MSC 220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ideal Gas Law, Ozone Layer, Relative Humidity
30 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Atmosphere: a thin layer of a gas mixture, climate is controlled by heat and moisture in atmosphere, optical properties. Opaque to outgoing radiation does not allow earth radiation to space; called the greenhouse effect. Atmospheric oxygen is small fraction of total earth oxygen, where most oxygen is stored in earth sediments. Free oxygen comes from photosynthesis (main source for atmospheric oxygen) and oxidation (main source for sedimentary oxygen) Water vapor: water vapor most important: Varies 0-5% based on heat and humidity of air masses. Saturation: air is saturated with water vapor when evaporation balances condensation. Relative humidity: ratio between actual water vapor in air and water vapor in saturated air. Imagine that you are heating air in a rubber balloon that can easily stretch. Air warmer close to the surface because some heat is absorbed by land and then warms air directly above it. Lots of vertical exchanges occur here like convections and storms: stratosphere.
