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Layer
Layers
of the Temperature
Atmosphere
Pattern
Air Pressure
Pattern
Important
Characteristics
Troposphere
The higher you go
up, the colder it gets
Highest near the
Earth’s surface
All weather and life
exists here
Stratosphere
It gets warmer as you
go up in the layer
Lower than the
troposphere
Weather balloons;
jets fly at the bottom
of this layer; ozone at
this layer
Mesosphere
It gets colder as you
go up in the layer
Lower than the
stratosphere
Coldest layer; air
extremely thin;
meteors and
shooting stars
Thermosphere
It gets warmer as you
go up
Lower than the
mesosphere
Hottest Layer;
auroras; space
shuttles
Exosphere
Temperature begins
to level off
Lowest air pressure
Satellites orbit
Sample Question
How does the temperature of the stratosphere compare
to the mesosphere?
A. It is colder than the mesosphere because the
stratosphere contains the ozone layer
B. It is warmer than the mesosphere because the
stratosphere contains the ozone layer
C. It is colder than the mesosphere because the
stratosphere contains the ionosphere
D. It is warmer than the mesosphere because the
stratosphere contains the ionosphere
Air Pressure and Density
 Air pressure: Air pressure decreases as you go up in the
atmosphere because there are fewer air molecules as
altitude increases
 Density: Density decreases in our atmosphere as we go
up. Most of the mass of the atmosphere is near the
surface.
Sample Question
Why does air pressure decrease from the troposphere to
the exosphere?
A. Because there are fewer air molecules as altitude
increases
B. Because there are more air molecules as altitude
increases
C. Because there are higher temperatures as altitude
increases
D. Because there are lower temperatures as altitude
increases
Components of Air
78% = Nitrogen
21% = Oxygen
1% =CO2, Argon and
other gases
Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere
Sample Question
How does convection of air produce thunderstorms?
A. By causing warm air to sink and cold air to rise
B. By causing warm air to rise and cold air to sink
C. By causing both warm air and cold air to rise
D. By causing both warm air and cold air to sink
Global Wind Belts
Global Winds
• Doldrums: Low pressure near the equator; warm air
rises to the top of the troposphere; heavy evaporation
from warm ocean water fuels tropical storms
• Tradewinds: Blow from the east; move from the horse
latitudes toward the poles; strong and steady but die as
they reach the equator
• Horse Latitudes: High pressure zones 30N and 30S of
the equator, warm air traveling from the equator cools
and sinks here; weather tends to be clear and dry
Global Winds
• Westerlies: Blow from the west; move from the horse
latitude towards the poles; bring storms across much
of the United States
• Polar Easterlies: Blow from the east; move from the
polar regions to the mid latitudes; stormy weather
often occurs when cold air of the easterlies meets
warm air of the westerlies
Coriolis Effect
 If Earth did not rotate, global winds would flow
directly from the poles to the equator
 The Earth’s rotation changes the direction of winds
 In the Northern Hemisphere, winds curve to the right
and in the Southern Hemisphere, winds curve to the
left
Coriolis Effect
Sample
Question
Which best explains how the Coriolis effect
influences weather conditions?
A. It causes winds to rotate, forming tornadoes on
Earth
B. It causes winds to move to the right in the
southern hemisphere
C. It causes winds to turn to the right in the
northern hemisphere
D. It causes winds to follow a straight-line path
around Earth
Pressure
 High Pressure:Systems
Air sinks slowly; air moves all the way
around a high-pressure center; large and change
slowly; brings clear skies and calm air or gentle breezes
 Low Pressure: Surrounds a center of low pressure; air
moves upward and inward toward the lowest pressure
and then up to high altitudes; can bring stormy
weather
Sample Question
 Which occurs within a high-pressure system?
 A.
The formation of clouds
 B. The formation of hurricanes
 C. Large clouds, as air rises
 D. Calm weather, as sir sinks
Fronts
 Cold Fronts: Forms when a cold air mass pushes a
warm air mass and forces the warm air to rise;
produce cumulonimbus clouds and precipitation
are produced; brief, heavy storms are likely; after
the storms, the air is cooler and often very clear
 Warm Fronts: Forms when a warm air mass pushes
a cold air mass and warm air rises slowly over the
cold air; produces cloud covered skies; brings
hours of steady rain; after front passes, the air is
warmer
Fronts
Sample QuestionWhat has most likely
occurred in this area?
Day and
Time
Tuesday at Tuesday at
8 AM
2 PM
Temperatur 60F
e
40F
Pressure
30.28 in
29.97 in
Winds
Southwest
Northwest
Skies
Partly
Cloudy
Cloudy,
Rainy and
Thunder
 A.
 B.
 C.
A warm front has passed
A cold front has passed
A blizzard has taken
place
 D. A high-pressure system
has stalled
Humidity and Dew Point
Humidity
Dew Point
 Amount of water vapor in the
 Temperature at which air
air
 Higher humidity makes the
air seem hotter and damper
with a given amount of water
vapor will reach saturation
 The higher the dew point of
air, the more water vapor the
air contains
On which day could the air
Sample
Question
Four-Day Temperature
Recordings at 3:00 PM
Day
Temperature F
Thursday
59
Friday
63
Saturday
72
Sunday
64
have held the greatest
amount of water vapor at
3:00
A.Thursday
B. Friday
C.
Saturday
D.
Sunday
Sample Question
Why is it important for the United States to monitor
air pollution levels in other countries?
A. Air pollution can improve the ozone layer
amounts in the atmosphere
B. Air pollution can travel to the United States and
affect people’s health
C. The United States is the only country able to
monitor the air quality
D. The united States has clean air and is able to help
other countries
The Water Cycle
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wgifs/Watercycle.G
IF
Click link for water cycle diagram
Sample Question
 Runoff is an important part of the water cycle.
1. What is the final destination for runoff that flows on
the surface of the continents?
2.How can runoff water contribute to the weather in an
area?
Answer