The Atmosphere The Earths Warm Fuzzy Blanket What

The Atmosphere The Earth’s Warm Fuzzy Blanket

What is the Atmosphere? - A blanket of air that surrounds a heavenly body like the Earth. - Composition: What is the atmosphere made of? • 78% Nitrogen • 21% Oxygen • 1% other (includes carbon dioxide, water vapor and ozone) This 1% produces important weather features like clouds and rain but also has influence on the climate of Earth.

Tropospher e - Rises to about 20 km or about 7. 5 miles - About 75 -80% of the atmosphere’s mass - This is the layer we live in and experience weather. - Air is warmest at the bottom and gets colder as you move up through it.

Stratosphere - Starts between 8 and 16 km above Earth’s surface. Top of the stratosphere is at about 50 km above Earth’s surface - Contains the Ozone layer - Very dry. Very little water vapor. This means very few clouds. - Most commercial jets fly here to avoid turbulence. - Temperature increases as you go up through the stratosphere

Mesosphere - Temperatures again decrease with height - 50 -80 km. above the Earth’s surface - Temperatures approach ] -90 C. or 130 F - Destroys asteroids! http: //youtu. be/i. AZNv 2 c. XJK 0

Thermosphere - Begins at 80 km above the Earth - Temperatures increase with altitude due to the absorption of solar radiation. - Where the international space station orbits. - Where auroras occur http: //youtu. be/l. T 3 J 6 a 9 p_o 8

Exosphere - Region of the atmosphere where particles and molecules are lost to space. http: //youtu. be/3 Cer. Jb. Z-dm 0

Air Pressure and Altitude - Air pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of air above. - As altitude increases air pressure decreases. • Air thins out!