1. Introduction to the Atmosphere

2. “When you look out across our atmosphere, it looks like the skin of an onion.” Explain what this statement means.

3. The Atmosphere - the blanket of gases
that surrounds the earth - is needed for
more than just breathing.
Name two other ways
life here on Earth
depends on the atmosphere.

4. - blocks out much harmful
sunlight such as ultraviolet rays.
- creates the greenhouse effect
allows some sunlight in,
traps it, and keeps Earth’s
temperature steady
- water evaporates and collects
in the atmosphere, which
influences weather.

5. The Atmosphere - and most everything
else - is held in place by the force of
GRAVITY.
The more mass a body has, the greater
its gravitational pull.
Therefore, EARTH has
more pull on the
atmosphere.

6. The Atmosphere thins steadily with
increasing elevation above the
Earth’s surface.

7. Count the number of air molecules found in each elevation.
O O O
O O
160 km above sea level
O O O O
80 km above sea level
O O O O O At
at sea level
Count the number of air molecules found in each elevation.
Explain why there is a difference.

8. Thus, the atmosphere thins rapidly with (decreasing, increasing)
Therefore, (more, less) gas molecules are found near the surface than higher up.
Thus, the atmosphere thins rapidly with (decreasing, increasing)
distance above the Earth.
More
(2)increasing

9. As we travel higher into the atmosphere, the particles of air become
________.
We say that the density of the air _______.
Scientists have divided the atmosphere into _____ layers.
Farther apart
Decreases
c.Four

10. - Is the atmosphere exerting some force on you?
- How do you know?
What is this force called?
What part of the atmosphere is this
force the greatest? Why?
Yes
(2)measured by a barometer
(3)atmospheric pressure
(4)greatest near the surface, more molecules are found near the earth’s surface

11. What factors change in the atmosphere as one increases its elevation?
The word “pause” means what?
What factor do you think is “pausing” in the atmosphere?
Look at the diagram on the left. How can you tell that it is “pausing? “

12. Layers of the Atmosphere
Exosphere
Ionosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere

13. Temperature Changes in the Atmosphere
What is measured in the X-axis?
What is measured in the y-axis?
What pattern do you see?
Look for the letter “x”.
There is a “pause” here.
Explain why the temperature
reading is “pausing?” X
Temperature
Elevation
Trop (decre) Strat (Incre) Meso (decre) and Thermo (incre) X

14. Troposphere Facts From surface - 10km (6 mi)
Prefix “tropo” in Greek means “change”
All of earth’s weather occurs here
Most of the atm carbon dioxide and water vapor
Life exists in the troposphere
To 10 km=6 miles

15. Troposphere Facts 2 warmed by heat reflected from the earth’s surface
energy from the sun passes through it
Temperature decreases as altitude increases
temperature drops about 6.5o C for each kilometer above the earth
23 F/mile?

16. Stratosphere Facts From Tropopause to 50 km (31 mi)
Lower level is very cold
Ideal altitude to fly planes.
Ozone layer is in this layer
Thickest at 25km
Due to the Ozone layer, temperature increases in the upper stratosphere
Ozone layer most consentrated at 25km = 16 miles
Radiation breaks o2 to combine w/ o2 to get o3
Stratosphere from km

17. Mesosphere Facts temperature drops as altitude increases
coldest region of the entire atmosphere
From Stratopause to 80 km (50 mi.)
protects earth from meteoroids

18. Thermosphere Facts no well defined upper limit
Thermo means “heat” in Greek
Temp increases with altitude
While the overall temperature is low in this sphere, individual particles may
reach 2,000 degrees C.
Contains the:
Ionosphere
exosphere

19. Ionosphere Facts contains charged particles called “ions”
From km ( mi)
absorbs ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from the sun
radio signals are reflected back to Earth; makes long-distance communications possible

20. Exosphere Facts Upper part of Thermosphere
Artificial satellites travel here
Very few air particles in this layer

21. Get a Piece of Binder Paper

22. Atmosphere Quiz
The Earth’s atmosphere is mostly composed of ___, ____, and ____.
2. Your ear makes a “pop” sound as you descend in an elevator. This is due to the changing _____.
3. What are the different layers making up the atmosphere (lowest to the highest layer)?
4. This layer is able to protect the Earth from harmful amounts of ultraviolet radiation.
1, nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor.
Pressure
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Ozone layer.

23. Atmosphere Quiz
What is the relationship between density and the altitude of the atmosphere?
What is the relationship between pressure and the altitude of the atmosphere?
As altitude increases, density decreases.
As altitude increases, pressure decreases.