11.2 atmosphere and its componets Flashcards
(15 cards)
what are the layers of the atmosphere?
troposphere
stratosphere
mesophere
thermosphere
exospere (beyond earths atmosphere) (“space”)
whats in the tropshere?
where all the water occurs
-6 degrees c every 100m eleveation
solar energy is absorbed and transfered into air molecules as thermal energy
statosphere
dry
has ozone (traps UV)
mesophere
cooler
little ozone
themospjere
has the northern lights
gases absorb high energy radation and become ions
compositions of atmosphere
78% nitrogens
21% oxygen & ozone
1% argon/water vapour/ co2
what happens to the density as the altitude increases
decreases as altitude increases (less concentration of o2 concentration)
what is the green house effect?
gases that warm the earths surface by trapping the suns radiation.
warms the eart by 18 degrees
lists some green house gases
- water vapour
- co2
- methane
- cfc’s (Chlorofluorocarbons)
- ozone
what is a source
adds greenhouse gases (can be natural or manmade)
sink
absorbs green house gases (can be natural or manmade)
what is GWP
global warming potential:
the ability of a substance to warm the atmosphere by absorbing thermal energy
GWP measures gases that contrbuit to global warming by
-> how much gases there are
-> the ability of gases to absorb heat
-> the length of time gases are in the atmosphere
what is a carbon sequestration?
the process of removing co2 from the atmosphere and storing it (it can be biological such as planting trees or geological such has co2 that is trapped in underground deposits)
how does contiental drift influence climate change?
by affectng ocean currents and wind patterns (anything that negatively affects climate is climate change)
why does the temperature of the atmosphere vary as altitude increases?
each part of the atmosphere deals with kinetic energby differently
