THE ATMOSPHERE

Gases that surround the earth

Mixture of gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, dioxide

Changes constantlyex: animals breathe in oxygen breathe out carbon dioxide while plants take in carbon dioxide and send out oxygen

Insulates the earth’s surface from the sun’s raysQuestion: What is the current concern over our

atmosphere and why?

What is the mixture?Nitrogen makes up 78% of the earth’s atmosphere

and comes from the decay of plants/animals and volcanic eruptions

Oxygen makes up 18% of the atmosphere and comes from plants

Other gases such as methane, argon, and carbon dioxide make up the rest

As we get closer to the earth the air becomes denser (heavy) as we rise through the layers of the atmosphere, the earth’s air becomes lighter.

Provide an example of difficult areas to breathe?

Layers • The layers are defined by the changes in temperatures

and pressure– Troposphere- layer closest to the earth’s surface that

provides earth’s weather– Stratosphere-layer where the sun’s ultra violet rays are

absorbed in what is called the ozone layer– Mesosphere – coldest layer of the atmosphere at -93 C and

located in the middle of the atmosphere – Thermosphere- furthest away from the earth’s surface.

Temperature is 2000 C but does not feel as cold because of the separation of the atoms• Ionosphere - lower thermosphere the generates heat energy and

looks like light in the light skies of the North and South Pole

Exosphere – Outer Space

Energy of the Atmosphere• Air consists of electrons which are particles of energy called ion (atom that has a charge either positive or negative)

• Ionized air become hot and pushes out air which creates the thunder from the lightening.

• Sun is changed into energy in the earth’s atmosphere in three ways– Radiation-sun’s energy as it travels across space. Once it hits the

earth it is felt as heat– Conduction – is the flow of heat from warmer object to a colder

object when place directly in the line of heat– Convection – transfer of heat by air currents

As the sun’s ray travel to the earth energy travels as heat to the earth’s surface. As the surface of the earth heats up some of the radiation is absorbed and the rest is reflected back into the atmosphere.Air moves in a circular motion with cooler air sinking and warmer rising. As air warms up for the sun’s rays it rises cools and sinks back down. This constant motion is

Atmosphere conditions

• Tornado – strong storm winds that over land and touch down upon the ground starting in speeds slightly less than 110 mph

• Hurricane- strong winds that begin out over the sea and travel into land masses with wind speeds beginning at 74 mph

• Extreme Lightening – travels either up or down. It is a bright flash of light that moves energy through the atmosphere in bright electrical charges