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Weather and tides
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Importance to Marine and Aquatic Activities
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The atmosphere is basically the layer of air that
surrounds the earth.
The atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen
and oxygen.
It is made up of many layers
Each layer is identified by a temperature, the
chemicals they contain and their density
The Atmosphere
There are 4 layers of the atmosphere that we will
focus on;
1.
2.
3.
4.
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
The Layers of the Atmosphere
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All living things are found here.
All weather occurs here.
Extends up into the air only 12km
Very dense (Lots of gas particles)
Troposphere
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12 -50km in atmosphere
Contains the ozone layer
Ozone is a special form of oxygen that blocks
out large amounts of UV radiation
Stratosphere
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Begins at 50km to 80km
Temperatures are warm near the stratosphere
and decrease as you go higher.
Mesosphere
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80-320km into atmosphere
Further you go away from Earth the hotter it
gets
Past this you reach the exosphere which is
space
Thermosphere
Best seats in house for northern lights
Courier Mail
February 10, 2012 12:00AM
NASA
astronauts were
treated to an
unworldly light
show from the
comforts of the
International
Space Station
last month,
highlighted by
the spectacular
Aurora Borealis
over North
America.
This image, released yesterday by NASA, was captured on
January 25 as the planet was bombarded with strong solar flares,
setting off the spectacular light shows as energised particles
interacted with the atmosphere
Layer
Altitude (km) Temperature Range Facts
(oC)
Troposphere
0 - 12
-60oC to 30oC
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All life lives here
Approx. 21% O2
Approx. 1% CO2
Approx. 78% N2
Mt Everest reaches
the top of the
troposphere
Stratosphere
12 - 50
30oC to -60oC and then
to 25oC
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Contains Ozone layer
Planes fly at lower
levels
Mesosphere
50 - 80
25oC to -100oC
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Coldest layer
Meteors burn up here
Thermosphere
80 - 320
-100oC to 1000oC
•
Hottest layer as
closest to sun
Space begins above
here
Aurora forms here
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Keeps the Earth’s temperature from dipping to
extreme icy cold that would freeze everything
solid or from soaring to blazing heat that
would burn up all life
Why is atmosphere important?
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Water from the Earth’s surface
evaporates (eg. Lakes, oceans, wet
soil etc)
The warm air it evaporates into rises.
As it rises the atmosphere gets colder
The water vapour forms back into
tiny droplets of liquid water
These tiny droplets build up to form
clouds.
When these droplets stick together
they get too heavy and fall as rain
How do Clouds form?
Surf not to be mist: 'Cloud tsunami'
envelops Florida city
Scientists have their own explanation for this cloud bank.
Warm masses of air are coming from the Gulf of Mexico, meet obstacles and rise above
the skyscrapers. And at height colder air turns them into the clouds. Then they "slide"
down on the opposite walls of buildings, where the clouds heat and then dissipate.
Surf not to be mist: 'Cloud tsunami'
envelops Florida city
Cloud Types
Cloud Types
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Clouds consist of fine droplets of water that are
able to float in the air currents.
As they rise they get colder and begin to stick
together .
This causes the water droplets to get heavier and if
the get too heavy they fall as rain
Rain Formation
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Hail Formation
Sometimes
updrafts can form
where hot humid
air can rise up into
the atmosphere
very fast.
This can circulate
high up in the
cloud and grow
and freeze until it is
so heavy it falls as
hail