Copy of ATM activity sheet

Atmosphere Activity Sheet 130 points As always, I t’s all about relationships. As you prepare for exam-3, review the content below and formulate relationships between atmospheric processes, the role of water vapor in the atmosphere, cloud formation and Bakersfield climate. In many cases, don’t memorize, but explain in your own words and develop a picture in your mind regarding atmospheric processes. Most importantly, as you learn the concept and relationship, be able to explain the concept using the proper terminology. Please make sure you take a look at the probable exam essay questions at the end of this activity sheet. It’s recommended that you view the atmosphere lecture in its entirety before answering questions. 1. Construct a diagram depicting the layers of the earth’s atmosphere and properly identify the 4 major atmospheric terms. a. Relationship Questions: 1. Using your atmosphere diagram, describe temperature changes that take place from one layer to the next. Troposphere : on this layer as altitude will boom , the temperature of air decreases . - The troposphere is warmer close to the Earth 's floor as warmth from the surface of earth warms this air . Due to the fact the altitude will boom it outcomes in decrease in fashion of air molecules , for that reason the common of their kinetic electricity decreases . - Stratosphere : the altitude increases , the air temperature will boom . The Stratosphere has a layer of ozone , referred to as the ozone layer . this layer absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation from sunlight hours which ends up within the stratosphere being warmer . - Mesosphere : due to the fact the altitude will increase , the air temperature decreases . The Mesosphere , has a decrease in temperature with altitude as decreases within the density of the air molecules . - Thermosphere : the altitude will increase , the air temperature will increase. 2. What major factor influences temperature change in each atmospheric layer? In a few layers , temperature will increase with altitude and in others it decreases. The temperature gradient in every layer is determined through the warmth source of the layer . The most vital layers of the atmosphere have one-of-a-type temperature gradients and the ability to create the thermal shape of the surroundings. 3. The stratosphere warms as altitude increases, but what is the maximum temperature the stratosphere reaches? How does this temperature relate to where we live? The stratosphere is the layer above the troposphere, temperature within the stratosphere rises with growing altitude, as ozone layer absorbs the greater a part of the solar ultraviolet radiation. - Ozone molecules in this layer take in immoderate-strength ultraviolet (UV) mild from the solar, converting the UV energy into warm temperature. this deposit protects human lifestyles from direct daytime.

4. Provide a list of characteristics that differentiate one atmospheric layer from another. The surroundings is cut up into layers primarily based on how the temperature in that layer changes with altitude, the layer's temperature gradient. 5. Using the pie diagram outlined in lecture, write and LEARN the composition or the earth’s atmosphere. Earth's environment is a composition of 78 % nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9 % argon, and 0.1% different gases. 6. Describe atmospheric pressure and the relationship to our atmosphere. Atmospheric pressure and wind are each extensive controlling elements of weather and climate on stress is the strain exerted on a unit vicinity, and atmospheric strain is identical to the load of air above a given vicinity on the earth's floor or inner its surroundings. 7. What is an atmosphere? Do other planets have atmospheres, Explain. An environment may be defined as a layer of fuel or we can term as layers of gases that envelope a planet and is held in place thru the gravity of the planetary frame . Astronomical bodies hold an surroundings on the same time as their get away pace is drastically huge than the not unusual molecular tempo of the gases present inside the environment. Out of these, the planets Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have massive atmospheres. 2. Ozone a. Relationship Questions: 1. What is ozone, where in the atmosphere is it found The ozone layer is a type of compound that has those oxygens combined and is found in the stratosphere. 2. How important is ozone -- Explain Very important because its the reason, we are alive because it blocks the UV sunlight from burning us into bacon. 3. Describe how ozone reacts with UV sunlight to protect life on earth (see lecture animation) It absorbs the UV sunlight radiation. 4. How much UV sun radiation is absorbed from ozone and what percentage of UV light reaches the earth’s surface. Think about this answer and the fact, we still get sunburned. Explain 97% is absorbed, 3% reaches the earths surface but still makes it very hot. 5. Is ozone the same as smog, Explain The ozone is produced when sunlight reacts with vehicle exhaust and oxygen in the air.Smog is produced when the oxygen and vehicle fumes react in the sunlight. 3. Sunlight (insolation) and or all light is identified using wavelengths which is grouped into the electromagnetic spectrum. Construct a diagram showing the entire electromagnetic spectrum scale (EM scale) and label the following: a. Wavelength b. Long and short wavelength groups

