CHAPTER15STUDYGUIDE

Whatistheatmosphere?

TheAtmosphereandclimate
Zonesoftheatmosphere
Greenhouseeffect
Convectioncurrents
Weather

Atmosphere:
retainssolarheat,protectsusfromdeadlyradiationisspace,anddistributeswaterthatmakes
upmostofourbodies.
consistofgasmoleculesheldneartheearth'ssurfacebygravity
lightweighthydrogenandhelium
fourdistinctzonesofcontrastingtemperature
Itiscomposedofnitrogengas,oxygengas,watervapor,aerosolsminute,suspendedparticles,and
droplets.

ZONESOFTHEATMOSPHERE

Troposphere:
Weatheroccurshere.Adjacenttotheearthssurface
Convectioncurrentsredistributeheatandmoisturearoundtheglobe
heatedbyearthssurface
Thelayerofairnearesttotheearth'ssurfacebothtemperatureandpressureusually
decreasewithincreasingaltitude.
airinthislayerisinconstantmotionanddistributesheatandmoisturearoundthe
world
airabsorbsenergyfromthesunwarmedearth'ssurface,andfrommoisture
evaporatingfromoceans
Thetropospherecontainsabout75percentofthetotalmassoftheatmosphere
temperaturesdropwhenitgetsfurtherawayfromtheearth(60C(76F).
tropopause:whentheairisnolongerwarmerthanitssurroundings

Atmospheric:Atmosphericaerosolsareimportantincapturing,distributing,orreflectingenergy.

stratosphere:zoneintheatmosphereextendingfromthetropopause
nowatervapor,but1000xmoreozonethanthetroposphere
Ozoneabsorbsultravioletlight,whichwarmsupperpartofstratosphere
OzoneprotectsalllifeonearthsinceUVradiationdamageslivingtissues
OzoneisbeingdepletedbypollutantsincludingFreonandbromine

Thermosphere:heatedlayerbeginsatabout80km
Ionizedgasesandhightemperatures

Weather:shorttermforlocalpatterns

whatcaninfluenceweather?airmassessuchascoldairmassandhotairmasscomingtogether.

Climate:oppositeofweather,anditislongtermpatternsoftemperatureandprecipitationoverthe
years.Includingthingslikedrought.

aerosolsminuteparticlesorliquiddropletssuspendedintheair
convectioncurrents:aircurrentsstirtheatmosphere
ozone:(O
3
)pollutantneartheearth'ssurfaces

Absorbedsolarenergywarmsourworld
Abouthalfoftheincomingenergyreachestheearth'ssurface
Aboutonequarterreflectedbycloudsandtheatmosphere
Anotherquarterisabsorbedbycarbondioxide,watervapor,methane,ozone,andafewothergases
Someisreflectedbybrightsurfacessuchassnowandandiceandtherestisabsorbedbytheearths
surfaceandbywater
Albedo:Theratiooflightreflectedbytheplanettothatreceivedbyit
Blacksoil,pavement,andopenwater,forexample,havelowalbedos
darkercolors,loweralbedo,lightercolors,higheralbedos
Thegreenhouseeffectisenergycapturebygasesintheatmosphere
Atmosphereselectivelyabsorbslongerwavelengths
Greenhouseeffect:Anaturalphenomenawheretheatmospheretransmitssunlightwhiletrappingheat
GreenhouseGases:gasesintheatmosphere,especiallycarbondioxide,watervapor,nitrousoxides,
methaneandothersubstancesthatretainheat.
Convectionandatmosphericpressure:muchofsolarenergyabsorbedbytheearthisusedtoevaporate
water.

Evaporatedwaterstoresenergy,andwindredistributesit
Incomingsolarenergyevaporatestowater

CoriolisEffect
Theinfluenceoffrictionanddragonairlayersneartheearthdeflectsaircurrentstothe
directionofthearth'srotation

JetStreams
Powerfulwindsorcurrentsofairthatcirculatesinshiftingflowssimilartooceaniccurrentsin
theirextenandeffectonclimate

Monsoon
Aseasonalreversalofwindpatternscausedbythedifferentheatingandcoolingratesofthe
oceansandcontinents

ColdFront
Amovingboundaryofcoolerairdisplacingwarmerair
WarmFront
Along,wedgeshapedboundarycausedwhenawarmeradvancingairmassslidesoverneighboring
coolerairparcels

CyclonicStorms
StormswithwindsthatspiralclockwiseoutofanareaofhighpressureintheNorthern
HemisphereAndcounterclockwiseintoalowpressurezone

Hurricanes
Largecyclonicoceanicstormswithheavyrainandwindsexceeding119km/hr

Tornadoes
Aviolentstormcharacterizedbystrongswirlingwindsandupdrafts.Tornadoesformwhena
strongcoldfrontpushesunderawarm,moistairmassovertheland

Coldfront:Theweatherafterthecoldfrontpassesisusuallyclear,dry,andinvigorating.

Weather
changeintemperature,wind,andprecipitationthatchangesindaysorweeksInfluencedby
unevensolarheatingonearth'ssurface

Whydoesitrain?WatercondensesasaircoolsaircoolsasitrisesAirrisesinconvectioncurrents
wheresolarheatingisintense(overtheequator)

Condensationnuclei
(initiatecondensationofwatervapor)Particlesofsmoke,dust,seasalts,spores,andvolcanicashall
actascondensationnuclei

TheCorioliseffectexplainswhywindsseemtocurve

NorthernHemispherewindisbentclockwise(right)
SouthernHemispherewindisbentcounterclockwise(left)
Curveofthewindisknownasthe

CoriolisEffect
Corioliseffectproducescyclonicwinds(windmovementscontrolledbytheearth'sspin)

Hurricane
forcewindsthatcircletheeartharecalledjetstreamsandarefoundatthetopofthetroposphere

Oceancurrentsmodifyourweather

Surfaceoceancurrentsresultfromwindpushingontheoceansurface
Deepoceancurrentsarecreatedassurfacewatermovesandwaterwellsreplaceit