120729 Atmosphere Research

7/31/2019 120729 Atmosphere Research

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Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that o visible light, but longer than X-rays, that is, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, corresponding to photon energies

rom 3 eV to 124 eV. It is so-named because the spectrum consists o electromagnetic waves with requencies higher than those that humans identiy as the colour violet. Tese requencies are invisibleto humans, but visible to a number o insects and birds. Tey are also indirectly visible, by causing uorescent materials to glow with visible light.


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AtmosphereNan Wu Owen Xing Pei Wang

What is Ozone?

Also called trioxygen

Less stable than dioxygen

Toxic in large doses

Formed by diatomic oxygen reacting with UV photons

Destroyed by reacting again with dioxygen

Ozone & UV

The Ozone Layer

Ozone is naturally present in our atmosphere

Around 10% in the troposphere

The remainng 90% in the stratosphere

Between 10 km and 50 km off the surface

This is the ozone layer

Relative low aboudance of zone in the stratosphere

Uneven abundance around the globe

What does the Ozone layer do?

The ozone layer helps block UVB radiation

It absorbs around 97-99% of this UV radiation

Also helps moderate day and night temperature swings

What is the Ozone Hole?

The area above the Antarctic where ozne is depleted

Not a total absence of ozone, but a reduction

First discovered in 1985 by British scientists

Is at its worst in the spring of the Southern Hemisphere

What is UV?

Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-

rays

UV light is found in sunlight and is emitted by electric arcs and specialized lights such as black lights

Most ultraviolet is classied as non-ionizing radiation

Sources of UV

Natural sources and lters of UV

Articial sources of UV

Black lights"

Ultraviolet uoarescent lamps

Gas-discharge lamps

Ultraviolet LEDs

Ultraviolet lasers

Human health-related effects of UV radiation

Harmful effects

Skin cancer Eye damage such as cataracts

Immune system damage

Damage to the DNA in various life-forms

Possibly other things too that we don't know about at the moment

Benecial effects

UVB exposure induces the production of vitamin D in the skin

Medical applications

Applications of UV

Sanitary compliance

Biological surveys and pest control

Air purication

Analyzing minerals

Chemical markers Checking electrical insulation

Ozone diagram

Ozone hole

Bug Zapper


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Ozone & UV_ Human health-related effects of UV radiation

Benecial effects Harmful effects


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Ozone & UV_ Applications of UV


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The Discovery

In 1985, using satellites, balloons, and surface stations, a team of researchers had discovered a balding patch of

ozone in the upper stratosphere, the size of the United States, over Antarctica.

CFCs and Ozone depletion

Chlorouorocarbons are created and used in refrigerators and air conditioners. These chlorouorocarbons are not

harmful to humans and have been a benet to us. Once released into the atmosphere, chlorouorocarbons are

bombarded and destroyed by ultraviolet rays. In the process chlorine is released to de stroy the ozone molecules

Responsibility for ozone damage each year

Effects of UV rays on Aquatic Ecosystems

Ozone depletion causes increases in UV rayss effects on aquatic ecosystems by:

1. decreasing the abundance of phytoplankton affects the food stock for shes and the absorption of CO2

2. decreasing the diversity of aquatic organisms reduces food stock and also destroys several sh and amphib-

ians.

Ozone & UV_Ozone Depletion

Monitoring the Antarctic Ozone Hole

Ozone Hole Areas over different time: Area[106 km2]


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Ozone & UV_Christchurch UV levels

UV levels over NZ

The UV Index is a measure of the intensity of UV radiation. The larger the number, the more intense the UV. InNew Zealand, its maximum summer value is generally about 12, but it can exceed 13 in the far North. In winter it

reaches peak values of 1 or 2. Values of 10 or more should be considered as extreme. At high altitude tropical

sites (eg Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii), the UV Index can exceed 20.

Increased UV levels

New Zealands location in the remote southern Pacic and Southern oceans and its low population density mean it

has an exceptionally clean atmosphere over most of the country. For example, New Zealand has little of the par-

ticulates and shorter-lived industrial gases that affect heavily industrialised countries in the northern hemisphere.

Our latitude and clarity of atmosphere mean that high levels of radiation from the sun reach the ground relatively

unhindered. This results in higher levels of UV radiation at ground level in New Zealand than in other developed

countries. Ozone depletion further exacerbates this effect, resulting in increased intensity of the UV radiation that

causes sunburn.

The environmental and health impacts of raised levels of UV can be severe, particularly for New Zealand where

high levels of UV are already experienced. The impacts include increases in the rates of skin cancers and eye

cataracts. Raised levels of UV also suppress human and animal immune systems. Plants can also be affected. For

example, high UV levels reduce the growth of plankton, a critical building block of the marine food chain. Increasedexposure to UV damages some man-made materials such as paints, plastics and construction materials.

UV leveld at Christchurch in different time of a year

Summer

Winter


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Atmosphere and Weather_Precipitation and Cloud types


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Air qualityis the introduction o chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment

or built environment, into the atmosphere.Te atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support lie on planet Earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air p ollution has long been recognized as a threat tohuman health as well as to the Earths ecosystems.


