Lecture 10-11 Atomosphere
Lecture 10-11 Atomosphere
This section provides a brief overview of the properties associated with the
atmosphere. The general concepts found in this section are:
Atmospheric Properties
The thin envelope of air that surrounds our planet is a mixture of gases, each
with its own physical properties. The mixture is far from evenly divided. Two
elements, nitrogen and oxygen, make up 99% of the volume of air. The other
1% is composed of "trace" gases, the most prevalent of which is the inert
gaseous element argon. The rest of the trace gases, although present in only
minute amounts, are very important to life on earth. Two in particular, carbon
dioxide and ozone, can have a large impact on atmospheric processes.
Troposphere
The word troposphere comes from tropein, meaning to turn or change. All of
the earth's weather occurs in the troposphere. The troposphere has the
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following characteristics.
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
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thermosphere
The regions of the stratosphere and the mesosphere, along with the
stratopause and mesopause, are called the middle atmosphere by scientists.
This area has been closely studied on the ATLAS Spacelab mission series.
Thermosphere
The thermosphere starts just above the mesosphere and extends to 600
kilometers (372 miles) high. The temperatures go up as you increase in
altitude due to the Sun's energy. Temperatures in this region can go as high
as 1,727 degrees Celsius. Chemical reactions occur much faster here than on
the surface of the Earth. This layer is known as the upper atmosphere.
Nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) constitute 99% of the dry atmosphere. The
rest of the gases, including GHGs, are collectively classified as "trace" gases
due to their low concentrations. The recent attention given to the greenhouse
effect and global warming is based on the recorded increases in
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concentrations of some of the greenhouse gases due to human activity. Of
particular interest are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, and ozone. With the exception of chlorofluorocarbons,
all of these gases occur naturally and are also produced by human activity.
Water vapor is the most important GHG on the planet. Unlike most of the
other atmospheric gases, water vapor is considered to be a 'variable' gas; that
is, the percentage of water vapor in the atmosphere can vary greatly
depending on the location and source of the air. For example, over the
tropical oceans, water vapor may account for 4% of the total volume of gases,
while over deserts or at high altitudes, it may be nearly absent. Water vapor
absorbs heat readily. When discussing gobal warming, however, people often
don't consider water vapor. Why not? The main reason is that human activity
is not directly changing water vapor content. However, we do directly
influence other GHGs. Although other GHGs are individually less important
than water vapor, increasing their concentrations may affect global climate in
significant and measurable ways.
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Atmospheric Processes
⦁ Most of the water vapor in the atmosphere comes from the oceans.
⦁ Most of the precipitation falling over land finds its way back to
oceans.
⦁ About two-thirds returns to the atmosphere via the water cycle.
The oceans and atmosphere interact extensively. Oceans not only act as an
abundant moisture source for the atmosphere but also as a heat source and
sink (storage).
Practically all of the energy that reaches the earth comes from the sun.
Intercepted first by the atmosphere, a small part is directly absorbed,
particularly by certain gases such as ozone and water vapor. Some energy is
also reflected back to space by clouds and the earth's surface.
Energy is transferred between the earth's surface and the atmosphere via
conduction, convection, and radiation.
Some solids, such as metals, are good conductors of heat while others, such
as wood, are poor conductors. Air and water are relatively poor conductors.
Since air is a poor conductor, most energy transfer by conduction occurs right
at the earth's surface. At night, the ground cools and the cold ground
conducts heat away from the adjacent air. During the day, solar radiation
heats the ground, which heats the air next to it by conduction.
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Convection transmits heat by transporting groups of molecules from place to
place within a substance. Convection occurs in fluids such as water and air,
which move freely.
Meanwhile, the slow rotation of the earth toward the east causes the air to be
deflected toward the right in the northern hemisphere and toward the left in
the southern hemisphere. This deflection of the wind by the earth's rotation is
known as the Coriolis effect.
Most of the sun's radiant energy is concentrated in the visible and near-visible
portions of the spectrum. Shorter-than-visible wavelengths account for a small
percentage of the total but are extremely important because they have much
higher energy. These are known as ultraviolet wavelengths.