Name ___________________________________ Period ___________ Date ____________________________

Unit 11: The Atmosphere & Weather (Part 1)Properties of the Atmosphere

“Dry” Atmosphere Composition:

• _______________(N2)

• _______________ (O2)

• ______ other gases (including __________________)

*The atmosphere also contains ___________

Atmospheric Layers

4 Major Layers:

• _______________

• _______________

• _______________

• _______________

• Changes in _____________ separate the layers

Troposphere

• 0-11km (________) above Earth’s surface

• Lowest layer of the atmosphere

• Temperature _________________ with increasing altitude

• Includes all __________, (i.e. clouds & thunderstorms)

• ________________ - boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere

Stratosphere

• 11-50km (____________) above Earth’s surface

• Second layer of the atmosphere

• Most ____________ travel here

• ______________ is located here

• Temperature ____________ with increasing altitude

• This temperature increase is due to the ________ that absorbs & scatters the suns ___________

• ________________ – boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere

Mesosphere

• 50-80km (_____________) above Earth’s surface

• Third layer of the atmosphere

• __________headed to Earth usually burn up in the mesosphere

• Temperature ______________ with increasing altitude

• Coldest layer

• ______________ – boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere

Thermosphere

• +80km (_____________) above Earth’s surface

• Fourth and outermost layer of the atmosphere

• Temperature ___________ with increasing altitude

• Extremely high temperatures due to ___________________

• Very difficult to measure the temperature because the ___________________________________.

• Disturbances in the thermosphere produce the aurora borealis or __________________.

Transfer of Heat in the Troposphere

• What are some ways that you can heat up an object?

______________ - The transfer of heat through matter by _________________

• Molecules __________ & _______________________ from one molecule to another

• Occurs between Earth’s __________ and the molecules in the ________ in direct contact with it

*Heat moves from a _________ substance to a _________ substance

_______________ - The transfer of heat by the ____________________ within a substance.

• Air is heated near Earth’s surface and becomes _______________ so the cool, more dense, air sinks down and pushes the ___________ up

• *Remember that…

• Convection creates _______ in the atmosphere

________________ - The transfer of heat through space by electromagnetic waves

• Heat travels from the ______________________ by radiation

• __________________of the atmosphere comes from radiation

______________________ ______________________ ________________________

Water in the Atmosphere

Water exists in the atmosphere as:

• Gas ___________________

• Solid ____________________

• Liquid ____________________

Changing States

Solid to liquid: __________________

• Ice _________________ and turns to liquid

Liquid to solid: _________________

• Water _____________, and turns to ice

Gas to liquid: __________________

• Heat is _____________ into surroundings

Liquid to Gas: __________________ (Boiling)

• Heat is _____________ from surrounding

Solid to gas: ___________________

• Heat _____________

Gas to solid: ___________________

• Heat _____________

Humidity

• The amount of ________________ in the atmosphere is called ____________.

• Air is “______________” when it contains the ______________ amount of water vapor possible at a given _______________

• The maximum amount of water vapor in the atmosphere depends on the _________________ of the water.

• Evaporation increases with temperature because the molecules in the water ___________ and the ones that are ______________________________________ and become gas

• The ____________ the temperature of the water, the _____________ water molecules will enter the air

• Some are escaping (_____________) from the water and some are coming back to the water (_____________) at

any given point

• Equilibrium occurs when….

• This determines the maximum possible amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given temperature (air is “__________”)

Relative Humidity

• Relative Humidity is the amount of water _________________ compared to how much water the air can ________ at a given temperature

• Indicates how near the air is to “____________”

• ________________ X = Relative Humidity

*Its really not about the air temperature but more about the water temperature…

Hot vs. Cold

• The __________ the temperature, the __________ the maximum water vapor

• By changing the temperature you can increase or decrease the relative humidity

• Constant water vapor and higher temp = ______________

• Constant water vapor and lower temp = ______________

• Warm, saturated air contains [more or less] water vapor than cold, saturated air

Examples

Air temperature (°C) Max water vapor in air

30 degrees 30 grams per cubic meter of air

20 degrees 17 grams per cubic meter of air

10 degrees 9 grams per cubic meter of air

Ex. 1) If the air temperature is 30°C and the air contains 6 grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air, what is the relative humidity?

