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Physics

Environmental

ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICS

2Volcanoes

Mass transport

The biosphere of the Earth is the scenary where life develops

Let us make an approach to those natural phenomena taking place in the biosphere, related to mass and energy

exchanges.ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICS

Northern lights

Seasons

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Peaceful air masses movements...

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... and very violent hurricanes

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A chemical species able to change its state within the range of temperatures ruling in the different regions of our planet.

Why life developed on Earth?

We haven’t an answer for such a question, but...

...we know a necessary condition for making life possible

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Water

Steam

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Ice

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We’ll study the relationships between these three states of the water and the environmental conditions...

... to explain why the world we live is on such a way.

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First, how and when the Earth was born

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Then, how the Earth is today

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Some examples of what we will see about...

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SUN POSITION RELATED TO A HORIZONTAL SURFACE

North Pole

Season Spring / Summer

Observer on the north hemisphere

Zenith

S N

E

W

z

z zenital angle

sun elevation

azimut

declination

latitude

hour angle

15º/hour

COORDINATES measuredfrom the center of sun disc

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Physics

Environmental

Originally formed by volatile compounds from volcanism at the earlier period of the Earth’s story. The gasses were kept back by gravity force. Since then, its composition undergone important variations because several physical, geological and biological processes.

The origin of our atmosphere

Actual volcanic eruptions have a mean composition of 85% H2O, 10% CO2 and SO2 and nitrogen compounds (the rest).

Low percentage of H2O in the actual atmosphereLow percentage of CO2 in the actual atmospherePredominance of nitrogen

Presence of other components of low concentration

Presence of an important fraction of O2

We have to explain…

http://www.xtec.es/~rmolins1/solar/es/planeta02.htm

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Height

(km)

500/1500 Temperature (ºC)-50 0 50 100 150 200-100

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20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

490

500

510

520 Exosphere

Termosphere

Mesosphere

Stratosphere

Troposphere

Standard Atmosphere. Temperature profile

TROPOPAUSE

STRATOPAUSE

MESOPAUSE

Graphics from data in http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/images/profile_jpg_image.html

Temperature of termosphere is

highly dependent on sun activity. It

may vary from 500 ºC to 1500 ºC.

We live here!

TERMOPAUSE

TERMOPAUSE

Physics

Environmental

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http://www.jmarcano.com/notas/nota13.html

Antarctic ozone hole. September 2002

http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/ATM_CHEM/dobson.html

Phenomena above the clouds...

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ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION FROM THE SUN

Where does the energy we use come from?

Radiation that we can measure

Solar spectrum (visible region)

Physics

Environmental

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Impermeable layers

Deep percolation

Surface flux

Ocean

Surface run-off

Surface flux

Underground water

Freatic level

Infiltration

Saline intrusions

Precipitation on the ground

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Evapotrans piration from

the ground

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Evaporation

Vegetation

Ground

Dam

31 Evaporation from the

ocean

428

396

Precipitation on the ocean

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From Britannica 2004

Flux units: 1012 m3/year

WATER EXCHANGES WITHIN THE BIOSPHERE

Interception and transpiration

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Phenomena associated to interactions atmosphere/hidrosphere

Physics

Environmental

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Mass exchange and energy budget

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Earth’s observation

Gibraltar

Atlantic Ocean

Mediterranean Sea

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SUBJECT PROGRAM

The Earth and the Moon

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Lesson 1. The Sun and the EarthMovements of the Earth, local apparent time, local standard time

Lesson 2. The atmosphere of the EarthOrigin and composition. Temperature, pressure, winds and precipitation.

Lesson 3. Thermodinamics of the atmosphereThe atmosphere as a mixture of several gases. Moisture of the air. Adiabatic processes of the moist air.

Lesson 4. Heat transfer mechanismsConduction, convection and radiation.

Lesson 5a. Solar radiation and its interactionswith the Earth surface

Lesson 5b. Long wave radiation and its radiation budget

Lesson 5c. Global radiation budget in the Earth surface

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Evaporation and evapotranspiration

Teledetection: observation of the Earth

Following crops by Teledetection

Complementary materials (personal work)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

M. Iqbal, An Introduction to Solar Radiation, Academic Press (1983)

John M. Wallace y Peter V. Hobbs, Atmospheric Science: an introductory survey. Academic Press

Crop evapotranspiration

Guidelines for computing crop water requirements - FAO

Available from http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0490E/x0490e00.htm

http://www.uclm.es/profesorado/ajbarbero/uclm2English.htm

Other information & materials from web page

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COURSE SCHEDULE & ORGANIZATION

3 classes a week (from september 26th to january 20 th)

Practices

UV measuring

RadiationDiscrete spectra measuring

Treatment of radiation & temperature data by computer

Marking grade Practices Personal work Final Exam

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