Atmosphere and Hydrosphere

SJCHS

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Atmosphere

• Atmosphere: Layer of gases that surround the Earth• Composition

• 78 % Nitrogen• 21% Oxygen

• 1% Other (Water Vapor, CO2)

•Particles: dust, pollen, smoke, exhaust, pyroclastic material

Atmosphere

• Troposphere: 0- ~12 km; temperature decreases as altitude increases • Heated by solar radiation; where most weather events occur

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Atmosphere

• Ozone Layer: Made of O3

• Formation absorbs UV light from the sun

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Atmosphere

• A major function of atmosphere is to regulate heating of Earth

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Radiation

• Solar radiation: Energy that heats Earth in form of following rays:•UV, visible light, infrared

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Radiation• Light can be transmitted, absorbed, reflected

Radiation• 50 % of solar energy is absorbed by Earth’s surface/ocean• 20% of solar energy is absorbed by atmosphere• 30% is reflected to space from atmosphere, clouds, surface

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Convection

• Convection: Transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid (such as air or water)

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Convection

•A pocket of air (or a thermal) is heated at surface of Earth by conduction, becoming less dense• Air rises, expands, and cools• Cool air is more dense and will fall to Earth• Convection circulation cycle repeats

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Coriolis Effect

• Coriolis Effect• Due to rotation counterclockwise of the Earth, objects change direction (NOT SPEED)

• Northern Hemisphere: Deflect right• Southern Hemisphere: Deflect left

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Cyclones

• Tropical Cyclone (aka hurricane or typhoon): Storms that form at low pressure areas over warm water

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Videos: Hurricane Formation

Fronts

•Front: Boundary between air masses; where most major weather events occur

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Fronts

• Warm Front: Warm air moves above cold air causing precipitation

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Fronts

• Cold Front: Cold air sinks under warm air causing heavy precipitation

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Seasons

• Solar energy that strikes the Earth’s surface directly is more intense than solar energy that strikes at an angle

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Seasons

• Due to Earth’s spherical shape, areas at equator get more sun than areas near the poles

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Seasons

•Albedo: Measurement of light reflected from a surface• high albedo, more reflection, lower temperatures

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Seasons

• Earth’s orbit is elliptical and Earth is at a tilt

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Seasons

Season Tilt of Earth Day length Temperature

Summer Towards Longer Warmer

Winter Away Shorter Colder

Northern Hemisphere (opposite for Southern Hemisphere)

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Seasons

In Northern hemisphere, objects facing south get more sunlight in mid-latitudes

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Seasons

•Applications•Ski runs tend to be on north side of mountains•Solar panels face south

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Convection

•Unequal heating, convection and the CE causes global wind patterns that affect climate on Earth

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Why is the sky blue?• When sunlight enters the atmosphere, light can scatter (reflected in many directions)

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Why is the sky blue?• Light that is reflected is what we see (other colors absorbed)

Why is the sky blue?• When light hits an oxygen or nitrogen (or any small molecule) shorter wavelengths of light are scattered• Light will be scattered in all directions

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Why is the sky blue?

• Larger particles (water vapor) scatter different wavelengths • Traveling through more atmosphere scatters different wavelengths

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Why isn’t the sky violet?• Human eyes contain red, green, and blue cones that allow us to see color• The brain interprets the color of sky as blue

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Hydrosphere

• Hydrosphere: Ocean (salt) and freshwater on or underneath Earth(ground water/aquifers)

• Freshwater is a limited resource

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Videos: Freshwater as a limited resource and solutions• Water in Africa

• Play Pump

• Water in California

Ocean Currents

• Upper ocean circulation is driven by winds• Gyres: Circular motion of water

• Clockwise in Northern Hemisphere, Counterclockwise in Southern Hemisphere

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Ocean Currents

• Thermohaline/ Deep Water Circulation: Colder/ high salinity water sinks, warmer/ less salinity water rises forming a deep water current

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Hydrosphere

http://video.pbs.org/video/2203388630

http://video.pbs.org/video/2222028532

http://video.pbs.org/video/1533347949

http://video.pbs.org/video/2212706337

http://video.pbs.org/video/2263346756

http://www.history.com/videos/the-aswan-high-dam#the-aswan-high-dam