Lecture 6:

Atmospheric Physics
Basics
envp.rempillo@gmail.com

Composition of the
Atmosphere

http://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.
AtmComposition

Oxygen (O2)
we need for
breathing
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
photosynthesis, also a
greenhouse gas

Composition of the
Atmosphere

All other trace gases

interact in complex
photochemical
reactions and cycles
(Really its
complicated)
Trace gases are
important

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Seinfeld and Pand

Expressing the amount of substance

in the atmosphere
Concentrations
mol/m3
Depends on atmospheric temperature and pressure

Mixing ratios: the ratio of the amount (or mass) of

substance in a given volume divided the total
amount (or mass) of all substance in the given
volume
ppm (parts per million) 1/1,000,000
ppb (parts per billion) 1/1,000,000,000
ppt (parts per trillion) 1/1,000,000,000,000

Molar ratio (ppm), mass ratio (ppmm), volume ratio

(ppmv)

Structure of the Atmosphere

Decreasing and
increasing temperature
trends
Troposphere is where
weather occurs (10-15
km), 80% of the
atmospheres mass
Stratosphere has the
ozone layer (45-55 km),
UV absorption of O3
causes heating
Mesosphere coldest
point in the atmosphere
(80 90 km)
Thermosphere lower
part has the ionosphere
where ions are produced
by photoionization. Upper

Checkpoint
Recall the ideal gas law, and lessons on thermal
energy and temperature. Why do you think
temperature decreases with height?
As air rises into areas of lower pressure it
expands because there are less
molecules around it to compress it. The
molecules in the air use some of their
energy to move apart from each other,
causing the air temperature to decrease
http://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.
AtmStructure

Solar Radiation
The sun is the earths main source of energy
Some fun sun facts:

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/ATMSnotes.pd

Electromagnetic Spectrum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum

The atmosphere is our

window

http://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.LWSW

 Tilt in earths axis produces

seasons (not the distance
from the sun, we are
closest to the sun in
january)
Also causes different length
of days during season
Animation
http
://www.mathsisfun.com/earthorbit.html

Seasons

Northern Hemisphere Summer

Southern Hemisphere Summer

Global Atmospheric Circulation

Heating at the
equator and
cooling at the
poles (convection)
Coriolis Effect
causes deflection
Animation:
https
://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=
mcPs_OdQOYU
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/
ATMSnotes.pdf

Energy balance
Incoming
= 342 W/m2

Reflected
= 107 W/m2

Outgoing
Longwave
= 235 W/m2

Energy is
balance
In = Out

https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_d
ata/ar4/wg1/en/fig/faq-1-1-figure-1l.png

Greenhouse Effect
Animation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3
JX-ioSmNW8#t=
97
Simulation
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation
/
greenhouse

Quiz
1. Name 3 most abundant components of
the earths atmosphere
2. What is the lowest layer of the earths
atmosphere where weather occurs
3. True or False, seasons are caused by
earths distance to the sun
4. ______ effect causes deflection of air
circulation due to the earths rotation

Final Project and

Presentation
Final paper due on August 15 (Monday class),
Aug 17 (Wed class), Aug 18 (Thurs class)
Presentation dates:
Monday class (Aug 8 and 15)
Wed class (Aug 10 and 17)
Thurs class (Aug 11 and 18)

Presentations will be maximum 15 minutes long

for each group
All groups must be ready on the first day of
presentation, the order of presentation will be
drawn randomly