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number 6 refers to 

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number 5 refers to 

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number 4 refers to 

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number 3 refers to 

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number 2 refers to 

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number 1 refers to 

thermosphere

or

ionosphere

15 kilometers (14 to 18 km)

or

9 miles

most dense

as climb higher temp. drops

all weather occurs in this layer

all watter vapour is in this layer

preasure drops to 1/10 of sea level at top of this level

the size of the Thermosphere/Ionosphere.

90 to 350 Km

some say it extends to 600 kilometers

372 miles high

 characteristics of the Thermosphere/Ionosphere.

temp. go up as you increase in altitude

temp can go as high as 1,727 degrees C

chemical reactions occur much faster here than on earth's surface

lectronic charged ions produce the "Auroras"

also known as the upper atmosphere

pressure drops to .00001 of that of sea level at top of this level.

most meteors burn up in this zone

What is the exosphere?

10,000 to 13,000 km out

extends far out into space

pressure drops to that of outer space

upper most layer of the atmosphere

Where is ithe exosphere found?

above 600 km

10,000 to 13,000 km out

extends far into outer space

last layer before outer space

what is the exosphere like?

low density

mainly hydrogen and helium

molecules traveling fast enough can escape into outer space

What happens to atmospheric pressure as you go up through the layers of the atmosphere?

drops steadly

gets less and less

Identify the types of solar radiation which reach the earth's atmosphere?

 visible light, has a slightlly longer wave length than

ultraviolet radiation which is short wave

so there is direct short wave and indirect short wave

What are the sub-types of solar radiation?

direct ultraviolet short wave radiation

and indirect short wave radiation

Sunlight contains three types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

1. UVA rays cause skin aging and wrinkling and contribute to skin cancer, such as melanoma. Because UVA rays pass effortlessly through the ozone layer they make up the majority of our sun exposure.
2. UVB rays are dagerous and effect the immune system. They also contribute to skin cancer. Most UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, but enough of these rays pass through to cause serious damage.
3. UVC rays are the most dangerous, but fortunately, these rays are blocked by the ozone layer and don't reach the earth.

what happens to the various sub-types of solar radiation on their journey through the atmosphere to the surface of the earth?

The atmosphere surrounds Earth and protects us by blocking out dangerous rays 

Sunlight contains three types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

1. UVA rays  pass effortlessly through the ozone layer
2. UVB rays are also dangerous. Most UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, but some get through
3. UVC rays the most dangerous, are blocked by the ozone layer and don't reach the earth.

Explain how smog, dust and other particles in the atmosphere affect the amount of shortwave radiation getting to the surface of the earth?

they absorb or deflect more short wave radiation

Suspended particles, such as dust and ash, can block out the earth's sunlight, thus reducing solar radiation and lowering mean global temperatures. 

This reduction in short wave radiation is countered by the reality these particles reflect long wave radiation back towards the earth, and they absorb long wave radiation and re-radiate some of it back towards the earth. The balance is in favour of the increase in particles in the atmosphere heating up the earth's surface and is the bases for the "Greenhouse Effect".

Explain how smog, dust and other particles in the atmosphere affect the amount of longwave radiation received at the surface earth?

How does the amount of shortwave radiation received at the surface of the earth affect surface temperatures?

How does the amount of longwave radiation received at the surface of the earth affect surface temperatures?

Explain how smog, dust and other particles in the atmosphere affect the amount of shortwave and longwave radiation received at the surface. How does this affect surface temperatures?

Using an example or two, explain albedo.

 reflecting power of a surface. 

The average overall albedo of Earth, its planetary albedo, is 30 to 35%, because of the covering by cloud reflecting solar radiation

 0.9 for fresh snow is higly reflective

,  0.04 for charcoal, one of the darkest substances is not very reflective

 the ocean surface has a moderate albedo,

as do most forests at 0.15

, while desert areas have some of the highest albedos among landforms at 0.4. Most land areas are in an albedo range of 0.1 to 0.4.

