Download Unit 4: Oceans, Atmosphere, and Weather

Unit 4:
Oceans, Atmosphere,
and Weather
 Oceans
 The Atmosphere
 Climate, Climate Change
 Weather
Section 1: Oceans
How the Ocean Came to Be
http://science.howstuffworks.com/how-the-ocean-came-to-be-info.htm
Soon after the solar system formed out of a cosmic cloud of gas and dust more
than 4.5 billion years ago, Earth was a dry, cratered ball barren of life. It had
no ocean and no continents. As the eons rolled by, our planet was transformed
into a water world teeming with myriad forms of life. How did such a dramatic
transformation occur?
Scientists believe that Earth in its earliest years was a horribly hot and violent
place. Asteroids, comets, and other chunks of space debris left over from the
solar system's formation continually bombarded the young planet, releasing
huge amounts of heat. The decay of radioactive elements inside the Earth also
generated great quantities of heat. At the same time, frequent volcanic
eruptions may have covered much of the planet's surface in red-hot flows of
lava. According to scientists, the early Earth's surface was hot enough to turn
any liquid water instantly into steam. Nonetheless, the planet somehow
obtained enough water to eventually form a vast ocean.
Most scientists now believe that the ocean originated from water molecules in
the cloud of gas and dust that gave rise to the solar system. According to the
current theory, as Earth formed, these water molecules first became trapped in
porous rock deep inside the hot planet, but they later boiled out as steam. For
hundreds of millions of years, volcanoes ejected the water vapor along with
other hot gases into the Earth's atmosphere. The volcanoes spewed out enough
water vapor to wrap the entire planet in a dense blanket.
After the meteorite bombardments and volcanic eruptions subsided, Earth
finally cooled enough to permit the water vapor to condense into clouds and
fall as rain. An almost continuous rain, fed by evaporation and volcanic
outgassing, may have drenched the planet for some 10 million years. As the
deluge (flood) persisted, ponds formed in shallow depressions and then grew
into lakes. Eventually, the lakes merged to form an ocean. Many researchers
now believe that the first permanent ocean was likely in place sometime
between 4.3 billion and 3.8 billion years ago.
The early sea may have covered the entire planet to an unknown depth as rain
water collected everywhere on the nearly featureless landscape. Raised
continents and deep ocean basins had not yet formed. These features would
take shape after geological processes began altering the landscape.
About 360 million years ago, tectonic plates carried a number of land masses
together to form a single continent, called Pangaea, which was surrounded by
an ocean called Panthalassa. Then, beginning about 200 million years ago,
Pangaea broke apart into the northern continent of Laurasia and the southern
continent of Gondwanaland. The modern basins of the Pacific, Atlantic, and
Indian oceans began to take shape about 120 million years ago, when Laurasia
broke apart into Eurasia and North America, while Gondwanaland split into
Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India, and South America. By 60 million years
ago, the global ocean closely resembled the seas of today.
Background Ocean Information
1) Connection between the ocean, the atmosphere, and weather:
a) The ocean absorbs and releases
i)
Land bordering the oceans experience
ii) If this didn’t happen, temps would vary:
Day:
Night:
b) Currents also affect temperatures:
i)
At the equator, why do the sun’s rays warm up the water so much?
ii) Currents move the warm water
iii) As a result, some coastal areas have what kind of climates?
2) Ocean Currents
a) Define current: a movement of ocean water that
b) 2 kinds of currents
i)
Surface current:
(1) Controlled by 3 things:
(a) Global ___________:
(b) __________________ Effect: Earth’s rotation causes surface currents to
(c) Continental ________________: when surface currents
ii) Deep current: a streamlike movement of ocean water
(1) Controlled by _____________, not _________________
(2) Density depends on _______________________ and ______________________
(a) Cold water- _____________ dense, gravity pulls it down.
(b) Warm water- _____________ dense, rises.
iii) Upwelling: winds blow ___________________ to shoreline; moves surface water farther offshore
and allows deeper water to ______________________________________________
(1) Brings deep, cold, ______________________ water
(2) Important for many ___________________________
ON YOUR OWN: Why are ocean currents important? Come up with a few reasons that we haven’t discussed.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/currents/08affect.html
QUESTIONS
1. After reading the
article, list three reasons
why ocean currents are
important.
2. Some currents are
warm-water currents, like
the Gulf Stream. These
create warmer climates in
coastal areas that would
normally be cooler. What
do you think a cold-water
current, like the California
Current, does?
3. El Nino is a weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. When El Nino occurs, the winds move less
water than usual, so the area along the coast of South America increases.
a. If there is less wind, how would this affect upwellings along the shoreline?
b. How would organisms be affected, and why?
EL NINO FOLLOW UP (in class the next day- don’t worry about filling this in now)
 The heat slowly spreads westward

Can last for _______________________________

Leads to changes in global ________________________

Sometimes followed by ___________________- cool current that also affects weather patterns

