Earth Atmosphere Pt.2 Flashcards
What is radiation?
Transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves, or energy that can travel through space.
What are the 3 forms of radiation?
These make up 99% or radiant energy from the sun reaching earth:
• visible light - majority of sunlight in the form of a mixture of all colour you see in a rainbow (400nm -700nm)
• infrared radiation - form of energy with wavelengths longer than visible light and is not visible but can be felt as heat. (750nm - 1mm)
• ultraviolet light - has short wavelengths and can break chemical bonds. (10nm - 380nm)
What is the greenhouse effect?
• As light enters the atmosphere, it is converted to infrared radiation and is trapped by gasses in the air (greenhouse gasses)
• a natural process to regulate temperature on Earth
• one of the most important elements of weather.
How does the heating of the earth create wind?
• the area of the earth near the equator receives the most solar radiation
• The unequal heating of the earth causes global winds
What is wind?
The movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
What are the two types of wind?
Local winds: blow over short distance, created by unequal heating, occur within small area (land, sea, and mountain breezes)
Global winds: blow steadily over long distance, created by unequal heating, occur over large area (global wind belts)
What is the Coriolis effect?
As the earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
How does carbon cycle through the atmosphere?
Carbon cycles slow in oceans and quickly in atmosphere.
What are the steps of the nitrogen cycle?
1) nitrogen fixation: nitrogen fixing bacteria take nitrogen from the air and break its triple bond and add hydrogen to it, making ammonia.
2) assimilation: when plants take up ammonia to make proteins. Although some prefer nitrates.
3) nitrification: nitrifying bacteria add oxygen to ammonia creating nitrate. (Nitrate can be assimilated).
4) nitrogen is transferred to animals through the eating of plants (food web).
5) ammonification: animals/plants eventually die and decompose, returning the nitrogen back to the soil as ammonia.
6) denitrification: denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas returning it to the atmosphere.
How have humans altered the atmospheric cycle?
• accelerated the addition of carbon dioxide through burning fossil fuels. (Acidic oceans)
• air pollution: releasing harmful substances including gas and smoke
What are the two types of pollution?
Point source pollution: comes from an identifiable source (smokestacks, erupting volcano)
nonpoint source pollution: comes from a wide-spread area and cannot be tracked to one source (large city)
Where does the majority of air pollution come from?
Burning fossil fuels which result in pollutants that include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxides. (Lead to acid precipitation)
What is the carbon cycle?
• starts with the sun: plants take in sunlight and CO2 from the air through the process of photosynthesis. In this process they release oxygen.
• carbon fixation by consumers: animals eat the plants that contain carbon and store it as energy
• animal respiration: these animals also breath out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
• decomposition: the animals eventually die and when they decompose under high pressure they are turned into fossil fuels. They release CO2 as they decay and eventually become a storage for CO2
• fossil fuel combustion: manufactures burn these fossil fuels for energy which release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.
What is the oxygen cycle?
Photosynthesis: Plants and algae capture carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce oxygen and glucose during photosynthesis.
Respiration: All living organisms use oxygen to break down glucose and release energy, which leads to the production of carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.
Decomposition: When organic matter, such as dead plants and animals, decomposes, oxygen is consumed by the decomposer organisms in the process, releasing carbon dioxide, water, and other compounds.
They become fossil fuels that are used for industrial combustion.
Industrial Combustion: Oxygen is consumed when fuels are burned for energy, producing carbon dioxide, water vapour, and heat
Photolysis: sunlight breaks oxygen containing compounds and frees oxygen to the atmosphere
What are earth orbiting satellites?
• High-tech satellites circle Earth from space.
• Instruments onboard measure atmospheric gases and their concentrations.
• Provide wide coverage and long-term data collection
