Weather, Climate, and the Atmosphere

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Weather, Climate, and the Atmosphere
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Composition of the Atmosphere
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What is weather?

• Weather is the condition of the Earths
  atmosphere at a particular time and place.
• Example What is the weather outside right now?
• Not an Example What is North Carolina weather
  in the fall?

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What is Climate ?

• Climate is the general patterns of weather
• a place experiences over time.

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What Determines Climate

• Temperature
• Precipitation

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Factors That Affect Temperature

• Latitude distance north and south of equator
• Areas close to the equator (0 latitude),
  receive the direct rays of the sun. I57
• What type of climate do these areas have?
• Where do the lowest average temperatures occur?
  
• Near the Poles ( 90 north or south)

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• Elevation (Altitude)
• What becomes less dense as elevation
  increases?
• Less-dense air cannot hold as much heat as
  denser air. What does this cause the temperature
  to do?
• (It decreases)

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Ocean Currents

• An ocean current is a river of water that flows
  in a definite path in the ocean. I115
• They are either warm or cold currents.
• The surface temperature of water affects the
• temperature of _____________?
• Air above it

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Ocean Currents

• Currents traveling away from the equator
• are warm water currents.
• Currents traveling toward the equator are
• cold water currents.

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Factors That Affect Precipitation

• Prevailing Winds A wind that blows more often
  from one direction than from any other direction.

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Prevailing Winds

• Warm holds more moisture
• Warm air rises and then cools so it cannot
• hold the moisture therefore, it falls to earth
• as some type of precipitation.
• Cold holds less moisture
• Cold air sinks and becomes warmer so it can hold
• more moisture. Due to this there will be little
• precipitation.

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Prevailing Winds

• Direction from which they blow determines how
  much moisture it carries
• Land to water (land breeze)
• Water to Land (sea breeze)
• Which kind of wind carries more moisture?

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Prevailing Winds

• How can the Sahara desert exist near the
• Atlantic Ocean and only receive less than
• 25 centimeters of rainfall? I116

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Land and Sea Breezes

• Why does land heat up and cool down faster
  than water?
• Soil and vegetation reflect less solar
  radiation than water. The solar radiation heats
  up the very top of the land surface. It cannot
  penetrate the soil at a deep level.
• Vegetation absorbs solar radiation and stores
  it for energy.

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Land and Sea Breezes

• Water will reflect most of the solar radiation
  back into the atmosphere. The remainder can
  penetrate into the water

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Monsoons

• What is a monsoon?
• The name "monsoon" is derived from the Arabic
  word mausim" which means "season" or
  "wind-shift".

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Monsoons

• Sea and Land breezes over a large region
• that changes direction with the seasons are
• called monsoons. Page 56I

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What is the Atmosphere?

• Remember!
• Atmos Vapor Sphere Ball
• The Atmosphere is a layer of gasses that surround
  Earth or any planet.

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Why is the atmosphere important

1. We need the gases for survival.
2. It prevents the earth from being hit by
   meteoroids
3. Heats the water on earth to keep most of it in
   liquid form
4. Protects us from the

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What is in our atmosphere?

• Gases (dry air)
• Nitrogen 78 - N2

1. Oxygen 21 - O2

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What else is in the atmosphere?

1. Carbon Dioxide - less than 1 - CO2

• Trace Gases less than 1 of argon, helium,
  methane, krypton, hydrogen

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What else is in the atmosphere?

• Water Vapor Water in the form of a gas
• The amount of water vapor varies from 0 5.
• Example Desert O
• Example Rainforest 5

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What else is in the atmosphere?

• Particles
• Examples
• Dust
• Smoke
• Salt
• Other Chemicals

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Is it OK to be dirty?

• YES!! (to a certain degree)
• When water vapor condenses to form clouds it must
  have something to stick to in the atmosphere.
• Natural pollutants are just the thing that clouds
  need.

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Pollution
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What is Pollution?

• Harmful substances in the air, water or soil.

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Is some pollution OK?

• YES!!
• Salt Spray
• Mold
• Pollen
• Erosion
• Forest Fires
• Dust Storm
• Animal Dander
• Volcanic Eruption

• These are all Natural Pollutants.

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BUT SOME IS NOT!!

• Un- natural Pollution Human Activities

• ½ - motor vehicles
• ¼ - factories and power plant
• ¼ - farming, construction, burning fossil fuels
  (wood and coal)

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Smog Smoke Fog

• London Smog coal particles Water Vapor in the
  humid air in England

• Photochemical Smog - sunlight chemicals in the
  air released by motor vehicles and factories

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Acid Rain

• Chemicals called oxides mix with water in the air
  to make the rain acidic (Draw this)

• Precipitation carries acid from the air to trees,
  water sources, and buildings

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NOW WHAT?

• Pollution Restrictions by US Government
• Higher standards for clean cars
• More affordable and reliable Hybrid/electric
  vehicles