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Download Birth of the Universe - Department of Geography
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The Atmosphere http://www.youtube.com/watch ?&v=7ObnEpRccHM Ancient Atmosphere Consisted Primarily of Methane Ammonia Water vapor Hydrogen This was a reducing environment – no oxygen Changing Conditions – 3.5 bya Complex molecules form – amino acids, proteins Photosynthesis begins – oxygen is produced Driving forces behind changes Ultraviolet radiation Lightning Radioactive decay Atmosphere – A thin layer Atmospheric Composition Water Vapor Amount of water vapor is highly variable in space and time. Importance to climate – water vapor transfers heat from warmer to colder regions. Latent heat – heat released or absorbed when matter changes state. Latent Heat Layers of the Atmosphere Auroras Meteors Mount Everest Troposphere Lowest layer – 0 to 15 km Contains 80% of the mass of the atmosphere. Layer where weather occurs. Temperature decreases with height. Layers of the Atmosphere Stratosphere Occurs between 15 and 50 km above the surface. Contains 18% of the mass of the atmosphere. Temperature increases with height. Contains ozone (O3) that shields the surface from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Protection from solar radiation The Greenhouse Effect Effect of Carbon Dioxide Mr. D’Aleo is a Certified Consultant Meteorologist and was elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cycles of Global Warming Evaporation will increase as the climate warms, which will increase average global precipitation. Soil moisture is likely to decline in many regions, and intense rainstorms are likely to become more frequent. Sea level is likely to rise two feet along most of the U.S. coast. Image based on data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. What drives atmospheric circulation? Uneven Planet Warming Arid and Semiarid Climates Global Atmospheric Circulation Coriolis Effect Acid Rain Acid Rain (4.3) Normal Rain (5.2) SOx and NOx sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides NO NO2 HNO3 nitric acid SO2 H2SO4 sulfuric acid