Effects:
o ____________________ and ___________________ in areas that usually get little rain
o _______________ in areas that usually do get rain- can lead to crop failure
o No ___________ (see #3 above)
Section 2: The Atmosphere
Definition: The mixture of
What is the atmosphere made of?
 Put in order from MOST to LEAST:

Each gas absorbs _____________________- some more than others. The temperature of the atmosphere varies
depending on:
o
In warmer parts, the gases absorb
o
In cooler parts, the gases absorb
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
Troposphere

_______________ to Earth

___________________; has 90% of the atmosphere’s total mass

Most of the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide, water vapor, clouds, air
pollution, weather, and life forms are found here

Temperature _______________ as altitude _______________

_____________________________ constantly
Stratosphere

Home of the _____________, which absorbs
______________________________________________

Gases ____________________, _____________________

Air very ___________, little __________________________

Temperature __________________ as altitude ________________
(the ozone absorbs radiation and warms this layer)
What is Ozone?
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/Org/caer/ce/eek/earth/air/ozonlayr.htm
Good Ozone, Bad Ozone: "Good up high, bad nearby"
The atmosphere of the Earth is divided into layers. Each layer is a little different.
Stratospheric ozone is found in the stratosphere, a layer of air way up in the
atmosphere. The stratosphere is between 8 and 30 miles above the ground - too far
away for you to breathe any of its air! The ozone in this layer of air protects plants,
animals, and us by blocking the most harmful rays of the sun.
Tropospheric ozone, (ground-level ozone) is found in the troposphere, which is the layer of air closest to the
Earth's surface. The troposphere is the air from the ground to about 8 miles up into the atmosphere - it's the air
we breathe. Ozone does not naturally occur at harmful levels in the troposphere. Our ground-level ozone problems
are caused by human activities. Read "Hot Summer Days" to learn how humans cause "bad ozone."
You may have heard that ozone shields us from the sun's harmful UV, or ultraviolet, rays. This type of ozone is
called "stratospheric" ozone. Stratospheric ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms, and has no color, no taste, and
not much odor. Stratospheric ozone is the same chemical as ground level ozone. So what's the difference? The
difference between stratospheric ozone and ground level ozone, (tropospheric ozone) is where each is found. One
is up high, one is nearby.
Just remember: "Good up high, bad nearby!" You might wonder: we have too much ozone in the troposphere and not
enough in the stratosphere why can't we just send tropospheric ozone up into the stratosphere? Unfortunately, we
can't simply 'pump' our extra ozone into the stratosphere. So, to keep it from causing problems down here in the
troposphere, we have to stop it from forming in the first place.
Hole in the Ozone Layer?
How it all started
In the late 1920s, chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (cloro-florocarbons) or CFCs, were invented.
These chemicals were not poisonous and didn't harm fabrics, plants or people. Companies thought they were great
and used them in refrigerators, air conditioners, styrofoam packaging, and spray cans.
From the 1920s to the 1970s, billions of CFC molecules were released into the air. In the 1970s, scientists began
to wonder what might happen to all those CFCs after they had been in the air for a while. They eventually learned
that CFCs could float past the troposphere up into the stratosphere where UV rays would break them down. The
chemicals that make up CFCs, mainly chlorine and fluorine, would float around the stratosphere, breaking up ozone
molecules. This was bad, because scientists knew that ozone in the stratosphere protects the Earth from too many
UV rays.
Fixing the problem
In 1979, many countries, including the U.S., banned CFCs from being made or used. This was a big
step toward fixing the problem. Today, no spray cans contain CFCs. Other chemicals are gradually
replacing the CFCs in air conditioners. But the CFCs already in the atmosphere can take up to 50
years to reach the stratosphere. Once there, they hang around in the stratosphere for many years, doing damage.
Also, the products that still contain CFCs need to be treated with care. One example of this is a car air
conditioner. When the air conditioner breaks, or the car is taken to a junkyard, the CFCs need to be carefully
taken out and recycled or stored so that they don't leak into the air.
The future
Scientists originally predicted that the ozone layer would be the thinnest around 2008, then start recovering. But
new research shows that other air pollution problems are slowing down the ozone layer's ability to rebound.
What you can do
1.
Encourage people with cars to have their air conditioners fixed by mechanics who are
certified to handle. In Wisconsin, by law, mechanics have to be specially certified to work
with CFCs.
2. Protect your skin and eyes from harmful UV rays when you're outside.
Mesosphere

______________________________________

Temperature ______________ as altitlude _________________

Temperature can be as low as -93oC at the top!
Thermosphere

_________________, least ___________________

Temperature _______________ as altitude ____________________

Can get to 1000 oC or higher, but it is ______________________

Temperature is a measure of ______________________________;
the particles are moving VERY fast here
Special layer: Ionosphere

Upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere

____________________ and ______________________ absorb harmful solar energy

Gas particles carry electric charges and are called _____________

In polar regions, they radiate the energy as light- ________________________________________________
Putting it all together:
Section 3: Climate and
The Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse Gases:

Allow sunlight to

Warms the surface; some light is absorbed and then radiated as

Infrared waves get trapped by

Warms up

We couldn’t

Seems to be increasing due to
Global Warming/Global Climate Change
Go to http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/concepts.html
(direct link on my site)

What is the difference between weather and climate?

