ATOC 181 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Time Bomb, Industrial Revolution, Montreal Protocol
7 Jun 2018
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LESSON 2-THE EARTH AND ITS ATMOSPHERE
• The atmosphere has sometimes some strange effects
• Somebody that attempts to climb Everest died due to lack of oxygen.
Surrounded by unprofessional teams
• Impact of lack of oxygen: dizzy, brain is suffering, felt drunk, overconfident
• Hypoxia: lack of oxygen
Earth Atmosphere
• Average of Earth radius: 6.371km
• Atmosphere: thin layer
o most of it below 100km
o about 1.5% of the Earth radius
• No fixed upper limit. Still some atoms quite high, no fixed boundary.
• For practical purpose, 99% of all the atmosphere in terms of mass is below
of an altitude of 30km
• About 50% of the total atmosphere in mass below about 5.5km. all the rest
is above 5km
• if above Everest, little air, as 8848m
Composition of the Atmosphere Near Surface
• The most important in terms of abundance/volume is nitrogen (78%).
o It is fixed in the ground and no real reaction is done with it
• Oxygen (21%)
o We breathe in and inhale carbon dioxide
• Argon (0.93%)
• Other: less than 0.04%
o Includes ozone, carbon dioxide
• These are called permanent major gases
• There are also variable gases
o Water vapour.
o It is not constant. The percentage/volume might change.
• When looking at air, will separate into dry air (w/o water vapor) or moist air
if take into account the water vapor.
• CO2: 0.038% of CO2.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Water Vapour
• Most important gas in terms of weather.
• Exists in all three phases: solid, liquid and gases.
• Atmospheric water vapour varies greatly: from about 4% to nearly 0%,
average 0.25%
• Decreases from the equator towards the poles
• Generally decreases with height
• Practically no more water vapour above about 10km in height
Latitude vs Altitude
• Low Latitude: regions around the Equateur
• High latitude: arctic circle
• Latitude: goes from 0deg from equator and goes to 90 at poles.
• Increases as goes towards poles
• Altitude: height above the surface, ground
• Elevation: above sea level
Water Vapour Distribution With Latitude
• In red: largest amount
• Purple: lowest amount
• In low latitude, higher value. As goes towards the poles, value decreases.
• Black: measurement cannot be made
• There is more water vapour over the Equatorial regions (low latitude)
• The amount of water vapour decreases as move towards the polar regions
(high latitudes)
Vertical Water Vapour Distribution With Altitude
• Pink and white = high values
• Green = low
• Above 10 km, practically nothing, almost no water vapour
• Above surface, very high values
• Amount of water vapor decreases with height
• Above 1.5 km= decreases
Water Vapour Vertical Profiles (Climate-mean)
• Take different slices at different locations
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Lesson 2-the earth and its atmosphere: the atmosphere has sometimes some strange effects, somebody that attempts to climb everest died due to lack of oxygen. Surrounded by unprofessional teams: impact of lack of oxygen: dizzy, brain is suffering, felt drunk, overconfident, hypoxia: lack of oxygen. Earth atmosphere: average of earth radius: 6. 371km, atmosphere: thin layer, most of it below 100km, about 1. 5% of the earth radius, no fixed upper limit. The percentage/volume might change: when looking at air, will separate into dry air (w/o water vapor) or moist air if take into account the water vapor, co2: 0. 038% of co2. Water vapour distribution with latitude: in red: largest amount, purple: lowest amount, in low latitude, higher value. As goes towards the poles, value decreases: black: measurement cannot be made, there is more water vapour over the equatorial regions (low latitude, the amount of water vapour decreases as move towards the polar regions (high latitudes)
