Atmosphere Basics
The thin envelope of gases surrounding Earth that insulates and protects the planet
atmosphere
This gas makes up about 78% of Earth's atmosphere
What is nitrogen
The force exerted by a column of air on a surface; measured with a barometer
What is air pressure
The primary source of energy that drives Earth's atmospheric motions
The movement of air parallel to Earth's surface
What is wind
This planet is hotter than Earth because its atmosphere is much thicker and traps more heat
What is Venus
This gas makes up about 21% of the atmosphere and is essential for animal life
What is oxygen
As this increases (height above sea level), air pressure decreases
What is altitude
Energy that travels through space from the Sun to Earth
what is radiation
Air generally moves from these pressure areas toward these other pressure areas
What is high pressure to low pressure
This planet is colder than Earth because its atmosphere is very thin and cannot trap much heat
What is Mars
Together, nitrogen and oxygen account for about this percent of the atmosphere
What is 99%
This explains why air pressure is greater at the surface than higher up: gravity does this to air molecules
Compresses them -pushes them together
The transfer of heat when warm air rises and cool air sinks, forming currents
What is convection
These small-scale winds result from unequal heating over short distances, such as between land and sea
What are local winds
Describe two ways that our atmosphere acts as a protective "coat."
Dangerous gases that collect and destroy the upper atmosphere are called...
Ozone
Warm air molecules do this compared to cold air molecules, causing lower pressure
spread out
This process warms air molecules directly from contact with Earth's warmed surface
What is conduction
These large-scale winds form because of unequal heating between the equator and the poles
What are global winds
Name two things included in the atmosphere besides gases
water vapor, energy
The gaseous form of water in the atmosphere; it varies from 0% in deserts to about 4% in humid tropics."
What is water vapor
Name the instrument used to measure air pressure
what is a barometer
About some of the Sun's incoming energy is sent back into space, while most passes through the atmosphere and is either trapped or absorbed as this
What is heat energy
State the vocabulary words to each definition:
-The thin envelope of gases surrounding Earth that insulates and protects the planet.
-The force exerted by a column of air on a surface.
-Height above sea level.
-Movement of air parallel to Earth’s surface.
-A condition that does not change much with time; steady
-atmosphere
-air pressure
-altitude
-winds
-stable