Oxygen is essential to life because it allows us to
breathe. Some of the oxygen has
changed over time to ozone. The the
ozone layer filters
out the sun’s harmful rays. Recently, there have been
weather wonder many studies on how humans have caused
a hole in the ozone layer. Oxygen is
essential to life because it allows
us to breathe. Some of the oxygen has changed over time to ozone. The the
ozone layer filters
out the sun’s harmful rays. Recently, there have been
many studies on how humans have caused
a hole in the ozone layer.Oxygen is
essential to life because it allows
us to breathe. Some of the oxygen has changed over time to ozone.
The the ozone
layer filters out
the sun’s harmful rays. Recently, there have been
many studies on how humans have caused
a hole in the ozone layer.
A T M O S P H E R E ( 7 8 % )
n i t r o g e n
o x yg e n
o t h e r (1 % )
g a s e s
( 2 1 % )
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth’s gravity. The atmosphere protects The atmosphere of life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar Earth is a layer of radiation, warming the surface through heat gases surrounding retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing the planet Earth temperature extremes between day and night that is retained by (the diurnal temperature variation).The comEarth’s gravity. The mon name given to the atmospheric gases atmosphere protects life on Earth by used in breathing and photosynthesis is air. absorbing ultraviolet By volume, dry air contains 78.09% nitrosolar radiation, gen, 20.95% oxygen,0.93% argon, 0.039% warming the surface through heat retention carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other (greenhouse effect), and reducing tem- gases. Air also contains a variable amount of perature extremeswater vapor, on average around 1%. Although between day and air content and atmospheric pressure vary night (the diurnal temperature vari-at different layers, air suitable for the survival ation).The common name given to theof terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals atmospheric gases currently is only known to be found in Earth’s used in breathing and photosynthesistroposphere and artificial atmospheres.The is air. By volume, atmosphere has a mass of about 5.15×1018 dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen,
kg, three quarters of which is within about
20.95% oxygen,0.93% 11 argon, 0.039% carbon
km (6.8 mi; 36,000 ft) of the surface. The
dioxide, and small atmosphere amounts of other gases. Air also contains amount
a variable amount
boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. The Kármán line, at 100 km (62 mi),
of water vapor, on
average around 1%.or air content and
becomes thinner and thinner
with increasing altitude, with no definite
1.57% of Earth’s radius, is often used
as the border between the atmosphere and
atmospheric pressure
vary at differentouter
space. Atmospheric effects become
layers, air suitable
noticeable during atmospheric reentry of
for the survival of
terrestrial plants spacecraft and terrestrial animals currently is only (75 known to be found in
Earth’s troposphere in and artificial
atmospheres.The
at an altitude of around 120 km
mi). Several layers can be distinguished
the atmosphere, based on characteristics
such as temperature and composition. The
atmosphere has a mass
of about 5.15×1018atmosphere kg, three quarters of
which is within about rounding 11 km (6.8 mi; 36,000 ft) of the surface. by The atmosphere
becomes thinner
and thinner with
increasing altitude, with no definite
boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. The Kármán line, at 100 km
(62 mi), or 1.57%.
of Earth is a layer of gases sur-
the planet Earth that is retained
Earth’s gravity.
O e l i b o g o o o f s r t m o h a o t i f l
x s i t r f e v z z i u a h a n a z h s u a
y g e n i s s e n t i a l t o f e b e c au s e a l l o w s u s t o e a t h e . S o m e t h e o xyn h a s ch a n g e d e r t i m e t o o n e . T he t h e o n e l a ye r l t e r s ou t t h e n ’ s h a rm f u l y s . R e ce n t l y , e r e h a ve b e e n n y s t u di e s h o w h um a n s v e c a u se d h o l e i n t h e o n e l a ye r . e i o n o sp h e r e d i v i d ed e v e n Weather r t hforecasting e r isithenapplication t o of science and technology to predict the state of the y atmosphere e r s for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century. Weather forecasts are made by collecting quantitative data about the current state of the atmosphere on a given place and using scientific understanding of atmospheric processes to project how the atmosphere will change.