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Air Quality


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Air Quality_Emission Factor


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Air Quality_Spreading


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Air Quality_Health issue


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Air Quality_Solution


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Global warming is the rise in the average temperature o Earths atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century, and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earths mean surace tem-

perature has increased by about 0.8 C (1.4 F), with about two-thirds o the increase occurring since 1980. Warming o the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain thatit is primarily caused by increasing concentrations o greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as deorestation and t he burning o ossil uels.Tese fndings are recognized by the nationalscience academies o all major industrialized nations.


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Atomsphere layers_Overview

40km

30km

350km

The troposphere is the lowest layer of

Earth's atmosphere. The troposphere

starts at Earth's surface and goes up

to a height of 7 to 20 km (4 to 12miles, or 23,000 to 65,000 feet) above

sea level. Most of the mass (about

75-80%) of the atmosphere is in the

troposphere. Almost all weather occurs

within this layer. Air is warmest at the

bottom of the troposphere near ground

level. Higher up it gets colder. Air

pressure and the density of the air are

also less at high altitudes. The layer

above the troposphere is called the

stratosphere. Nearly all of the water

vapor and dust particles in the atmo-

sphere are in the troposphere.

The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's

atmosphere. The stratosphere is the

second layer, as one moves upward

from Earth's surface, of the atmo-sphere. The stratosphere is above the

troposphere and below the meso-

sphere. The top of the stratosphere

occurs at 50 km (31 miles) altitude.

The boundary between the strato-

sphere and the mesosphere above is

called the stratopause. The altitude of

the bottom of the stratosphere varies

with latitude and with the seasons,

occurring between about 8 and 16 km

(5 and 10 miles, or 26,000 to 53,000

feet). The bottom of the stratosphere

is around 16 km (10 miles or 53,000

feet) above Earth's surface near the

equator, around 10 km (6 miles) at

mid-latitudes, and around 8 km (5

miles) near the poles.

The thermosphere is a layer of Earth's

atmosphere. The thermosphere is

directly above the mesosphere and

below the exosphere. It extends fromabout 90 km (56 miles) to between

500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles)

above our planet.Temperatures climb

sharply in the lower thermosphere

(below 200 to 300 km altitude), then

level off and hold fairly steady with

increasing altitude above that height.

Solar activity strongly influences

temperature in the thermosphere. The

thermosphere is typically about 200

C (360 F) hotter in the daytime than

at night, and roughly 500 C (900 F)

hotter when the Sun is very active

than at other times.

The thermosphere is a layer of Earth's

atmosphere. The thermosphere is

directly above the mesosphere and

below the exosphere. It extends fromabout 90 km (56 miles) to between

500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles)

above our planet.

Temperatures climb sharply in the

lower thermosphere (below 200 to 300

km altitude), then level off and hold

fairly steady with increasing altitude

above that height. Solar activity

strongly influences temperature in the

thermosphere. The thermosphere is

typically about 200 C (360 F) hotter

in the daytime than at night, and

roughly 500 C (900 F) hotter when

the Sun is very active than at other

times.

Very high up, the Earth's atmosphere

becomes very thin. The region where

atoms and molecules escape into

space is referred to as the exosphere.The exosphere is on top of the thermo-

sphere.

100km+

Troposphere Stratoshpere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere

Troposphere

Stratoshpere

Mesosphere

Thermosphere

Exosphere


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Atomsphere layers_Composition

The atmosphere is composed of a shell of gases that surrounds the Earth. This shell is remarkably thin, only

about several hundred kilometers thick. While this may seem large, it is extremely small when you consider it in

comparison with the size of the Earth.

The atmosphere contains many gases, but the 2 most abundant by far are Nitrogen and Oxygen. Together,

these 2 gases make u p approximately 99% of the air. The chart on right hand side shows this. The chart refersto the "Troposphere", which is the bottom layer of the atmosphere.

Only easured for ozonesondes; for other sources it is extracted from reanalyses

B-factors for O3, N2O and H2O as a function of

changing time period (panels a, c and d respec-

tively) and for O3 as a function of accumulated

data sources (panel b). The 80% level in all panels

in shown for reference.

(a) Ozone anomalies (left) and meanannual cycle (right) for data extracted from the BDBP, for altitudes between 1 km and 70km and for the latitude zone from 40 N to 50 N. (b) same as (a), for data extracted from R&W. White areas indicate where novalues are available.

(a) Monthly mean ozone number density ( in DU/km) atthe equator and 25km from the BDBP ( red crosses withlines joining adjacent value). (b) A comparison of themean annual cycles calculaed from the monthly meansplotted in panel(a) where R&W values were excludedwhen BDBP values were not available to avoid anytemporal biasing. (c) The monthly mean ozone anomalytimes series calculated by subtracting the mean annualcycles plotted in panel (b) from the time series plotted in

panel (a).


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Composition Increase of CO2 Decrease of flame Decrease of temperture

Atmosphere Composition Increase of CO2 Increase of flame Increse of temperture

Atomsphere layers_Effect of omposition


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Some of the greenhouse gases occur in nature like water vapor, carbon dioxide; methane and nitrous oxide, on

the other side there are exclusively human-made like gases used for aerosols.

Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector

Levels of several important green-

house gases have increased byabout 25 percent since large-scale

industrialization began around 150

years ago. During the past 20 years,

about three-quarters of human-made

carbon dioxide emissions were from

burning fossil fuels.

Trends in Atmospheric Concentrations and Anthropogenic Emissions of Carbon Dioxide

From the trend we can clearly see he rices of CO2, thus it is important to lower the greenhouse gases. Atmosphericconcentrations of greenhouse gases are determined by the balance between sources (emissions of the gas fromhuman activities and natural systems) and sinks (the removal of the gas from the atmosphere by conversion to adifferent chemical compound).

Positive effectThe greenhouse effect was made to have a positive effect, but human activities have made it a negative one.

The greenhouse effect was made to keep the Earth's average temperature (14oC or 57oF) the same. The

atmosphere has small amounts of greenhouse gases to trap heat and warm the Earth. Without this greenhouse

effect, the Earth's temperature could be as low as -18oC (-0.4oF). So the greenhouse effect assures us we

won't freeze to death.

Harmful effectOn the negative side, this Greenhouse effect slowly but steadily increases the temperature of the world! Our

Earth is getting hotter and hotter every year. Ice in the North is melting and the polar bears and other dwellers of

the cold are losing their homes quickly. The greenhouse effect WAS supposed to simply keep the Earth at the

same temperature. But carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and other greenhouse gases are increasing in the ozone

layer and trap more heat because we have invented the car, burned fossil fuels in factories, burned wood as

campfires, and cut down the forests. As we continue to release these gases, the Earth will rapidly get hotter.

The change of global temperature and strength of it can be positive and negative influence. However people are

more attentive to the negative side. The global warming causing by the greenhouse effect to the nature eco-

system has causing influences such as unusual temperature, surface of sea level rises, ice-age melt, lake and

river that late frost and melt early as well as some numbers of plant and animal are decreasing.

Global warming_Green house effect


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Global warming_Science & Impact

Green house

gases

Green house

effectCO2

Scince of Global warming Impact of Global warming

Prediction Warming

Economic Depressed Worse than

War


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Global warming_Solutions

Buy local

food

Use less

Home

Solutions of Global warming - Doing something

Switch to

greenpowerLess travel

Be a

catalyst

Have an

energy audit

Eat less

meat

Plant trees


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A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing

chemical compound for an indefinite period. The process by which carbon sinks remove carbon dioxide

(CO2) from the atmosphere is known as carbon sequestration. Public awareness of the significance of

CO2 sinks has grown since passage of the Kyoto Protocol, which promotes their use as a form of

carbon offset.

The main natural sinks are:

Absorption of carbon dioxide by the oceans via physicochemical and biological

processes

Photosynthesis by terrestrial plants

Natural sinks are typically much larger than artificial sinks. The main artificial sinks are:

Landfills

Carbon capture and storage proposals

Carbon sources include:

Fossil fuels

Farmland; there are proposals for improvements in farming practices to

reverse this.

Diagram illustrating a simplified version of the carbon cycle.

Part of understanding how the climate is likely to change in future is understanding how some reservoirs

which are currently absorbing carbon (carbon sinks) might stop absorbing carbon in future.

As result of harmful effect of carbon dioxide, Carbon sinks are the most effective way for New Zealand-

ers to extract carbon from the atmosphere. They allow you to have the benefit, use and control of your

initiative without relying solely on the government to save us.

Natural ways of eliminates carbon dioxides

Ocean

One way to increase the carbon sequestration

efficiency of the oceans is to add micrometre-sizediron particles in the form of either hematite (iron

oxide) or melanterite (iron sulfate) to certain regions

of the ocean. This has the effect of stimulating

growth of plankton. Iron is an important nutrient for

phytoplankton, usually made available via upwelling

along the continental shelves, inflows from rivers and

streams, as well as deposition of dust suspended in

the atmosphere. Natural sources of ocean iron have

been declining in recent decades, contributing to an

overall decline in ocean productivity. Yet in the

presence of iron nutrients plankton populations

quickly grow, or 'bloom', expanding the base of

biomass productivity throughout the region and

removing significant quantities of CO2 from the

atmosphere via photosynthesis.

Soils & Forest

Since the 1850s, a large proportion of the world's grasslands

have been tilled and converted to croplands, allowing the rapid

oxidation of large quantities of soil organic carbon.

Methods that significantly enhance carbon sequestration in soil

include no-till farming, residue mulching, cover cropping, and

crop rotation, all of which are more widely used in organic

farming than in conventional farming.[35][36] Because only 5%

of US farmland currently uses no-till and residue mulching,

there is a large potential for carbon sequestration.[37] Conver-

sion to pastureland, particularly with good management of

grazing, can sequester even more carbon in the soil.

So in order to reduce carbon dioxide is to growing forests a

mature tropical forest, at first glance, would seem to be a huge

sink for carbon dioxide. After all, the rate of photosynthesis is

huge.

Global warming_Carbon sink

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120729 Atmosphere Research