Atmosphere and Weather.pptVIP

Atmosphere and Weather AP Environmental Science Mark Ewoldsen, Ph.D. Dr. E Origin of Modern Atmosphere original atmosphere surrounded the homogenous planet Earth and probably was composed of H and He second atmosphere evolved from gases from molten Earth H2O, CO2, SO2, CO, S2, Cl2, N2, H2, NH3, and CH4 allowed formation of oceans and earliest life modern Atmosphere evolved after Cyanobacteria started photosynthesizing oxygen produced did not reach modern levels until about 400 million years ago Earth’s Atmosphere compared to the size of the Earth (104 km), the atmosphere is a thin shell (120 km). AtmosphereLayers Exosphere Thermosphere (Ionosphere) Mesosphere Stratosphere Troposphere Troposphere 8 to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles) most dense the temperature drops from about 17 to -52 degrees Celsius almost all weather is in this region Stratosphere extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high dry and less dense temperature in this region increases gradually to -3 degrees Celsius, due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation ozone layer absorbs and scatters the solar ultraviolet radiation ninety-nine percent of air is located in first two layers every 1000-m 11% less air pressure Composition Nitrogen (N2, 78%) Oxygen (O2, 21%) Argon (Ar, 1%) myriad of other very influential components are also present which include the Water (H2O, 0 - 7%), greenhouse gases or Ozone (O3, 0 - 0.01%), Carbon Dioxide (CO2, 0.01-0.1%), Importance of the Atmosphere Physicists physical properties and processes that take place between the radiant energy and atmospheric gases Chemists behavior of the chemical materials in the atmosphere the ways in which lightning causes the formation of substances chemistry of the ozone layer and of chemicals introduced from industrial processes Astronomers and space scientists the layer through which they must peer before entering the realms of space Meteorologists, climatologists and geogr