Reviewer in Air Quality PDF

Reviewer in Air quality Description of the earths atmosphere The atmosphere is a dynamic system ( with inputs, outputs, flows and storages) that has undergone changes throughout geological time. Systems have inputs and outputs of both energy and matter. Solar radiation provides most energy inputs...

Reviewer in Air quality Description of the earths atmosphere The atmosphere is a dynamic system ( with inputs, outputs, flows and storages) that has undergone changes throughout geological time. Systems have inputs and outputs of both energy and matter. Solar radiation provides most energy inputs to the atmosphere. Some of that energy leaves the atmosphere when it is reflected or reradiated into space. Earth atmosphere is a thin blanket of gases and tiny particles. Together called air. We are most aware of air when it moves and creates wind. Earth atmosphere, along with the abundant liquid water at Earths surface, are the keys to our planets unique place in the solar system. The atmosphere is the result of energy from the sun producing the movements or currents in the atmosphere. This energy, the Earth\'s movement relative to the sun, and the components of the atmosphere and of the Earth\'s surface maintain the long-term climate, the short-term weather, and the temperature conditions. These provide conditions fit for the forms of life found on Earth. The condition of the physical world affects and is affected by the life present. The entire system is called the biogeochemical system. Living organisms (biotic components) have transformed the atmospheric composition of the Earth and vice versa throughout history. Photosynthesis In photosynthesis, plants use CO2 and create O2. Photosynthesis is responsible for nearly all of the oxygen currently found in the atmosphere. The chemical reaction for photosynthesis is 6CO2 + 6H2O + solar energy → C6H12O6 (sugar) + 6O2 Respiration By creating oxygen and food, plants have made an environment that is favorable for animals. In respiration, animals use oxygen to convert sugar into food energy they can use. Plants also go through respiration and consume some of the sugars they produce. The chemical reaction for respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + useable energy. The blanket of gases not only contains the air that we breathe but also protects us from the blasts of heat and radiation emanating from the sun. It warms the planet by day and cools it at night. The atmosphere keeps earth's temperature moderate. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. Important greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and ozone. Ozone as part of the atmosphere makes life on earth possible. Ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms, (O3). Ozone in the upper atmosphere absorbs high-energy ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the Sun. This protects living things on Earth's surface from the Sun's most harmful rays. The atmosphere summarizes how physical processes shape the distributions of pressures and temperatures on Earth to create climate zones, weather patterns, and storms, creating conditions suitable for life around the planet. As part of the hydrologic cycle, water spends a lot of time in the atmosphere, mostly as water vapor. The atmosphere is an important reservoir for water. The atmosphere is made of gases that take up space and transmit energy. Sound waves are among the types of energy that travel though the atmosphere. Levels of oxygen in the atmosphere are regulated by a dynamic balance in the natural carbon cycle between processes that emit oxygen through photosynthesis and others that consume oxygen, such as respiration. The strength of atmospheric circulation is also controlled by a dynamic balance Trophosphere - the lowest layer of the Earth\'s atmosphere in direct contact with the Earth\'s surface - Temperature declines by around 6.5C per kilometer increase in latitude - Weather occurs here - Greenhouse gases help to regulate temperature of the earth. Stratosphere. - is a layer of Earth's atmosphere - Temperature is constant about -60C per kilometer In the lower part. - Winds increases w height - Ozone later of the top of stratosphere - (strato- simply means \"layer\" or \"level\") lies above the earth\'s weather and mostly changes very little. - Contain small amount of water vapor due to the cold trap. Mesosphere - the third highest layer of atmosphere  - Temperature declines with height - Coldest part of the atmosphere - Contains strong zonal winds (east-west) atmospheric tides, planetary waves and gravity waves Thermosphere -  the region of the Earth\'s atmosphere between about 100 km and 500 km above the Earth\'s surface. - Temperature climb sharply in the lower thermosphere (below 200 to 300 km altitude) the level off and hold fairly steady with increasing altitude above the height. - UV AND X radiation from the sun is absorbed which breaks apart molecules into atoms. - Temperature again warm with altitude, rising higher than 1700 C