Download Atmosphere Study Guide - Montgomery Earth Science

Atmosphere Study Guide
Composition of the Atmosphere:
Know the 6 main gasses that make up Earth’s Atmosphere (Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water
vapor, ozone)
What are variable gasses, permanent gasses, trace gasses.
Layers of the Atmosphere:
Know your 5 layers and their characteristics (Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere,
Exosphere)
What is the basis for classifying the different layers?
What happens to temperature as you increase altitude?
What happens to pressure as you increase altitude?
Pressure and Density:
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Pressure is defined as force divided by area (weight/area).
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Air Pressure is considered to be the weight of the air above a region or specific area. More area above
a region is considered higher pressure. Less area above a region is considered lower pressure.
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Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1013.2 millibars (mb).
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Density is defined as mass divided by volume.
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Increasing the mass or decreasing the volume will increase the density.
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Decreasing the mass or increasing the volume will decrease the density.
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Simpler way to consider density: density is amount of stuff in a given space.
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Temperature affects the density of a substance; if you increase the temperature, the particles will
move more and they will become spread out thus decreasing the amount of “STUFF” in a given space.
The density then decreases.
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Higher the temperature= lower the density.
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Colder the temperature= higher the density.
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Density is important because it is what determines whether a parcel of air will rise or sink in the
atmosphere.
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If a parcel of air is more dense (cooler) than the surroundings it will sink.
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If a parcel of air is less dense (warmer) than the surroundings it will rise.
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Isobars are lines that connect locations with the same air pressure. Knowing what type of air pressure
you have will help you predict the weather and the direction of winds
Water Cycle:
Know what is evaporation, condensation, transpiration, precipitation, deposition, sublimation, runoff and
infiltration. Be
able to label on a diagram.
Relative Humidity:
Be able to calculate relative humidity with a Dry Bulb reading, a Wet Bulb reading and a Relative Humidity
Chart.
Winds:
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Winds are caused by differences in air pressure. Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low
pressure. The greater the pressure difference, the faster the air moves, and the stronger the wind
blows.
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Differences in air pressure are caused by differences in air temperature.
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The air at the equator rises, forming areas of low pressure. The cold air near the poles sinks, forming
areas of high pressure.
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Trade winds are wind belts that blow from 30° latitude almost to the equator.
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Westerlies are wind belts that are found between 30° and 60° latitude.
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Polar easterlies are wind belts that extend from the poles to 60° latitude.
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The deflection, or curving, of moving objects from a straight path because of Earth’s rotation is called
the Coriolis Effect.
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Wind moving from the poles to the equator is deflected to the west. Wind moving from the equator to
the poles is deflected east.
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Jet streams are narrow belts of very high-speed winds (up t0 400km/h) in the upper troposphere and
lower stratosphere. They blow from west to east all the way around the Earth.
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Local winds are winds that generally move over short distances and can blow from any direction.
***KNOW DIAGRAMS FOR WIND BELTS AND SEA/LAND BREEZES