Weather State or condition of all the variables in the atmosphere at a given location for any short period of time. Variables include: 1.Temperature 2.Pressure 3.Wind 4.Moisture
Feb 25, 2016
WeatherState or condition of all the variables in
the atmosphere at a given location for any short period of time.
Variables include:1.Temperature
2.Pressure
3.Wind
4.Moisture
Atmosphere
Sphere of Earth where weather takes place.
Broken up into specific sections, each having specific characteristics.
Why is atmosphere important?
oxygen (for respiration/ breathing)carbon dioxide (for photosynthesis)nitrogen (needed for many organic
compounds)Helps control temperatureProtects living things from UV raysNeeded for sound transmissionNeeded for flying critters and aircraft
Composition of the Atmosphere:
All other gasses: CO2, Ar, Methane etc
What makes one layer different from the others?
TemperatureChemical
make upDensity
Kilometer Scale:
goes up by 10’s
Mile Scale:
goes up by 5’s130140
120110
90807060
40302010
1510
5
4045
3035
20
70
8580
656055
11 km7 mi
Weather takes place only in the
troposphere
As altitude increases, temperature in the troposphere______________decreases
Handy Dandy Earth Science Reference Tables: Page 14
15miles
25miles
50miles
80miles
How High?
30km
50km
80km
115km
140km
And in Km’s?
Avg. temp at ground is 15°CGets warmer as you
get higher
Gets colder as you get higher
Gets warmer- atoms moving faster
Temps get colder as you get higher
What are the layers of the atmosphere?
TroposphereStratosphereMesosphereThermosphere
Troposphere
Closest to earth’s surfaceHeight ~10 km (7 miles)90% of atmosphere is hereComponents are well mixedAlmost all weather occurs hereJet stream in upper troposphereTemperature decreases with altitude
(thermal lapse rate = 6.5 ‘C per kilometer)
Stratosphere
Very little moisture/ clouds are rarePilots fly here to avoid weather problemsContains ozone (O3) layer (~25 km)
ozone blocks harmful levels of Ultraviolet radiation from reaching us
Warmer temperatures due to ozone’s reaction with UV light
Mesosphere
Temperature decreases with heightColdest temperature reached in
atmosphere -90 C (~ -130 F)Air is very thin99.9% of atmosphere is below this layerProtects us from meteors (falling stars)
Thermosphere
Warmer layer above mesosphereAir is very thin, but molecules get
lots of energy from the sunTemperature would feel cold to you
because there are so few particles present
Boundaries between layers(constant temperature)
TropopauseBetween troposphere and stratosphere
StratopauseBetween stratosphere and mesosphere
MesopauseBetween mesosphere and thermosphere
What happens to the numberof particles as you increase altitude?
What do you think happens to the weight of the air as a result ?
What do you think happens toair pressure as altitude increases?
What might this look like in a graph?