ATM OCN (Meteorology) 100

Summer 2000

Lecture #2-A Scheduled for:

13 JUN 2000 (T)

Recommended Readings from Moran and Morgan (1997):

pages 16-21; 25-28.

NOTE: This lecture continues as Atmospheric Pressure

Today's Lecture Objectives:

• To locate the homosphere and the heterosphere and distinguish the features of each region.
• To rank the major gaseous constituents found in the present earth's atmosphere according to their relative volumetric concentration.
• To discuss the importance of the atmospheric components: major fixed gases, carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone and dust.
• To identify how the earth's atmospheric constituents have evolved by outlining the principal events in the evolution of the earth's atmosphere.
• To explain how human activities could influence the composition of the present earth's atmosphere.
• To identify the factors that determine the capability of a planet to maintain an atmosphere.
• To locate the ionosphere and describe its origin and implications for radio transmission.
• To locate the region of maximum auroral activity and explain its occurrence.

Outline:

A. PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

B. PRESENT EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

• Background
• Early Classical Greek Thought
• Modern Chemistry Terminology (Elements, Compounds, Mixtures)
• Vertical Variations of the Atmospheric Composition
• HOMOSPHERE
• HETEROSPHERE
• Constituents of Air in the Homosphere
• Principal Fixed Permanent Gases of Dry Air in the Homosphere
• Principal Variable gases in the Homosphere
• Anthropogenic Substances
• Aerosols (Liquids or solids suspended in the Atmosphere)
• Principal Gases in the Heterosphere

C. ORIGIN & EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

• General History of the Atmosphere
• Rationale for Current Composition
• Effects of Human Intervention

D. ATMOSPHERES OF OTHER PLANETS - COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY

• General Composition Considerations
• Atmospheric Composition of the Planets

E. VARIATION OF CHARGED PARTICLES WITH HEIGHT

• Composition (Ions)
• Location
• Ionosphere
• Magnetosphere
• Implications
• Radio communications
• Aurora Borealis (Australis)
• The Reasons for the Ionosphere

NOTE: This lecture continues as Atmospheric Pressure

Links to Other References:

Additional information can be found on the Internet through the following sites:

• NOAA's Space Weather Page from Space Environment Center
• The Aurora Page From Michigan Tech
• Aurora Borealis - The Northern Lights
• Auroral activity maps from Univ. of Alaska-Fairbanks
• Planetary information from National Space Science Data Center (NASA in NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD).
• NASA Lewis Participation in Mars Pathfinder

Last revision 13 June 2000 (1325 UTC)
 

URL: aos100/lectures/0002acom.html