Download Atmosphere Climate and Global Warming

AIR

Mixture of gases and particulates that are found
in the atmosphere
Two major gases are Nitrogen (70%) and Oxygen
(20%)
 Most other gases are found in varying amounts

Carbon dioxide is found in increasing amounts because of
human activities
 CO2 raises the temperatures in the atmosphere because of a
blanketing effect that traps the heat here near the surface
of the earth

LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE





Exosphere This is really
space and contains very small
amounts of gases; temperatures
increase
Thermosphere Highest level
of the atmosphere where many
of our satellites and the
northern lights are found;
temperatures increase
Mesosphere Air begins to get
thicker and meteorites will
begin to burn up with friction;
temperatures decrease
Stratosphere Layer where
the ozone layer is found, along
with HALO jump flights and
military flights; Temperature
increases
Troposphere Layer that we
live in and the air is thickest
because gravity pulls it down,
all weather is located in this
layer; temperatures decrease as
you increase in altitude
TEMPERATURE

a measure of the warmth or
coldness of an object or
substance with reference to
some standard value


Most of the world uses Celsius as
a tool for measuring temperature;
Americans use Fahrenheit.
Temperatures have a great
effect on the biomes and
environments of the Earth

Can change them over long term
or short term changes
Example long term Plate tectonics
and Ice Ages
 Examples short term Volcanic
Eruptions and Storm Fronts

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON BIOMES
The amount of radiation
that the different parts of
the Earth receives creates
different zones on the
Earth that are created by
their temperatures
 The elevation changes
also affect the biomes
because the temperatures
change as you go further
up mountains and
plateaus

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON SEA LEVELS


Sea level has naturally
changed from changes
in plate movements and
global cooling and
warming trends
Since the Industrial
Revolution, there has
been a general increase
in sea level due to the
increased amounts of
carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere that keeps
heat near the surface of
the Earth and melts the
glaciers, adding to the
water found in the
oceans
HEAT TRANSFER ON EARTH

Heat on Earth is transferred in 3 ways

Conduction
Heat transfer through direct contact of an object
 Examples: Hand touching a hot pan, lava touching a forest,
hot iron on hair/clothes


Convection
Heat transfer through the
circulation of heat
 Examples: Mantle convection,
air and water currents, convection oven

HEAT TRANSFER ON EARTH

Radiation
Heat transfer through which
heat travels by waves
through an empty space
 3 types of ways that radiant
energy will react when it
comes to Earth
 1. Absorption Heat is
taken in by an object
 2. Reflection  Heat is
bounced off a reflective
surface (water, glass)
 3. Scattering  Heat hits
an object and is thrown in
random directions

TEMPERATURE AND AIR PRESSURE

Since warm air rises and cool air sinks, there is a
difference in the amount of air that is located in
certain parts of the atmosphere

That means that there is different amounts of air
pressing down on us

This pressing down of air on us is called air pressure

Air Pressure  The total amount of air that is
exerted on us
We are being pushed in all directions by the air that
surrounds us
 The amount of pressure can be measured using a tool
known as a barometer

DIFFERENCE IN AIR PRESSURES

Is what gives us winds
 All things in nature want to move to some sort
of balance, so areas that have high amounts of
air pressure will move to areas of low air
pressure
 When this movement happens, it will bring
with it any moisture and temperature
differences that it was experiencing in the
areas of high pressure
 Wind could bring bad or good conditions to a
new area
DIRECTION OF THE WINDS

Are characterized by the differences in air
pressure and the Coriolis Effect
In the Northern Hemisphere Clockwise
 In the Southern Hemisphere  Counterclockwise

AREAS WHERE THE AIR PRESSURES ARE THE
HIGHEST AND LOWEST WILL CREATE
PRESSURE CENTERS

1. Low Pressure Center
 a. AKA Cyclone
 b. The lowest pressures in this system will be
in the center of this area and the highest will
be on the outside parts of this area, meaning
that winds will blow from the outside to the
center of these systems
 c. These will spin counterclockwise in the
Northern Hemisphere
 d. These pressure systems will bring most of
the storms, because the gathering of the
moisture from the inward moving air collects
and condenses the moisture to form clouds

2. High Pressure Center
 a. AKA Anticyclone
 b. The highest pressure will be on the
inside and the lowest pressures will
be on the outside meaning that wind
will blow from the inside to the
outside
 c. They will spin clockwise in the
Northern Hemisphere
 d. These pressure centers will more
and likely be accompanied by fair
weather because the outward moving
air separate moisture and does not
encourage condensation into clouds.

