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The Earth's Atmosphere Key Topic: 8 key items that make up our atmosphere Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere Atmosphere pressure Gases Solids & Liquids TROPOSPHERE Lowest layer to Earth Most weather occurs here 70-80% water vapor Extends 11-20 Km or 7-12 miles Where all life on the planet exists Stratosphere 2nd lower layer to the Earth Little moisture—no clouds No convection due to air temperatures slowly decreasing with altitude Temperature averages -60o C or -76o F Airplanes fly here because of no violent cloud formations/storms Mesosphere 1st of the Upper layers of Earth's Atmosphere Starts about 53 miles above the ground Temperature is around -90oC or -130oF Hard to study as weather balloons & airplanes fly in the stratosphere and rockets fly above it Meteors burn up in this layer Thermosphere Tempature climbs sharply in 2nd Upper layer range from about 500° C (932° F) to 2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher due to Suns' activity Air is so dense that this is where we consider “outer space” to begin Most of the X-ray & U-V rays from the Sun are absorbed here (these are very harmful to us) Exosphere Very high up, the Earth's atmosphere becomes very thin. The region where atoms and molecules escape into space. No weather No breathable air 5500 miles from Earth's surface Atmosphere Pressure The pressure is high at the surface where air is slowly descending - much to slowly to feel. And, this is going on over a large area, maybe a few hundred square miles. As air descends, it warms, which inhibits the formation of clouds. This is why high pressure is generally - but not quite always associated with good weather. How do we simplify this???? Atmosphere Pressure, Cont. Remember the mantle of the Earth? Same thing is occurring in the air... Warm air rises, becomes cool As cool air lowers, it warms again to form clouds. The different layers of the Atmosphere aides in the warming/cooling process Atmosphere Pressure, Cont. A "high" is an area where the air's pressure is higher than the pressure of the surrounding air. A "low' is where the air pressure is lower. Meteorologists don't have any particular number that divides high from low pressure; it's the relative differences that count. 2 serious problems to Atmosphere Pressure Greenhouse effect The earth is surrounded by a blanket of gases. This blanket traps energy in the atmosphere, much the same way as glass traps heat inside a greenhouse. This results in an build up of energy, and the overall warming of the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is a natural process which made life on Earth possible ENHANCED effect which is caused by the increase of greenhouse gases from human sources 2 serious problems, cont. Ozone Damage The ozone is a small layer in the atmosphere that protects us from harmful UV rays but human waste products and contaminants have damaged that layer over time. Gases 21% OXYGEN (O2) 78% NITROGEN (N2) 0.04% CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) ~0.9% ARGON (Ar) Solids & Liquids Small particles of dust & debris, smaller by 1000x a grain of salt Water Vapor is the most common form of liquid found in the atmosphere Gathers from the surface to form clouds that come back to Earth as rain AKA=The water cycle!!