Download Earth`s Atmospherewith hyperlinks

The Ocean Of Air That
Surrounds Us
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The atmosphere is divided into 4
or 5 layers based on temperature
tendency
While we think of the atmosphere
as a vast ocean of air around us, it
is very thin relative to the size of
the earth. The distance between
the earth's surface and the "top" of
the atmosphere is not an exact
measure.
Why is there an apple under the
text? Because if you were to shrink
the Earth down to the size of an
apple the atmosphere would only
be as thick as its skin.
Although air is considered a fluid,
it does not have the same welldefined surface as does water. The
atmosphere just "fades away" into
space with increasing altitude.
Complete
atmosphere poster
in notebook
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
troposphere
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Graph the numbers on the paper divided
Divide the graph into four sections horizontally
Add the following information about each layer
◦ Tendency of pressure (there is a section in your book to
help)
◦ Name
◦ Atmospheric pressure tendency
◦ Object found in there
•Complete the atmosphere
cut and paste poster
Troposphere
4 mm
Stratosphere
1.5 cm
Mesosphere
2.6 cm
Thermosphere
25cm
Structure
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Over 99% of the mass of the
earth's atmosphere is contained
in two layers: the troposphere
and the stratosphere.
Most of the earth's atmosphere
(80 to 90%) is found in the
troposphere, the atmospheric
layer where we live.
This layer, where the earth's
weather occurs, is within about
12 km (7 miles) of the earth's
surface.
Gravity is the reason the
atmosphere is more dense closer
to the earth's surface.
Make density columns
1.
2.
3.
Materials: 1 cup of each water color
1 test tube per group
2 pipettes
1 cup clear water
Layer the colors in the cups in the test tube using trial
and error
Once you get the order correct, make a chart that
equates each color with the layer of the atmosphere it
represents
Answer these questions
1. Why is this model appropriate to use to represent the
layers of the atmosphere? Discuss two reasons.
2. Why is this model not appropriate to use to represent the
atmosphere? Where does it have faults? Discuss two
reasons
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Gases
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Nitrogen – 78%
Oxygen – 21%
Trace Gases – 1%
Water Vapor – 0 – 4%
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Particulate matter
Liquid water (varies according to cloud
presence)
AIR IS A HETEROGENEOUS MIXTURE
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Circle graph
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Gases
Nitrogen – 78%
Using a circle compass
Oxygen – 21%
create a circle (pie)
Trace Gases – 1%
graph of the Earth’s
Water Vapor – 0 – 4%
Atmosphere
You will have to
translate percentages
to degrees on a circle.
Remember, a circle is
equal to 360°.
Example: 25% = 25/100
25/100 = X/360 ……. X = 90
25% = 90° on a circle graph
25 = x
100
360
25x360 = 100x
9000 = 100x
100
100
90 = x
How Much Oxygen Is In the
Room?
Height of the test-tube
• Complete the activity to
determine the level of
Oxygen in the air.
• Fill in the chart and answer
the following questions:
• Why did the water rise into the
cylinder?
• Why might the data be
different if taken in different
locations?
____ cm
Height water rose into the test-tube
____ cm
Percent of Oxygen in the air
Height of the water
Height of the test-tube
______%
All of the earth's weather occurs Lower Atmosphere: Troposphere
in the troposphere.
 Air pressure decrease with altitude.
 The troposphere temperature
decreases with increasing height.
 The moisture concentration decreases
with height (air is much drier above
the troposphere, in the stratosphere.)
 The sun's heat that warms the earth's
surface is transported upwards largely
by convection (hot air rising and
cooler air sinking). Up drafts and
downdrafts do mix the air
 Water Vapor in the air as well as
Carbon Dioxide are powerful
greenhouse gasses.
 Some greenhouse effect is necessary
for life to exist on the Earth
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Ozone – O3
• Ozone is a crucial component of the stratosphere.
• The primary role of the ozone layer is to prevent the sun's
harmful ultra violet rays from reaching life on earth. This UV
radiation can damage living cells, causing sunburn which can
lead to skin cancer. The areas of the planet with thinner ozone
coverage have much higher incidences of skin cancer. This is
particularly true around the equator where sun’s rays are more
direct
• It is thought that a reduction of 1% of the ozone in the
stratosphere could lead to:
• An increase in skin cancers in animals and humans
• A suppression of the human immune systems
• Some weakening of plant life, and an increased
susceptibility to pests
• Reduction in growth of phytoplankton, endangering the
food chain
• A decrease in aquatic life forms
• Draw and describe how ozone is created and destroyed in
your notebook
Purpose:
Building models of the
atmospheres of Earth and
the other planets are
critical tools for planetary
scientists trying to
understand phenomena
too distant to experience
directly.
Procedure:
◦ Using 100 as your base,
get the number an color of
beans you would need to
represent the presence of
the different gases on the
planets Mars, Venus and
Earth. Glue these onto a
piece of white paper. Label
the planet each represents.
Make a key for bead color
and gas it represents.
1. Radiation
http://quizlet.com/25746094/conductionconvection-and-radiation-flash-cards
/
3. Convection
Worksheet: Energy Transfer
in the Atmosphere
2. Conduction
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Land
◦ Low specific heat
◦ Heats up fast;
cools fast
◦ Cities in the
middle of a
land mass have a
widen range of
temperature than
cities along an ocean
Water
◦ High specific heat
◦ Heat up slowly;
◦ cool slowly
◦ Cities close to
the ocean do
not have the wide range
of temperatures;
climate is moderated by
the water
 Snow in LA? I don’t
thinks so!
Specific heat – measure of how much energy a substance
absorbs before its temperature goes up one degree
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Uneven heating of the Earth’s
surface causes changes in air
pressure : Changes in air
pressure cause wind.
Wind is nature’s way of trying
achieving homeostasis or
balance with air pressure.
Nature always tries to
achieve balance by moving
material from high to low
◦ Diffusion – particles move from area of
higher concentration to lower
concentration
◦ Temperature - Heat always moves from
higher energy to lower energy (hot to
cold)
◦ Wind moves air from __________ pressure
to ___________ pressure.
LAND AND SEA BREEZE WORKSHEET
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Click to this picture go to a page
with an animation of land and sea
breezes
The spinning of the Earth causes these winds
to deflect; curving in the atmosphere instead
of rise directly up or sinking directly down.
This is known as the Coriolis Effect
Uneven solar
heating of the
Earth’s surface due
to its _____________
also causes global
wind patterns.
These patterns rise
up and sink down
in the atmosphere
and influence
surface ocean
currents, and the
movement of some
weather systems.