And its effects on our planet Earth

What is the Atmosphere?

• The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.• Earth’s atmosphere consists of 5 major layers

• Troposphere• Stratosphere• Mesosphere• Thermosphere• Exosphere

The Earth's atmosphere is more than just the air we breathe. It's also a buffer that keeps us from being peppered by meteorites, a screen against deadly radiation, and the reason radio waves can be bounced for long distances around the planet.

Ionosphere

TROPOSPHERE

• Lowest part of the earth’s atmosphere• Just below the Tropopause• Direct contact with the earth’s surface• Contains approximately 80% of the atmospheric mass• Contains approximately 99% of water vapor and aerosols*• Temperature decreases as altitude rises

*aerosols typically are colloids, solid particles or liquid drops in air or another gas. Examples haze, dust, smoke, air pollutants

STRATOSPHERE

• Located above the Troposphere and below the Mesosphere• Has a temperature inversion • Contains the Ozone (O3) Layer, where much of O3 is produced• Temperature increases as altitude rises• Separated from Troposphere by the Tropopause• Major UVA, UVB, and UVC chemical reactions occur here• Bacterial life survives here and some birds can fly in the lower levels

Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus

Rüppell’s VultureGyps Rueppelli

MESOPHERE

• Directly above the Stratopause and under the Mesopause• Temperature decreases as altitude rises• Most meteors melt or vaporize due to collisions with gas particles• Most poorly understood layer of the atmosphere• Optical phenomenon such as airglow and night glow occur here

THERMOSPHERE

• Above the Mesophere and below the Exosphere• UV causes Ionization here• Temperature increases as altitude rises can rise to 2000 ◦C• Radiation causes particles to become electrically charged causing

radio waves to be reflected• Auroras and Solar Wind occur here

EXOSPHERE

• Atmosphere here is thin and basically merges with interplanetary space• Major gases here are He, H, CO2, and O• Barometric Conditions no longer apply in the lower boundary• Above this layer temperature becomes nearly constant

IONOSPHERE

• Made up of parts of the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere• Ionized by solar radiation and plays a major role in atmospheric

electricity• Makes up the inner edge of the magnetosphere• Has different layers that change with night and day• Geomagnetic Storms occur in the ionosphere

The Wind

• Wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure• Wind moves from areas of high pressure to low pressure• The differential heating between the equator and the poles and the

rotation of the Earth are two major driving factors.

Coriolis Effect

• Coriolis force deflects these winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ocean Currents

• Continuous, directed movements of sea water caused by wind, Coriolis effect, mean flow, waves breaking, cabbeling, differences in temperature and salinity, and gravitational pull from the sun and moon• Ocean currents are responsible for affecting temperatures throughout

the world

El NinoEl Nino Lecture

El Nino

El Nino 2

Significance of Prochlorococcus

Prochlorococcus is a marinecyanobacterium which canharvest light without the useof chloroplasts. It is the mostabundant photosynthetic organism on earth.

I can harvest light with no chloroplast

Temperature InversionTemperature Inversion Video

The Rain Shadow Effect

Rainshadow Effect Video

Weather vs. Climate The Ocean: Driving Force for Weather and Climate