ATMOSPHERE

The Earths Atmosphere

A thin, gaseous envelope comprised
mostly of nitrogen and oxygen, with small
amounts of other gases, such as water
vapor and carbon dioxide.
Nested on the atmosphere are clouds of
liquid water and ice crystals.
Almost 99 percent of the atmosphere lies
within a mere 30 km of the earths surface.

The Earths Atmosphere

Constantly shields the surface and its
inhabitants from the suns dangerous ultra
violet radiant energy, as well as from the
onslaught of material from interplanetary
space.
No definite upper limit.
It becomes thinner and thinner, eventually
merging with empty space which
surrounds all the planets.

The Earths Atmosphere

Figure 1. The earths atmosphere as viewed from

space during sunrise. About 90 percent of the earths
atmosphere is within the bright area and about 70
percent lies below the top of the highest cloud.

Evolution of the Atmosphere

The Earths atmosphere is the product of a
lengthy evolutionary process that began at
the Earths birth about 4.6 billion years ago.
Astronomers scanning the solar system and
geologists analyzing evidence obtained from
meteorites, rocks, and fossils have given us
a reasonable, albeit as yet incomplete,
scenario of the origin of the atmosphere

Primeval phase of the Earths Atmosphere

Planet Earth as well as the sun and the
entire solar system is believed to have
developed out of an immense cloud of
dust and gases within the Milky Way
galaxy.
Free oxygen was notably absent.
Early atmosphere was perhaps 10 to 20
times
denser
than
the
present
atmosphere.

 3.8 billion years ago, volcanic activity

subsided
3.5 billion years ago, first primitive forms of
life appeared
Over past 100 million years, atmospheric
oxygen apparently underwent significant
fluctuation, for reason not completely
understood.

Modern phase of the Earths Atmosphere

Modern atmosphere is a mixture of many
different gases.
The concentration of the heavier gases
decrease more rapidly with altitude than
do concentration of the lighter gases

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
Permanent Gases
Symbol

Percent
(by Volume)
Dry Air

Nitrogen

78.08

Oxygen

20.95

Argon

Ar

0.93

Neon

Ne

0.0018

Helium

He

0.0005

Hydrogen

0.00006

Xenon

Xe

0.000009

Gas

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
Variable Gases

Gas (and
Particles)

Symbol

Percent
(by Volume)

Water Vapor

HO

0 to 4

Carbon dioxide

CO

0.037

Methane

CH

0.00017

Nitrous Oxide

NO

0.00003

0.000004

Ozone
Particles (dust,
soot, etc.)
Chlorofluorocarb
ons (CFCs)

0.000001
0.00000002

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases.
Nitrogen occupies about 78 percent and
oxygen about 21 percent of the total
volume of dry air. If all the other gases are
removed, these percentages for nitrogen
and oxygen hold fairly constant up to 80
km (50 mi).
At the surface, there is a balance between
destruction (output) and production (input)
of these gases.

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
Water Vapor
The concentration of this invisible gas
varies greatly from place to place, and
from time to time.
Close to the surface in warm, steamy,
tropical locations, water vapor may
account for up to 4 percent of the
atmospheric gases.
In colder arctic areas, its concentration
may fall to a mere fraction of a percent.

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
Water Vapor
Its molecules are invisible and become
visible only when they transform into
larger liquid or solid particles, such as
cloud droplets and ice crystals.
It is an extremely important gas which
releases large amounts of heat called
latent heatan important source of
atmospheric energy, especially for
storms.
It is a potent greenhouse gas for it
strongly absorbs a portion of the earths
outgoing radiant energy.

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
Carbon dioxide
A
natural
component
of
the
atmosphere.
It occupies a small (but important)
percent of a volume of air, about 0.037
percent.
It enters the atmosphere from:
the decay of vegetation
volcanic eruptions
the exhalations of animal life
the burning of fossil fuels

Composition
(near the Earths surface)
Carbon dioxide
Its removal from the atmosphere takes
place during photosynthesis.
It is another important greenhouse gas.

General Characteristics
Density and Mass
According to the American National
Center for Atmospheric Research, "The total
mean mass of the atmosphere is
5.14801018 kg with an annual range due to
water vapor of 1.2 or 1.51015 kg depending
on whether surface pressure or water vapor
data are used. The mean mass of water
vapor is estimated as 1.271016 kg and the
dry air mass as 5.1352 0.00031018 kg."

General Characteristics
Density and Mass
According to the American National
Center for Atmospheric Research, "The total
mean mass of the atmosphere is
5.14801018 kg with an annual range due to
water vapor of 1.2 or 1.51015 kg depending
on whether surface pressure or water vapor
data are used. The mean mass of water
vapor is estimated as 1.271016 kg and the
dry air mass as 5.1352 0.00031018 kg."

General Characteristics
Pressure
The amount of force exerted over an
area of surface.
The average atmospheric pressure
at sea level is 1 standard atmosphere
(atm).
101.3 kPa
14.7 psi
760 mm Hg
76 cm Hg
29.92 in Hg

General Characteristics
Pressure
Air pressure varies with location
and weather.
Warmer air is less dense and exerts
less pressure
Cooler air is denser and exerts more
pressure
Atmospheric
pressure
always
decreases with increasing height.

