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Atmosphere Notes

Atmosphere Notes. Atmosphere: . Layer of gases that surround the Earth. Composition: . 78% Nitrogen 21% Oxygen .9% Argon .1% Other Gases. Atmospheric Particles: . Water Vapor – from evaporation and transpiration, ranges from 1% (dry) to 4% (moist)

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Atmosphere Notes

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  1. Atmosphere Notes

  2. Atmosphere: • Layer of gases that surround the Earth

  3. Composition: • 78% Nitrogen • 21% Oxygen • .9% Argon • .1% Other Gases

  4. Atmospheric Particles: • Water Vapor – from evaporation and transpiration, ranges from 1% (dry) to 4% (moist) • Ozone – O3, absorbs harmful UV radiation, being destroyed by particulates • Particulates – tiny solid particles such as ash, dust, pollen, microscopic organisms

  5. Atmospheric Pressure: • The pressure exerted on a surface by the atmosphere • Decreases as altitude increases • Measured using a barometer

  6. Layers of the Atmosphere: • Troposphere • Stratosphere • Mesosphere • Thermosphere

  7. Troposphere: • Closest layer to the Earth • Where the weather is found • Temperature decreases as altitude increases because its heated by Earth’s surface

  8. Stratosphere: • Almost all the ozone (including ozone layer) in this layer • As altitude increases temperature increases because UV rays absorbed by ozone

  9. Mesosphere: • Temperature decreases as altitude increases • Coldest layer

  10. Thermosphere: • As altitude increases temperature increases because oxygen and nitrogen atoms absorb solar radiation

  11. Water in the Atmosphere

  12. Water Cycle:

  13. 3 States of Water in Atmosphere • Ice – solid • Water – liquid • Water Vapor – gas

  14. Humidity • Water in the atmosphere

  15. Key Points to Remember: • Warm air can hold more water than cold air • Dew point and relative humidity are related

  16. Relative Humidity • Measure of how close the air is to reaching the dew point

  17. Relative Humidity: • What we call “humidity” • Measured as a percent • At 75% relative humidity, the air has ¾ of the water vapor it can hold • As relative humidity goes up, the temperature/dew point spread decreases

  18. Dew Point • The temperature where the condensation point equals the evaporation point, under this temperature and water droplets form • Dew Point of 50 degrees – comfortable • Dew Point of 60 degrees – humid • Dew Point of 70 degrees - uncomfortable

  19. Dew Point: • The temperature to which the present air would have to be lowered to become saturated • The greater the temperature/dew point spread, the less amount of water in the air compared to how much it could hold

  20. Dew • When the temperature drops to the dew point and air comes in contact with the cooler ground

  21. Frost • When the dew point falls below the freezing temperature of water, water vapor goes straight to ice, therefore it is not frozen dew

  22. Summing it Up: • If the dew point = current temperature = 100% relative humidity = water vapor condenses forming dew

  23. Absolute Humidity • Measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air

  24. Clouds • A collection of small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air which form when the air is cooled and condensation occurs

  25. Cloud Formation • Condensation Nuclei- In order for water to condense and form a cloud, a solid surface for condensation to occur on must be available

  26. Cloud Formation: • Evaporation rate must be in equilibrium with condensation, “saturated air” (temperature at dew point) • As temperature of the saturated air drops, condensation occurs more than evaporation, and clouds form

  27. Cooling Processes: • Adiabatic Cooling – The process by which the temperature of an air mass decreases as an air mass rises and expands due to a decrease in air pressure, thus a decrease in particle collisions, thus lower temperatures.

  28. Cooling Processes: • Mixing – When a body of moist air mixes with another body of moist air that is cooler

  29. Cooling Processes: • Lifting – The forced upward movement of air either by a mountain range or another air mass going underneath it and lifting it up (storms)

  30. Cooling Processes: • Advective Cooling – The process by which the temperature of an air mass decreases as the air mass moves over a cold surface such as a cold ocean or land surface

  31. Classification of Clouds • Shape • Altitude

  32. Stratus Clouds • Flat uniform base • Form at low altitudes • Typically wide gray clouds with no precipitation

  33. Cumulus Clouds • Puffy, billowy cloud • Form at low altitudes • On hot humid days the clouds can climb up high and form storm clouds called cumulonimbus

  34. Cirrus Clouds • Feathery Clouds • High Altitudes • Composed of Ice Crystals

  35. Fog • Very low altitude • Forms differently from other clouds, either warm air comes in contact with the cooler ground or flows over cool water

  36. Precipitation • Any form of water that falls to Earth’s surface from the clouds including rain, snow, sleet, hail and freezing rain

  37. Rain • Liquid precipitation

  38. Snow • Solid ice precipitation that falls as pellets, crystals, or groups of crystals

  39. Sleet • Rain that freezes on the way down • It bounces

  40. Freezing Rain • Rain that does not freeze until it hits the ground

  41. Hail • Solid precipitation that is a ball of ice that cycles in the clouds, the longer it cycles the bigger the hail

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