atmospheric gasses (N2, O2, Ar, CO2, H2O, Ne, He, CH4, Kr, Xe, H2, O3)
Neutral Layers
Division by:
Temperature
TROPOSPHERE
Lowest layer (we live in it)
Up to 10 - 12 km
Temperature drops 10 K for every kilometer in height
Well mixed due to winds
Constant composition throughout 78% N2, 21% O2
Temperature range
Ground: coldest -129°F -89°C 184 K
warmest 136°F 58°C 331 K
Altitude coldest -82°F -63°C 210 K @10kmSTRATOSPHERE
MESOSPHERE
THERMOSPHERE
CompositionTURBOSPHERE (HOMOSPHERE)
Mixing by winds keep the concentrations of this layer the same throughout. 78% N2, 21% O2
Turbo pause height 100 kmHETEROSPHERE
Gasses are divided into layers by their atomic weight.HELIOSPHERE
Helium layerPROTONOSPHERE
Hydrogen layer
Gaseous escape
Barosphere
Exosphere - region where gasses can escape the pull of gravity
Particle density
Electromagnetic wave absorption
Protection
Gravity
LIDAR FIELD TRIP: Firepond
Latitudinal changes
Ionosphere Layers
Latitudinal changes
Division by:
Temperature
Composition
Particle density
Electromagnetic wave absorption
Protection
Gravity
Radio Waves and Communication
RADAR FIELD TRIP: Millstone Hill
Incoherent Scatter
Aeronomy
Atmospheric science is a number of related and overlapping disciplined
devoted to the description and understanding of phenomena in the atmosphere
of the Earth and other planets. (Wallace and Hobbs 1977, P1)
The discipline of atmospheric science to the average Earth Science teacher
would include just meteorology. Yet meteorology can be considered
as synoptic meteorology, dynamic meteorology, of physical meteorology.
Synoptic is involved with describing analyzing and forecasting motions
of air masses a s they relate to the weather analysis and forecasting.
Dynamic meteorology uses our understanding of fluid dynamics and changes
in atmospheric motion over time. Physical meteorology searches for
understanding in the structure and composition of the atmosphere, transfer
of wave energy through the atmosphere, the formation of clouds and precipitation,
and the science of Aeronomy. Aeronomy is the study of the chemistry
of the atmosphere and its interaction with magnetic fields and incident
radiation.
THE ORIGIN OF OUR ATMOSPHERE
Our sun is composed mostly of noble gasses (Ne, Ar, Xe, K) with over
99.9 % of its mass coming from Hydrogen and Helium. The Earth’s atmosphere
is 99% Nitrogen gas and Oxygen gas. It is obvious that we did not
get our atmosphere from the sun or that they formed at the same time.
The Earth is believed to be about 4.5 billion years old. One theory
argues that our atmosphere formed from ejected volcanic gasses as the Earth
was cooling. Volcanic gasses are over 85% water and another 10% carbon
dioxide, nitrogen and sulfur compounds (NH3, CH4, SO2, H2S).
A look at the hydro-cycle and analysis of the estimated locations of
all of the Earth’s water shows that,
97 % in oceans
2.4 % in ice
0.6 % in underground fresh water
0.02 % in rivers and lakes
0.001% in the atmosphere
Only one thousandth of the Earth’s available water is in the atmosphere.
Atmospheric water absorbs a lot of solar energy. This absorption
cause some of the water to produce break down and recombine into H2 gas
and O2 gas by a process called “photodissociation”. The process of
photosynthesis, by plants, algea, and cyanobacteria, uses water and atmospheric
CO2 to produce a carbohydrate food and O2 gas. Oxygen, as a product
of these and many other reactions now composes approximately 20.9 % of
our atmosphere.
Nitrogen is the predominant gas in our atmosphere composing 78 % of
its make-up. Yet, none of the volcanic processes has accounted for
it. Nitrogen compounds yielded Nitrogen ions as a product after absorption
of ultraviolet radiation. These ions combined to produce nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen gas is inert. It is also insoluable in water. The
result was that nitrogen gas built up in our atmosphere over a long period
of time to become it’s main constituent.
The carbon dioxide rpoduced by volcanoes is easily dissolved in water