Earth's Atmosphere

Earth’s Atmosphere

Layers of the atmosphere

• There are five main layers of the atmosphere

from Earth to space.

• 1. Troposphere
• 2. Stratosphere
• 3. Mesosphere
• 4. Thermosphere
• 5. Ionosphere/Exosphere

Multiple Choice

What are the 5 layers of the atmosphere

• Troposphere

  Stratosphere

  Mesosphere

  Thermosphere

  Ionosphere/Exosphere

• Trophy

  Straws

  meatballs

  Thermometer

  Exile

• outosphere

  almostout

  kindaout

  almostout

  spacesphere

Trophosphere

• Lower atmosphere
• Weather occurs here ** Water vapor
• From 4 to 10 miles from Earth’s surface
• Jet planes are found traveling here
• Temperature drops as elevation increases
• Air pressure decreases as elevation increases.

Open Ended

What is something interesting about the Troposphere

Stratosphere

• Up to 30 miles from Earth’s surface
• High power jets can fly here
• Temperature increases with height
• Heat is produced by the formation of Ozone
• The ozone layer is at the top of the stratosphere
• Ozone is represented with the molecule O3
• Ozone has been shrinking over the past 50 years
• There is now a hole in the Ozone layer
over Antarctica
• This allows damaging rays to reach the
earths surface causing ice to melt.

Open Ended

What is something interesting about the Stratosphere?

Mesosphere

• Known as the middle atmosphere
• From 30 miles to about 53 miles above Earth
• Gases in atmosphere are very dense
• Gases can stop meteors from hitting earth
• Temperature is about 5 degrees, very cold layer.

Open Ended

What is something interesting about the Mesosphere

Thermosphere

• Known as the upper atmosphere
• The outermost layer of the atmosphere
• Hottest layer of atmosphere
• Falls between 53 miles and 375 miles
• Gases are extremely dense
• Gas molecules absorb UV rays from the sun and

cause extreme temperature increases at the top of
this layer

• Temperatures could reach 3,600 DEGREES!!!!
• Thermosphere is divided into the exosphere and the

ionosphere.

Open Ended

What is something interesting about the Thermosphere?

Exosphere/ Ionosphere

• Over 6,000 miles from Earth’s surface
• This is where satellites orbit the Earth
• Rockets and space shuttles travel through the

Exosphere

• The “Northern Lights” are seen in the

ionosphere

• Lights are caused by the collision of charged

particles in the atmosphere.

Open Ended

What is something interesting about the Exosphere?

BASIC INFORMATION

• Weather – the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a

particular time and place.

• Atmosphere – the layer of gases that surrounds the

planet.

• Earth’s atmosphere makes conditions on Earth

suitable for living things.

• Contains oxygen and other gases we need to stay

alive.

• The atmosphere is constantly changing.

• Earth’s atmosphere protects living things from

dangerous radiation from the sun.

• Earth’s atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, oxygen,

carbon dioxide, water vapor, other gases, particles of
liquids and solids.

Nitrogen – the most abundant gas in the atmosphere. ¾
of the air we breathe.
•Living things need nitrogen to grow and repair cells.
Found in protein.

•We get nitrogen from eating plants or other animals.

Carbon Dioxide – 1 atom of carbon and 2 atoms
of oxygen.
• Plants need it to make food.
• Animals give off CO2 as waste product.
• Burning field increases the amount of carbon

dioxide in the air.

Oxygen – Has 2 oxygen atoms. 2nd most abundant gas in
the atmosphere.
• Plants give off oxygen as a product of photosynthesis
• Oxygen is used whenever something burns. Without

oxygen, a fire will go out.

• Oxygen also is part of other processes, such as

oxidation (making rust)

Other gases – only small amounts
present.

Water Vapor – water in the form of a
gas.
• Contains 2 hydrogen atoms and

1 oxygen atom.

• Amount in the air varies

depending on the location and
time.

• Water vapor is involved in making

clouds – condensation.

Particles – air contains tiny solid and liquid
particles of dust, smoke, salt, and other
chemicals.
• Most are too small to see.

Air Pressure

Pressure – the force pushing on an area or
surface.
Air pressure – result of the weight of a column of
air pushing down on an area.

• Falling air pressure = a storm is approaching
• Rising air pressure = the weather is clearing

Barometer – an instrument that is used to
measure changes in air pressure.

Air pressure is indicated in millibars.
Isobars - Lines on a weather map that join
places with the same air pressure.

Altitude
Altitude – the elevation or the distance
above sea level.

• Sea level – the average level of the

surface of the oceans

• Air pressure decreases as altitude

increases.

• As air pressure decreases so does

density.