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ch03 Sec2 Revised

Here is a 5 sentence summary of the key points about the atmosphere: The atmosphere is a mixture of gases surrounding the Earth that contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases. It insulates the Earth's surface and regulates temperature. Gases enter and leave the atmosphere through natural processes like volcanic eruptions and living organisms. The atmosphere is divided into layers - the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere - based on changes in temperature with altitude. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere trap heat radiating from the Earth in a process called the greenhouse effect, which maintains a climate suitable for life.

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69 views

ch03 Sec2 Revised

Here is a 5 sentence summary of the key points about the atmosphere: The atmosphere is a mixture of gases surrounding the Earth that contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases. It insulates the Earth's surface and regulates temperature. Gases enter and leave the atmosphere through natural processes like volcanic eruptions and living organisms. The atmosphere is divided into layers - the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere - based on changes in temperature with altitude. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere trap heat radiating from the Earth in a process called the greenhouse effect, which maintains a climate suitable for life.

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api-239353579
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Chapter 3
The Dynamic Earth
Section 2: The Atmosphere

DAY 1

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases
that surrounds a planet, such as Earth.
Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide,
and other gases are all parts of this
mixture.
Gases can be added to and removed
from the atmosphere through living
organisms.
For example, animals remove oxygen
when they breathe in and add carbon
dioxide when they breathe out.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Atmosphere
Volcanic eruptions also add gases to the atmosphere,
while vehicles both add and remove gases.
The atmosphere also insulates Earths surface.
This insulation slows the rate at which the Earths
surface loses heat and keeps Earth temperature at
which living things can survive.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

YouTube
Volcanoes Erupting

The Dynamic Earth

Composition of the Atmosphere


Nitrogen makes up 78 percent of the
Earths atmosphere, and enters the
atmosphere when volcanoes erupt
and when dead plants and animals
decay.
Oxygen is the second most abundant
gas in the atmosphere and is primarily
produced by plants.
In addition to gases, the atmosphere
contains many types of tiny, solid
particles, or atmospheric dust.

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Composition of the Atmosphere


In addition to nitrogen and oxygen, other gases such as
argon, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor
make up the rest of the atmosphere.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Air Pressure
Earths atmosphere is pulled toward
Earths surface by gravity and as a
result, the atmosphere is denser near
the Earths surface.
Almost the entire mass of Earths
atmospheric gases is located within
30 km of the surface.
Air also becomes less dense with
elevation, so breathing at higher
elevations is more difficult.

The Dynamic Earth

Layers of the Atmosphere


The atmosphere is divided into four
layers based on temperature changes
that occur at different distances above
the Earths surface.
The Troposphere
The Stratosphere
The Mesosphere
The Thermosphere

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

Layers of the Atmosphere

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest
layer of the atmosphere in which
temperature drops at a constant
rate as altitude increases.
This is the part of the atmosphere
where weather conditions exist.
The troposphere is Earths
densest atmospheric layer and
extends to 18 km above Earths
surface.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the layer of
the atmosphere that lies
immediately above the troposphere
and extends from about 10 to 50
km above the Earths surface.
Temperature rises as altitude
increases because ozone in the
stratosphere absorbs the suns
ultraviolet (UV) energy and warms
the air.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Stratosphere
Ozone is a gas molecule that is made
up of three oxygen atoms.
Almost all of the ozone in the
atmosphere is concentrated in the
stratosphere.
Because ozone absorbs UV radiation, it
reduces the amount of UV radiation that
reaches the Earth.
UV radiation that does reach Earth can
damage living cells.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Mesosphere
The layer above the stratosphere
is the mesosphere.
This layer extends to an altitude of
about 80 km.
This is the coldest layer of the
atmosphere where temperatures
have been measured as low as
93C. (-135F)

The Dynamic Earth

The Thermosphere
The atmospheric layer located farthest
from Earths surface is the
thermosphere.
Here, nitrogen and oxygen absorb solar
radiation resulting in temperatures
measuring above 2,000 C.
The air in the thermosphere is so thin
that air particles rarely collide, so little
heat is transferred, and would therefore
not feel hot to us.

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

The Thermosphere
The absorption of x-rays and gamma
rays by nitrogen and oxygen causes
atoms to become electrically charged.
Electrically charged atoms are called
ions, and the lower thermosphere is
called the ionosphere.
Ions can radiate energy as light, and
these lights often glow in spectacular
colors in the night skies near the Earths
North and South Poles.

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere


Radiation is the energy that is transferred as
electromagnetic waves, such as visible light and infrared
waves.
Conduction is the transfer of energy as heat through a
material.
Convection is the movement of matter due to
differences in density that are caused by temperature
variations an can result in the transfer of energy as heat.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Heating of the Atmosphere


Solar energy reaches the Earth as electromagnetic
radiation, which includes visible light, infrared radiation,
and ultraviolet light.
About half of the solar energy that enters the
atmosphere passes through it and reaches the Earths
surface, while the rest of the energy is absorbed or
reflected in the atmosphere by clouds, gases, and dust
or it is reflected by Earths surface.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Heating of the Atmosphere


The Earth does not continue to get warmer because the
oceans and the land radiate the absorbed energy back
into the atmosphere.
Dark-colored objects absorb more solar radiation that
light-colored objects, so dark colored objects have more
energy to release as heat.
This is one reason the temperature in cities is higher that
the temperature in the surrounding countryside.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Movement of Energy in the Atmosphere


As a current of air, warmed by the Earths surface, rises
into the atmosphere, it begins to cool, and eventually
become denser than the air around it and sinks.
This current then moves back toward the Earth until
heated and less dense and then begins to rise again.
The continual process of warm air rising and cool air
sinking and moving air in a circular motion is called a
convection current.

The Dynamic Earth

The Greenhouse Effect


The greenhouse effect is
the warming of the surface
and lower atmosphere of
Earth that occurs when
carbon dioxide, water vapor,
and other gases in the air
absorb and reradiate infrared
radiation.
Without the greenhouse
effect, the Earth would be too
cold for life to exist.

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

The Greenhouse Effect

Section 2

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

YouTube
The Greenhouse Effect

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

The Greenhouse Effect


The gases in the atmosphere that trap and radiate heat
are called greenhouse gases.
The most abundant greenhouse gases are water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, although
none exists in high concentrations.
The quantities of carbon dioxide and methane in the
atmosphere vary considerably because of natural and
industrial processes.

The Dynamic Earth

Section 2

Summary
Write a paragraph summary 5-8 sentences about what
you have learned about the atmosphere

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