Atmosphere/Winds

STRATOSPHERE

MESOPSHERE

THERMOSPHERE

EXOSPHERE

10km

50km

85km

500km

5 to

90o

C

90 t

o 10

o C

65 t

o 0o

C

Ionosphere - Layer of electrically charged particles. 250 – 300 Km.

AtmosphereTemperatures & Depth

Jet

Str

eam

s

10

to 7

5o C

TROPOSHPERE

TROPOSHPERE

STRATOSPHERE

MESOSPHERE

THERMOSPHERE

Ozone -20 - 50 kmAbsorbs heat from sun

75% of gases

Little water vapor

Coolest part

Sun warms air

Rad

io w

aves

Wea

ther

& C

loud

s

Sat

ellit

es

Airp

lane

s

Dust, W

ater & Ice

Weather balloons

X-15 A

ircraft

Auroras

Atmosphere Facts

EXOSPHERE

Space shuttle

OXYGEN

21%

NITROGEN78% TRACE GASES 1%

Trace Gases

Argon - .93%

CO2 - .034

Neon - .00182

Helium - .00052

Methane - .00015

Krypton - .000114

Hydrogen - .00005

COMPOSITION OF ATMOSHPERE

Coriolis Effect

World’s major wind systems are created when air movingacross the surface is deflected either eastward/westwarddue to the Coriolis Effect. Creates world weather patterns. Atmospheric circulation is powered by energy of the Sun.

• Polar Easterlies - East to West

• Westerlies - West to East - opposite of trade winds Responsible for weather in the U.S. & Canada

• Trade winds - East to West Steady winds create route for sailors in North

• Doldrums - Windless zone Air seems motionless Hot air rises - less dense - moves straight up

POLAR EASTERLIES

POLAR EASTERLIES

WESTERLIES

WESTERLIES

TRADE WINDS

TRADE WINDS

DOLDRUMS

DOLDRUMS

0 O

10 O

30 O

10 O

30 O

60 O

60 O

EQUATOR

Jet Streams

Jet Streams

Jet Streams

Jet Streams

Jet Streams

LAND BREEZES - NIGHT

• Smaller systems which create local weather, caused by convection currents.

• Air over land is heated by conduction.

• Land warms and cools more rapidly than water.

Sea Breezes DAY• Created during day because solar radiation, warms the land more than the water.• Air over land heated by conduction. • Heated air becomes less dense - goes up because of cooler denser air moving from ocean, convections currents result.

Sea by Night

Sea by Day

SMALLER SYSTEMS WHICH CREATE LOCAL WEATHER - by convection currents

COOL AIR

SIN

KS WA

RM

AIR

RISES

SEA BREEZE

LAND BREEZE

COO

L AIR SINKS

WARM

AIR

RIS

ES

RADIATION warms the surface.

The air near Earth’s surface is heated by CONDUCTION.

Cooler air pushes warm air upward, creating a CONVECTION CURRENTS.

Transfer of HEAT within Earth’s atmosphere.