Learning objectives 1-8 & 11-20 Flashcards
Describe the Trophosphere
-Most mass
-Most types of clouds
-Almost all weather
-Wettest
-Top varies by season, lowest in winter and highest in summer.
-Top higher at equator than pole
-Air warmest near bottom at ground level
Describe the Stratosphere
-Ozone layer
-Absorbs UV radiation from sun
-Heats layer
-Absorbs and re-radiates incoming
infrared radiation from Earth
-More stable than troposphere
-Very dry air
-Polar stratospheric clouds here only and made of ice.
-Chemicals that end up there to stay there
-Particles from meteor impacts and volcanic eruptions
-Rare electrical discharges that appear above thunderstorms in the troposphere.
Describe the Mesosphere
-Coldest layer of atmosphere
-Hard to make measurements here.
-Most meteors vaporize in mesosphere
-Material from meteors lingers here - high amounts of iron (Fe) and other metal atoms.
-Rare noctilucent clouds or (PMCs) polar mesospheric clouds can form here.
- Very dry
-Electrical discharges akin to lightning called sprites and ELVES occur here.
Describe the Thermosphere
-Temperature climbs sharply, then level off and hold steady.
-Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range between 500 oC and 2,000 oC.
-Air density is so low in thermosphere, that most of it we consider to be “space”
-Space shuttle and international space station orbit within the thermosphere
-Atomic oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and helium (He) are the main components of air in the upper thermosphere
-Energetic X rays and UV from the sun break apart molecules
-Satellites orbit here.
-Auroras (northern lights) occur here
Heat vs Temperature
Heat is the amount energy of an object (total kinetic and potential energy), whereas temperature is the intensity of heat (average kinetic energy).
Insulation
The amount of solar radiation reaching a given area.
Why is 30 drier that 15
At this latitude, dry air descends from the upper troposphere and adiabatically heats as it is compressed into the Earth’s surface. This warms the surroundings and further promotes evaporation of any remaining moisture.
Explain why windward sides of mountains have more percipitation
If location B is not in the mountains, it could be argued that it sits near the mountain range on the windward side. Prevailing winds moving from over the ocean will carry moisture onto the continent. As that moisture rich air hits the mountains, it ascends, cools and moisture condenses creating precipitation. This influx of prevailing winds and precipitation will keep location B relatively cool. The dry air which moves over the leeward side of the mountains then descends on location A. As this dry air hits the Earth’s surface it adiabatically heats through compression causing warmer temperatures.
