GEG2304- Final Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 71 pages long!)
Document Summary
It is very thin, small layer above the earth, key to the earth and its dynamic. 5km 50% atmosphere below you, another 5 75% and another 5 90% below you. As you go up it thins out and slowly goes out into space. 16 km up is all there is to the atmosphere. Divide into 4 spheres defined by the temperature variation with height = lapse rate. Lapse rate =temperature variation with height: troposphere 10km temperature generally decreases with height, except where there is an inversion. When temperature increases with height = a stable layer and when temp decreases with height it makes for an unstable layr. =essential for clouds to form and comes with decreasing temperatures!: stratosphere 50km- temperature increases with height; is stable as a result. Do not worry much about thermosphere, this is where satellites are etc. 3 & 4 are the upper atmosphere we don"t discuss in this course.