AKQ1a: What are the structural components of the atmosphere?1. The structure of the atmosphere include (diagram):

a. Troposphere ● the lowest layer of the atmosphere, contains 99% of water vapor and 75%

atmospheric gases. Because 99% of water vapor is found here, most of the clouds are also located in the troposphere. The water vapor decreases when closer to the polar regions and increases towards the tropic regions. Extends about 33,000 feet from the earth’s surface. The air here is the warmest and closest to the surface.

b. Stratosphere ● This section of the atmosphere has very little moisture, aka it will contain barely

any clouds. The temperature in the stratosphere increases as it rises in altitude. The temperatures can average around -60 degrees C and reach a maximum of 0 degrees C. The stratosphere is approximately 24% of the earth's total atmosphere. Airplanes fly in the stratosphere. 90% Of the ozone layer is also found in the stratosphere. The hole in the ozone over the Antarctic was located in the stratosphere.

c. Mesosphere● The mesosphere is the 3rd layer of the atmosphere, coming after the

stratosphere. It is mostly known for burning up meteoroids and asteroids before they hit the earth’s surface. About 40 tons of meteoroids fall to the earth every day, but the mesosphere protects us from their impacts.The atmosphere here has a low density and made up of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. The temperatures here decrease the farther away the mesosphere is from the earth’s surface. It is the coldest layer of the atmosphere and it can freeze water vapor into ice clouds.

d. Thermosphere (ionosphere)○ In the thermosphere, the temperatures increase as it moves farther away

from the earth’s surface. The air density in the thermosphere is so low that some people consider it a part of space. The ISS(International Space Station) orbits the earth in this layer of the atmosphere.

2. Each zone described in terms of:a. Composition

The troposphere contains all of the life on earth. It contains 99% of the water vapor and 75% of the atmospheric gases (Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.). The stratosphere contains high levels of the gas ozone in its upper portion which is known as the Ozone layer. This layer protects the earth from the suns harmful ultraviolet rays. The mesosphere contains the ionosphere which is a layer of charged particles that influence atmospheric magnetism. . The thermosphere also contains the ionosphere and is prevalent of auroras such as the aurora borealis and aurora australis due to its high temperature. It also contains no water vapor.

b. Temperature The troposphere is warmed primarily by the earths surface and trapped greenhouse gases. With an increase in elevation the temperature lowers since most of the heat is absorbed into the ground. Temperature cools around 6.5 degrees Celsius per km. It is bounded by the tropopause which is marked by temperature inversion. In the stratosphere temperature increase with elevation especially by the ozone. The mesosphere is the coldest layer in which temperature decreases with elevation. It has an average temperature of -85 degrees Celsius. The thermosphere is extremely hot due to its proximity to the sun. It experiences a temperature inversion due to the absorption of radiation and its low density of its molecules.

c. Density variation In the troposphere the density decreases with elevation making the air thinner. This layer is the densest out of all of them. In the stratosphere this is where planes and jets fly due to the lower density making air turbulence low and flight faster due to the less friction in the layer. The mesosphere has extremely low density with having 99.9% of the mass of the atmosphere below

it. As a result air pressure is very low. The density of molecules is so low in the thermosphere that one gas molecule can go about 1 km before it collides with another molecule.

3. Reference can be made to a. Models of atmospheric structure

b.evidence from research (balloons) Weather balloons gather information of the atmosphere and it's effects mostly within the

troposphere. Satellites that can detect radiation and the fluctuation of heat also provide useful information of the atmosphere. Examining the atmospheres of other planets provides useful data to compare similarities and draw assumption from correlation (used for confirmation).

c. ozone and the absorption of UV radiationThe ozone layer absorbs 97 to 99 percent of the Sun's medium-frequency ultraviolet light

(from about 200 nm to 315 nm wavelength) that would potentially damage exposed life forms near the surface. The ozone layer can adequately distinguish/filter different wavelengths of UV radiation with its chemical components. The nitrogen screening divides vacuum UV into three categories; UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. It grants slight passage to UV-B (important for the skin's production of vitamin D, still causes sun burns), entirely blocks out UV-C (shortest wavelength, most harmful) and is most transparent to UV-A (longest wavelength, least harmful)

d. The absorption of visible radiation by earth’s surface (diagram and explain)Different variations of solar radiation are absorbed by earth's surface. Larger aerosol

particles in the atmosphere interact with and absorb some of the radiation, causing the atmosphere to warm. The heat generated by this absorption is emitted as longwave infrared

radiation, some of which radiates out into space.

e. Emission of thermal infra-red radiation and absorption by tropospheric gases The processes of radiation, conduction, and convection are important to the

Troposphere. Radiation warms the ground from the absorbed energy from the sun emitting radiation. Radiation is also stored within some ozone and the clouds within the troposphere. clouds will keep the temperatures warmer than than otherwise would be due to the absorption and thus "trapping" of infrared radiation emitted from the surface. Conduction is a significant process immediately at the earth's surface but is not really significant above the surface since the atmosphere is composed of fluids. The temperature of the earth's surface will have a significant influence on the surface air temperature due to the conduction process. The bulk of heat energy transferred in the troposphere is done by convection.

AKQ1b: Why is it important to understand their characteristics? 1. The interaction of incoming and outgoing radiation within the troposphere and

stratosphere (diagram and explainThis diagram explains how incoming solar energy is either reflected or absorbed.

2. The earth’s budget (diagram and explain) The earth's energy budget is the amount of energy that enters earth's climate and also how much energy is lost. The received radiation is distributed very unevenly throughout the earth's atmosphere due to the earths tilt. If incoming energy is balanced it is known as radioactive equilibrium meaning earth's temperature is stable. Greenhouse gases disturb this equilibrium the most but also other factors such as the albedo effect, cloud coverage, and land use patterns. Even with all this the earth's temperature is relatively constant.

3. The importance of the troposphere for weather and human activity.● As the sun reflects off the surface of the earth, heat is expelled into the air. The

troposphere receives that heat and has it sent up as the air becomes hot. The cooler air comes down to the surface and a cycle continues. The sun unevenly heats the earth. The equator receives warmer weather because the sun has a more direct contact with that region of the globe.Convection occurs as this cycle continues. Rising air causes weather in the troposphere. The tropopause acts as a barrier. It prevents cool air in the troposphere from mixing with warm air in the stratosphere. Human activity can harm the troposphere. Pollution, such as smog, can go through many chemical changes while in the troposphere. Convection transports this heat. Although it does not have an ozone, it can still harm the air in it. The troposphere has all types of precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, hail, etc.