GEOG 2050 Chapter : Ch 3
Document Summary
Look up the atmospheric profile, highest up (high) temperature (low) heat, coldest part of our atmosphere= mesosphere, night clouds- nocolucenst, troposphere= where we live. Air pressure: earth atmosphere (atm) exerts its weight, pressing downward due to gravity, air molecules create air pressure through motion, size, and number. Pressure is exerted on all surfaces in contact with air: the weight or force of the atm, or air pressure, pushes in on all of us. Why doesn"t it crush us: because our molecules are pushing back. Atmospheric composition: the atmosphere is divided into 2 broad regions, the heterosphere and the homosphere, homosphere, exists from the surface to 80 km altitude, gases well mixed. This is the environmental lapse rate (always given: temperature inversion, layer where the lapse rate is much less (cooling slower). Often from pollution: ozone layer= example of temperature inversion, atmospheric function.
