{"id":5591,"date":"2020-01-13T22:43:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T22:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/?page_id=5591"},"modified":"2020-01-13T22:43:24","modified_gmt":"2020-01-13T22:43:24","slug":"atmosphere","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/learning-pathways\/earth-systems\/atmosphere\/","title":{"rendered":"Atmosphere"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\" class=\"mw-body container\" role=\"main\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<div class=\"panel-body\">\n<div id=\"bodyContent\">\n<div id=\"mw-content-text\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"mw-content-ltr\">\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"definition\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_define.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Did you know<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"floatright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Earth_in_vivid_colors_1.jpg\" class=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Earth in vivid colors 1.jpg\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/thumb\/4\/41\/Earth_in_vivid_colors_1.jpg\/320px-Earth_in_vivid_colors_1.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"320\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>The atmosphere forms a protective blanket around Earth and makes it a habitable planet for life. It is the air we breathe and plays a key role in the weather we all like to complain about.\n<\/li>\n<li>The atmosphere encompasses all the gases that swirl around the Earth.\n<\/li>\n<li>The blue colour of the sky is because of dispersion and absorption of the Sun&#8217;s radiation by molecules in the atmosphere.\n<\/li>\n<li>The red colour in the morning and the evening is because of particles, such as dust, smoke or ash.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<dl>\n<dt>Weather<\/dt>\n<dd> describes what the atmosphere is doing right now, over short periods of time, hours, days and weeks.\n<\/dd>\n<dt>Climate<\/dt>\n<dd> Refers to the longer term average weather for a particular region.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<p><b>NOTE<\/b> A phrase to remember is &#8221; Climate is what you expect, Weather is what you get&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"discussion\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_discussion.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Think and Share<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"floatright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Sunset_Marina.JPG\" class=\"image\" title=\"Exceptional red sunsets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Exceptional red sunsets\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/thumb\/9\/90\/Sunset_Marina.JPG\/320px-Sunset_Marina.JPG\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>In the nature of global learning, this is a great opportunity to share our connection to place. We would encourage to share an image of a sunset or sunrise from a place important to you. <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/mastodon.oeru.org\/about\">Mastodon.oeru.org<\/a> would be the best tool for the job. Remember to tag ETHS101.\n<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/support\/studying-courses\/oeru-social-network\/#Attaching_a_media_file_to_your_toot\">OERu&#8217;s support page<\/a> is a great resource for learning how to do this. Remember to use the &#8220;find&#8221; function (Mac = Command &#8216;F&#8217; OR Window&#8217;s = Ctrl &#8216;F&#8217;) to locate the word <b>image<\/b> quickly.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice WEquizMultipleChoice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"assessment\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_qmark.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>How many Atmospheres?<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t\n<p>If we told you, &#8220;Earth has had two atmospheres&#8221;, would you say this statement was <b>True<\/b> OR <b>False<\/b>?\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li> Earth has had two atmospheres\n<ul>\n<li> True\n<ul>\n<li> <b>Correct<\/b>.  The first was lost when a small planet collided with Earth to form the Moon. The second atmosphere was outgased from the interior of Earth. It was retained by gravity and protected from solar winds by the Earth\u2019s magnetic field.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li> False\n<ul>\n<li> <b>Incorrect<\/b>. Had to believe right? Try again and learn why the earth has had two atmospheres.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p><br style=\"clear:both\">\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Gas-mixture.jpg\" class=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gas-mixture.jpg\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Gas-mixture.jpg\/800px-Gas-mixture.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"327\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Early Earth\u2019s atmosphere would be toxic to us. It was mainly made up of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and some sulfur dioxide with almost no oxygen.<\/p>\n<p>Early life began to change the atmosphere by using gases such as methane, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide and expelling oxygen.\n<\/p>\n<p>The Earth\u2019s atmosphere has evolved with life so now the atmosphere is nearly 21% oxygen. In comparison CO2 in the atmosphere is tiny (0.04%) and methane makes up even less (0.00018%). None of these volume estimates take water vapour into account.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"definition\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_define.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Did you know<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The amount of water vapour varies a lot from place to place, time of day and season. There is more water near the equator and most of it is invisible water vapour that we experience as humidity, even though the sky is clear.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"What_makes_up_the_Atmosphere\">What makes up the Atmosphere<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Scientist divide the atmosphere into spheres that encircle the Earth based on composition and temperature\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Atmosphere_layers.jpg\" class=\"image\" title=\"httos:\/\/Geo.arc.nasa.gov\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"httos:\/\/Geo.arc.nasa.gov\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/3\/36\/Atmosphere_layers.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"489\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Most (75%) of the mass of the atmosphere is in the troposphere.