Lines on this map are called isobars and they
help us to tell where weather will move to and
how fast the winds may be in a particular area.
 When isobars are close together, much like
contour lines, you will have faster winds in
that area because the air pressure will try to
balance out quickly
 When isobars are far apart, you will have more
of a gentle breeze
 Weather and winds will travel southeast on
this map because winds will take them with it
to the areas of low pressure
AIR IS NOT JUST AIR WHEN IT COMES TO
WEATHER

When pressure systems move the air across the
country, they will combine large bodies of air
known as air masses
When air mass first form, they take on the
characteristics of the area that they form over (source
region)
 Air masses are named by the two main
characteristics of moisture content and temperature

CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR MASSES

1. If an air mass forms over water, it will draw
water vapor into the air, making the air more
moist

This air will have a high humidity



Humidity is the total amount of water vapor in the air
This type of air mass is called Maritime
2. If an air mass forms over land, it will not draw
as much moisture from the land, so the air is
drier
This air will have a low humidity
 This type of air mass is called Continental


*** You CANNOT have moist and dry air at the
same time, so can an air mass be named
continental maritime? ________****
CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR MASSES

3. If an air mass forms far from the equator, the
air does not receive as much solar radiation, the
temperature of the air is colder


4. If an air mass forms closer to the equator, the
air receives more solar radiation, the
temperature of the air is warmer


This type of air mass is called polar
This type of air mass is called tropical
*** You CANNOT have hot and cold air at the
same time, so can an air mass be named Polar
Tropical? ___________***
TYPES OF AIR MASSES


mP  maritime Polar
 Moisture Content? wet
 Temperature? cold
 Location where it
could form over?
North Atlantic Ocean/
North Pacific Ocean
mT  maritime Tropical
 Moisture Content? wet
 Temperature?
Warm/hot
 Location where it
could form over? Gulf
of Mexico/South
Atlantic and Pacific
Ocean
TYPES OF AIR MASSES


cP  continental Polar
 Moisture Content? dry
 Temperature? cold
 Location where it
could form over?
Canada/ Northern
United States
cT  continental Tropical
 Moisture Content? dry
 Temperature?
Warm/hot
 Location where it
could form over?
Mexico/ Southern
United States

**** When an air mass moves, its characteristics
will change as its moves to areas of different
temperatures and humidity.****
EX. If a maritime Polar air mass moves from the
Northern Pacific Ocean to Canada, what type of air
mass will it become? continental Polar
 If a continental Tropical air mass moves from Texas
to Minnesota, what type of air mass will it become?
continental Polar

FRONTS

Air mass themselves will not make weather and
storms form. It is when the air masses combine
that you will have a mixing of different
temperatures that will cause clouds to form.

The boundaries that form between different air
masses is known as fronts
TYPES OF FRONTS

1. Warm Front
When a warm air mass moves into an area that has
colder temperatures, the warm air will rise and
condensation will slowly form clouds
 Weather for this type of front is light to moderate
precipitation for long periods of time
 There will be an increase in temperatures as the
warm air moves in
 Symbol:

WARM FRONT DIAGRAM
TYPES OF FRONTS

2. Cold Front
When a cold air mass moves into areas that has
warmer temperatures, the cooler air pushes the
warm air up rapidly and causes the clouds to form
rapidly as well.
 The clouds rise high in the air and form the stronger
storms like tornadoes, hurricanes, and
thunderstorms.


