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The Atmosphere
Characterized by
Chemical composition
Major components: N2, O2, Ar Trace gases Aerosols
Physical phenomena
Solar radiation, terrestrial thermal radiation and energy balance Atmospheric zones Atmospheric density Atmospheric pressure
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Chemical Composition
Atmosphere is a mixture of gases and particulate-phase substances
Most abundant
Nitrogen (78 %) Oxygen (21 %)
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Chemical Composition
Others vary temporally and spatially:
Water vapor (H2O) Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO) Ozone (O3) Methane (CH4) Nitrogen oxides (nitrous oxide (N2O); nitric oxide (NO); nitrogen dioxide (NO2)) Why do they vary? Ammonia (NH3) How do they vary? Formaldehyde (HCHO) Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Reduced sulfur compounds (H2S, COS, CS2, (CH3)2S) Odd hydrogen species (OH,HO2,H2O2)
Particulate-phase species
Nitrate (NO3-), Ammonium (NH4+), Sulfate (SO4 2+)
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Nitrogen (N2)
Most abundant atmospheric gas Limited direct role in atmospheric and life processes Precursor for the formation of nitrate used by plants to synthesize proteins Results from atmospheric and symbiotic biological processes
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Nitrous oxide (N2O) Nitric oxide (NO) Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Dintrogen pentoxide (N2O5) Nitrate radical (NO3)
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Oxygen (O2)
Essential for metabolism; Required for the evolution of life Precursor for the production of stratospheric O3; formation of the O3 layer made life possible
O3:
background surface levels (~ 20 ppbv); peak levels (810 ppmv) occur in middle stratosphere Absorbs UV and thermal energy
Figure 1.1
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Stratospheric O3
Varies seasonally and latitudinally Highest production occurs in the tropics Highest concentrations at Why? poles Significant transport
Figure 1.2 Total column O3 (vertical sum)
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Water (H2O)
Present as a solid, liquid and gas; phase changes are a major factor in weather phenomenon Has significant atmospheric effects Water vapor concentrations highly variable (0.130,000 ppmv) Water vapor is a thermal absorber and major greenhouse gas; characterized by phase changes at ambient temperatures
www.raindropimage.com
www.edholden.com
www.ux1.eiu.edu
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Clouds
Form as warm, moist air rises and condenses Large air mass of tiny water droplets Droplets must grow a million fold to produce rain Light scattering appears to give these form By reflecting sunlight are primarily responsible for the earths albedo Absorb thermal energy and retard its flow to space Associated air mass an agent of water and energy movement in the atmosphere
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How did the earth's atmosphere get the way it is? (a theory)
Earth formed (4.6 billions years ago) with no atmosphere or lost whatever atmosphere it might have had very early in its history Some geophysical process is needed that emits gases so that an atmosphere can form Source of gaseous emissions is volcanism. Likely only a very small fraction of these molecules lost to space. Paradox - composition of volcanic emissions is very different from that of present atmosphere; volcanic emissions: 85% H2O vapor, 10% CO2, a few percent of nitrogen and sulfur compounds, traces of noble gases and other species, O2 is absent.
Where did all the O2 come from?
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Organic matter produced by photosynthesis may be removed before reoxidation, i.e. fossilized. Certain life-forms in the ocean developed the ability to photo-synthetically produce organic molecules and free O2.
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organism H 2O CO2 UV CH 2O O2
burial of carbon
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O2 + h 2 O O2 + O + M O3 O3 + h O2 + O
burial of carbon
Are we in danger of depleting oxygen in the atmosphere if we continue to burn fossil fuels?
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Solar Radiation
Source of most of the earths energy Emitted by the sun at an effective black body temperature of 6000 oK What is black body? Received by the earth at a constant rate
External to the earth (1370 W/m2/s) Per unit earth surface area (343 W/m2/s)
Figure 1.4
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Solar Spectrum
Most energy in the 0.15- 4 m region Half of this energy in visible light spectrum; peaks in the green at 0.49 m Partially absorbed by atmospheric gases UV radiation
< 0.18 m by O2 at 100 km; 0.2-0.3 m by O3 below 60 km
Infrared radiation
H2O, CO2
Earths Albedo
Ability of the atmosphere and earth surfaces to reflect sunlight; varies regionally/seasonally Averages ~ 30%; primarily due to clouds (55%), the cloud-free atmosphere (23%), and earth surfaces (22%)
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Thermal Radiation
Earth absorbs solar radiation and re-emits longer infra-red wavelengths Earth radiates as black body at 290oK
Figure 1.5
Thermal Emissions
Emission is primarily in the 130 m spectral region Peak emission at 11 m Significant absorption by H2O, CO2, and other greenhouse gases Significant transmission through the atmospheric window(~ 7-13 m)
www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/252.html
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/s
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Troposphere
Lowest layer of atmosphere Temperature decreases with height on average 6.5 oC/km Depth varies from 8-18 km Characterized by vertical and horizontal air motion; Location of all "weather" phenomena Characterized by 2 regions
Planetary boundary layer(~ 1 km depth) Free troposphere
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Tropopause
Layer of air immediately above troposphere Temperature is isothermal Varies in depth
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Aurora Borealis
Atmospheric Density
Mass of atmospheric molecules per unit volume of air Decreases exponentially with height Most (80-90%) atmospheric mass below 12 km; 99% below 33 km
How does density change wrt elevation? Whats the role of density in air pollution?
Figure 1.7
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Atmospheric Pressure
Force applied to a surface as a result of the collision of molecules with it Maximum values at sea level
760 mmHg, 29.92 inHg, 14.7 PSI, 1.012325 x 105 Pa, 1013 mbars
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Quick Reflection
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