The document summarizes the layers of Earth's atmosphere and factors that influence weather and climate. It describes 5 main layers from the troposphere at Earth's surface to the exosphere at the top. Key points include how temperature decreases with altitude, composition varies between layers, and layers are identified by characteristics like density. Ocean currents and convection cycles transfer heat globally in complex patterns driving atmospheric circulation.

2.  The cloud of gasses and suspended particles
surrounding earth
 Becomes less dense as altitude increases
 Made up of layers
 Protective bubble that gives UV
protection, breathable air, and moisture
 78% N2, 21% O2, .9% Ar, and .033% CO2
 Water Vapor runs from almost 0% in deserts to
nearly 4% in tropical rain forests

3.  5 layers
 Identified by
 Thermal characteristics
 Composition
 Air movement
 Density

5.  Starts at earths surface and runs to
between 4 and 12 miles thick depending
on latitude
 11-12 miles thick at the equator and thins
to 4 miles thick at the poles
 Temperature decreases as altitude
increases
 Transitional zone between layers is called
a ______pause (tropopause)

6.  From the tropopause to 31 miles above earth’s
surface
 Holds 19% of atmosphere’s gases
 UV radiation is absorbed by O2 molecules
making O3
 Causes temperature to go up as altitude
increases
 Divided by the stratopause

7.  From stratopause to 53 miles above earth’s
surface
 Less dense than stratosphere
 As altitude increases, temperature decreases
 Slows down meteorites, leaving a trail in the
night sky

8.  From mesopause to 430 miles above earth’s
surface
 Exposed to very high amounts of UV radiation
and X-rays
 As altitude increase, temperature increases
 Feels cold because of very low density
 Contains ionosphere – causes radio waves to
reflect back to earth
 Also causes aroras

9.  From thermopause to 6200 miles above earth
 Area where satellites orbit

10.  Air has mass and therefore exerts pressure as it
piles up above us
 As the density of air increases, the pressure of the
air increases
 As the temperature of air increases, the density of
the air decreases
 Air pressure is exerted in all directions at once
 Standard air pressure at sea level is 14.7 lbs/in2

11.  As elevation increases, air pressure
decreases, because there is less atmosphere above
you.
 Due to this variation, air pressure at two different
locations cannot be compared.
 We use sea level as the basis for a standard
conversion for each location.
 Measure air pressure in inches of mercury or
millibars.
 Standard air pressure at sea level is 29.92 inches of
mercury or 1013.2 millibars.

13.  Pressure systems are labeled as high or low
 High pressure is associated with clear skies
 Low pressure is associated with cloudy skies
 Because cold air is more dense than warm
air, the highest air pressure readings are found
on cold, clear days.

14.  Heat energy is transferred through:
 Radiation
 Conduction
 Convection
The Sun’s heat is what fuels our planet’s weather.

15.  Heat transferred through electromagnetic
energy. (excited atoms)
 This is how the sun heats our planet
 Dark objects absorb more radiation that light
colored objects

16.  Transfers heat through two solid objects
touching
 Metal spoon on a hot surface gets hot

17.  Heat is transferred through moving fluids
 Air in the atmosphere acts as a fluid
 Hot air masses rise causing mixing of the
atmosphere
 Also causes winds
 Land heats up by radiation which heats air by
conduction, which heats atmosphere by convection

18.  We have incoming energy from the sun and
outgoing energy reflected by earth’s surface
 The air molecules trap some reflected
heat, creating a warming “blanket” around
earth
 This stabilizes our temperature
 Cloud cover traps even more of the reflected
heat closer to the earth’s surface
 Cloudy nights cool off less that clear nights

20.  The ocean absorbs, stores, and releases heat
and moisture into our atmosphere driving much
of our weather.
 The top 10 feet of ocean contains more heat
that the entire atmosphere.

21.  Epipelagic – sunlight zone – surface to 660 ft
 Wind causes mixing and therefore even temp dist
 At end of layer is the thermocline – rapid decrease in temp
with relation to depth
 Mesopelagic – twilight zone – 660 ft to 3,300 ft
 Bathypelagic - midnight zone - 3,300 ft to 13,100 ft
 Only light comes from bioluminescence
 Constant temperature of 39o F
 Abyssopelagic – 13,100 ft to 19,700 ft
 Little to no life, pitch black, extreme pressure
 Hadalpelagic – 19,700 ft to 35,000+ ft
 trenches

24.  Ocean water is salty.
 Most of the salt is NaCl, but some is MgCl or KCl.
 Different areas of the earth’s oceans are saltier
than others.
 Around the equator and the poles are the least salty
because of high rain fall and ice melt.
 The Atlantic, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea are the most
salty due to high evaporation.
 Salinity is measured in grams of salt per liter.
 Normal salt levels are around 35 g/l

25.  The density of water increases as temperature
decreases up to about 40o F.
 Between 40o F and 32o F, the molecules begin
locking together and decreasing the density.
 As a result, ice floats and expands.
 About 9% expansion by volume.
 However, salt decreases the temperature at which
water freezes.
 Sea water freezes around 28o F

26.  The temperature and
salinity of the water impacts
is density.
 The density of ocean water
directly impacts ocean
circulation patterns.
 Ocean circulation patterns
influence most of our
weather patterns in one
way or another.

27.  Surface currents along the west coasts flow toward
the equator and bring cold water from the poles to
the equator.
 California Current that keeps San Francisco cool.
 Surface currents along the east coasts flow toward
the poles and bring warm water to the poles.
 Gulf Stream that keeps England warmer.
 The deep ocean currents
that circulate the global
oceans is called the great
ocean conveyor.

28. Themohaline Circulation – Thermo (tempurature) & Haline (salt)
Water takes about 1000 years to complete
Sinking Up
welling

29.  Because the land heats up and cools off more
quickly than the ocean, the difference in the air
temperature over these bodies, also heats
up/cools off correspondingly.
 Warm air masses rise above land pulling in
cool ocean breezes during the day.
 Warm air masses over water rise and pull cool
land breezes during the night.

30. Sea
Breeze
Land Breeze