ATMOSPHERE: COMPOSITION, GENERAL

CHARACTERISTIC AND STABILITY

The Atmosphere
- mixture of gases that surrounds earth

 The study of the atmosphere is called Meteorology.

Meteorologist study

• Weather- day to day changes in atmospheric conditions.

These conditions include temperature , air movement and
moisture content.
• Climate- average weather condition in an area over a long
period of time.
 What is in the atmosphere?
Composition of the
atmosphere
• 78%Nitrogen
• 21% Oxygen
• 0.9% Argon
• 0.035% Carbon dioxide
• 0.065% Others
 Most abundant gases are Nitrogen, Oxygen and Argon
• Nitrogen- largely inert, meaning it does not readily react with other
substances to form new chemical compounds.
• Oxygen- required for the respiration( breathing) of all animal life on
earth from humans to bacteria. In contrast to nitrogen oxygen is
extremely reactive.
• Argon- inert noble gas, meaning it does not take part in any
chemical reaction under normal circumstances.
 Most abundant compounds
• Carbon Dioxide- from volcanoes and human activity. Carbon
dioxide is one of a class of compounds called greenhouse gases.
These gases are made up of molecules that absorb and emit
infrared radiation, which is felt as heat.
• Water Vapor- from photosynthesis and transpiration. Element of
hydrologic cycle and source of all precipitation.
Greenhouse Effect – The warming of Earths surface and
lower atmosphere when carbon dioxide, water vapor and
other gases absorb and reradiate (heat) energy
 Characteristics of Atmosphere

The atmosphere is
divided into 4 layers
by temperature.
• Troposphere( bottom
layer)
• stratosphere(where
important weather
occur)
• Mesosphere
• thermosphere(top
layer)
 Troposphere-layer closest to earth
surface. This layer contains the air we
breathe, the winds we observe, and the
clouds that bring our rain. Temperature
decreases as altitude increase.
 Stratosphere- Where most of the ozone
is. As altitude increases, temperature
increases slightly
 Mesosphere- Coldest layer, dropping to
a temperature of -90 degrees C.
Temperature decreases as altitude
increase.
 Thermosphere- hottest layer(over 2000
degree C). temperature increase with
altitude
 What is atmospheric stability?
Stability is property to maintain the equilibrium state.
Ability of atmosphere to retain its position is said as
“atmospheric stability”.
The stability of air is determined by measuring
temperature of the atmosphere at various
temperature(enviromental lapse rate)
 The resistance of the atmosphere to vertical motion.
• Stable air resist vertical motion
• Unstable air encourages vertical motion
Temperature distribution of vertically moving air

↓ pressure ↑ pressure
(expansion) (compressi
↑ volume on)
= cooling ↓ volume
= warming
  Dry adiabatic lapse rate (unsaturated air)

• Lapse rate – change in temperature with elevation

• Adiabatic process: - No heat is gained or lost by mixing

with the surrounding air (“parcels of air”)

• Dry adiabatic lapse rate = 5.5°F/1000 ft

 Moist-adiabatic Rate
(saturated air)
• Air rises and cools – if dew point reached, condensation
occurs
• Energy released with condensation → warming
• Lapse rate reduced to 3°F/1,000 ft
• Parcel becomes warmer than surrounding air – continues
to rise (free convection)
• Eventually reaches colder air aloft – cools and stabilizes
at new level
 Inversion

Moist adiabatic lapse rate

- May become unstable if air becomes
warmer than surrounding area and
continues to rise

Dry adiabatic lapse rate (stable)

- resists vertical motion
- parcel will remain in position
Super adiabatic lapse rate
- Lapse rate > dry-adiabatic rate
- Example: Strong heating of ground surface
- Warm air below cool air
Atmospheric conditions

A displaced volume may

experience three possible
conditions
• it may remain at new
altitude(neutral)
• it may remain original
altitude(stabe)
• it may remain upward
movement(unstable)
signs of an Unstable Signs of a Stable
Atmosphere Atmosphere

e
Importance of atmospheric stability for flying bodies.

• Stable atmosphere provides an equilibrium state of motion

to flying objects
• An unstable atmospheric condition will cause disturbed
flight which may lead a flying object to an accident.