Earth

1
Earth Space

• Air Masses
• Atmospheric Circulation

2
Atmosphere - layer of air that surrounds the
earth

• filters and blocks dangerous rays from the sun
  (ex. UV rays) via ozone
• Stabilizes climate by keeping in heat
• O2 - respiratory cells
• CO2 - photosynthesis

3
Atmospheric Composition

• Air is a mixture of gases

4
Atmospheric Composition

• Air is a mixture of gases
• The two principle gases are oxygen (O2) and
  nitrogen (N2)

5
Atmospheric Composition

• Air is a mixture of gases
• The two principle gases are oxygen (O2) and
  nitrogen (N2)
• There are also other gases at lower quantities

6
Atmospheric Composition
7

• Air also contains portions of solid and liquid
  particles
• There are two main characteristics
• Temperature

8

• Air also contains portions of solid and liquid
  particles
• There are two main characteristics
• Temperature
• Pressure

9
Atmospheric Pressure

• defined as the force per unit area exerted
  against a surface by the weight of the air above
  that surface.
• Thinking in terms of air molecules, if the number
  of air molecules above a surface increases, there
  are more molecules to exert a force, more
  collisions, on that surface and consequently,
  the pressure increases. The opposite is also
  true, the number of air molecules decreases above
  a surface will result in a decrease in pressure.

10
Atmospheric Pressure

• measured using a barometer, which is why
  atmospheric pressure is also referred to as
  barometric pressure.
• Sea Level 101.3 kPa, kilopascals

11
Atmospheric Pressure

• Atmospheric pressure is measured with an
  instrument called a "barometer", which is why
  atmospheric pressure is also referred to as
  barometric pressure.
• Sea Level 101.3 kPa, kilopascals

12
Atmospheric Pressure

• Altitude

• Temperature

13
Characteristics

• Altitude
• The more particles, the more collisions the
  higher the pressure will be

• Temperature
• When the air warms up, particles move faster,
  more collisions, higher the pressure

14

• Hot air is lighter than cold air
• Hot air contains particles that are moving
  rapidly therefore moving towards less collisions
  which would be higher up
• The heat in your house always rises, ex.
  Upstairs hotter than downstairs

15
Wind

• caused by the movement of particles from a higher
  pressure zone to a lower pressure zone

16
(No Transcript)
17
Atmospheric Circulation

• Like we have seen, air is always moving
• How is air moving?

18
Atmospheric Circulation

• Like we have seen, air is always moving
• How is air moving?
• Air moves in a straight line from North to South
  or Vice Versa

19
Atmospheric Circulation

• Like we have seen, air is always moving
• How is air moving?
• Air moves in a straight line from North to South
  or Vice Versa
• This is not entirely accurate

20
Atmospheric Circulation

• Coriolis Effect, this was found by the French
  mathematician in 1835
• This effect is dependant on the earths rotation,
  therefore changing the movement of the air
  trajectory

21
(No Transcript)
22
Atmospheric Circulation

• In the south hemisphere LEFT
• In the north hemisphere RIGHT
• This movement of air is in the troposphere. This
  is responsible for cold and hot fronts and the
  formation of clouds

23
Dominant Winds

• The 3 circulation cells
• Hadley Cells
• Ferrel Cells
• Polar Cells

24
(No Transcript)
25
Air Masses

• air with similar properties of temperature and
  moisture which covers a large area
• Fronts are the boundaries between air masses

26
Air Masses

• There are 4 kinds of air masses

27
Air Masses

• There are 4 kinds of air masses
• Maritime created over water
• Continental created over land
• Polar created over a cold region
• Tropical created over a hot region

28
Air Masses

• There are 3 kinds of fronts
• Cold pushes a hot front
• Hot pushes a cold front
• stationary does not move

29
(No Transcript)
30
Anticyclones Depression

• When air cools off, there are less collisions, so
  the pressure decreases. To compensate air becomes
  more heavy and moves down.
• This creates a high pressure zone or an
  Anticyclone
• When the opposite happens it is a low pressure
  zone, called a depression

31
Anticyclones
32
Depression
33
Notes

• Air pressure is the result of Earths gravity
  pulling on the atmosphere
• The atmosphere filters and blocks dangerous rays
  from the sun (UV) and stabilizes climate by
  keeping in heat
• Air is a mixture of gases. The two principle
  gases are oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2)

34
Notes

• Atmospheric pressure the force per unit area
  exerted against a surface by the weight of the
  air above that surface (measured via
  barometer).At sea level atm p 101.3 kPa
• If of air molecules above a surface increases,
  ?more molecules ?more collisions ?pressure
  increases

35
Notes

• In regards to temperature
• Higher temp ?faster particles ?more collisions
  ?higher pressure
• Hot air is lighter than cold air
• The wind is caused by the movement of particles
  from a higher pressure zone to a lower pressure
  zone

36
Notes

• Air mass air with similar properties of
  temperature and moisture which covers a large
  area
• Fronts are the boundaries between air masses
• There are 3 kinds of fronts
• Cold pushes a hot front
• Hot pushes a cold front
• stationary does not move

37
Notes

• When air cools off ?less collisions ? less
  pressure ? air becomes more heavy ? moves down
• This creates a high pressure zone or an
  Anticyclone
• When the opposite happens it is a low pressure
  zone, called a depression

38
In class work

• Handout