Ex. 2) If the air temperature is 10°C and the air contains 6 grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air, what is the relative humidity?

Heat Index

• Determines what the air temperature ________________.

• High air temp + low RH = air temp feels __________ than it really is

• High air temp + high RH = air temp feels ____________ than it really is

Dew Point

• Dew point – __________________ to which air must be cooled to reach “__________________”

• Relative Humidity = ______%

• If the temperature drops _________ the dew point then the moisture in the air can begin to ______________ and form _________ (> 0 C) or ________ (< 0 C)

Examples

Ex. 1) If the air temperature is 30°C and the air contains 9 grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air, what is the dew point? What is the relative humidity?

Ex. 2) If the air temperature is 10°C and the air contains 9 grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air, what is the dew point? What is the relative humidity?

• If humidity is ________, a __________ temperature drop will reach dew point.

• If humidity is ______, a ________ temperature drop will reach dew point.

• Question #1: If the dew point is reached (AKA relative humidity = 100%) will it always begin to rain?

• Question #2: If the dew is reached (AKA relative humidity = 100%) will a cloud always form?

Clouds

• Cloud - Visible mass of tiny _________ droplets or _____ particles suspended in the atmosphere.

3 variables must be present for clouds to form:

1) ________________: air must be saturated (at equilibrium vapor pressure).

2) Cool temperatures: air must be cooled to the ____________.

3) Condensation nuclei*: provides a __________ for condensation to occur. The particles attract water

• Ex.: ______________________.

• As warm air _________ and expands due to the lower pressure, it ___________.

• When air reaches a level where its temperature is lower than ________________, net condensation occurs to form a cloud.

• The level where condensation forms is called the condensation level.

• The ________ of the cloud forms here

What causes air to rise?

• __________________ (Orographic Lifting) - Air hits mountains and is forced up

• __________________________ - cool air acts as barrier over which warmer, less dense air rises

• ______________________- as air of the same density collides

since it cannot be forced down, it is forced up

• __________________________________ - unequal heating of the Earth causes differences in density

Cloud Types

• Clouds are classified on the basis of their form and height.

• FORM

• _________ – “hair like”, high altitude, wispy

• _____________ – “pile/pillow”, rounded

• ___________ – “ layer”, sheets or layered, no distinction between individual clouds

• ___________ - rain cloud

• HEIGHT

• High Clouds (Above 6000m) - Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus

• What do you notice?

• Middle Clouds (2000-6000m) - Altostratus, altocumulus

• What do you notice?

• Low Clouds (below 2000m) - Stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus

• What do you notice?

Vertical Clouds

• Some clouds __________________________________, these clouds can build to towering heights.

• _______________ – puffy cloud usually found at low & middle cloud levels

• __________________________- formed from rising of unstable air

• Often associated with thunder, lightning, and ________

• _________________ Cloud – Occasionally found with cumulonimbus clouds

Fog

• _________ – a cloud at the _____________ of the Earth

4 types of fog:

• Radiation fog : sometimes called ground or valley fog. Results from loss of heat by _______________. Cold air drains into low lying areas; valleys. Occurs mostly in fall and winter. Main type for Rocky Mount area.

• Steam fog : forms when cool air moves over a ___________________________; common over rivers and lakes. Example: Tar River, Jacuzzis/hot tub

• ________________ fog : forms when warm, moist air moves across a __________________. Found along coasts; ex. San Francisco, New England

• ______________ fog : formed by the lifting and cooling of air as it rises __________ along land slopes. Found in mountainous areas.

Precipitation

• Any ____________ that falls from the air to the earth’s ____________.

How precipitation forms:

1) _____________ Process

• ____________ pressure around ice crystals causes ice to grow

• It becomes __________ enough to fall

2) ____________- ________________

• Water Molecules _________ into one another

• More drops are added

• Splat

What does a rain drop look like?

Types of Precipitation

What kind of precipitation you receive depends upon ______________________ on the way down

• __________: smaller water droplets

• _______: water is melted when it hits ground

• ________: water is frozen and stays frozen

• __________: water freezes in mid-fall

• _______________________ (glaze): water freezes upon impact

• _______: water is frozen as pellets and pellets grow in clouds.