List from the  highest albedo value to the one with the lowest albedo.

1.) grasslands.

2.)) snow & ice

3.) airport runway. 

higest at 1.) ice and snow, most reflective

middel at 2.) grasslands

lowest at 3.) airport runway, least reflective

Explain why solar radiation is necessary for life on earth?

Solar radiation, or radiation from the Sun, is necessary for continuing life on Earth.

Solar energy drives the climate and weather systems of our planet. 

 generates electricity (the energy  can be converted

  directly through solar power, some is stored in water that changes to vapour then rains, some of it falling in mountains = hydro power, some through wind power, most through carbon fossil fuels) and it causes chemical reactions.

the sun provides every living thing with the three basic necessities of life on earth: food, water, and oxygen. Obviously, we can't eat or drink sunlight itself.  Nor can we breathe it in. So how do we get access to the life-sustaining nourishment from the sun?  That's where photosynthesis comes in.   

Explain why solar radiation is necessary for life on earth and why maintaining the solar radiation balance is critical. 

1. Plate tectonics (where the land is has changed over time) with the land moving the climate of the earth would vary. Earth absorbs solar energy quicker and releases it quicker than water.
2. Long-term carbon cycle  The amount of carbon in the air has shifted over time. A carbon atmospher and a present oxygen atmospher would allow different amounts and parts of the solar radiation waves to enter the atmospher and energize the earth.
3. Solar Variations, the sun's luminosity has increased over time
4. Orbital Variations
   a.) Eccentricity of earth's orbit.
   b.) Precession of the Equinox as the aphelion and perihelion (how far and close the earth is from the sun) change when they occur in relation to the angle of the axis of the earth in relationship to the sun.
   c,) the earth's wobble of its' axis 
   each affects amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface.

·  possible solutions to the problem of ozone delpletion.

1. 1.) Minimize high altitude aircraft flights (oxygen reduction and water vapor deposition)
2. 2.) Minimize rocket flights (water vapor deposition)
3. 3.) Encourage growth of plants that produce oxygen, discourage deforestation
4. 4.) Decrease / control releases of high temperature steam / moisture to the atmosphere
5. 5.) Eliminate production and release of known ozone depleting chemicals (such as CFCs and HCFCs) where remotely possible. Subsidize production of safer alternatives where possible.
6. 6.) Establish controls to assure that new compounds to be used in high volume, are surveyed for effect on ozone.

• 7.) Try to use products which are labeled "Ozone-Friendly"
• 8.) Ensure technicians repairing your refrigerator or air conditioner recover and recycle the old CFCs so they are not released into the atmosphere.
• 9.) Vehicle air conditioning units should regularly be checked for leaks.
• 10.) Ask about converting your car to a substitute refrigerant if the a/c system needs major repair
• 11.) Help start a refrigerant recovery and recycling program in your area if none already exists.
• 12.) Replace halon fire extinguishers with alternatives (e.g. carbon dioxide or foam).
• 13.) Suggest school activities to increase awareness of the problem and to initiate local action.

 14.)  Don't use the car so much. 

15.)  Turn of the lights and the faucet when not in use. 
16.) Use blankets to stay warm in the winter. 
17.)  Wear thinner clothes in the summer to stay cool. 

·  possible solutions to the problem of the greenhouse effect.

1.)Reducing use of fossil fuels thus reduce the amount of

a.)carbon dioxide produced

b.)the levels of the pollutants

2.)using less energy , or using alternative energy sources.

a.)Turn off lights when you leave a room.

b.) If you have a car, don't use it for short journeys

c.)doing or using anything that uses less energy.  

3.) Eliminating the use of CFCs ,Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

a.)using other ways to Rrefrigerant or air condition

b.) other propelants in aerosol cans, such as butane,

c.)other packaging agents than Foaming agents

d.) use other Cleaners in the electronics industry

e.) use other Fire extinguisher chemicals

4.) Stopping deforestation by using renewable forests and planting a new tree whenever one is felled would help to raise the carbon dioxide absorbing ability of the planet.