explanation use the terms evaporation, condensation, heat absorption, heat release The extra amount of energy which fall on the earth's surface from sun helps in evaporation process as the heat energy absorbed by the water particle i.econversion of liquid state(water) to gaseous state(water vapour). When theextra amount of heat released by the water particle the evaporated waterparticle condensate i. conversion of state from gaseous to liquid a. In your answer, explain what happens to energy during the process of evaporation and condensation - During evaporation, energetic molecules leave the liquid phase, which overally decreases the energy of the remaining liquid molecules. Energy is absorbed by the water molecules in evaporation. 3. Explain how heat energy (sun) changes the energy level of water (liquid state), water vapor (gas state) and ice (solid state) using the concept of latent heat. - During evaporation, energetic molecules leave the liquid phase, which overally decreases the energy of the remaining liquid molecules. Energy is absorbed by the water molecules in evaporation. 4. Finally, in your own words and after thoroughly answering the above questions, write a statement explaining latent heat in YOUR own words. Latent heat is the extra amount of heat required by the substance to convert from one state to another state. 6. The concept of relative humidity a. Relationship Questions 1. Explain the difference between humidity and relative humidity (RH) Humidity , It means amount of water or vapor present in air at certain temperature in the nature or a system . Humidity depends upon air temperature , cool air have higher humidity related to warm air. Relative Humidity - It have ratio between vapor present in air and actual vapor present in air at same temperature in the system . It express in percentage. 2. It is essential that you are able to calculate RH. RH is always calculated in terms of percentage. a. Calculate the RH if air at 25C can hold 20g of water vapor and it currently is holding 5g. What is the RH? The answer is 25% ----- how did you get this answer, Explain - RH = Vobs/Vactual*100 - = ( 5/20 ) *100 - =5 *5=25 % b. Calculate the RH if air at 30C can hold 35g of water vapor and it currently holds 15 g of water vapor. What is the RH? - RH = Vobs/Vactual*100 - =( 15/35)*100 - = 42.8% 3. The concept of dew point (DP), relative humidity (RH) and condensation a. What is the dew point? It is the amount of temperature at which air became saturated and no more vapor exit in air , condense vapor change into rain. b. Explain what happens to water vapor when RH is 100% When relative humidity became 100%, it means air became saturated and dew point

occur at which vapor condensed. c. When the temperature of an air parcel decrease , Rh increase and became 100% which causes saturation because air parcel can't hold any more water vapor. c. When the temperature of an air parcel _______________, RH humidity _________________ and reaches 100% which causes _____________ because the air parcel can not hold any more water vapor. d. What is the current RH in Bakersfield? (look it up on your phone) e. What is the dew point for Bakersfield (look it up on your phone) f. Explain when the Bakersfield atmosphere begins to condense given your answers in d and e. 4. Now, describe the relationship between RH, DP, condensation, air temperature, saturation and latent heat 7. The greenhouse concept a. Relationship Questions: 1. Listening to the lecture, describe how the greenhouse effect warms the earth’s atmosphere The greenhouse effect positively impacts the Earth's atmosphere's temperature. The greenhouse effect refers to the ability of the atmosphere to selectively absorb the electromagnetic spectrum of longer wavelengths and remain transparent to wavelengths of shorter wavelengths. This is achieved through the presence of greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, and others. These gases absorb longer wavelength components of terrestrial radiation and thus warm the Earth's atmosphere. 2. What role do greenhouse gasses play regarding the warming of the atmosphere? As mentioned, the greenhouse gases selectively absorb the longer wavelength component of terrestrial radiation and thus warm the lower atmosphere. It is to be remembered that the maximum concentrations of greenhouse gases are found in the lower atmosphere and hence, the lower atmosphere is impacted at its maximum. 3. Is the greenhouse effect natural? Explain your answer The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon and occurs in nature through the presence of gases such as CO2, CH4, water vapor, and others. In the absence of the greenhouse effect, the Earth's surface temperature would have been subzero. Hence, the Greenhouse effect of nature is critical in maintaining a sustainable temperature on the surface of Earth. 4. Which greenhouse gas creates stronger counter reradiation, water vapor or carbon dioxide? CO2 creates stronger counter radiation among water vapor and carbon dioxide. a. Which greenhouse gas (water vapor or carbon dioxide) is more concentrated in the earth’s atmosphere. Show your answer using numbers Water vapor is most concentrated in the Earth's atmosphere and is also themost abundant greenhouse gas found in the Earth's atmosphere. b. What do you think is a bigger contributor to global warming in terms of greenhouse gasses (water vapor or carbon dioxide)? Explain The biggest contributor to the greenhouse effect is water vapor due to itshigh volume present in the Earth's atmosphere. c. Do you think global warming is caused from humans or natural earth processes --- Explain your reasoning from your answers above. Global