These towering clouds are called cumulonimbus
Weather for this type of front is heavy precipitation
and gusty winds, but they will clear quickly
 There will be a decrease in temperatures as the cold
air moves in
 Symbol:

COLD FRONT DIAGRAM
TYPES OF FRONTS

3. Stationary Front

When neither a cold or warm air mass is strong
enough to move the other one around, this type of
front forms and remains until some other air mass or
pressure system moves the air around.

This could change into a cold or warm front later
Usually cloudy, prolonged precipitation and storm
trains are found there
 Symbol:

STATIONARY FRONT DIAGRAM
TYPES OF FRONTS

4. Occluded Front
When two cold air masses converge on opposite sides
of a warm air mass, they both push together and the
warm air rises rapidly
 This rapid ascension of warm air causes fast rates of
precipitation
 Short bursts of storms and heavy rain will happen
until the humidity drops and the air is left feeling
very light
 Symbol:

OCCLUDED FRONT DIAGRAM
CLIMATE

The accumulation of temperature and weather
patterns in a certain location over a long period
of time
FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT CLIMATES
WORLDWIDE

1. Latitude  As latitude increases (meaning
that you are getting closer to the poles), the
intensity of the sun’s rays decreases (means that
there is less sun reaching these places.)
Near the Poles Less radiation, cooler temperatures
 Near the Equator  more radiation, warmer
temperatures


2. Altitude The higher you go in altitude, the
colder it gets

Mountains have colder climates than plains and
valleys
FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT CLIMATES
WORLDWIDE
3. Topography Depending on which side of
mountains you are on, you may receive more or
less precipitation because precipitation will
decrease as it passes over mountain ranges
 4. Water Bodies  Areas that are downwind of
large bodies of water will have cooler
temperatures because it takes longer to heat

FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT CLIMATES
WORLDWIDE
5. Global Winds  The amount of circulation
around an area can distribute the heat and
moisture differently around the global
 6. Vegetation  This affects how much sun is
absorbed and how quickly moisture is released in
the form of water vapor

ALL CLIMATES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE
BEEN CLASSIFIED INTO 5 MAJOR CLIMATE
GROUPS UNDER THE KOPPEN CLIMATE
CLASSIFICATION

1. Humid Tropical Climates
These climates have no winters, have an average
temperature of 18 ºC, and an annual rainfall of about
200 cm or more
 Examples Tropical Rainforest and Savannas (Africa
and South America)


2. Mid Latitude Climates
These climate can have mild or severe winters,
temperatures which average 18 ºC to above -3 ºC,
and can either have a high precipitation rate in the
winter or in the summer.
 Examples Mostly cover the US and Northern Eurasia


3. Dry Climates
Doesn’t have a temperature range so it defined by the
amount of precipitation that it receives annually
(which is very little)
 Examples Steppe or Deserts (Gobi, Sahara, Arabian)


4. Polar Climates
The warmest months are below 10 ºC, has periods of
perpetual night (no sunlight at all during the day)
and very little solar radiation
 Examples Tundra (Greenland and Antarctica)


5. Highland Climates
Very localized and small
 usually cooler and wetter than areas that found in
lower elevations nearby.
 Examples Mid China, British Columbia, Canada

WE ALL KNOW THAT RAISED AMOUNTS OF CO2 PUT OUT BY
HUMANS CAN INFLUENCE THE CLIMATES OF THE WORLD, BUT
THERE ARE SEVERAL NATURAL PROCESSES THAT CAN CAUSE
CHANGE IN THEM TOO

1. Volcanic Eruptions

Large amounts of ash and dust can reflect some of
the solar radiation back into space and cool
temperatures here on Earth

2. Ocean Circulation

Warmer than usual ocean temperatures can create a
short term change in climates (El Nino)
El Nino is when climates around the world are wetter and
warmer, especially in the US
 La Nina is when the climates around the world are drier
and cooler, creating massive droughts


3. Solar Activity
Dark spots on the sun called sunspots
 Sunspots occur at times of high solar activity and
corresponds with warmer temperatures in Earth’s
history


4. Earth Motions
Plates diverging and converging can change the
amount of land and water exposed, creating different
climates all the time
 Earth’s orbit has moved us closer and farther from
the Sun at times over the last 4 by, changing climates
by increasing and decreasing the amount of solar
radiation we receive

