CLIMATE & THE BIOSPHERE

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

ALTITUDE

* The distance above Earth's surface measured form sea level

* The height of an object or structure above a reference level, usually above sea level or the Earth's surface

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

ATMOSPHERE

* The layer of gases that surround Earth

* Refers to the gases surrounding a star or planetary body held in place by gravity. The composition of the Earth's atmosphere is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, with water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

ATMOSPHERIC DUST 

* Tiny, solid particles suspended in the atmosphere

* Atmospheric dust consists of a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere varying in composition, source and size

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

BIOSPHERE

* A relatively thin layer of Earth that has conditions suitable for life

* The biosphere is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms (biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

CLIMATE

* The average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time

* The usual condition of the temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, and other meteorological elements in an area of the Earth's surface for a long time. In simple terms climate is the average condition for about thirty years

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

HYDROSPHERE

* The water on Earth, whether present as liquid, water vapour or ice

* Is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air. A planet's hydrosphere can be liquid, vapor, or ice. On Earth, liquid water exists on the surface in the form of oceans, lakes and rivers

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

INVERSION

* A reversal of the normal temperature patterns seen in the troposphere

* In an inversion, there is an increase of temperature with height through a layer of air

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

LITHOSPHERE

*The solid outer portion of Earth, composed or rocks, minerals & elements

* Is Earth's outermost layer, composed of rocks in the crust and upper mantle that behave as brittle solids. The rigid lithosphere sits on top of the asthenosphere, a layer of the mantle in which rocks are hot and deformable

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

THE BIOSPHERE HAS 3 COMPONENTS

1. Atmosphere: the layer of gases that surround the Earth

2. Hydrosphere: consists of all the forms o water on Earth, whether present as liquid, water vapour or ice

3. Lithosphere: the solid outer portion of Earth, composed of rocks, minerals & elements

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

MESOSPHERE

* The atmospheric layer above the stratosphere, from 50 km to 80 km above the Earth's surface

* Is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. The mesosphere is directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

OZONE 

* A molecule composed of 3 atoms of oxygen

* Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas composed of three oxygen atoms. It is both a natural and a man-made product that occurs in the Earth's upper atmosphere. (the stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (the troposphere). Depending on where it is in the atmosphere, ozone affects life on Earth in either good or bad ways

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

OZONE LAYER

* A layer in the stratosphere containing high levels of ozone gas

* A layer in the earth's stratosphere at an altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 km) containing a high concentration of ozone, which absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth from the sun

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

STRATOSPHERE

* The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, for 10 km to 50 km above Earth's surface

* The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere is stratified (layered) 

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

THERMOSPHERE

* The highest atmospheric layer from 80 km to 300 km above Earth's surface

* Is the layer in the Earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes photoionization/photodissociation of molecules, creating ions in the ionosphere

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

TROPOSPHERE

* The atmospheric layer from 0 km to 10 km above Earth's surface

* The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, and is also where nearly all weather conditions take place. It contains 75% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of the total mass of water vapour and aerosols

EARTH'S BIOSPHERE

WEATHER

* The state of the atmosphere at a particular place & time with regard to temperature, air pressure, cloud cover, precipitation & humidity

*Weather does occur in the stratosphere and does affect weather lower down in the troposphere.The Earth's atmosphere is a chaotic system, so small changes to one part can have large effects elsewhere