1. How does the sun’s energy affect Earth’s atmosphere?
The Atmosphere
How does the sun’s energy affect Earth’s atmosphere?

2. The Atmosphere
Imagine yourself lazily soaring like a bird above Earth. The quiet, gentle winds and warm sun are so relaxing. No noisy engines, no flapping wings, but wait, what’s keeping you flying?? Everyone knows that humans can’t fly!! Discuss: How does this hang glider fly?

3. The Air Around You What is the atmosphere??
Earth’s Atmosphere: The envelope of gases that surrounds the planet.
Atmospheric Gasses: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases
Particles of liquids and solids are also in the atmosphere
(PURE air contains only gases, but that only exists in laboratories. Real world air contains tiny particles of dust, smoke, salt, and chemicals.)

4. Nitrogen & Oxygen make up 99% of dry air!!
The Air Around You
Dry Air??
Nitrogen: Most abundant gas in the atmosphere – makes up ¾ ‘s of the air we breath.
Oxygen: Second most abundant gas.
Nitrogen & Oxygen make up 99% of dry air!!
Carbon Dioxide: Makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere.
Other gases make up very small amounts of the atmosphere.

5. The Air Around You Dry air????? Air is NOT dry!!!
Air contains WATER VAPOR
Water Vapor: Water in the form of a gas.
Water vapor is invisible
Water vapor amounts varies greatly from place to place and from time to time.
Water vapor plays an important role in Earth’s Weather (Clouds form when water vapor condenses to form tiny droplets of liquid water or crystals of ice – when heavy enough they fall as rain or snow)

6. Layers of the Atmosphere
Misconception: The gases that makes up Earth’s atmosphere is thick. Fact: Earth’s atmosphere extends far out into space. Most of the Earth’s atmosphere is so thin that it would be hard to tell it apart from the vacuum of space. Most of the gas in the atmosphere is found close to Earth’s surface.

7. Layers of the Atmosphere
Four Main layers of the Atmosphere:
Scientists divide Earth’s atmosphere according to changes in temperature.

8. Layers in the Atmosphere
Four Main Layers:
Troposphere: The layer of the atmosphere in which Earth’s weather occurs.
We Live in it
Conditions in the troposphere are more variable than in the other layers.
Shallowest layer
Most dense (makes up most of the mass of the atmosphere)
As altitude increases the temperature decreases.

9. Layers in the Atmosphere
Stratosphere: Second layer of the atmosphere and contains the ozone layer.
Lower stratosphere is cold.
Upper stratosphere is much warmer compared to the lower part.
Middle layer has a layer of air and there is much more ozone here than in the rest of the atmosphere.
When ozone absorbs energy from the sun, the energy is converted into heat, warming the air The ozone layer protects living things from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

10. Layers in the Atmosphere
Mesosphere: The middle layer of the atmosphere.
Drop in temperature
This layer protects Earth’s surface from being hit by most meteoroids.

11. Layers in the Atmosphere
Thermosphere: The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere.
Near the top of the atmosphere
Air is very thin.
Extends outward into space – it has no outer limit.
Sunlight strikes this layer first – VERY HOT
You wouldn’t feel warm – molecules are spaced far apart in the thin air – there’s not enough to collide with you to warm you up!

12. Layers in the Atmosphere