6.1 Introduction to the Atmosphere Flashcards
Troposphere
the first layer of the atmosphere
- 0-10 km in height
- weather occurs in this layer
Stratosphere
the second layer of the atmosphere
- 10-50 km in height
- the ozone layer is in this layer
- the air gets warmer the higher up
Mesosphere
the third layer of the atmosphere
- 50-80 km in height
- meteors are burned up in this layer
- the coldest layer of the atmosphere (-100 C)
Thermosphere
the top layer of the atmosphere
- reaches up to 500 or even 1000 km in height
What is the composition of the atmosphere
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other like water vapour and CO2
Flows into the atmosphere
- pollutant gasses
- CO2 from burning fossil fuels
- oxygen from photosynthesis
- water from evaporation
- solar radiation
- dust from erosion
- living organisms
Storages in the atmosphere
- nitrogen 78%
- oxygen 21%
- living organisms
- ozone
- CO2
- pollen dust
- nitrous oxides
Flows out of the atmosphere
- CO2 from respiration
- radiation (heat)
- living organisms
- rain and precipitation back to land
Natural Greenhouse Effect
when solar radiation is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gasses, not too much heat is trapped however and enough heat escapes back into space and allows for stable temperatures
Human Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
when solar radiation is trapped in Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gasses, however only a little heat escapes and leads to rising temperatures on Earth
Primary Greenhouse Gasses Include
water vapour, carbon dioxide, and methane
- only molecules with two or more bonds joining its atoms can absorb and re-emit energy
Positive Feedback Loop
occurs in nature when the product of a reaction leads to an increase in that reaction
Negative Feedback Loop
a type of self-regulating system
Albedo
the measure of the reflectivity of a surface
- high means very reflective
- low means light is easily absorbed
Albedo Effect
a measure of how much of the sun’s energy that gets reflected back into space