GREENHOUSE EFFECT
In order for life to continue on Earth we must
have heat from the core as well as solar radiation
 The Greenhouse Effect is the natural heating of
Earth’s atmosphere by retaining (to hold) heat
 The effect is created by several gases that hold
heat near the surface


Examples: Water vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Methane,
Nitrous Oxide, and Ozone
OZONE: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Good Ozone
Found in the stratosphere
 Provides protection from high amounts of solar
radiation
 Made by the splitting an oxygen atom and then
adding it to another oxygen atom
 Many countries around the world are working to
protect the ozone layer but some countries burn
chemicals or have chemicals factories which can
deplete the ozone even in areas farther away from
the location of those factories

BAD OZONE
Found in the troposphere
 Produced when coal and gasoline are burned during
the process of combustion
 Can cause upper respiratory problems as well as skin
diseases with prolonged exposure
 Everyone is exposed to bad ozone, but some people
are more susceptible to the health risk from this type
of exposure

Babies and Toddlers (weak immune systems)
 Elderly (weak immune systems)
 City Dwellers (Live closer together and have more and
different types of transportation)

RESULTS OF THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

By increasing the amount of fossil fuels that we
burn, we are also increasing the amount of
greenhouse gases. This means that we are
increasing the amount of heat that is kept near
the surface which leads to global warming.
GLOBAL WARMING
The unnatural heating of the Earth’s atmosphere
which has caused an increase in Earth’s
temperature
 Can be caused by nature but accelerated through
human activities (which is the prevailing theory
at this time)
 Causes of Global Warming in this age

1. Burning of fossil fuels (gasoline, oil, coal,
petroleum)
 2. Release of aerosols into the atmosphere (hair
spray, air fresheners, cleaning supplies)
 3. Deforestation (there aren’t enough plants to absorb
all of the carbon dioxide so the extra remains in the
atmosphere)

GLOBAL WARMING

Effects of Global Warming





1. Increase in temperatures around the globe
2. Change in temperature causes a change in climate
which means that characteristics of the climate
change as well.
3. Melting glaciers: will create smaller cooling centers
for the world
4. Rise in sea levels due to melting glaciers may help
cool Earth but lead to other problems (flooding in low
lying areas like Manhattan)
5. Higher sea levels means that anyone living in
those areas could be flooded out of their homes,
causing property damage to homes and businesses.
Can also cause economic problems for businesses,
docks and transportation services
UNNATURAL CAUSES OF CLIMATE
CHANGE

Heat Islands As urban areas develop,
changes occur in their landscape.
Buildings, roads and other infrastructure replace
open land and forests
 Surfaces that were once permeable and moist become
impermeable and dry
 Causes urban regions to become warmer than rural
areas, forming an "island" of higher temperatures in
these areas.
 How is this going to change the climate of an area?
The city will have higher temperatures and less
precipitation because of all of the concrete that has
replaced the natural land (creating a “concrete
jungle”)

UNNATURAL CAUSES OF CLIMATE
CHANGE

Deforestation Forests play a huge role in the
warming cycle on our planet.
When forests are cut down, not only does carbon
absorption decrease, if the wood is burned or left to rot
after the deforestation process the carbon that was stored
in the trees is released into the atmosphere as CO2.
 If we continue cutting down our main tool to reduce CO2
build up, we can expect the climate of our planet to
change dramatically throughout the next decades
 How is this going to change the climate of an area?
An increased amount of CO2 will cause an increase in
temperatures and precipitation which is associated with
global warming

UNNATURAL CAUSES OF CLIMATE
CHANGE

Ocean Acidification Oceans absorb quite a
bit of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Although there is an increased amount of CO2 in the
air, oceans can’t absorb more than they can hold
 Too much CO2 in the ocean will cause the shells of
clams to become fragile
 Coral reefs will become fragile and unable to support
the life that exist in and around it
 Sea life will be unable to adapt to the changing
environment that will grow acidic due to the rising
amount of CO2 in our oceans
