ATOC 181 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Outgassing, Photosynthesis, Ultraviolet
31 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Vertical structure of the atmosphere: air density, air pressure, air temperature. Atmosphere: gaseous part extends from surface to exosphere (fading into space) The systems interact with each other through many processes (hydrological cycle, carbon cycle, human activities) Solar energy as radiation: nearly 150 million km separate the sun and earth, yet solar radiation drives the. Thin film of gases and tiny particles (aerosols) surrounding the earth: 99% of mass is confined to a layer of 0. 25% of earth"s diameter. Essential for life: oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, shields us from ultraviolet radiation. ^weather layer is even thinner: atmosphere is 100km deep (fading into space) but most of the weather is contained in the lowest layer, from the surface up to 10-16km. The early atmosphere: planet earth was born 4. 6 billion years ago, first atmosphere consisted mainly of gaseous hydrogen (h2) and helium (he), which escaped into space due to high temperatures at the early times.