·  what are the consequences ozone depletion

1.)  more ultraviolet light from the sun can reach the Earth.

2.) UV-B increase can cause skin cancer.

3.) increase rates of malaria and other infectious diseases.

4.) more cases of cataracts can also be expected.

5.) The life cycles of plants will change, disrupting the food chain. 

6.) Effects on animals will also be severe, and are very difficult to foresee.

7.) Oceans will be hit hard as well. 

8.) The most basic microscopic organisms such as plankton may not be able to survive.

9.) other animals that are above plankton in the food chain would also die out. 

10.) Other ecosystems such as forests and deserts will also be harmed.

11.) The planet's climate could also be affected by

12.) Wind patterns could change, resulting in climatic changes throughout the world.

·  What are the consequences the green house effect

1.)  loss of snow cover

2.) sea levels rise

3.) change in weather patterns,

a.) droughts and floods

b.) violent storm activity will increase

c.) Climate related deaths are expected

d.) Warming also causes faster evaporation

4.) with changes in temperatures where Disease carriers (animals, microbes, etc,)  live will expand

5.)  On the other hand, proposed measures to reduce human contributions to greenhouse gases can also have great consequences

the ambiguities of the science has given rise to many passionate extremes.

·  how are ozone depletion and the green house effect related,

The greenhouse effect can be described as an altered balance between input and output radiation of the Earth. If the input is greater than the output, the difference causes the temperature of the Earth to increase. Ozone in the lower atmosphere (tropospheric ozone) is a minor greenhouse gas. In general the greenhouse effect and ozone depletion are separate issues, although they are connected in complex ways.

The chemical reactions responsible for stratospheric ozone depletion are extremely sensitive to temperature and thus related by the greenhous effrect,

·  what caused ozone depletion

Overwhelming scientific evidence accumulated over more than two decades of study by the international research community has shown that human-made chemicals are responsible for the observed depletion in the ozone layer over Antarctica and likely play a major role in stratospheric ozone losses. The ozone depleting compounds contain combinations of the elements chlorine, fluorine, bromine, carbon and hydrogen. The general term for them is HALOCARBONS. Compounds that contain only carbon, chlorine and fluorine are called CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFC). Compounds that carbon, bromine, fluorine (and sometimes chlorine) are called HALONS.

all destroy the ozone layer

·  what causes the green house effect,

The main reason for greenhouse effect is the

1.) emission of gases like nitrous-oxide, carbon-di-oxide, methane, ozone and water vapor.

2.) Deforestation

3.) Burning of Fossil Fuels; 

Automobiles, and other engines, whether they run on petrol or diesel, create pollution and release harmful gases into the atmosphere. 

4.) Refrigerators, air conditions or some other electric appliances emit gases, known as Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have added 

5.) Most of the industries today add to the pollution levels

Aerosol cans, some foaming agents used in the packaging industry, fire extinguisher chemicals and cleaners used in the electronic industry contribute

6.) Even some processes of the cement manufacturing industries can be counted amongst the culprits.

7.)  With the increase in the number of people, the need for things like accommodation, clothes, cars, ACs, etc has increased. The result is more industries, more cars, more deforestation, and so on.  

each in the atmosphere absorb and re-reflect more of the long wave solar radiation energies and thus warm the earth's surface.

·  what is ozone depletion,

describes two distinct but related phenomena

a steady decline in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphe (the ozone layer ), and

a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole.

In addition to these well-known stratospheric phenomena, there are also springtime polar troposphere ozonme depletion events.

·  what is the greenhouse effect 

There are two meanings of the term "greenhouse effect".

1.) There is a "natural" greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth's climate warm and habitable.

2.) There is also the "man-made" greenhouse effect, which is the enhancement of Earth's natural greenhouse effect by the addition of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels (mainly petroleum, coal, and natural gas). 

how does human activity affect the ozone dpletion and thus  the solar radiation balance.

