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WHAT IS WEATHER? THE CONDITION OF THE ATMOSPHERE MEASURE TEMPERATURE MEASURE PRESSURE MEASURE WIND MEASURE MOISTURE What is the atmosphere? • blanket of gases that surrounds the Earth – 79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, 1% argon and others – Water vapor varies • held in place by gravity • divided into 5 layers • Gas densities and quantities change with altitude EXOSPHERE THERMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE TROPOSHERE • • • • • • CONTAINS 90% OF ATMOSPHRE CONTAINS ALL WATER VAPOR CLOUDS FORM 8-16 KM (5-10 MILES) THICK THICKER AT EQUATOR THAN POLES STEADY DECREASE IN TEMPERATURE WITH ALTITUDE • WEATHER OCCURS HERE STRATOSPHERE • BOTTOM OF STRATOSPHERE IS JET STREAM - STEADY WIND OF 50 - 250 MPH • NO VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF AIR - NO WEATHER PATTERNS • EXTENDS 50 KM ( 30 MILES ) UP • TEMPERATURE INCREASES DUE TO ABSORBING ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT • CONTAINS OZONE LAYER MESOSPHERE • • • • EXTENDS 80 KM ( 50 MILES ) UP THIN GAS ABSORBS LITTLE RADIATION GETS COLDER WITH ALTITUDE THERMOSPHERE • EXTENDS UP TO 500 KM ( 310 MILES) • VERY THIN GAS • HIGH ALTITUDE EXPOSES TO LARGE QUANTITY OF SOLAR RADIATION • VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES (2000C) EXOSPHERE • OUTERMOST REGION OF THE ATMOSPHERE • NO TRUE “TOP” TO ATMOSPHERE http://radar.metr.ou.edu/OK1/meteorology/VertStructure2.html WEATHER FUELED BY: SOLAR RADIATION CLOUDS AND GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT REACHING THE EARTH BY ABSORBING IT OR REFLECTING IT. THE AMOUNT THAT IS REFLECTED OR ABSORBED BY THE EARTH DEPENDS ON THE SURFACE. Surface Reflects Snow 75% Water 60% - 95% Sand 25% Grass 10% Absorbs 25% 5%-40% 75% 90% LIGHT THAT IS ABSORBED BY THE EARTH’S SURFACE WARMS THE EARTH WARM EARTH RADIATES BACK HEAT (INFRARED LIGHT) TERRESTRIAL RE-RADIATION WARMTH FROM EARTH’S SURFACE WARMS THE AIR SOME HEAT THAT THE EARTH RADIATES GETS TRAPPED BY CLOUDS An actual Greenhouse The Earth Greenhouse CONVECTION COOLING RISES EXPANSION DEFLATION FALLS HEATING CONVECTION - transfer of heat through fluid flow