EARTHS ATMOSPHERE

1
EARTHS ATMOSPHERE

• Chapter 14.1
• Pages 392 - 398

2
ATMOSPHERIC GASES

• 78 Nitrogen
• 21 Oxygen
• 1 Trace gases - argon, carbon dioxide, water
  vapor, etc.

3
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE (LOWER)

• Troposphere lowest layer (0-10 km)
• Where life exists
• 75 of the atmospheric gases
• Weather occurs here
• Stratosphere (10-50 km)
• 99 of gases are here and below
• Pressurized aircraft (jets) above weather
• Ozone layer

4
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE (UPPER)

• Mesosphere (50-80 km)
• Temperature reaches the lowest point
• -90o C -130o F
• Thermosphere 2 parts
• Ionosphere (80-550 km)
• Contains ions which are electrically charged
  particles
• Ions reflect radio waves back to earth
• Ions interact with air to cause auroras

5

• Exosphere (550 2500 km)
• Hottest layer in the atmosphere (600-1000o C)

6
ATMOSHPERIC TEMPERATURE

• Changes as you move through the atmosphere
• Heated by absorbing energy from the sun
• Different gases absorb different amounts of energy

7
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

• Sea level has the greatest amount of pressure.
• Density is greater at the bottom of the
  atmosphere
• Density decreases as you rise through the
  atmosphere
• The greater the density, the greater the pressure