCTION: Transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity. CONVECTION: transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation within a
substance. RADIATION: transfer of heat through matter or a vacuum by electromagnetic
waves.
Land/Sea Breezes Why does Winnipeg’s temperature
vary so much more than Vancouver’s?
Vancouver is near the large ocean, which heats/cools slower than land. It holds that heat easily, keeping Vancouver’s air from fluctuating significantly.
How do clouds affect Earth’s temperature during the day? Why?
Clouds reflect light away from the ground, keeping the temperature lower.
How do clouds affect Earth’s temperature during the night? Why?
Clouds insulate the air, keeping heat from escaping, keeping the temperature higher.
Types of Precipitation
***The type of precipitation that reaches Earth’s surface is determined by the temperatures in the lowest few kilometers of the atmosphere.
Rain & Snow Sleet = small particles of clear-to-
translucent ice.
Glaze = A.K.A. “FREEZING RAIN” – rain is supercooled (below 0°C) & become ice when they impact frozen objects.
Hail = small ice pellets grow as they impact supercooled water droplets as they fall through a cloud. UPDRAFTS push them back up, so they can gain new ice layers.
PRESSURE CENTERS & WIND~section 19.2~ - Most common features on any
weather map & weather generalizations can be made using them
- Winds are influenced by pressure (pressure gradients) centers and the Coriolis effect
What goes in, must come out!!!! When there is a converging air mass at
the surface, it must be balanced by outflow
- a surface CONVERGENCE can be maintained if a DIVERGENCE occurs above the low at the same rate as the inflow below and vice versa.Air spreads out (diverges)
above surface cyclones and comes together (converges) abovesurface anticyclones
Weather Maps
ISOBARS = lines that connect points of equal air pressure Closely spaced lines indicate 2 things:
Strong pressure gradient High winds
ISOTHERM = lines that connect points of equal temperature