OCG 301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Solar Thermal Collector, Water Vapor, Cool Air
Document Summary
Atmosphere: volume of gases, water vapor, and airborne particles that envelops earth. Atmosphere influences energy received from the sun and works with the ocean to determine climate. Atmospheric motions (wind) move the ocean around (currents, waves) Extends indefinitely upward from its surface, becoming increasingly thinner with distance from the earth. All of the weather takes place in the troposphere. Temperature decreases with height in the troposphere because it receives heat mostly from the surface of the earth. Top of the troposphere is called the tropopause. Less than . 1% carbon dioxide, helium, neon, methane, nitrous oxide, ozon. Water vapor varies from 0-4$ depending on where you are and what time of day. The density of air is influenced by temperature and water content. Warm and moist air are less dense. Cold and dry are are more dense. Ascending air cools as it expands due to changes in air pressure.
