-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
1/21
Atmospheric StructureAtmospheric Structureand Compositionand
Composition
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
2/21
Atmosphere: The thin envelope of gases surrounding the earth
Highly compressible
Density decreases rapidly with height
Air: A mechanical mixture of gases and aerosols
DefinitionsDefinitions
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
3/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
4/21
Vertical Structure of AtmosphereVertical Structure of
Atmosphere
Troposphere (surface to 8-2 !m"#pper boundary $aries from about
8 !m(poles in winter" to about 2 !m
(tropics"%eather and climate layer &ost of atmosphere's mass
all of its
water
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
5/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
6/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
7/21
Vertical Structure of AtmosphereVertical Structure of
Atmosphere
Troposphere (surface to about 8-2 !m"#pper boundary $aries from
about 8 !m (poles inwinter" to about 2 !m (tropics"%eather and
climate layer &ost of atmosphere's mass all of its water
Stratosphere (8-2 !m up to about ) !m"Ozone (O 3)
Layer*emperature in$ersion
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
8/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
9/21
Vertical Structure (ctd+"Vertical Structure (ctd+"
Mesosphere () -8 !m" , *emperature decreases with height+
%hy
Thermosphere (8 - !m" , *emperature in$ersion+ %hy
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
10/21
Vertical Structure (ctd+"Vertical Structure (ctd+" Homosphere
vs+Heterosphere
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
11/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
12/21
Vertical Structure (ctd+"Vertical Structure (ctd+" Homosphere
vs+Heterosphere
*ransition .ones between layers , Tropopause , Stratopause
, Mesopause
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
13/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
14/21
Defining /ayers by 0unction ,Defining /ayers by 0unction ,the
1.onospherethe 1.onosphere
oughly corresponds to the stratosphere
How does the o.one layer wor!
%hy is there a 3hole4 in the o.one layer
, %hy no 3hole4 where the pollution is produced
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
15/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
16/21
Defining /ayers by 0unction ,Defining /ayers by 0unction ,the
5onospherethe 5onosphere
#pper mesosphere 6 thermosphere7roduces the aurora borealis and
auroraaustralisD /ayer , absorbs A& radio wa$esdisappears at
night
/ayer , wea!ens at night0 /ayer , reflects A& radio
wa$es
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
17/21
Composition of the Air Composition of the Air
Uniform gases
9itrogen (9 2 " :8;< (1 2 " 2=;<
Argon (Ar" =;< trace gases (9eon<Helium< ðane
(CH >"
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
18/21
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
19/21
Composition (ctd+"Composition (ctd+" Aeroso s
Solid@ 5ce salt crystals< soil particles< $olcanic
dust
!on"ensation nu# ei
/iBuid@ %ater droplets (cloud< fog"
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
20/21
1rigin of the Atmosphere1rigin of the AtmosphereVolcanoes
release H 2< C1 2< H21 $< 92< 9H ?< CH>
9o 1 2 or 1 ?< so no land organisms
1ne-celled aBuatic organisms release C1 2 toatmosphere when
brea!ing down food throughfermentation
Simple aBuatic plants too! in C1 2 and released 1 2 to
atmosphere $ia photosynthesis1 ? formed from the 1 2
-
8/17/2019 Atmosphere - Bob Rohli
21/21
1rigin of Atmosphere (ctd"1rigin of Atmosphere (ctd"
C1 2 gets stored in shells and decaying plants
9 2 builds up in atmosphere