General Characteristics
Pressure
Air pressure varies with location
and weather.
Warmer air is less dense and exerts
less pressure
Cooler air is denser and exerts more
pressure
Atmospheric
pressure
always
decreases with increasing height.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Layers of the
Atmosphere
The four layers of the
atmosphere include:
the thermosphere, where
satellites orbit Earth;
the mesosphere, where
meteors burn;

the stratosphere, which

contains the ozone layer;
the troposphere, where we
live.

Layers of the
Atmosphere
The upper boundaries of
each of the three lower
layers
are
known
as
tropopause,
stratopause,
and
mesopause,
respectively.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Troposphere
From the Greek word tropein,
meaning to turn, or to change.
The lowest layer of importance that
contains the bulk of the air.
The region of the atmosphere from
the surface up to about 11 km (or 7
mi).
Characterized by a nearly uniform
decrease in temperature from
lower to higher altitudes.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Troposphere
Most of the weather changes are
limited to this layer because of the
decrease of temperature with
elevation.
Thickest at the equator and
thinnest at the poles.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Stratosphere
Directly
above
the
troposphere,
extending from 11 km to about 50 km
above the Earths surface.
Characterized by a vertically isothermal
(equal temperature) structure in the
lower portion.
Portion of the upper layer contains high
levels of a gas called ozone.
Many jet aircrafts fly in this layer
because
of
its
stability.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Mesosphere
Middle sphere
Extends from the top of the
stratosphere to about 85 km above
Earth
Lies
above
the
stratosphere
identified by a strong temperature
decrease
from
the
maximum
temperature zone in its lowest
portion just above the stratosphere.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Mesosphere
With an average temperature of -90
degrees Celcius, the top of this layer
represents the coldest part of our
atmosphere.
Meteors or rock fragments burn up in
the mesosphere.
Ionosphere is in this layer portion
of the upper atmosphere which
includes the ion-rich layers.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Mesosphere
The air here is extremely thin and
the atmospheric pressure is quite
low.
At this level, without proper oxygenbreathing equipment, the brain
would
soon
become
oxygenstarveda condition known as
hypoxiaand
suffocation
would
result.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Mesosphere
The air here is extremely thin and
the atmospheric pressure is quite
low.
At this level, without proper oxygenbreathing equipment, the brain
would
soon
become
oxygenstarveda condition known as
hypoxiaand
suffocation
would
result.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Thermosphere
The
hot
layer
above
the
mesosphere.
Thickest atmospheric layer found
between 85 km and 500 km above
Earths surface
Oxygen molecules absorb energetic
solar rays, warming the air.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Thermosphere
There are relatively few atoms and
molecules, thus, the absorption of a
small amount of energetic solar
energy can cause a large increase in
air temperature that may exceed 500
degrees Celcius.
The thermosphere is a layer with
auroras, known for its high
temperatures.
Ionosphere is here, too, which helps
carry radio waves.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Exosphere
The atmosphere merges into space
in the extremely thin exosphere.
This is the upper limit of our
atmosphere.
Outer layer where space shuttle
orbits.

Temperatures in Atmospheric Layers

The troposphere is warmed primarily by the
Earths surface; temperature decreases as
altitude increases in this layer.
Temperatures
increase
as
altitude
increases in the stratosphere, particularly in
the upper portion ozone.
Temperatures decrease with altitude in the
mesosphere.
Thermosphere and exosphere are the first
to receive Suns rays, so they are very hot.

Stability
Lapse Rates
The lapse rate, or vertical temperature
gradient, is the rate of change of temperature
with height in the free atmosphere.
Adiabatic change
The change in the temperature of a
gas or the air, due only to the change in
pressure on the air.

Stability
An air parcel is subject to buoyant force that
arise from density difference between the
parcel and the surrounding (ambient) air. The
warmer an air parcel is, the lower is its
density. Parcels that are warmer (lighter)
than the ambient air tend to rise, and parcels
that are cooler (denser) than the ambient air
tend to sink. An air parcel continues to rise or
sink until it reaches air of equivalent
temperature (or density).

Stability
Within a stable air layer, an ascending air
parcel becomes cooler than the ambient air,
or a descending air parcel becomes warmer
than the ambient air. For either upward or
downward displacements, an air parcel in
stable air is thus forced to return to its
original altitude.

Stability
Within an unstable air layer, an ascending
parcel becomes warmer than the ambient
and continues to ascend, or a descending
parcel becomes cooler than the ambient
and continues to descend.

air
air
air
air

Stability
An air layer is stable for both saturated and
unsaturated air parcels when the sounding
indicated any of the following conditions.
1. The temperature of the ambient air drops
more slowly with altitude than the moist
adiabatic lapse rate.
2. The temperature is constant with altitude
(called isothermal).
3. The temperature increases with altitude (a
temperature inversion).

 Stability
Lapse Rate is less than the adiabatic
lapse rate. LR < ALR
Instability
Lapse Rate exceeds the adiabatic
lapse rate. LR > ALR

Neutral Stability
LR = ALR