The Earth’s Atmosphere
Weather and Climate
1. Weather
 The state of the atmosphere at a _________________ for a ___________________ of time
2. Climate
 An ____________________________ of weather of a ___________________ over a _____________ of time
Major “elements” or variables from which weather patterns and climate types are deciphered
 _________________________________
 _________________________________
 _________________________________
 _________________________________
 _________________________________
 _________________________________
3. Composition
A. Major Components
 ______ Nitrogen
 ______ Oxygen
 ______ Trace elements
 _________
 __________________ :traps heat to warm atmosphere
B. Variable Components
 __________________ : Transports heat
 __________________
a.) Cloud and fog nuclei
b.) Absorb or reflect solar radiation
c.) Colorful sunsets
 ____________
a.) Absorbs harmful UV radiation
b.) All have significant effects on _____________ and _____________
4. Structure
A. Atmospheric pressure
 The weight of air above the Earth’s surface = ______
 1/2 of atmosphere lies below an altitude of _______
B. Temperature changes in Atmosphere
Divided into 4 layers based upon temperature
 ____________________
 ____________________
 ____________________
 ____________________
5. 4 Layers of the Atmosphere
A. Troposphere: approximately __________
 _____ layer; ___________ to the Earth’s surface
 The layer in which all __________________ occur
 ____________: Outer boundary of the troposphere
B. Stratosphere: approximately _________
 ______ layer
 Temperature ________________
 Layer of ____________ concentration
 _________________: Outer boundary of the stratosphere
C. Mesosphere: approximately ________
 ______ layer
 Temperature ____________ (about -90o C)
 _______________: Outer boundary of mesosphere
D. Thermosphere: no well defined upper limit
 ______ layer
 Temperature __________ (> 1000o C) due to absorption of ________________________ solar radiation by O2
and N2 atoms
 Temp. defined in terms of _______________ at which molecules move
 Gas molecules spread _________________ = insignificant quantities of ____________
6. Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
A. Molecules are in _____________________ in all matter
 Therefore all matter has ____________________
B. Temperature
 The measure of the _________________________
_______________ within a substance
C. Heat
 Energy that flows because of ___________ differences
 In all situations heat is transferred from ___________
__________ objects
7. 3 Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
A. Conduction
 Transfer of heat through matter by ________________________
 Energy is transferred through _____________________________________
 Heat flows from ___________________ to __________________
 Unlike metals, air is a _______________________ of heat
 Conduction is important only between the Earth’s _________ and the ___________________ with the surface
 It is the _______________________ means of heat transfer in the atmosphere
B. Convection
 The transfer of heat by the movement of a_____________________ from one place to another
 Can only take place in __________ and ________________
 Convective motions in the atmosphere transport heat from _________________ to the _______ and from the
___________________
 __________________: horizontal motion
 __________________: vertical motion
C. Radiation
 Transfer of heat through _______________________
 Majority of energy ____________________ the Earth is in this form
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

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All objects, at whatever temp. emit ___________________
Hotter objects _______________________ than cooler objects
The ____________ the radiating body, the _____________ the wavelength of maximum radiation
Objects that are ______________________ of radiation are _____________________ as well
Electromagnetic Radiation
a.) Consist of different ________________________ of energy
b.) Long – wave Radiation
 ______________________
 ______________________
 ______________________
c.) Short – wave Radiation
 ______________________
 ______________________
 ______________________
 ______________________
8. Paths Taken by Incoming Solar Radiation
A. Only about ______ of incoming solar radiation
penetrates directly to the Earth’s surface
B. Determined by …
 _____________________________________
 _____________________________________
 The remainder is either …
a.) __________________________________
b.) __________________________________
__________________________________
 Albedo: _______________________
C. Absorption
 Gases are _________________ absorbers
 N2 is a _____________ of all incoming radiation
 O2 and O3 are _______________ of ___ radiation
 Absorption of U.V. radiation = _______________
_________________
 Atmosphere is __________________ at absorbing _______________________
 Atmosphere is heated chiefly by energy that is first ______________________________ and then __________
back into the sky.
D. Albedo
 _______________________________________________________
 Albedo for Earth is ________
 Varies from ____________________ and __________________ in the same locale
 Depends on …
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
 _______________________
E. Scattering
 ___________________ of light as it bounces off a
rough surface
 Reflection off _____________ and ____________
F. The Greenhouse Effect
 Approximately _____ of the solar energy that
strikes the top of the atmosphere reaches the
Earth’s surface and is absorbed.
 Earth has a much lower temp. than the Sun so
the radiation it emits has _______________than
solar radiation.
 The atmosphere is an efficient absorber of
______________________ emitted by the Earth.
a.) ___________________
 _____________ and _______________ are the
principal absorbing gasses.
 Water Vapor absorbs _________ more terrestrial
radiation that other gasses.
 Absorption of energy by water vapor accounts
for the warmer temp. found in the _________
______________where it is highly concentrated.
 The Earth is heated from the ______________
 These gases cause a “____________________”
by reradiating the energy back and forth between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere
9. Temperature Measurement
A. At weather stations the temp. is read on a regular basis from instruments mounted in an __________________
 Protects the instruments from __________________ and allows a ___________________ of air
 Standard mercury ____________________
 _____________________ – record the highest and lowest temp. during a 24 hr. period
B. Temperature measurements
 ____________________: Max. temp. + Min. temp. / 2
 ____________________: Max. temp. – Min. temp.
 ____________________: Adding daily means for 1 month and dividing by the # of days
 ____________________: ave. of 12 monthly means
 ____________________: Difference between highest and lowest monthly means
Temperature Control
Temperature Control
Any factor that causes temperature to vary from ________________ and from _______________
 ___________________
 ___________________
 ___________________
 ___________________
 ___________________
1. Land and Water
a.) Temperature variations are greater over ________________
b.) Land _____ more _______ and to __________. that water and ____ more ______ and to __________. than
water
c.) Reasons for differential heating of land and water
 The __________________ is far greater for water than land.
 Water requires a great deal more ________ to raise its temperature.
 Land surfaces are ________, so heat is absorbed only at the surface. Water being more __________
allows heat to penetrate to a _______________.
 The water that is heated often _____________________, thus distributing the heat through an even
larger mass
 Evaporation from _________ bodies is greater than that from ___________ surfaces
2. Altitude
a.) Temperature declines on average ________ per kilometer in troposphere
b.) This doesn’t always occur due to _____________ and ____________ of solar energy by the ground surface
3. Geographic Position
a.) Greatly influence the temperatures experienced at a particular locale
b.) Areas geographically close to one another may experience diverse temperature differences due to:
 Proximity to _________________________
 Proximity to _________________________
 Proximity to _________________________
 Proximity to _________________________
 Proximity to _________________________
4. Cloud Cover and Albedo
a.) Influences temperature in the ________________________________
b.) Many clouds have a ___________________
c.) Daytime cloud cover = ____________________
d.) Nighttime cloud cover = _____________________
e.) Snow and ice covered surfaces = ________________
f.) Energy reflected off _____________ and _____________
g.) Reduce _____________
5. Ocean Currents
a.) _________________________
b.) _________________________
World Distribution of Temperature
1. World temperatures controlled by ________________________________________________
2. Temperature distribution is shown on a map by using ____________________
a.) Isotherm: lines on a map that connect places of _________________________
b.) Generally trend ____________________
c.) Show ________________ in temp. pole - ward from the tropics
d.) Over land show greater variation between ___________ and ___________
e.) Straighter and more stable over ______________
f.) Reveal presence of __________________ by being deflected pole-ward or towards the equator
g.) Used to evaluate variations in the _____________________. from place to place