The document discusses the composition and importance of Earth's atmosphere. It can be summarized as follows: 1) Earth's atmosphere is made up primarily of nitrogen and oxygen gases which support life by providing breathable air and nourishing plant growth. 2) The atmosphere also regulates Earth's climate and weather patterns through factors like temperature, precipitation, air pressure, and wind. 3) It protects the planet from harmful rays and materials from space while trapping heat via the greenhouse effect, maintaining a livable temperature range.

2. All around Earth is a sea of gases called
the atmosphere. This is the air part of
Earth’s biosphere and the changeable of
Earth’s environments. This sea of gases
protects people from harmful rays and
materials from space and holds the air
people need for life.

3. • Nitrogen and Oxygen – make up most of
the atmosphere.
Nitrogen – 78 % nourishes plant life
Oxygen – 21 % needed by people to
breathe
* Other gases such as argon and carbon
dioxide, make up the rest.

4. • The ATMOSPHERE is also the source of
Earth’s weather and climate patterns.
• WEATHER is the condition of the
atmosphere at a certain place at any one
time.
• CLIMATE means the general kinds of
weather a certain place has over a long
time.

5. • Climate is important to plant, animal and
human life. Plants and animals can live in
certain climates. Some adopt in special
ways. The needle shape leaves of conifers
for example, help the trees adjust to cold
climates. The short fur of desert animals
helps them survive hot, dry climates.
People also adjust what they wear, the
kinds of home they build, and kinds of
foods they grow.

6. Temperature
Precipitation
Air pressure
Wind

7. • Is the amount of heat found in the
atmosphere.
*The heat in the atmosphere comes from the
sun. Each day the small amount of the
sun’s total energy reaches the top layers of
the Earth’s atmosphere.

8. • Earth’s atmosphere acts like the glass roof
of a greenhouse. In a greenhouse the sun’s
rays pass through the glass windows and
warm the plants.
INFRARED RADIATION are short waves
that are reflected back into space that are
change into longer heat waves.

9. GREENHOUSE EFFECT
is the natural process by
which the infrared
radiation do not easily
escape back through the
atmosphere because gases
in the lower atmosphere
take in some of the heat
energy and sent it back to
warm the Earth.

11. • Is the moisture that falls from the
atmosphere onto Earth’s surface.
* Moisture that reaches Earth’s surface can
be RAIN, SNOW, SLEET or HAIL.
Moisture can also appear in the air as
water vapor and its amount depends on the
temperature of the air.

12. • Warm air can hold more water than cold
air. The temperature of the air also tells
what kind of precipitation will fall.
Example:
Rain generally fall during warm
weather.
Snow falls during cold weather.

13. • Is the force exerted by the weight of air
above a particular location.
* The uneven heating of Earth’s surface by
the sun leads indirectly to differences in air
pressure.

14. • On Earth there are seven
pressure zones, or areas
with the same general air
pressure. Two zones-
those at each pole- are
permanent. The other
five are semi-permanent
because the belts may
move more north or
south when season
change.

15. *high pressure areas
have clever skies and
calm weather.
*low pressure areas
have cloudy skies and
stormy weather.

16. • Is the flow of gases on a large scale.
*When air moves from high pressure area to
a low pressure area, it creates WIND. The
greater the difference between the two
areas, the faster the wind speed.

17. • PREVAILING WINDS- are wind patterns
generally found in a place.
*DOLDRUMS (places near the Equator) is a
calm region, it has little or no WIND.
TRADE WINDS are prevailing winds in
LOW latitudes.

18. • PREVAILING WESTERLIES are winds
blown from the west in middle latitudes.
• POLAR EASTLIES are winds from the east
in high latitudes.
* JET STREAMS are strong belts of winds
high up in the air, it flows from west to
east. These streams are much like a very
fast-moving, winding river. The jet streams
change their positions in the atmosphere
from day to day and season to season.

19. Temperature, moisture, air pressure,
and wind work together to produce
CLIMATE. The climate they make may be
controlled by several things. Among these
are:
* latitude
* heating and cooling differences
of land or water
* prevailing wind patterns
* altitude

20. • Latitude is the most important control
on climate because it shows the angle at
which the Sun’s rays hit Earth.
• Near the Equator these rays hit the
surface of Earth more vertically or
straighter than at other latitudes.

