MET135 Lesson 1 The Atmosphere

What is Meteorology?
 Study of the atmosphere and its phenomena

 Term goes back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle
– he wrote a book called Meteorologica
 Those days all substances that fell from the sky or
seen in the air were meteors hence the term
meteorology
 Many of his speculations were erroneous
 Birth of meteorology as a science when weather
instruments were invented
Weather and Climate
• Weather – the condition of the atmosphere at any time and place
• Always changing
• Elements that make up weather
• Air temperature
• Air pressure
• Humidity
• Clouds
• Precipitation
• Visibility
• Wind
Climate
• Climate is the average weather of a particular
region
• Represents accumulation of daily and seasonal
weather events over a long period of time
• Also includes extremes of weather
• Frequency of those extremes distinguishes
among climates
• The earth and its atmosphere are dynamic
systems that constantly change
THE ATMOSPHERE
Lecturer: Miss Shezelle Mather

Earth System
Earth’s four spheres;

 Atmosphere
 Hydrosphere
 Biosphere
 Lithosphere (Geosphere)
• Biosphere is the portion of earth in which all

known life forms exist.
• Atmosphere: a thin layer that surrounds the
earth
• Hydrosphere: water
• Lithosphere: land
Early Atmosphere
 Earth's first atmosphere 4.6 billion years ago was most
likely comprised of hydrogen and helium (two most
abundant gases found in the universe!)
 Through the process of outgassing, the outpouring of
gases from the earth's interior (through volcano eruption),
many other gases were injected into the atmosphere.
 These include:
http://forces.si.edu/atmosphere/
04_00_03.html
• water vapor
• carbon dioxide
• nitrogen
 Earth's atmosphere can be divided into layers
based upon several different variables such as;
 1. Composition
• Permanent vs Variable Gas
• Homosphere (lower well mixed region) vs
Heterosphere (region from the base of the thermosphere
to the top of the atmosphere)
 2. Temperature
• Layers:
i. Troposphere
ii. Stratosphere
iii. Mesosphere
iv. Thermosphere
 3. Function
• Ionoshpere
• Ozonosphere
The Atmosphere Structure:
Composition
• The atmosphere is a layer of gases—
mainly nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) —
that surrounds Earth.
• Compared to the 12,753-km diameter

of Earth, the atmosphere is very thin.
• This thin layer provides us with the air

we breathe, protects us from the Sun’s
harmful rays, and stores heat energy
that makes the planet habitable for life. https://www.meted.ucar.edu/intromet/atmosphere/print.php
• Nitrogen composes 78% of
Earth’s atmosphere and oxygen
accounts for 21%.
• The remaining 1% includes argon
(Ar), neon (Ne), helium (He),
hydrogen (H), xenon (Xe), and
carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor
(H2O).
https://www.meted.ucar.edu/intromet/atmosphere/
• CO2 represents only a fraction of print.php
a percent of the gases in Earth’s

atmosphere, but has significant
greenhouse properties that allow
it to efficiently store/release heat.
THE ATMOSPHERE STRUCTURE:
COMPOSITION (PERMANENT & VARIABLE GASES
http://tornado.sfsu.edu/geosciences/classes/m201/
Atmosphere/AtmosphericComposition.html
Nitrogen
 Occupies approximately 78.08% of total volume of dry
air
 Fairly constant in the atmosphere up to ~80km
(50miles) altitude
 Nitrogen is added into the atmosphere as plants and
animals decay, or are burned, as well as through
volcanic eruptions, and the decay of some types of non-
organic materials
Rain and snow also wash nitrogen out of the
atmosphere
A bulk of Nitrogen is removed by living organisms
(biological process)
Taken from air by ocean plankton that convert it to
nutrients
Oxygen
Oxygen occupies approximately 20.95% of total
volume of dry air
Oxygen is added to our atmosphere by plants as
they utilize photosynthesis to convert sunlight into
energy.
Oxygen is removed from the air around us by
animals and other life forms when they breathe.
Removed from atmosphere when organic matter

decays
Oxygen is the most important of the gases in our
atmosphere in relation to animal life.
Water Vapor
 High variable (spatially and temporarily)
 Higher amounts found in tropical regions and lower
amounts in polar regions
 Individual H2O molecules are invisible
 Visible as cloud droplets and ice crystals due to
aggregation of liquid/solid particles
 A green house gas (GHG)
 Phase change from vapor to liquid or solid releases
latent heat
• Latent heat is an important source of atmospheric
energy
 Enters atmosphere through evaporation
 Is removed from the atmosphere through:
• i. Condensation
• ii. Precipitation
Carbon Dioxide
 Concentration 360pm (variable)
 A green house gas
 Inputs:
• Mammal respiration
• Volcanic Eruption
• Burning of fossil fuels
• Deforestation
• Decay of biomass
 Output:
• The ocean
i. Phytoplankton fix CO2 into organic tissues
• Photosynthesis
i. Stored in roots leaves of plants
ii. Plant consume CO2 to produce matter
Chlorofluorocarbons
Also known as CFC’s, non toxic,
nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of
carbon chlorine and fluorine.
Concentration of 0.0002ppm
Used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays,

foams, packing materials, refrigerants.
A green house gas (GHG)
Play a major role in destroying stratospheric

ozone
What are Greenhouse gases?
• Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases in the earth's atmosphere that
trap heat.
• They absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared
range causing the greenhouse effect. ie..it absorbs infrared radiation
• During the day, the sun shines through the atmosphere, warming
the earth's surface. At night, earth's surface cools, releasing heat
back into the air.
• Some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere.
• Primary ones in the earth’s atmosphere are water
vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and
ozone.
• The more of these gases that exists, the more heat is

