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What Is The Structure of Earth's Atmosphere?

The document describes the structure of Earth's atmosphere, which consists of four main layers - the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Each layer is characterized by changes in temperature, pressure, and density with increasing altitude from Earth's surface. Key phenomena also occur within different layers, such as weather in the troposphere, the ozone layer and jet streams in the stratosphere, and auroras in the thermosphere.

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Mike Najem
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85 views3 pages

What Is The Structure of Earth's Atmosphere?

The document describes the structure of Earth's atmosphere, which consists of four main layers - the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Each layer is characterized by changes in temperature, pressure, and density with increasing altitude from Earth's surface. Key phenomena also occur within different layers, such as weather in the troposphere, the ozone layer and jet streams in the stratosphere, and auroras in the thermosphere.

Uploaded by

Mike Najem
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is the structure of Earth’s atmosphere?

Virtual Lab: What is the structure of the Earth’s Atmosphere?

In this virtual lab, you will investigate the structure of the Earth’s atmosphere.

You will collect atmospheric pressure, density and temperature data for various altitudes and observe
the types of meteorological phenomena that occur in the layers of Earth’s atmosphere.

Objectives:
1. Describe the structure of Earth’s atmosphere.

2. Investigate temperature, density and pressure changes in layers of Earth’s atmosphere.

3. Identify meteorological and astronomical phenomena that occur in layers of Earth’s atmosphere.

Procedure:
1. Go to :

http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/ES14/E

S14.html

Read the text about “What is the Structure of Earth’s Atmosphere?”

2. Record in the data table the atmospheric data at sea level: density, temperature and pressure.

3. Drag the red slider along the altitude measurement bar and select another altitude.

 If you select an altitude less than 30 km above sea level, a balloon will appear,

 If you select an altitude greater than 30 km above sea level, a rocket will appear. Rockets are used to
collect atmospheric data at altitudes greater than 30 km above sea level because the low atmospheric

Pressure at high altitudes will cause balloons to burst

4. Click the launch button to launch the balloon or rocket.

5. Observe the balloon or rocket being launched into the Earth’s atmosphere, peaking at the altitude
you selected, and then returning to Earth by parachute. Record the atmospheric data in the data table.

6. Click the “Show Phenomena” button. Record this information in your data table. Be prepared to
explain or describe these phenomena.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 until you have completed your data table.
Observations:
Data Table:

Altitude(km) Density Pressure Temperature Phenomena Layer of the


(% of Sea (Pa) (°C) Atmosphere
Level Density)
0 (sea level) 100 101300 15 Troposphere
5 60.7 54048 -18 Weather Stratosphere
10 33.6 26499 -50 Jet Stream Stratosphere
25 3.2 2599 -52 Ozone Layer Stratosphere
50 0.09 90 -2 Mesosphere
60 0.02 22 -26 Mesosphere
75 0.0044 2.7 -102 Noctilucent Mesosphere
Clouds
100 0.000023 0.0174 -65 Meteor Trails Thermosphere
150 0.00000025 0.00107 557 Radio Waves Thermosphere
Reflected by
Ionosphere
200 0.000000034 0.000195 957 Auroras Thermosphere
400 0.0000000011 0.0000098 1230 Auroras Thermosphere

Analysis
1. Which Layer of the atmosphere do you live in? What kinds of meteorological phenomena can be
found in this layer?
I live in the troposphere; weather is the only meteorological phenomena found in this layer.
2. If a rocket were launched to a height of 210 kilometers above sea level, which atmospheric layer
would it rise to? What kinds of phenomena might be encountered in this layer?
It would rise to the thermosphere, where it might encounter auroras.
3. What is the ozone layer? In what layer of the atmosphere can it be found? What is its
importance to life on Earth?
The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere; ozone is a molecule of 3 oxygen particles; the
ozone layer protects living things from the damaging effects of solar radiation.
4. Describe the pattern of air density changes within the layers of the atmosphere. Describe the
pattern of air pressure changes within the layers of the atmosphere. What is the relationship
between air density and air pressure?
The farther one rises from earth, the lower the air density and pressure goes, they are reciprocal.

7. Describe the pattern of temperature changes within the layers of the atmosphere. Why do you think
the temperature changes follow this pattern?
Temperature decreases as one lifts into the earth’s atmosphere but then quickly rises to very high
temperatures half way through the thermosphere.

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