21. • Vertical rays cover a smaller surface
area and give more energy for heat than
indirect rays. For this reason, low-
latitude areas near the Equator are
nearly always warm for the whole year.
• Temperate areas- areas in the middle
latitudes receive somewhat vertical rays
part of the year and have temperatures
that are neither too hot nor too cold.
* Areas in high latitudes never receive
vertical rays and are cold all year.

22. • Seasons are the result of Earth’s tilt on
it’s axis 23.5°; the fact that Earth revolves
around the Sun and that the tilt of Earth
on it’s axis remains parallel throughout
it’s revolution.
• As a result different parts of Earth
receive higher and lower levels of
radiant energy at different times of the
year creating the seasons

24. • Another important control on climate is
brought about by the heating and cooling
of land and water.
• The difference in the heating and cooling
of land and water along coastline also
create light winds.

25. Winds tends to blow in some directions more
than others.
For example:
*In middle latitudes the prevailing westerlies
blow from west to east. This is the reason why
Places on western side of continents in the middle
latitudes have much milder winters than
places on eastern sides.

26. *Westerlies also
affect summer
climates. The
reason for this is
that the summer
air is cooled by the
water of the Pacific
Ocean.

28. • Climate is the characteristic
condition of the atmosphere in the
lower layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It is
based upon the long- term weather in
an area accumulated over a period of at
least 30 years.
• Two of the most important factors used
in determining the climate of an area
are the air temperature and the amount
of precipitation received.

29. • The climate of a region will determine
which types of plants will grow as well
as what kind of animals will be there.
• The angle of the sun’s rays is most direct
from 0° to 23.5° making that area the
hottest. The angle of the sun’s rays are
least direct from 66.5° to 90° making that
the coldest area on Earth. In the middle
are the more moderate temperatures
which vary more with season.

30. • Trade winds are located in the tropical regions
blowing from the northeast in the northern
hemisphere and from the southeast in the
southern hemisphere.
• The trade winds meet at the equator and rise as
the air is heated. The rising air cools, forms
clouds and creates precipitation. The bands of
cloudy and rainy weather near the equator
create what we know as normal tropical
conditions.

31. • In the mid-latitudes (30°- 60°) the
Westerlies steer the storms from west to
east.
• Our climate is based upon the location of
the hot and cold air masses as well as the
atmospheric circulation caused by the
Trade Winds and the Westerlies.

32. Climate Classification
• The Koeppen Climate Classification
System is the most widely used for
classifying the world’s climates.
• It was created by the Russian-German
climatologist Wladimir Koeppen who
divided Earth’s surface into climatic
regions that matched the world patterns
of vegetation and soils.

33. • Moist tropical Climates
• Dry Climates
• Humid/Middle Latitude Climates
• Continental Climates
• Cold Climates

34. • known for their high
temperatures year
round and for their
large amount of rain
year round.
• area of the world
near the Equator
between the Tropic
of Cancer and
Capricorn.

35. • characterized by
little rain and a huge
daily temperature
range.
• Two sub-groups:
semiarid or
steppe
arid or desert

36. • Land and water
differences play
a large part
• These climates
have warm, dry
summers
and cool, wet
winters

37. • can be found in
the interior
regions of large
land masses
• total
precipitation is
not very high
and seasonal
temperatures

38. • These climates
are found where
permanent ice
and tundra are
always present
• Only four
months of the
year have above
freezing
temperatures

39. • The major climate groups show the
dominance of special combinations of
air mass source regions:
Low Latitude Climates
Mid-latitude climates
High latitude
climates

40. Low latitude climates are
controlled by equatorial tropical air
masses.
Tropical Moist Climates – rainforest
Wet-Dry Tropical Climates – savanna
Dry tropical Climate – desert biome

41. Rainfall is heavy in all months. The
total annual rainfall is often more
than 250 cm (100 in). There are
seasonal differences in monthly
rainfall but temperatures of 27 °C
(80° F) mostly stay the same.
Humidity is between 77% and 88%.
Summers are warm and very humid.
It rains a lot in winter.
Latitude Range: 10° S to 25° N
Global Position: Amazon Basin;
Congo Basin of Equatorial Africa;