\n<\/li>\n<li>Mass is about 5.14 x 1018 kg (=514,000,000,000,000,000 kg*)\n<ul>\n<li>estimate from Trenberth &amp; Guillemot, 1994 Total mass of the atmosphere, Journal of Geophysical Research, 99, 23,079-23,088\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"Atmosphere_on_the_move\">Atmosphere on the move<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Atmospheric_circulation.svg\" class=\"image\" title=\"verall circulation of the atmosphere. Known and exploited by sailors. Note the north and south of the equator divide\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"verall circulation of the atmosphere. Known and exploited by sailors. Note the north and south of the equator divide\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/thumb\/7\/79\/Atmospheric_circulation.svg\/320px-Atmospheric_circulation.svg.png\" width=\"320\" height=\"237\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Rotation of the Earth, heat from the sun and cooling where there is no sun all help create the circulation systems that move the Earth\u2019s atmosphere. The image above shows the overall circulation of the atmosphere. Known and exploited by sailors.<\/p>\n<p>Air currents can move gases, microbes, and particles all around the Earth so the air you are breathing in today may have been halfway around the world a few days ago\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Eruption_of_Puyehue-Cord%C3%B3n_Caulle_volcano,_Chile_12-13-2011.PNG\" class=\"image\" title=\"Chile\u2019s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano eruption 201\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chile\u2019s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano eruption 201\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/thumb\/8\/89\/Eruption_of_Puyehue-Cord%C3%B3n_Caulle_volcano%2C_Chile_12-13-2011.PNG\/320px-Eruption_of_Puyehue-Cord%C3%B3n_Caulle_volcano%2C_Chile_12-13-2011.PNG\" width=\"320\" height=\"239\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Ash from Chile&#8217;s Puyehue-Cordon-Calle volcanic complex eruption in 2011 circumnavigated the world twice in the southern latitudes and caused the closure of airports in southern Australia.*\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"How_the_Atmosphere_protects_us\">How the Atmosphere protects us<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"floatnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wikieducator.org\/File:Radiation_windows.jpg\" class=\"image\" title=\"This illustration shows how far into the atmosphere different parts of the EM spectrum can go before being absorbed. Only portions of radio and visible light reach the surface\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"This illustration shows how far into the atmosphere different parts of the EM spectrum can go before being absorbed. Only portions of radio and visible light reach the surface\" src=\"\/\/wikieducator.org\/images\/f\/f1\/Radiation_windows.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"708\" class=\"img-responsive\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The atmosphere blocks out all gamma rays, X-rays and much of the Ultraviolet (short wavelength radiation) that is harmful to life (see image above). Only visible light, limited Ultraviolet and long wavelength called radio waves make it to the Earth&#8217;s surface. The most important absorbing gases are O3 for absorbing Ultraviolet radiation, and CO2 and H2O for absorbing Infrared Red radiation. Most meteorites burn up in the mesosphere: Very few actually land on Earth\u2019s surface.\n<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"mw-headline\" id=\"What_is_the_Greenhouse_Effect.3F\">What is the Greenhouse Effect?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Greenhouse gases form a blanket in the lower atmosphere that traps some of the sun\u2019s energy after it is reflected off the Earth\u2019s surface. The greenhouse mechanism maintains the Earth 33 degrees Celsius higher than it would be otherwise. Greenhouse gases include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Water vapour is also important as it forms clouds which can hold in heat. Cycling of carbon is very important as gases that contain carbon have a large impact on the greenhouse effect (see the page at the end of this week for details on the Carbon Cycle)\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Interestingly, Venus, which is in the Goldilocks zone, is too hot for life. Surface temperatures are around 460 degrees Celsius. It is closer to the Sun and get&#8217;s more radiation, but the heat is mainly trapped by it&#8217;s thick C-rich atmosphere. It is too hot for liquid water on the surface. <\/b>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel iDevice\">\n\t<div class=\"panel-heading idevice-heading\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pedagogicalicon\" alt=\"summary\" src=\"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-content\/themes\/oeru_course\/idevices\/Icon_summary.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<h2>Readings and extended learning<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"panel-body\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Although touched on here we have not gone into details on how weather and climate happen. Weather systems are a complex interplay of many factors in the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. To learn about these processes in more detail, read <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/library.open.oregonstate.edu\/climatechange\/chapter\/processes\/\">Schmittner\u2019s chapter 6 (Processes)<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/library.open.oregonstate.edu\/climatechange\/chapter\/weather-and-climate\/\">Chapter 1, on weather, is also relevant (and much shorter!)<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \nNewPP limit report\nCPU time usage: 0.686 seconds\nReal time usage: 5.406 seconds\nPreprocessor visited node count: 548\/1000000\nPreprocessor generated node count: 1372\/1000000\nPost\u2010expand include size: 15230\/2097152 bytes\nTemplate argument size: 7185\/2097152 bytes\nHighest expansion depth: 8\/40\nExpensive parser function count: 0\/100\n--><\/p>\n<p><!-- Saved in parser cache with key we_en-mw_:pcache:idhash:185040-0!*!*!!en!2!* and timestamp 20200113224317 and revision id 1064717\n -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"visualClear\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<ul class=\"pager\">\n<li class=\"previous\">\n            <a href=\"\/eths101\/learning-pathways\/earth-systems\/hydrosphere\">\u2190 Previous<\/a>\n          <\/li>\n<li class=\"next\">\n            <a href=\"\/eths101\/learning-pathways\/earth-systems\/biosphere\">Next \u2192<\/a>\n          <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<br \/>\n<\/footer>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Early Earth\u2019s atmosphere would be toxic to us. It was mainly made up of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and some sulfur dioxide with almost no oxygen. Early life began to change the atmosphere by using gases such as methane, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide and expelling oxygen. The Earth\u2019s atmosphere has evolved with life [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":0,"parent":5583,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5591","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/155"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5591"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5592,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5591\/revisions\/5592"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/course.oeru.org\/eths101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}