Chapter 5: Earth’s Air and Water

Environment
Bing Bong C. Ferrer
 Structure of the Earth’s Atmosphere

• Earth’s atmosphere is a mixture of various gases-primarily nitrogen and oxygen

with small percentage of water vapor, argon, and carbon dioxide. If you have
gone mountain climbing you noticed that air grows cooler and thinner with
increasing elevation. At sea level, the air is generally warmer and denser. The
greater density near the Earth’s surface is due to gravity.
 The layers of the Earth Atmosphere are
classified into:

• 1. Troposphere
• 2. stratosphere
• 3. mesosphere
• 4. thermosphere
• 5. ionosphere
 Troposphere

• A.)troposphere, where weather occurs. It extends to a

height of 16 kilometers over the equatorial region and
8 kilometers over the polar regions. It contains 90
percent of the atmosphere’s mass and all of the water
vapor and clouds. Temperature in the troposphere
decreases 6 degree Celsius per kilometer with
increasing altitude.
 Stratosphere

• B.stratosphere- reaches a height of 50 kilometers.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is absorbed by the
ozone layer in the atmosphere. Because of this
absorption of energy, temperature in the stratosphere
rises from about -50 degree Celsius at the bottm to
about 0 degree Celsius at the top.
 Mesosphere

• C. above the stratosphere, the mesosphere extend

upwards to about 80 kilometers. The gases in this
layer absorbs very little of the sun’s radiation, hence
temperature deceases from about 0 degree Celsius at
the bottom to about -90 degree Celsius at the top.
 thermosphere

• D.) Thermosphere- extends upward t0 500

Kilometers and contains very little air. The air there
absorbs enough solar radiation to bring the
temperature to about 2000 degree Celsius.
 ionosphere
• e.) ionosphere-is an ion-rich region which is produced
from the interaction between the high frequency
solar radiation and atmospheric atoms. The degree
of ionization in the ionosphere depends on air
density and an amount of solar radiation. Radio
waves transmitted from Earth’s surface are reflected
back to the Earth by ionosphere. This reflection is
greatest at night because the ions tend to congregate
in a dense band in the upper part of the ionosphere.
 exosphere

• f.) finally, above 500 kilometers is the exosphere, the

thinning atmosphere gradually yields to the radiation
belt and magnetic fields of interplanetary space.
 Weather and Climate

• Bing Bong C. Ferrer

• The troposphere is the part of the earth’s atmosphere where weather
occurs. Weather is the atmospheric condition we experience over short
period of time. The weather forecast for today may be “sunny”, “rainy”, or
“stormy”
• .Weather is the re result of six interacting variables, temperature, pressure,
relative humidity, clouds, winds, and precipitation. Temperature varies
widely over the earth’s surface, as low as -30 degree Celsius and as high as
40 degree Celsius. Variations in temperature of the air can cause important
weather conditions.
• Maximum and minimum thermometers are used by weathermen.
Atmospheric pressure is measured by a barometer. Under normal condition
that atmosphere can support 29.92 in. of mercury or 76.0cm. Relative
humidity is measured by a hygrometer. Clouds are classified into: cirrus ,
stratus, cumulus, and nimbus. They are described as high, intermediate and
low clouds. Rainfall is measured by means of rain gauge. The direction and
speed of the wind is obtained with an anemometer or wind vane.
 Types of Weather

• 1. Fine weather is a weather with clouds and no rain.

• 2. Fair weather means clouds are present and may
produce rain but greater portion of the day is sunny.
• 3. Rainy weather is when rain occurs during a greater
portion of today.
• 4. Stormy weather is characterized by rains and strong
winds.
 Weather Disturbances in the Philippines

• 1. Tropical Cyclones
• a. Tropical depression
• b. Storm
• c. Typhoon
• 2. Easterly Waves
• 3. Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
• 4. Monsoons
• 5. Cold Fronts
• 6. Local disturbance (Thunderstorm, Orographic lift)