42. Tropical Moist Climate- rainforest

43.  A seasonal change occurs between wet
tropical air masses and dry tropical air
masses. As a result, there is a very wet
season and a very dry season.
Temperature ranges around 16 °C. The
annual precipitation in all months is less
than .25cm (.01 in).
 Latitude Range: 15° to 25° N and S
 Global Position: India, Indochina, West
Africa, southern Africa, South America
and the north coast of Australia

44. Wet-Dry Tropical Climates –
savanna

45. These climates are found in low latitude deserts
between
18 °to 23 ° in both hemispheres centered on the
tropics of
Cancer and Capricorn. Winds are light allowing
for the
evaporation of moisture in the intense heat. Air
sinks so
the area is seldom penetrated by air masses that
produce
rain creating a very dry heat. The temperature
ranges
around 16 °C.
Annual precipitation is less that 0.25cm

48. Climates in this zone are affected by the
tropical air masses moving toward the
poles and polar air masses moving toward
the equator.
These two air masses are in constant
conflict.
Either air mass may dominate the area for
a time, but neither has exclusive control.

49. •This climate has a wet winter and an extremely
dry summer. Plants have adapted to the
extremes in rainfall and temperature during the
summer and winter seasons. Plants range from
forests, to woodland, to scrub. Temperature
range is 7° C (12° F) with 42 cm (17 in) of
precipitation.
•Latitude Range: 30° - 50 ° north and south
•Global Position: central and southern
California; coastal zones bordering the
Mediterranean sea; coastal western Australia
and southern Australia; Chilean coast; Cape

51. •This is a semi-arid climate with less than 10
cm (4 in) annual precipitation in the driest
regions to 50 cm (20 in) in the moister
areas.
•Latitude Range: 35° - 55 ° N
•Global Position: Western North America
(Great Basin, Columbia Plateau, Great
Plains); Eurasian interior, from eastern
Europe to the Gobi Desert and north China.

53. •This climate is the battleground of polar
and tropical air masses. Seasonal changes
between hot summers and cold winter are
very large. Precipitation varies from 40 to
60 in per year. The average temperature is
31° C (56° F)
•Latitude Range: 30 ° - 55 ° north and south
•Global Position: eastern parts of the United
States and southern Canada; northern
China; Korea; Japan; central and eastern
Europe.

55. Dry Mid-latitude Climate – steppe forest
•This is a semi-arid climate with less than 10
cm (4 in) annual precipitation in the driest
regions to 50 cm (20 in) in the moister
areas.
•Latitude Range: 35° - 55 ° N
•Global Position: Western North America
(Great Basin, Columbia Plateau, Great
Plains); Eurasian interior, from eastern
Europe to the Gobi Desert and north China

57. High Latitude Climates are
dominated by polar and arctic air masses.
Boreal forest Climate – taiga
Tundra Climate – tundra
Highland Climate – alpine
Polar Ice Cap – cold desert

58. High Latitude
Climates
• Polar and arctic air masses dominate these
regions. Canada and Siberia are two air-
mass sources which fall into this group.
• There is no counterpart in the southern
hemisphere since the largest land masses
are in the northern hemisphere.

59. Boreal forest Climate – taiga
•This is a continental climate with long,
very cold winters and short cool
summers. The temperature range is the
greatest from -25º C (-14º F) to 16º C
(60 º F) with the annual precipitation at
31cm (12 in).
•Latitude Range: 50º - 70º north and
south
•Global Position: central and western
Alaska; Canada from the Yukon to
Labrador; Eurasia, from northern Europe

61. •This climate is found along arctic coastal
areas. The arctic air masses dominate the area
but ocean winds keep temperatures from being
as severe as interior regions. The winter is
long and severe. There is a short mild season
but not a true summer. Temperatures range
from -22º C to 6º C (-10º - 41º F). Average
precipitation is 20 cm (8 in).
•Latitude Range: 60º - 75º N
•Global Position: arctic zone of North
America; Hudson Bay Region; Greenland
coast; northern Siberia bordering the Arctic

63. •Highland climates are cool to cold found on
mountains and high plateaus. The temperature
cools rapidly as the altitude gets higher. These
climates are very important to mid latitude
climates since they are a storage area for water
in the form of snow which melts in the spring.
Temperatures range from -18 º -10º C (-2º - 50º
F) and precipitation average 23 cm (9 in).
•Latitude Range: All over the world.
•Global Position: Rocky Mountain Range in
North America; the Andean mountain range in
South America; the Alps in Europe; Mt.

