WITH A PARTNER Come up with a theory as to why the hottest time of the day is around 3pm even though noon is when the sun has the most direct sunlight on the earth Come up with a theory as to why Just after sunrise in the morning is the COLDEST part of the day and not during the middle of the night.

ATMOSPHERE VIDEO OF ATMOSPHERE

REMEMBER EARTHS ENERGY COMES FROM THE SUN (

INTRO TO THE ATMOSPHERE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE MAKES CONDITIONS ON EARTH SUITABLE FOR LIVING THINGS!

WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE? ATMOSPHERE is the layer of gases that surrounds the planet. (breath on an apple)

IMPORTANCE OF THE ATMOSPHERE #1 Contains OXYGEN and other GASES needed for life. These living things also have an affect on the atmosphere. Atmosphere is constantly changing, molecules and gases move around the globe and in and out of living things

COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERE (WHAT IT IS MADE OF) Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% All other gases 1% ( Argon 0.93%, Carbon Dioxide 0.036%) neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen

OZONE OZONE is a form of oxygen that has 3 oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of 2.

WATER VAPOR WATER VAPOR is water in the form of a gas. It is invisible, not the same thing as steam. Amount of water vapor varies from place to place. Air above desert or polar ice sheet may have none, rain forest may have as much as 5%. Clouds form when water vapor condenses out of the air to form tiny droplets of liquid water or crystals of ice. If droplets are large enough they fall as rain or snow.

IMPORTANCE OF THE ATMOSPHERE #2 TRAPS energy from the sun, and keeps most of the Earths surface warm enough for LIQUID WATER. Living things need warmth and liquid water.

IMPORTANCE OF THE ATMOSPHERE #3 PROTECTS living things from dangerous RADIATION from the sun.

IMPORTANCE OF THE ATMOSPHERE #4 PREVENTS Earth’s surface from being hit by most meteoroids, or chunks of rock from outer space

LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE

THE 4 MAIN LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE.

LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE 1. Troposphere 2. Stratosphere 3. Mesophere 4. Thermosphere

1. TROPOSPHERE The troposphere is the bottom layer of the atmosphere where temperature decreases with an increase in altitude. GETS COLDER the HIGHER you go! LOWEST LAYER …… CLOSEST to the ground. Troposphere is where WEATHER occurs. THINNEST Layer of the atmosphere but contains almost all of the MASS of the entire atmosphere. 16km thick at equator, 9km thick the poles.

2. STRATOSPHERE The STRATOSPHERE extends from the top of the troposphere to about 50km above the Earth’s surface. Lower stratosphere is Colder then the Upper Stratosphere. The UPPER STRATOSPHERE contains OZONE. When ozone absorbs energy from the sun, the energy is converted into HEAT, warming the air.

3. MESOSPHERE (MESO MEANS MIDDLE) The MESOSPHERE is above the stratosphere. It starts at 50km above the earth and ends at 80kms. Mesosphere is COLDER then the stratosphere. Outer Mesosphere it is -90 degrees. MESOPHERE protects Earth from being hit by meteoroids. SHOOTING STARS when meteoroids are burning up in mesosphere.

4. THERMOSPHERE The THERMOSPHERE is the outer most layer of the atmosphere. It is above the Mesosphere and extends out into space. Blends into space. No set boundary VERY THIN air. IT IS VERY HOT!! Thermo means heat! 1,800’ C.. Hotter then furnace used to make steel. Suns energy hits Thermosphere first. Nitrogen and oxygen convert energy into heat. BUT.. You would not feel warm. Molecules are so spread out that there are not enough of them to collide with a thermometer.

4. 2 LAYERS OF THE THERMOSPHERE 1. IONOSPHERE – Lower level of the Thermosphere. AURORA BOREALIS – caused by particles form the sun that enter the ionosphere and then bounce back to Earth’s surface. Oxygen and nitrogen begin to glow 2. EXOSPHERE – Outer level of the Thermosphere. Satellites orbit in exosphere.