prevented from escaping into space and, consequently,
the more the earth heats. This increase in heat is called
the greenhouse effect.
• https://youtu.be/XFCdxppTsu0
OZONE
Concentration of 0.04 Stratospheric
Ozone
97% in Upper Atmosphere (~15km
– 55km) (good) • Absorbs harmful UV
radiation
3% in lower atmosphere (bad) • Levels destroyed due
to CFCs build-up
caused by humans
Tropospheric Ozone • Found between 15km
• Found in lower atmosphere – 55km
around cities
• Created by buildup of
photochemical smog
Other Chemicals
Aerosols – tiny solid or liquid suspended particles of
various composition
From natural and human sources
• Volcano eruption
• Ocean spray, dust, dirt
• pollen
 It is the basis for cloud formation
• water vapor condenses onto the aerosol
Methane
• Release through the break down of plant material
• A GHG
Nitrous Oxide
• An oxide of nitrogen, colourless non-flammable gas, depletes
stratospheric ozone, contributes to global warming
• Agriculture and fossil fuel are basis for formation
• A GHG
Atmosphere classified by Composition
Homosphere
 Extends from earth’s surface to about
80 km
 Density of air changes with altitude
 Proportion of gases is nearly uniform
Heterosphere
 Gases are not evenly mixed
 Assorted by gravity according to
their atomic weight
 Less than 0.001% of the mass of
the earth’s atmosphere is in the
Heterosphere.
http://images.slideplayer.com/24/7322214/slides/slide_4.jpg
The Atmosphere Structure: Temperature
One of the most common ways to divide the

layers in the atmosphere is based on the
vertical distribution and variations of
temperature.
The structure of the atmosphere can be

characterized using the following layers;
• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere
Troposphere
 Troposphere: means 'to turn' - it is the mixed layer
• bottom layer where most of our weather takes place.

• It contains the major concentrations of water vapor and
dust.
• Temperatures generally decrease with height in this layer.
• The average rate of temperature decrease is called the
environmental lapse rate and is ~6.5°C per kilometer.
• There are locations within this layer where the temperature
actually increases as we go up.
• These are called temperature inversions (stable layers)
TROPOSPHERE CONT’D
• The average height of this layer
(Troposphere) ranges between about
8-18 km.
• Height changes depending on
temperature - higher when/where
warmer and lower when/where
colder.
• Above this layer is the Tropopause, a
boundary that separates the
Troposphere from the Stratosphere.
• Since the tropopause is the top of
the troposphere, its height also
changes as the height or thickness of
the Troposphere changes.
• Again, higher when/where warmer,
etc.
Stratosphere
• Temperatures are constant
(isothermal) from the bottom to
roughly 20 km
• Temperatures increase in the
stratosphere due to the absorption of
UV radiation by ozone (~20-50 km).
• Greatest concentration of ozone is
found between ~20-30 km.
• At the top of this layer is the
Stratopause, a boundary that
separates the Stratosphere from the
Mesosphere
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter1/graphics/
• ~ 99.9% of atmospheric mass below vert_temp_strat.free.gif
stratosphere
• No vertical mixing
Mesosphere
• Extends from about 50 – 85 km
• Temperature decreases with
height
• The lowest temperature in
Earth's atmosphere, which is
about -90°C is found here
• Extremely thin air, atmospheric
pressure averaging 1 mb.
• At the top of this layer is the
Mesopause, a boundary that
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter1/graphics/vert_temp_mes.free.gif
separates the Mesosphere from

the Thermosphere.
Thermosphere
 There is no clear separation
between the thermosphere and
interplanetary space
 The highest temps found here
due to high energy radiation
being absorbed by gases (such
as O2)
 Also depends on how active the
Sun is during its 11-year sunspot
cycle
 Hottest when the Sun is very
active during "solar max”
https://www.albany.edu/faculty/rgk/atm101/structur.htm
 Not so hot when the Sun is less

active during "solar min"
Atmospheric Layers Temperature
Summary
Troposphere
 Temperature ↓ with ↑ altitude
Stratosphere
 Temperature ↑ with ↑ altitude
Mesosphere
 Temperature ↓ with ↑altitude
Thermosphere
 Temperature ↑with ↑ altitude
http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/10522672_f520.jpg
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/231
-how-volcanoes-work-video.htm
THE ATMOSPHERE STRUCTURE:
FUNCTION
 Ionosphere:
• Outer layer that is electrically charged due to the
absorption of very energetic short wavelength radiation
from the sun (cosmic, gamma, x-ray, and shortest UV).
• This layer helps or sometimes hinders radio
communications.
 Ozonosphere:
• Found in the stratosphere and it is the region of the
ozone layer.
• The ozone molecules absorb ultraviolet radiation (all
UVC and 90% of UVB) from the sun and prevent these
dangerous energetic wavelengths from reaching life at
the earth's surface.
https://youtu.be/DftEDVzGnMg
https://youtu.be/7gzg4myWAEA

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What is Meteorology?

 Study of the atmosphere and its phenomena

Lecturer: Miss Shezelle Mather

Earth’s four spheres;

• Biosphere is the portion of earth in which all

• Compared to the 12,753-km diameter

• This thin layer provides us with the air

• CO2 represents only a fraction of print.php

a percent of the gases in Earth’s

Removed from atmosphere when organic matter

Used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays,

A green house gas (GHG)

Play a major role in destroying stratospheric

• Some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the

• The more of these gases that exists, the more heat is

One of the most common ways to divide the

The structure of the atmosphere can be

• bottom layer where most of our weather takes place.

• ~ 99.9% of atmospheric mass below vert_temp_strat.free.gif

separates the Mesosphere from

 Not so hot when the Sun is less

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