The atmosphere Flashcards
What is characteristics of the atmosphere
Protects us from fumes and harmful UV rays
Moderates our climate
Provides CO2 and O2 to organisms
transports and recycles water and nutrients
What defines the different layers
Air temperature
What are the different layers
(in order) Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere
What is the troposphere?
It is the closest to the surface
It provides us with the air we breath
Weather patterns and disturbances
Much denser than other layers
Gets colder as we ascend
What is the stratosphere?
Where the ozone layer is found that protects us from harmful UV rays
Gets warmer as we ascend (ozone layer absorbs suns UV rays)
Mesosphere
Where meteors byun up as they fall into the atmosphere
gets colder as we ascend
thermosphere
Layer of ionized gases
experiences a steady flow of high-energy solar and cosmic radiation
radiation near the poles causes ionized gases to glow producing aurorae
What makes a transitional layer
It marks the boundaries where temperatures stabilize before changing once more
What is weather
it specifies particular atmospheric conditions over a short period
What is climate
It describes patterns of atmospheric conditions in an area over a long period
What is air
Air is essential to breathing
Air is all around us and we breathe the same air
Air is fluid (has no solid form)
What is air pollution
Contamination of the environment by any chemical
Any substance released through human impacts that can affect climate or harm people
Pollutants can be chemically identical to some substances released through natural events
What are the types of pollutants
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur Oxide
Nitrogen Oxide
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Particulate Matter (PMs)
Carbon monoxide
Naturally occurring gas at moderate concentrations (Moderated at carbon cycle)
Hazardous when inhaled at high concentrations (Colorless, tasteless, odorless)
Sulfure Oxide (SOx)
It is naturally present in the atmosphere (Volcanic eruptions)
SOx can come from combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels
Can become to SO3 which can contribute to acid rains
Colorless, corrosive gas
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Nitrogen and oxygen are abundant in the atmosphere
NOx occurs naturally and can be released
it can come from combustion activities with insufficient oxygen
Reddish-brown, toxic gas with sharp and unpleasant odor
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
It is a group of a variety of hydrocarbons
Do not pose as a great danger but contribute to secondary pollutants
Naturally released through evaporation of volatile hydrocarbons from plants
Particulate Matter (PMs)
Small solid and liquid particulates suspended in the air
Natural source (Smoke and ash from fires, dust, sea salt spray, pollen, bacterial and fungal spores)
Eventually, it falls to the ground depending on the size
The smaller the PM, the greater the chance of dispersal by wind
PM can also affect climate
What are the sources of pollution
Primary is released directly from source to atmosphere and is already hazardous)
Secondary is a result of a primary pollutant reacting with another substance
What are the common problems of air pollution
Industrial Smog, Photochemical Smog, Acid Rain, Ozone layer depletion, Global Warming
Industrial Smog
A mixture of soot, ash, SO2, and VOCs
Most are formed from the combustion of coal and oil
Forms over areas with a great amount of industrial processes and a high concentration of vehicles
Photochemical Smog
Results from interactions among NOx, and VOCs in the presence of sunlight
Sunlight drives chemical reactions between primary pollutants and other atmospheric compounds
NOx is a large component so it is a brownish haze
Acid Rain
Results of SOx and NOx reacting with water vapor and eventually forming large droplets falling down as acidic precipitation
Damages aquatic and marine organisms, solid human structures, vegetation, soil
Ozone layer depletion
O3 is toxic when breathed but is a crucial shield in the stratosphere
The main culprit of Ozone layer holes are CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)
Montreal protocol called for a phase-out of CFCs and also made funding available to poorer countries
Global warming
GHGs are not harmful and help the earth to be warm and maintain its temp
An increase in the concentration of GHGs leads to increased warming causing a climate crisis
Kyoto protocol sought to reduce collective emissions of 6 GHGs