65. •This region is permanently frozen with no
temperatures above 32 º F. Precipitation is
very low but varies from region to region.
•Latitude Range: 60º - 90º N and S
•Location: Arctic; Antarctica; Greenland.

69. It is a significant and lasting change in
the statistical distribution of weather
patterns over periods ranging from
decades to millions of years.
It may be a change in average weather
conditions or the distribution of events
around the average .
 it maybe limited to a specific region or
may occur across the whole earth.
 it affects more than just a change in
the weather , it refers to seasonal

71. 

72. • If the heat from The effect of a Rise in Sea
Level on the Nile Delta
the sun cannot
escape through
the earth’s
atmosphere then
the ice at the
north and south
poles could melt.
• This could have a
huge effect on
the low lying
areas of the
world.

73. • We could see a change in the boundaries
between grassland, forest and shrub
lands.
• This change in vegetation zones could
cause famine in arid areas such as Africa
that depends on a certain type of crop.
• It could also cause mass movement of
people away from arid regions. And this
could cause huge over-crowding in
towns and cities.

74. The Malaria Carrying • The range of pest could change if
Mosquito the vegetation changed.. This
could bring about an increase in
disease levels.
• Scientist believe that if the
temperature increased by 3-5
degrees Celsius, the number of
people potentially exposed to
malaria(caught from mosquito)
could increase from 45%-60% of
the worlds population.

75. It could be affected by a change in
temperature.
It has been predicted that an increase in
temperature would affect species composition.
Scientist believed that up to two thirds of
world’s forest would undergo major changes.
They also believed that desserts would become
hotter, and desertification would extend and
become harder to reverse.

77. The sea affects the climate of a
place. Coastal areas are cooler
and wetter than inland areas.
Clouds form when warm air from
inland areas meets cool air from
the sea. The centre of continents
are subject to a large range of
temperatures. In the summer,
temperatures can be VERY hot
and dry as moisture from the sea
evaporates before it reaches the
centre of the continent.

78. • Ocean currents can increase or reduce
temperatures.
• E.g. The main ocean current that affects the
UK is the Gulf Stream.
the Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current in the
North Atlantic flowing from the Mexico,
Northeast along the U.S coast, and from there
to the British Isles.
The Gulf of Mexico has higher air temperatures
than Britain as it’s closer to the equator. This
means that the air coming from the Gulf of
Mexico to Britain is also warm. However, the air
is also quite moist as it travels over the
Atlantic ocean. This one reason why Britain
often receives wet weather.
The Gulf Stream keeps the west coast of Europe

79.  Winds that blow from the sea often bring
rain to the coast and dry weather to inland
areas.
Winds that blown to Britain from warm
inland areas such as Africa will be warm
and dry.
Winds that blow to Britain from inland
areas such as the Netherlands will be cold
and dry in winter.
Britain prevailing winds come from a south
westerly direction over the Atlantic. The
winds are cool in the summer and mild in the
winter.

80. Mountains receive more rainfall than low
lying areas because the temperature on top
of mountains is lower than the temperature
at sea level. That is why you often see snow
on the top of mountains all year round.
The higher the place is above sea level the
colder it will be. This happens because as
thee altitude increases, air becomes thinner
and is less able to absorb and retain heat.

81. • The proximity to the
equator affects the
climate of a place.
• The equator receives
the more sunlight
than anywhere else
on earth. This is due
to its position in
relation to the sun.

82. • Which affects wind and rainfall
patterns, has been blamed for
droughts and floods in countries
around the Pacific Rim.
• Refers to the irregular warming of
surface water in the pacific.
• The warmer water pumps energy
and moisture into the
atmosphere, altering global wind
and rainfall patterns.
• The phenomenon has caused
tornadoes in Florida, smog in
Indonesia, and forest fires in
Brazil.

83. • We humans, have been affecting the climate
since we appeared on this earth million of years
ago. In those times, the affect on the climate was
small.
• Trees were cut down to provide wood for fires.
Trees take in carbon dioxide and produce
oxygen. A reduction in trees therefore have
increased the amount of carbon dioxide in that
atmosphere.