hy dr o m e t e o r o l o g i c a l
There are a variety of end uses to weather forecasts. Weather warnings are important forecasts because they are used to protect life and property. Forecasts based on temperature and precipitation are important to agriculture, and therefore to traders within commodity markets. Temperature forecasts are used by utility companies to estimate demand over coming days. On an everyday basis, people use weather forecasts to determine what to wear on a given day. Since outdoor activities are severely curtailed by heavy rain, snow and the wind chill, forecasts can be used to plan activities around these events, and to plan ahead and survive them. There are a variety of end uses to weather forecasts. Weather warnings are important forecasts because they are used to protect life and property. Forecasts based on temperature and precipitation are important to agriculture, and therefore to traders within commodity markets. Temperature forecasts are used by utility companies to estimate demand over coming days. On an everyday basis, people use weather forecasts to determine what to wear on a given day. Since outdoor activities are severely curtailed by heavy rain, snow and the wind chill, forecasts can be used to plan activities around these events, and to plan ahead and survive them.
hpc day 5 sfc prog issued: 1836z mon jun 09 2008 valid: 127 sat jun 14 2008 fcster: rausch doc/noaa/nws/ncep/hpc
c l a i m a t e T m y c g m
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Cairns Climate Cairns Cairns Climate Climate
hum% % hum %hum 80.0 80.0 80.0 77.5 77.5 77.5 75.0 75.0 75.0 72.5 72.5 72.5 70.0 70.0 70.0 67.5 67.5 67.5 65.0 65.0 65.0 62.5 62.5 62.5 60.0 60.0 60.0 57.5 57.5 57.5 55.0 55.0 55.0 52.5 52.5 52.5 50.0 50.0 50.0 47.5 47.5 47.5 45.0 45.0 45.0 42.5 42.5 42.5
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tem tem tem 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17
3232 3131 3030 2929 2828 2727 2626 2525 2424 2323 2222 2121 2020 1919 1818 1717
c a g c
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Climate has cooled and warmed throughout Earth history
w e a t h e r c e b t
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t e m p e r at u r e w d t c b i w
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Oxygen is essential to life because it allows us to
The breathe. Some of the oxygen has
atmosphere surrounds Earth and
protects us by blocking out dangerous
changed over time
rays to ozone. The the
from the sun. The atmosphere is a
ozone layer filters
mixture of gases that becomes thinner
out the sun’s harm-
until ful rays. Recently,
it gradually reaches space. It is
there have been
composed of Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen
many studies on how
(21%), humans have caused
Humans are also affecting Earth’s
l a y e r s .
a hole in the ozone
atmosphere through the greenhouse
layer. Oxygen is
effect. essential to life
carbon dioxide, that trap heat being
us to breathe. Some
radi ate d of the oxygen has
hat take m ny atmospheric believe that thet atmosphere is ahaving
to ozone. The the
trouble ozone layer filters
F a nd
a c t o r s the into account. staying in balancef creating
out the sun’s harm-
greenhouse effect. The atmosphere is
there have beendivided
into five layers depending on
many studies on how
how temperature changes with height.
humans have caused
E ,
f ro m thoen Eca roth, m psci u teenti r - sts based models
changed over time
ful rays. Recently,
D ,
Due to increases in gases, like
because it allows
Most a hole in the ozone layer.Oxygen is
essential to life because it allows
us to breathe. Some of the oxygen has changed over time to ozone.
of the weather occurs in the layer.
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s t e p f e c e t i h e i t a p o f a c t o s o
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Weather is the state
of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or
dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy.
Weather, seen from an anthropological per-
spective, is something
all humans in the world constantly experience through their senses, at least while being outside. There are
socially and scien-
tifically constructed
understandings of what weather is, what makes
it change, what effects it has on humans in
different situations
etc. Therefore weather is something people often communicate about. Turning back to the meteorological perspective, most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather generally refers to day to day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the statistics of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, “weather�, is generally understood to mean the weather of Earth. Weather is driven by air pressure (temperature and moisture) differences between one place and another. These pressure and temperature differences can occur due to the sun angle at any particular spot, which varies by latitude from the tropics.
o e e e
500 mbarT h e geopotential s i c height and absolute o f vorticity c a l prediction from a e r numerical i s weather t h e prediction model t h e
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