What was the composition of the early atmosphere Of the atmosphere today A primary difference between the concepts of weather and climate is the time period involved Scientists believe that a growing amount of this gas in the atmosphere will probably bring about a warming of the lower atmosphere carbon dioxide What are the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide 78 nitrogen 21 oxygen 1 argon Carbon Cycle 1 Photosynthesis 2 Decomposition 3 Combustion 4 Respiration 5 Diffusion Sources volcanoes deforestation plant decay plant animal respiration burning fossil fuels Sinks plant photosynthesis oceans carbonates Hydrologic Cycle 1 Evaporation water from ocean surface bodies of water 2 Condensation water vapor condenses to form clouds 3 Precipitation moisture gets transported everywhere 4 Transpiration water is released back into atmosphere Sources oceans lakes rivers glaciers soil atmosphere The hydrologic cycle is powered by Solar energy Know the layers of the atmosphere In which layers does the temperature increase with height Decrease with height Troposphere temperature decreases literally means region where air turns over temperature usually decreases on average 6 5C km with altitude Tropopause lid to weather patterns Stratosphere temperature increases and absorbs solar energy layer above the troposphere little mixing occurs unlike troposphere where turbulent mixing is common Stratopause average temp is 0 Celsius Mesosphere temp decreases with height Thermosphere region with very little of the atmosphere s mass High energy radiation received by the thermosphere high temperature experienced a small density of molecules not much heat would be felt On the average for every 1km increase in altitude in the troposphere the air temperature drops about 6 5 degrees Celsius What are the 5 main processes of energy transfer How does each work Conduction heat transfer through matter heat flow along rod Convection process of transferring energy vertically thunderstorms heat flow candle transfer of energy by movement of mass Advection horizontal transport of energy fronts cold air advection cold warm Radioactive heat energy through electromagnetic waves energy us transferred to the Earth from the sun by electromagnetic waves characterized by a wavelength and Latent Heat heat absorbed or released by unit mass of water when it changes phase frequency vaporization of water is a mechanism of heat transfer conduction convection and radiation Be able to define latent heat Know that latent heat is released during cloud formation condensation Latent heat heat absorbed or released by a unit mass of water when it changes phase Latent Heat drives severe weather Energy absorbed ice to water melting Energy released water freezes fusion Energy released water vapor liquid condensation Heat required to evaporate water vaporization Latent heat of melting fusion Latent heat of vaporization condensation Latent heat of sublimation deposition How does the intensity of incoming radiation change with latitude Remember this involves the area over which the radiation is spread Know that seasons occur due to the tilt of the Earth which is tilted at 23 5 degrees Winter heat depends on amount of solar radiation per unit area Spring same distribution of radiation Summer earth s tilt brings more radiation towards the equator During the earth s orbit around the sun the inclination tilt of the earth s axis remains constant at 23 5 degrees Why do the tropics receive an energy surplus and the poles an energy deficit How is heat distributed from the tropics to the poles Latitudinal Heat Balance For the globe as a whole the amount of incoming solar radiation is equal to the outing terrestrial radiation But at the equator the net is positive and at the poles net is negative There is a balance achieved by the heat transport ocean currents ex The Gulf Stream currents and the atmospheric transfer of heat Tropics absorb more energy than they emit Polar regions emit more energy than they absorb Heat is distributed by ocean currents and atmosphere poleward that keep poles from cooling and tropics from warming At what time of day is the temperature the greatest This occurs right before sunset where the sun has been out for the longest period of time Know the 5 controls of temperature Why do coastal areas have more moderate temperatures Specific heat of land vs water 1 Latitude angle affects solar radiation and causes seasons colder more variable at poles than equator 2 Surface Type absorption vs Reflection of heat energy desert vs soil 3 Elevation higher altitude brings cooler temperatures 4 Differential heating of Land Water oceans cool surfaces absorb water heats up much more slowly than land 5 Cloud Cover and albedo reduce solar radiation at surface to cool and warming effect at night because it gives radiation to the surface Clouds keep the surface warm at night and cold during the day Specific heat amount of heat needed to heat 1 gram of a substance to 1 Celsius Almost 3 times greater for water than land Heat does not penetrate deep into soil or rock heat can only be transferred by conduction What is a dry adiabatic lapse rate and how is the moist adiabatic lapse rate different These define the rate of cooling for a rising bubble of air When compared to the surrounding atmosphere s rate of cooling when is the atmosphere absolutely stable and absolutely unstable What is a temperature inversion Adiabatic process no heat energy is gained or lost by the parcel A rising parcel of air always expands As the parcel expands it will cool The rate of cooling with altitude due is called the dry adiabatic lapse rate As the parcel rises an altitude will be reached when the water vapor condenses Therefore the temperature of the parcel will not drop off as much for a dry parcel of air wet adiabatic lapse rate 1 Heat is not transferred between parcel and environment 2 Parcel rises at dry adiabatic lapse rate until temperature cools for vapor 3 At condensation latent heat is released so parcel doesn t cool as fast Lapse rate the rate at which the real atmosphere falls off with altitude environmental lapse to condense dry moist rate AVERAGE VALUE 6 5 degrees C km STABLE less than 10 degrees C km UNSTABLE more than 10 degrees C km DRY 10 degrees C km Inversion when the temperature profile increases with altitude 2 main types subsidence inversion and radiation inversion nocturnal inversion Very important during pollution events trap pollutants