When scientists talk about global climate change, what are they talking about?

What is global warming?

Rising global temperatures can lead to stronger storms, melting glaciers, and the loss of wildlife
habitats. Explain why.

Answer the following questions:

Imagine that last summer was much hotter than usual where you live. Is
this a sign of climate change? Yes or no?

Imagine that almost every summer for the past decade has been hotter
than usual. Is this a sign of climate change? Yes or no?

Click “next.” What is one of the major sources of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?

Which of the following statements are true?
a) The Earth's average temperature has increased since the late 1800s, when people started
burning a lot of coal, oil, and natural gas.
b) Worldwide, 2000–2009 was the warmest decade ever recorded.
c) In the United States, seven of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since
1990.

Click “next.” Has climate ever changed in the past, without human activity driving it?

Look at the box to the right on the page, “Today’s Climate Change is Different.” How is it
different? Just list the three reasons.

From wrap-up information with Miss B: how do oceans help maintain carbon dioxide levels?
o
Carbon dioxide can move quickly
o
Once it is in the ocean, it no longer
o
____% of carbon dioxide is in the ocean- the rest is stored in the
Section 4: Weather
Air Masses and Fronts


Define air mass: a large body of air where
o
Changes in weather caused by
o
________________________: the area over which an air mass forms. Determines what two things?
Define front: an area where
o
Air masses have different
o
Warm air: less _____________, so it tends to ______________ when the two meet
o
Cold air is the opposite
o
Four types of fronts:

_________ front: ___________ air there first. _____________ air moves _____________ warm
air and pushes the warm air _______.


Moves quick; brings thunderstorms, heavy rain, or snow

Cool weather follows
_________ front: ___________ air there first. ____________ air gradually replaces the cold.


Brings drizzly rain followed by clear, warm weather.
___________________ front: _________ air mass is caught between two _______________ air
masses.


Colder air pushes up warm air, then moves forward to the other cold

Comes with cool temps, lots of rain
___________________ front: _________ air mass meets ____________.

Neither has enough force to life up the warm, so they remain separate

Brings many days of cloudy, wet weather
Lab time 
Weather

Define weather: the condition of the atmosphere

Define cloud: a collection of small ______________________ or ____________ crystals suspended in the air
which forms when the air is ______________ and __________________ occurs
CUMULUS
STRATUS
CIRRUS
Description
Weather
Other
If they have vertical
development, they are
storm clouds, called:
______= stratus clouds
near the ground
If they thicken, they
indicate that a
The addition of “nimbo” or “nimbus” means the cloud will:

Humidity: the amount of _____________________ in the air. As the temp of the air increases, it can hold
__________ water (molecules farther apart = more space).

Relative humidity: how much water vapor is in the air vs. how much ___________________________________

Saturated: when air holds all the water vapor __________________ at a ________________________________
o

Dew point: the ___________________ at which, if you cool the air, will get it to __________________________
o

Saturation happens faster when its _________________
If the temp gets to the dew point, water will _______________________ out of the air
Precipitation: water that falls to the ___________________________________ from _________________
o
_________: water drops become a certain size and fall to Earth
o
__________: rain falls through a layer of freezing air
o
_________: temps so cold that water vapor changes directly to a solid
o
__________: water falls, gets set back up, freezes, falls, and continues this until it’s too heavy.
Storms and forecasting
Thunderstorms

Humid air ___________, ____________, and _______________________ into a single cumulus cloud

Builds and grows _____________________ as long as it’s fed by a warm updraft from below

Rain forms, drags cool air down; the updraft and downdraft create a storm cell

Lightning: an _________________________ that happens between two _____________ charged
surfaces (between a cloud/the ground, two clouds, or two parts in the same cloud)

Lightning strikes and releases energy that gets transferred to the air; creates ____________ waves
Tornadoes

Wind moving in ________________________ causes layers of air in the middle to ______________

Spinning column of air moves to the bottom of the cloud and forms a ________________

Called a tornado when it ________________________________

Measure with _________________________ (F0-F5)
Hurricanes

Develop over ____________________ oceans

Strong winds of more than 120 km/hr spiral in toward the intensely ________________________ center

Gets its energy from the condensation of ______________ water vapor- so being over the warm ocean
fuels it even more

Measure with ____________________________________
Forecasting Weather

_______________________ measures temperature

_______________________ measures pressure

_______________________ measures wind speed

___________________ and _____________________

__________________________
REMEMBER THAT YOUR CURRENT EVENTS REPORT IS DUE ON THE TEST DATE!