2.  The cloud of gasses and suspended particles
surrounding earth
 Becomes less dense as altitude increases
 Made up of layers
 Protective bubble that gives UV
protection, breathable air, and moisture
 78% N2, 21% O2, .9% Ar, and .033% CO2
 Water Vapor runs from almost 0% in deserts to
nearly 4% in tropical rain forests

3.  5 layers
 Identified by
 Thermal characteristics
 Composition
 Air movement
 Density

5.  Starts at earths surface and runs to
between 4 and 12 miles thick depending
on latitude
 11-12 miles thick at the equator and thins
to 4 miles thick at the poles
 Temperature decreases as altitude
increases
 Transitional zone between layers is called
a ______pause (tropopause)

6.  From the tropopause to 31 miles above earth’s
surface
 Holds 19% of atmosphere’s gases
 UV radiation is absorbed by O2 molecules
making O3
 Causes temperature to go up as altitude
increases
 Divided by the stratopause

7.  From stratopause to 53 miles above earth’s
surface
 Less dense than stratosphere
 As altitude increases, temperature decreases
 Slows down meteorites, leaving a trail in the
night sky

8.  From mesopause to 430 miles above earth’s
surface
 Exposed to very high amounts of UV radiation
and X-rays
 As altitude increase, temperature increases
 Feels cold because of very low density
 Contains ionosphere – causes radio waves to
reflect back to earth
 Also causes aroras

9.  From thermopause to 6200 miles above earth
 Area where satellites orbit

10.  Air has mass and therefore exerts pressure as it
piles up above us
 As the density of air increases, the pressure of the
air increases
 As the temperature of air increases, the density of
the air decreases
 Air pressure is exerted in all directions at once
 Standard air pressure at sea level is 14.7 lbs/in2

11.  As elevation increases, air pressure
decreases, because there is less atmosphere above
you.
 Due to this variation, air pressure at two different
locations cannot be compared.
 We use sea level as the basis for a standard
conversion for each location.
 Measure air pressure in inches of mercury or
millibars.
 Standard air pressure at sea level is 29.92 inches of
mercury or 1013.2 millibars.

13.  Pressure systems are labeled as high or low
 High pressure is associated with clear skies
 Low pressure is associated with cloudy skies
 Because cold air is more dense than warm
air, the highest air pressure readings are found
on cold, clear days.

14.  Heat energy is transferred through:
 Radiation
 Conduction
 Convection
The Sun’s heat is what fuels our planet’s weather.

15.  Heat transferred through electromagnetic
energy. (excited atoms)
 This is how the sun heats our planet
 Dark objects absorb more radiation that light
colored objects

16.  Transfers heat through two solid objects
touching
 Metal spoon on a hot surface gets hot

17.  Heat is transferred through moving fluids
 Air in the atmosphere acts as a fluid
 Hot air masses rise causing mixing of the
atmosphere
 Also causes winds
 Land heats up by radiation which heats air by
conduction, which heats atmosphere by convection

18.  We have incoming energy from the sun and
outgoing energy reflected by earth’s surface
 The air molecules trap some reflected
heat, creating a warming “blanket” around
earth
 This stabilizes our temperature
 Cloud cover traps even more of the reflected
heat closer to the earth’s surface
 Cloudy nights cool off less that clear nights

20.  The ocean absorbs, stores, and releases heat
and moisture into our atmosphere driving much
of our weather.
 The top 10 feet of ocean contains more heat
that the entire atmosphere.

21.  Epipelagic – sunlight zone – surface to 660 ft
 Wind causes mixing and therefore even temp dist
 At end of layer is the thermocline – rapid decrease in temp
with relation to depth
 Mesopelagic – twilight zone – 660 ft to 3,300 ft
 Bathypelagic - midnight zone - 3,300 ft to 13,100 ft
 Only light comes from bioluminescence
 Constant temperature of 39o F
 Abyssopelagic – 13,100 ft to 19,700 ft
 Little to no life, pitch black, extreme pressure
 Hadalpelagic – 19,700 ft to 35,000+ ft
 trenches

24.  Ocean water is salty.
 Most of the salt is NaCl, but some is MgCl or KCl.
 Different areas of the earth’s oceans are saltier
than others.
 Around the equator and the poles are the least salty
because of high rain fall and ice melt.
 The Atlantic, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea are the most
salty due to high evaporation.
 Salinity is measured in grams of salt per liter.
 Normal salt levels are around 35 g/l

25.  The density of water increases as temperature
decreases up to about 40o F.
 Between 40o F and 32o F, the molecules begin
locking together and decreasing the density.
 As a result, ice floats and expands.
 About 9% expansion by volume.
 However, salt decreases the temperature at which
water freezes.
 Sea water freezes around 28o F

26.  The temperature and
salinity of the water impacts
is density.
 The density of ocean water
directly impacts ocean
circulation patterns.
 Ocean circulation patterns
influence most of our
weather patterns in one
way or another.

27.  Surface currents along the west coasts flow toward
the equator and bring cold water from the poles to
the equator.
 California Current that keeps San Francisco cool.
 Surface currents along the east coasts flow toward
the poles and bring warm water to the poles.
 Gulf Stream that keeps England warmer.
 The deep ocean currents
that circulate the global
oceans is called the great
ocean conveyor.

28. Themohaline Circulation – Thermo (tempurature) & Haline (salt)
Water takes about 1000 years to complete
Sinking Up
welling

29.  Because the land heats up and cools off more
quickly than the ocean, the difference in the air
temperature over these bodies, also heats
up/cools off correspondingly.
 Warm air masses rise above land pulling in
cool ocean breezes during the day.
 Warm air masses over water rise and pull cool
land breezes during the night.

30. Sea
Breeze
Land Breeze