The document describes the layers of Earth's atmosphere and the greenhouse effect. It explains that the troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth. Carbon dioxide and methane in the troposphere and stratosphere trap heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect. Increased CO2 from burning fossil fuels is a major cause of climate change, which is having effects like sea level rise, stronger storms, and damage to ecosystems.

1. Greenhouse Effect

2. Contents
 Atmosphere
 Key Terms
 Gases
 Causes
 Effects

3. Atmosphere
 Exosphere
 Thermosphere
 Mesosphere
 Stratosphere
 Troposphere

4. Troposphere
 Lowest portion of earth’s atmosphere
 75% of the entire atmosphere mass
- Water Vapor
- Aerosols
 0 km – 10 km Depth ~ 10 km
 Warmer nearest earth
 Colder the further you go
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5. Stratosphere
 Second layer of earth’s atmosphere
 10 km – 50 km Depth ~ 40 km
 Colder nearer the earth surface
 Warmer the further into the atmosphere
 Energy is transferred via heat absorption
by the ozone layer.
 Heating caused by conduction from
above and convection from below.
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6. Mesosphere
 Middle layer of earth’s atmosphere
 50 km – 90 km Depth ~ 40 km
 Warmer closer to earth’s surface
 Colder the further you out you go
 This is where meteors burn as they
collide with gas particles
 Most poorly understood part of the
atmosphere
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7. Thermosphere
 4th layer of earth’s atmosphere
 80 km – 500 km Depth ~ 420 km
 Colder near earth’s surface
 Warmer as you go further into
thermosphere
 This layer absorbs radiation which in
turn electrically charge particles.
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8. Exosphere
 Outer layer of the atmosphere
 500 km – 10,000 km Depth ~ 9,500 km
 Only layer of atmosphere where gases can
escape
 Main gases found here:
- Hydrogen
- Helium
- Carbon Dioxide
Travel Back to the Atmosphere

9. Thermosphere
Exosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere

10. Key Terms
 Condensation - process by which gas or vapor changes into a
liquid or solid
 Evaporation - the process by which a liquid changes into a gas
 Convection - upward movement of heat or other atmospheric
properties within the atmosphere
 Photosynthesis – the synthesis of complex organic materials
from carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic salts using light as an
energy source
 Radiation – energy that is transmitted in the form of rays
 Conduction – spontaneous transfer of energy through matter,
from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower
temperature

11. Gases
 CO2 - Carbon Dioxide
 MH4 - Methane
 O2 – Oxygen Gas
 O3 - Ozone
 N2 – Nitrogen Gas
 Ar – Argon Gas
 H2 – Hydrogen Gas
 He - Helium

12. Increase in CO2
 Increased by the burning of fossil fuels- coal, oil, and
gas
 Too much is harmful to our planet
 Creates a cycle of
Carbon Dioxide
within our atmosphere
 Contributes to the
hole in the ozone
layer

13. Carbon Dioxide Cycle

14. 3-D Image of the Ozone Hole

15. Ozone Layer
 Three oxygen atoms bonded together
 Forms a layer above earth that protects us from
harmful UVA UVB rays
 The ozone hole is a depletion of the ozone in
the atmosphere.

16. What is causing thinning Ozone
Hole?
 Cars
 Factories
 Pollution
 Deforestation

17. Pollutants

18. Effects
 Climate change
 Harms animals’ habitats
 Decrease crop production
 Flooding
 Drought
 Hurricanes

20. QUIZ
1. What is the first atmospheric layer closest to earth?
2. What is the largest atmospheric layer?
3. Define a key term (condensation, evaporation, photosynthesis,
radiation, conduction, convection)
4. What gas is CO2?
5. What is one cause of an increase in CO2?
6. Does CO2 exist in oceans?
7. Which two layers of earth’s atmosphere does the ozone layer
exist?
8. What are two things that are causing the thinning of the ozone?
9. What is an effect of Global Warming?