substanceduring a phase change of the substance. The amount of latent heat involved withcondensation/evaporation and freezing/melting are different under differenttemperatures and pressures. J) Gravity- It is the force that pulls something towards the centre of the earth. K) Atmospheric pressure-Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure,is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere is a unit ofpressure defined as 101,325 Pa, which is equivalent to 760 mm Hg, 29.9212 inches Hg, or 14.696 psi. L) Precipitation- Precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzling, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. M) Evaporation- Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of aliquid as it changes into the gas phase N) Umbrella - used for protection from rain and sun. 3. Below is a paragraph with blanks. Fill in the blanks with the proper terms listed above (a-j) from your definitions . The following terms are related with regards to cloud formation. Once you have put the correct terms in the blanks, learn how a cloud forms --- not memorize. As warm air takes in moisture due to ___ Dew Point _______________ , air begins to rise and ________ pressure __________ decreases causing the rising air to ____ adibatic ___________ cool. As cooling air takes place, ______ dew point _____________ increases and approaches ______ relative humidity ____________ where air is saturated to 100% creating ______ percipitation __________ and releasing ______ latent heat ______________. Condensation takes place at an altitude within the atmosphere known as the _______ LCL __________________. At this altitude, _____ clouds _________ form. At this atmospheric elevation, clouds appear to have flat bottoms. Air continues to rise beyond the LCL where air is completely ___ saturated ___________ and condensation is producing larger and larger water drops. Water drops are suspended within the could due to _______ convection currents _____________ currents caused by ____ gravity _________ heat release at the LCL and rising air becomes cooler as it moves away from the LCL. Water droplets become increasingly larger and convection currents cannot hold them. ____ LCL __________ takes over, clouds begin to ______ evaporation _______and you now need to get your _______ percipation _____________. 10. Draw a diagram that represents your paragraph and blanks you filled in. It is extremely important that you can explain how a cloud forms in your own words using the proper terminology. 11. Orographic lifting and Bakersfield climate a. Relationship Questions: 1. What is meant by orographic lifting of air masses? Orographic lifting of airmasses refers to the forced lifting of warm and humid airmass under the trigger effect provided by a mountain barrier standing in the way of the air mass movement. The forced lifting of the warm and humid airmass results in its cooling and condensation thus causing orographic precipitation along the slope of the mountain. 2. Watch the last slide of atmospheric presentation and observe how an air mass originates in the Pacific Ocean and moves across California from west to east.

a. Explain how air moving up the western side of the Coast Range and Sierra Nevada Mountains form clouds -- HINT: See your answers in the fill in the blank paragraph. As the warm and humid airmass from the Pacific Ocean encounter thewestern slopes of Coast Range mountains and Sierra Nevada mountains,they are forced to rise upwards. During the process, the warm and humid airmasses cool and condense around hygroscopic nuclei thus forming clouds. b. How are rain shadows produced? Both in the SJV and Mojave desert areas. HINT: adiabatic warming on the eastern side of the mountain ranges. The clouds formed causes precipitation along the slope side of the mountain facing the warm and humid airmass. This side is known as the windward side. As the rising air reaches the summit, it is almost devoid of humidity content. Thereafter, it begins its descent along the opposite slope of the mountain. During the process, the air warms at an adiabatic lapse rate. This leads to the prevalence of dry atmospheric conditions without any chances of precipitation. This slope is called the rainshadow region. c. Why is the Bakersfield area considered a semi-desert climate? Bakersfield area is located along the Rainshadow region of the Coast Range mountains and hence observes minimal precipitation. Thus, it experiences a semi-arid climate. Possible Essay Questions for EXAM 3 1. Describe adiabatic processes and how it relates to cooling and warming air within the earth’s atmosphere 2. How does a cloud form? 3. What are the layers of the atmosphere and how does temperature relate to each atmospheric layer?