Covers

1. 11. Atmosphere
12. Meteorology
13. The Nature of Storms
14. Climate
15. Physical Oceanography
16. The Marine Environment

2.  Section 11.1
◦ Describe the composition of the atmosphere
◦ Compare and contrast the various layers of the
atmosphere
◦ Identify three methods of transferring energy
throughout the atmosphere

3.  The composition, structure and properties
that make up Earth’s atmosphere
 How solar energy, which fuels weather and
climate, is distributed throughout the
atmosphere.
 How water continually moves between Earth’s
surface and the atmosphere in the water cycle

4.  Understanding Earth’s atmosphere and its
interactions with solar energy is the key to
understanding weather and climate, which
control so many different aspects of our lives.
 In what ways does weather effect what you do
from day to day?

5.  How does dew form on the surface?
 Summary: Dew forms when moist air near
the ground cools and the water vapor in the
air changes into water droplets.
 Can you give another example when this
occurs?

6.  Atmospheric Composition
◦ Air is a combination of many gases
 99% = nitrogen and oxygen (life could not exist
without these gases)
 1% = argon, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapor
and other gases
Percentages of Gases That
Make Up Earth's
Atmosphere
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Other

7.  Water vapor can vary from place to place and
is important because it can effect the amount
of clouds, rain or snow that we have.
 The amount of water vapor in the air depends
on:
◦ Seasons
◦ Altitude
◦ Surface features beneath the air

8.  Dust and salt is also found in the atmosphere
◦ Dust is brought into the atmosphere through wind
◦ Salt is picked up from spray in the ocean
 These two substances contribute to the
formation of clouds also.
 Answer this: When you reach out and grab a
handful of air why can’t you see the
dust, salt, water vapor and other substances?

9.  Take notes on facts you learn as you watch
this movie
 In Summary
◦ Ozone exists in small quantities well above the
Earth’s surface.
◦ It absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun which
our skin can’t tolerate for very long.
◦ Evidence shows that the Ozone layer is getting
thinner.

10.  On a separate sheet a paper answer the
following questions
 Where is the Ozone Layer?
 How does it help us?
 Name three things that can cause holes in the Ozone
layer.
 How do ultraviolet rays cause problems for humans?
 What can we do to protect ourselves from ultraviolet
rays?

12.  TROPOSHPHERE
◦ The layer closest to the Earth’s surface.
◦ Contains most of the mass of the atmosphere
◦ Most weather takes place here and most pollution
collects here
◦ There is a decrease in temperature from the bottom
to the top
◦ The top limit of the troposphere is called the
tropopause where the gradual decrease in
temperature stops

13.  STRATOSPHERE
◦ Above the tropopause
◦ Primarily made up of concentrated ozone so the
stratosphere is heated and gradually increases in
temperature until the top layer called the
stratopause.

14.  MESOSPHERE
◦ Above the stratopause
◦ Decrease in temperature begins again since there is
no concentrated ozone in this layer
◦ The top of the mesosphere is called the mesopause
 THERMOSPHERE
◦ Very little air exists in this part of the atmosphere
◦ The temperature increases by 1000 degrees
centigrade, but we don’t feel it because the
molecules that make up the air are few and spread
out

15.  EXOSPHERE
◦ Outer most layer of the atmosphere (outer space)
◦ Contains light gases: hydrogen and helium
 A REVIEW OF ATOMOSPHERIC LAYERS

16.  The sun is the source of all energy in the
atmosphere.
 This energy is transferred to Earth and
throughout the Atmosphere in three ways:

17.  Radiation is the transfer of energy through
space by visible light, ultraviolet radiation,
and other forms of electromagnetic waves.
 This occurs because the sun is constantly warming a
place on earth at all times.
 Only 50% of the radiation that comes to earth
is actually absorbed on the surface
 35% of it bounces back by reflecting from the surface,
atmosphere or clouds
 15% of it absorbed by the atmosphere (page 275)
 Why does the inside of a closed, parked car
heat up, while the windows stay cool?

18. Why does life exist in only a small layer of the atmosphere?

19.  The process of transferring heat from one
object to another.
 When talking about the atmosphere heat is
passed on when the molecules collide.
 Think: What would happen if you held a metal
rod over a flame.
 How is conduction related to cold air
temperatures at the poles which are covered
with ice and snow?

20.  The transfer of energy by the flow a heated
surface.
 Pockets of air on the surface are heated, rises
up in the atmosphere which causes it to
cool, fall and become heated again.
 Convection currents are one reason for
change in weather.

21. Use this picture to describe the three
methods by which solar energy that reaches
the earth is transferred.

22.  What have you learned this section
 The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of a combination
of several gases that included nitrogen and oxygen.
 The Earth’s atmosphere consists of several different
layers that vary in temperature. Most of the weather
happens in the troposphere. This where most of the
mass happens.
 The sun is the source of energy in Earth’s atmosphere.
Solar energy (heat from the sun) moves through the
atmosphere using radiation, conduction, and
convection.

23.  Vocabulary
◦ Conduction (p. 276)
◦ Convection (p.277)
◦ Exosphere (p. 274)
◦ Mesosphere (p. 274)
◦ Ozone (p. 273)
◦ Radiation (p. 275)
◦ Stratosphere (p. 274)
◦ Thermosphere (p. 274)
◦ Troposphere (p. 274)

24.  Choose two of the following activities to show
what you have learned:
◦ Answer the section assessment questions on p. 277
◦ Develop a poster showing the different layers of the
atmosphere and the different characteristics of each
layer
◦ Make a concept map related to the main ideas in
the section (use p. 934 in your book to help you)
◦ Ask for the “Exploring Environmental Problems”
activity
◦ Complete the “Dew Formation” Lab (as Ms. P for the
sheets to go with this)

25.  Section 11.2
◦ Describe the various properties of the atmosphere
and how they interact
◦ Explain why atmospheric properties change with
changes in altitude

26.  Section 11.3
◦ Explain how clouds are formed
◦ Identify the basic characteristics of different cloud
groups
◦ Describe the water cycle

27.  The composition, structure and properties
that make up Earth’s atmosphere
 How solar energy, which fuels weather and
climate, is distributed throughout the
atmosphere.
 How water continually moves between Earth’s
surface and the atmosphere in the water cycle

28.  Understanding Earth’s atmosphere and its
interactions with solar energy is the key to
understanding weather and climate, which
control so many different aspects of our lives.
 In what ways does weather effect what you do
from day to day?