Download Earth`s Atmosphere

Earth’s Atmosphere
Why is it so important to life on
earth?
Atmosphere
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The atmosphere is a mixture of gases
that surrounds the planet and makes
conditions on Earth suitable for living
things.-all life on Earth depends on the
gases that are in the atmosphere
Why is the Earth’s
atmosphere important?
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It contains oxygen and other gases that
we need to live
Protects from the sun’s damaging UV rays
Regulates the temperatures on Earth
Atmosphere
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Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Water Vapor – 0 to 4%
Used for clouds and precipitation
Carbon Dioxide - .037%
Keeps Earth warm and is used by plants to
make food
Argon - .93%
Traces of neon, helium, methane, krypton,
xenon, hydrogen, and ozone
Nitrogen (78%)
Nitrogen, the most common atmospheric
gas, is released when dead plants and dead
animals break down and when volcanoes
erupt.
Oxygen (21%)
Oxygen, the second most common
atmospheric gas, is made by
phytoplankton and plants.
Other Gases (1%)
The remaining 1% of the
atmosphere is made up of argon,
carbon dioxide, water vapor, and
other gases.
Other Particles in the
Atmosphere
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Dust, volcanic ash, sea salt, dirt and
smoke
Earth’s atmosphere is made
up of 5 different layers…
Did you know that The
Science Monkey Is Excited?
Say it with
me…
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The
Science
Monkey
Is
Excited
I know you are thinking…what
is he talking about???
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The
Science
Monkey
Is
Excited
MEANS….
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Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Ionosphere
Exosphere
THE FIVE LAYERS
OF THE EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE
FROM THE EARTH
OUT!
Why is the atmosphere
divided into 5 different
layers?  Any guesses?
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The atmosphere is divided into
five different layers because the
atmosphere is not uniform, its
properties change with altitude.
Two properties change with
altitude, the AIR PRESSURE
and the AIR TEMPERATURE
Lets look at each layer
individually.
Layers of the Atmosphere
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Earth’s atmosphere is divided into
several different atmospheric layers
extending from Earth’s surface
outward.
The first layer of the atmosphere
is the…
TROPOSPHERE
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The troposphere is where all the weather occurs.
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It is the closest layer to Earth’s surface.
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It is the layer we live in.
Most of the air that makes up the atmosphere is found in
the troposphere. - it is the densest layer- because of the Earth’s
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gravity
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The second layer of the
atmosphere is the…
The temperature goes up
STRATOSPHERE
with altitude.
Most jets fly in this layer.
The protective ozone is at
the top of the atmosphere (It
protects us from the
ultraviolet radiation of the
sun.)
Rivers of air, called Jet
Streams, can be found at
the base of this layer.
The third layer of the atmosphere
is the…
MESOSPHERE
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In the mesosphere, the
temperature drops with
altitude.
The mesosphere is the
coldest layer of the
atmosphere.
Meteors burn up in this layer.
The fourth layer of the
atmosphere is the…
THERMOSPHERE
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In the thermosphere the temperature goes up with
altitude.
The thermosphere is the hottest layer of the atmosphere.
Curtains of light called auroras occur in this layer.
The Ionosphere is found in the thermosphere. This is
the component of the thermosphere that makes the
auroras.
The last layer of the atmosphere
is the…
EXOSPHERE
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The exosphere is the
outermost layer of the
atmosphere.
The temperature in
the exosphere goes
up with altitude.
Satellites orbit earth
in the exosphere.
Atmospheric Temperatures
In the troposphere:
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As altitude increases,
temperature decreases
Altitude
Temperature
Atmospheric Temperatures
Temperature
Outer Space
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere
Earth’s Surface
Altitude
It is important to understand the different
characteristics of the earth’s atmosphere. As
you go through the following slides, challenge
your partner to see who can name the correct
layer in which each characteristic can be
found.
GOOD LUCK!
EXOSPHERE
MESOSPHERE
THERMOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
STRATOSPHERE
THERMOSPHERE
OR THE IONOSPHERE
MESOSPHERE