Earth Science Chapter 11(Atmosphere)

The distance between Earth and Sun is probably the least critical with respect to the average temperatures on Earth.

Are the temperature differences on earth related to Earth-Sun distance?

diffused light

also known as irregular reflection is the reflection of light from a surface such that an incident ray is reflected at many angles rather than at just one angle as in the case of specular reflection

visible light

as the wavelengths that are visible to most human eyes

If this ozone becomes depleted, then more UV rays will reach the earth. Exposure to higher amounts of UV radiation could have serious impacts on human beings, animals and plants, such as cancer

The importance of the ozone and how it influences life on Earth

Climate

The long-term weather weather conditions

winter solstice

december 21, the solstice that marks the onset of winter, at the time of the shortest day

water vapor

gaseous form of water

stratosphere

he layer of the earth's atmosphere above the troposphere, extending to about 32 miles (50 km) above the earth's surface (the lower boundary of the mesosphere)

energy

heat is the amount of ___________ in a material

temperature

intensity/vibration of material

electromagnetic radiation

a kind of radiation including visible light, radio waves, gamma rays, and X-rays, in which electric and magnetic fields vary simultaneously

troposphere

the lowest region of the atmosphere, extending from the earth's surface to a height of about 3.7-6.2 miles (6-10 km), which is the lower boundary of the stratosphere

Ultraviolet radiation

the part of the electromagnetic spectrum where wavelengths are just shorter than those of ordinary, visible violet light but longer than those of x-rays

convection

the process by which heat is transferred by the process of heated fluid (think of the mantle)

ozone

a layer in the earth's stratosphere at an altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 km) containing a high concentration of ozone, which absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth from the sun.

infrared

a type of electromagnetic radiation that objects emit when they are hot but not quite hot enough to emit visible light

Greenhouse Effect

the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere

albedo

the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface(think infrared radiation)

Environmental Lapse Rate

the rate of change of pressure with altitude

thermosphere

the region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere ceases to have the properties of a continuous medium. The thermosphere is characterized throughout by an increase in temperature with height

mesosphere

the region of the earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, between about 30 and 50 miles (50 and 80 km) in altitude

radiation, conduction and convection. Convection(probably) is most important because of mantle convection and its overall importance on earth.

3 mechanisms of heat transfer and which is more important?

Summer solstice

June 21, marks the onset of summer, at the time of the longest day

environmental lapse rate

Temperature generally decreases with altitude depending on the _________________________________________

aerosols

a colloidal suspension of particles dispersed in air or gas

temperature control

the ability to control how warm or cold a given area is

heat

the amount of energy in a material

radiation

the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves(sun)

specific heat

the heat required to raise the temperature

Air

the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen

Troposphere-The layer closest to Earth, where almost all weather occurs; the thinnest layer Stratusphere-The atmospheric layer above the troposphere; where airplanes fly Mesosphere-the coldest layer of the atmosphere Thermosphere-the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases

4 layers of the atmosphere

gases aerosols ozone

Air is made up of?

Air pressure changes with altitude. The rate of pressure decreases with an increase in altitude is not constant. Rather, pressure decreases rapidly near Earth's surface and more gradually at greater heights

Does air pressure increase or decrease with an increase in altitude? Is the rate of change constant or variable? Explain.

The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone

Gasses of the Greenhouse effect

Tropic of Cancer

Highest point above the equator the suns rays will hit directly(23.5 degrees north)

The sun radiates max energy of 0.5 mm which is in the visible range. The max radiation emitted from the Earth occurs at 10mm within the infrared heat range. Sun - Short wave Earth - long wave

In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum does the Sun radiate maximum energy? How does this compare to the Earth?

layered

The atmosphere is made up of multiple ____________

Weather

The snapshot of conditions at a specific location

radiation convection conduction

Three mechanisms for heat transfer

Clean, dry air is composed almost entirely of nitrogen, about 78% of the atmosphere by volume, and oxygen O2 about 21%.

What are the two main elemental components of clean, dry air?

Tropic of capricorn

lowest point below the equator the suns rays will hit directly(23.5 degrees south)

equinox

the time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length(12hours)

inclination of axis

what is earth inclination of axis? or the angle at which the earth is tilted?

the rate of change of any meteorological factor with altitude, esp atmospheric temperature, which usually decreases at a rate of 0.6°C per 100 metres

what is the environmental lapse rate?

water vapor is important because it is the source of all clouds and precipitation and like carbon dioxide it also a heat absorber. Aerosols are important because many act as surfaces on which water vapor can condense , an important function in the formation of clouds. Second aerosols can absorb or reflect incoming solar radiation

what is the importance of water vapor and aerosols to Earths atmosphere?

Seasons occur because of the changes in the angle of sunlight on earth due to the tilt of Earth's axis.

what is the reason for the seasons?

They are the highest and lowest points to which the sun will be directly over top.

what is the significance of the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn.

50%

what percentage of heat from the sun reaches the surface?

20%

what percentage of the heat from the sun is absorbed by the atmosphere?

30%

what percentage of the heat from the sun is reflected?

angle of sunlight tilt of earths axis

what two things cause the seasons to occur?

conduction

when heat is directly transferred through a substance(pot on a stove)

Deforestation releases the carbon stored in trees and also results in less carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere, and the burning of fossil fuels.

why have carbon dioxide levels increased in recent years?