chapter d1

the biosphere:

• thin layer of earth

• conditions suitable for supporting life

• all living things on earth

• contains all the spheres

weather: short term, hard to predict, acedotal

• temp

• air pressure

• cloud cover

• precipitation

• humidity

• particular place, particular time

climate: long term, easier to predict, more general

• avg weather conditions

• over a long period of time

the atmosphere

• layer of gases that surrounds the earth

• nitrogen (78%)

• oxygen (20.9%)

• methane (0.97%)

• trace amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium

• soot, pollen, microorganisms

four layers of the earths atmosphere

• troposphere (0-10) km

  • 80% of atmospheric gases and dust

  • avg temp 15 degrees celsius

  • temp decreases w altitude

  • only part of the atmosphere that can support life

  • where most weather occurs

• stratosphere (10-50) km

  • ozone layer

  • -60 degrees celsius

• mesosphere (50-80) km

  • temp ranges from 0-100 celsius

• thermosphere (80-500) km

  • contains very little gases

  • temp: -100 - 1500 celsius '

• hydrosphere

  • all water on earth

  • 97% salt water in oceans

  • 3% freshwater

• lithosphere

  • solid portion of earth

  • rocks minerals elements

  • 100km below surface

  • warmed by energy from the sun

chapter d2

thermal energy

• temperature is a measure of thermal energy

• energy possessed by a substance due to its kinetic energy

solar energy

• radiant energy

• transmitted as electromagnetic waves

insolation

• amount of energy received by a region of the earths service

insolation and the angle of incidence

angle of incidence: angle between a ray falling on a surface and the line perpendicular to it

angle of incidence of incoming solar radiation increases as you move from the equator to the poles, due to the curvature of the earth

angle of inclination: degree that the earths poles r tilted from the perpendicular plane of orbit (23.5)

seasons

season changes are the result of earths inclination of orbit