GEOG 1900 Study Guide - Final Guide: Pressure-Gradient Force, Ecliptic, Hydrostatic Equilibrium
4 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
Today"s atmospheric composition: atmosphere cooled down, clouds formed and it began to rain, and then oceans formed. Early photo-synthesizers helped remove co2 and add o2. Hot air is less dense than cold air: air is distributed vertically in the atmosphere. It is compressible, meaning there is higher pressure near the surface than at higher elevations. Oxygen is more plentiful at sea level: stable vertical density distribution: more pressure at lower altitude, less pressure at higher altitude. System returns to balance after any disturbances: unstable vertical density distribution: more pressure at higher altitude, less at lower. System tends to depart from unstable distribution and move towards stable distribution: the troposphere is unstable because it is heated from the surface of the earth, whereas the stratosphere is stable because it is heated from above. Layers of the atmosphere in order: troposphere -> stratosphere -> mesosphere -> thermosphere.
