Reviewer Atmos.
Reviewer Atmos.
Reviewer Atmos.
2. Oxygen — 21 percent4
3. Argon — 0.93 percent4
4. Carbon dioxide — 0.04 percent4
5. Trace amounts of neon, helium,
methane, krypton and hydrogen, as
well as water vapor4
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
• Troposphere
• The troposphere is the lowest layer
of the atmosphere, characterized by
a temperature that decreases with
altitude.
The top of the troposphere is called
the tropopause.
Stratosphere
This layer contains the ozone layer, which
absorbs and scatters solar ultraviolet
radiation
Mesosphere
The mesosphere is a layer of
Earth's atmosphere. The mesosphere is
above the stratosphere layer. The layer
above the mesosphere is called
the thermosphere.
• The following factors influence the
amount of insolation received
Unit 3: Ideal Gas Law
1. The angle of incidence.
• In addition, the atmosphere is a mixture of
gases that can be compressed or expanded 2. Duration of the day (daily sunlight
in a way that obeys the Ideal Gas Law: period).
pV=NR∗T 3. Transparency of the atmosphere
R = 62.4 L.mmHg/mol.K
1. The angle of incidence
Since the earth is round, the sun's
ray strikes the surface at different
angles at different places.
2. Duration of the day
Duration of the day varies from
place to place and season to season.
3. Transparency of the Atmosphere
Transparency of the atmosphere
also determines the amount of
insolation reaching the earth's
surface.
UNIT 2: HEATING AND
COOLING OF THE
ATMOSPHERE
• There are four heating processes directly
responsible for heating the atmosphere.
They are: (a) Radiation (b) Conduction (c)
Convection and (d) Advection
CHAPTER 2 INSOLATION AND • Radiation
TEMPERATURE • Radiation is the process by which solar
UNIT 1 FACTORS AFFECTING INSOLATION energy reaches the earth and the earth
loses energy to outer space.
Insolation (Solar Radiation) • Conduction
• When two objects of unequal temperature
-The sun is the primary source of energy on the
come in contact with each other, heat
earth. This energy is radiated in all directions into
energy flow from the warmer object to the
space through short waves. This is known as solar
cooler object and this process of heat
radiation
transfer is known as conduction
Incoming solar radiation through short waves is
termed as insolation
• Convection • Distribution of temperature across the
latitudes over the surface of the earth is
• Transfer of heat by movement of a mass or called its horizontal distribution.
substance from one place to another, • An isotherm is made of two words 'iso' and
generally vertical, is called convection. 'therm', 'Iso' means equal and 'therm'
means temperature.
• Advection • Factors responsible for the uneven
distribution of temperature are as follows:
• Winds carry the temperature of one place • Latitude
to another. The temperature of a place will • Land and Sea Contrast
rise if it lies on the path of winds coming • Relief and Altitude
from warmer regions. • Ocean Currents
• Winds
• • Vegetation Cover
• Nature of the Soil
• Slope and Aspect
CHAPTER 3 PRESSURE AND WINDS
Since air occupies space and has weight, it also
exerts pressure. This pressure is called
atmospheric pressure.
The weight of the column of air at a given place is
called air pressure or atmospheric pressure.
• Unit 3: Heat Budget
• Albedo
• Albedo can be simply defined as a
measure of how much light that hits a
surface is reflected back without being
absorbed. Atmospheric pressure is an indicator of weather.
• Unit 4 Temperature and its Distribution When a low-pressure system moves into an area,
• Temperature it usually leads to cloudiness, wind,
• Temperature indicates the relative degree and precipitation. High-pressure systems usually
of heat of a substance. Heat is the energy lead to fair, calm weather
which make things or objects hot, while
temperature measures the intensity of heat Unit 2: Measurement of air pressure
• The Celsius scale, named after the Atmospheric pressure is commonly measured with
Swedish astronomer, Anders Celsius, is a barometer. In a barometer, a column
accepted internationally by Scientists for of mercury in a glass tube rises or falls as the
reporting air temperature weight of the atmosphere changes.
• Distribution
• Distribution of temperature varies both Unit 3: Distribution: Vertical and Horizontal
horizontally and vertically. Distribution
• Horizontal distribution of Temperature
Vertical Distribution temperature, air compresses and its density
increases
Air is a mixture of various gases. It is highly
compressible.
Unit 5: Wind
Horizontal Distribution
Horizontal movement of air in response to
The distribution of atmospheric pressure over the
difference in pressure is termed as wind while
globe is known as horizontal distribution of
vertical or nearly vertical moving air is called air
pressure
current.
The factors responsible for variation in the
Pressure Gradient and Winds
horizontal distribution of pressure are as follows:
There is a close relationship between the pressure
1. Air Temperature
and the wind speed. The greater the difference in
2. The Earth’s rotation air pressure between the two points
2. Tropical Climates
Occur near the equator and the
lower latitudes.
These climates extend from the
Tropic of Cancer through the
equator and down to the Tropic of
Capricorn.
This climate tends to be warm,
muggy and rainy year-around
Temperatures average around 80oF
Monsoons. Seasonal winds that Hadley cells are responsible for the formation of
bring either dry or moist air. two different geographic climates, tropical
rainforests and deserts
3. Temperate Climate
Hadley Cells
• Occur about halfway between the equator
and the poles in the middle latitudes. • Circulation of hot air near the equator
• This climate has four distinct seasons. • Air is heated, rises and spread north and
south toward subtropics
• Circulation Cells
• Subtropic air replaces hot tropical air
• A large circuit of air is called an
atmospheric circulation cell. Characteristics
• Three cells exist in each hemisphere • High humidity
• Hadley cells. Tropical cells found on each
side of the equator. • High clouds
• Ferrel cells. Found at the mid-latitudes
• Heavy rains/precipitation
• Polar-cells. Found near the poles
• What are some of the wind patterns • No winter
found between and within cells?
• Temperature change greater from day to
night than from season to season
• Polar Cells
• This cells occurs at 60 degrees north and
south. The air has been warmed up and
rises upwards, creating a zone of low
pressure.
• The outflow from the cells creates Ross by
Waves, these are ultra-long waves which
determine the path of Jet Stream
• A Ferrel cell, named for American
meteorologist William Ferrel, represents
the third type of air circulation cell, found
between 60° and 30° north and south.
• This cell rises over cold temperature zone
and sinks over warm temperature zone.
The cell is not driven by thermal forcing
but driven by eddy (weather systems).
•