Es, Week 10

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2) Stratosphere– is located at 10-60
WEEK 10 km above sea level and is traveled by

airplanes. At 25-30 km, it has the
Atmosphere, Global Warming and maximum concentration of ozone.
Stratospheric ozone protects life in
Climate Change the lower atmosphere from receiving
harmful ultraviolet radiation.
ATMOSPHERE 3) Mesosphere– lies between the

thermosphere and the stratosphere.
Composition “Meso” means middle, and this is
the highest layer of the atmosphere
Atmosphere is one of the Earth’s in which the gasses are all mixed up
subsystems composed of a mixture of gasses rather than being layered by their
(nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide mass. The mesosphere is 22 miles
and water vapor) that surrounds the planet. (35 kilometers) thick.
The air in the atmosphere is composed of
78% N2, 21% O2, 0.9% Ar and 0.10% of 4) Thermosphere– is the layer in the
the other gasses. Earth's atmosphere directly above
the mesosphere and below the
It also contains trace amounts of methane, exosphere. Within this layer of the
ozone, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation
monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, and causes
synthetic compounds such as the photoionization/photodissociation of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). molecules, creating ions; the
thermosphere thus constitutes the
Structure larger part of the ionosphere.
The atmosphere is not homogenous. It is ● Pressure and Temperature are the

composed of the following structures: two important qualities of
atmosphere.
1) Troposphere– is located at a 0-10
km above sea level. It is where we ● Atmospheric pressure– is the
spend most of our lives. Above the amount of force caused by the
troposphere is the tropopause, which weight of the atmospheric gasses per
is the boundary layer between the unit area. It decreases with altitude.
troposphere and the next layer,
stratosphere. ● Temperature– is the relative warmth
or coldness of the atmosphere. It is a
measure of thermal energy or the
motion of atoms and molecules in ● Weather– means the atmospheric
the atmosphere. conditions at a certain place and
time. The components of the weather
Almost all of the energy of the Earth are the following:
comes from the sun. {A small
amount comes from the interior of 1) Temperature– how hot or cold the
the Earth and some frictional forces air is.
due to the moon revolving around 2) Air pressure– the weight of the
the Earth}. atmosphere.
3) Wind– horizontal movement of the
CLIMATE AND WEATHER air.
4) Clouds– water droplets or ice
Both climate and weather describe the crystals held in the atmosphere.
atmospheric condition of an area. 5) Relative humidity– actual amount of
water vapor in the air relative to the
● Climate– is the average weather of a maximum that it can hold.
place based on data recorded over a
30-year period. 6) Precipitation– deposition of water
from the atmosphere as rain, hail,
Different areas of the world may be snow and sleet.
classified into different climatic zones
characterized by temperature and There are three types of rain and these are
precipitation. Factors that affect the climate the following:
of an area:
Convectional rainfall– only occurs
1) Latitude: how far north or south is when it is hot
an area from the equator; Frontal rainfall– only occurs when
warm air and cool air meet
2) Altitude: how high is the place Relief rainfall– occurs when moist
above sea level; air rises over hills and mountains.
3) Distance from the sea: how near is Climate may be studied through (1)
the place from the sea; Instrumental Record, (2) Historical Record
and the (3) Paleo-proxy Record. Satellite
4) Prevailing wind: direction of the images using instruments allow
wind blowing in the area meteorologists to forecast the weather more
accurately.
5) Ocean currents: direction of the
ocean currents
❖ The Philippines is located within the global temperatures have been
tropics. Its climate may also be monitored.
influenced by the prevalent monsoon.
● Among the greenhouse gasses is
● Monsoon– is a consistent reversal of carbon dioxide. Gary Stewart
wind pattern or wind system Callnedar is the first to measure
generated by a large weather system carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
affecting a large area over a period of
several months. ● If Global warming is characterized
by warming of global temperature,
❖ The Philippines has the southwest Climate change is characterized by
(Habagat) and Northeast (Amihan) the changes in weather and related
monsoons which occur during May changes in oceans, land surfaces
to October and November to and ice sheets occurring over time
February, respectively. scales or decades or longer. It is a
❖ The Southwest monsoon season is change in the statistical properties
characterized by occurrences of (averages, variabilities and extremes)
many tropical cyclones. of the climate change system that
persists for several decades or
GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE longer, usually at least 30 years.
CHANGE
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
● Global warming– is an Earth’s
surface condition characterized by ❖ Climate change is so complex that
warming due to high levels of there can be positive and negative
greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere feedback loops. Positive feedbacks
though natural greenhouse gasses are self-regulating and can result in
allow the Earth to be habitable as the greater change in the future.
Earth’s surface would be 33 degree C Negative feedbacks are
cooler without them. Global self-enhancing and help stabilize a
warming is attributed to burning of system.
fossil fuels.
❖ Climate change is characterized by
● Warming began around 1850 and increases in ocean temperatures, sea
lasted until the 1940s. Temperature level and acidity. The increase in
cooled, and leveled off in the 1950s. ocean temperature influenced the
It dropped again in the 1960s before shrinking of mountain glaciers
it continued to rise. The past two contributing to global sea-level rise
decades have been the warmest since since about 1850 and hastened in the
1990s. On the other hand, warming
can also increase water GLOSSARY
evaporation from the oceans
adding water vapor into the Carbon Dioxide– is among the
atmosphere and leads to more greenhouse gasses.
clouds reflecting the solar radiation
and causing cooling. Climate change– is characterized by
the changes in weather and related
❖ The American Association for the changes in oceans, land surfaces and
Advancement of Science (2006) ice sheets occurring over time scales
stated that there has been clear of decades or longer.
scientific evidence of global climate
change caused by human activities Global Warming– is a condition
and influenced by threats to society. where the Earth’s surface
The American Geophysical Union experiences warming due to high
(2013) also suggested that levels of greenhouse gasses due to
human–induced climate change burning of fossil fuels.
requires urgent action and rapid
societal responses can significantly
lessen negative outcomes.
❖ However, on the other hand,

variations in climate can also be
attributed to natural cycles of the
Earth.
❖ Two of these are the Milankovitch

and Solar Cycles.
● Milankovitch cycle–is characterized

by the revolution of the Earth on its
axis and rotation around the sun.
● Solar cycle– is characterized by the

variability of the solar energy input
into the Earth.

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2) Stratosphere– is located at 10-60

WEEK 10 km above sea level and is traveled by

ATMOSPHERE 3) Mesosphere– lies between the

The atmosphere is not homogenous. It is ● Pressure and Temperature are the

❖ However, on the other hand,

❖ Two of these are the Milankovitch

● Milankovitch cycle–is characterized

● Solar cycle– is characterized by the

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