1.) The cholofluorocarbons (CFCs) that are man-made chemicals are released in the atmosphere through CFC containing aerosols, refrigeration equipment, foam and as by products of certain industrial processes. As these chemicals are released, they rise up into the atmosphere and break down the ozone molecules that form the ozone layer. 

2.) Ozone depletion has resulted in a greater penetration of ultraviolet radiation on the earth's surface,

3.) The ozone effect does not appear to have a direct influence on global temperatures.

how does human activity affect the green house effect and thus the solar radiation balance.

Certain gases, called greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide and water vapor; but also methane, N2O, and CFCs), allow short wavelength radiation from the sun (UV and visible light) to penetrate through the lower atmosphere to the earth's surface. These same gases, however, absorb long wavelengthradiation (infrared), which is the energy the earth reradiates back into space. The trapping of this infrared heat energy by these greenhouse gases results in global warming. Global warming has been evident since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Most scientists attribute global warming to the release of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels.

Absorption of longwave radiation by the atmosphere causes additional heat energy to be added to the Earth's atmospheric system. The now warmer atmospheric greenhouse gas molecules begin radiating longwave energy in all directions. Over 90% of this emission of longwave energy is directed back to the Earth's surface where it once again is absorbed by the surface. The heating of the ground by the longwave radiation causes the ground surface to once again radiate, repeating the cycle described above, again and again, until no more longwave is available for absorption.

1.) there are dynamic interactions occurring constantly that result in the complex and delicately balanced system crucial to the continuation of present life for keep the earth wams on Earth.

size of the Stratosphere.

characteristics of the Stratosphere.

size extends fr 14 to 18 km some say to 50 km

temp. climbs as one goes higher in this zone

can go above 1000 C

pressure drops to .00001 of sea level.

most meteors burn up in this zone

electrical charged ions produce the "Auroras"

short wave (direct and indirect)

both reflect and are absorbed by atmosphere

thus reducing direct short wave radiation reaching the earth's surface and increasing indirect short wAve radiation.

long wave radiation - product of re-radiation from earth's surface, of absorbed short wave energy.

amount of long wave radiation goes up with increased particles in the ir to re reflect back.

solar energy only energy added to the system.

reason for all growth and power of all natural processes.

with out there would be no food to prolong life.

SHORT WAVE RADITION WHICH  IF IT REACHES THE EARTH IS NAMED DIRECT SHORT WAVE AND IF IT IS ABSORBED BY THE ATMOSPHER AND THEN RE-RADIATED IS CALLED INDIRECT SHORT WAVE RADATION.

LONG WAVE RADDIATION IS CREATED WHEN THE EARTH ABSORBS THE ENERGY OF THE SHORT WAVE RADIATION AND THEN RE-RADIATES THAT ENERGY AS LONG WAVE. IF IT IS ABSORBED BY THE ATMOSPHERE AND THEN RE-RADIATED IT IS CALLED INDIRECT LONG WAVE RADIATION

what (SIMPLY) happens to the various sub-types of solar radiation on their journey through the atmosphere to the surface of the earth?

SHORT WAVE RADIATION IS REFLECTED IN ALL DIRECTIONS AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE. SOME IS ABSORBED AND THEN RE-RADIATED BACK IN ALL DIRECTIONS. THUS SOME DIRECT SHORT WAVE RADIATION REACHES THE EARTH AND SOME INDIRECT SHORT WAVE RADIATION REACHED THE EARTH TO WARM AND ENERGIZE IT.

LONG WAVE RAADIATION IS GENERATED BY THE EARTH AS IT ABSORBS THE ENERGY OF THE SHORT WAVE RADIATION AND THEN RE-RADIATES THAT ENERGY BACK OUT AS LONG WAVE RADIATION. SOME OF THAT LONG WAVE RADIATION IS ABSORBED BY THE ATMOSPHER AND RE-RADIATED IN ALL DIRECTTIONS AND SOME WOULD REACH THE EARTH AND WARM IT.