Layers of the Atmosphere Foldable
Background Reading:
The atmosphere can be divided into four layers based on temperature variations. The layer closest to the Earth is called the troposphere. Above this layer is the stratosphere, followed by the mesosphere, then the thermosphere. The upper boundaries between these layers are known as the tropopause, the stratopause, and the mesopause, respectively. Temperature variations in the four layers are due to the way solar energy is absorbed as it moves downward through the atmosphere. The Earth’s surface is the primary absorber of solar energy. Some of this energy is reradiated by the Earth as heat, which warms the overlying troposphere. The global average temperature in the troposphere rapidly decreases with altitude until the tropopause, the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
The temperature begins to increase with altitude in the stratosphere. This warming is caused by a form of oxygen called ozone (O3) absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ozone protects us from most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which can cause cancer, genetic mutations, and sunburn. Scientists are concerned that human activity is contributing to a decrease in stratospheric ozone. Nitric oxide, which is the exhaust of high- flying jets, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used as refrigerants, may contribute to ozone depletion.
At the stratopause, the temperature stops increasing with altitude. The overlying mesosphere does not absorb solar radiation, so the temperature decreases with altitude. At the mesopause, the temperature begins to increase with altitude, and this trend continues in the thermosphere. Here solar radiation first hits the Earth’s atmosphere and heats it. Because the atmosphere is so thin, a thermometer cannot measure the temperature accurately and special instruments are needed.
Procedures:
1. Fold a piece of paper in half hamburger bun-style.
2. Open flat and then fold each side toward the center fold - shutter-style.
3. Carefully cut out the two parts of the title and paste each half on the front shutters of the paper.
4. Use the information provided in the background reading, textbook p. 552 and on the characteristic cards. Create a graph of the atmosphere on the front shutters of the paper. Temperature on the X axis (from -90°C to 30 °C. Altitude on the Y axis (from 0 km to 3500 km notice the break in your textbook graph so the Y axis is NOT to scale)
5. On your graph label each layer of the atmosphere and each upper boundary at the appropriate altitude
6. Draw lines that represent temperatures changes through each layer from the information in the textbook or on the characteristic cards: from the bottom --
Blue = decreasing temperature
Red = increasing temperature
6. Using your textbook and/or internet sources fill in characteristics of each layer. You should be able to find at least 2 characteristics per layer. Cut out the boxes that contain the characteristics of each of the eight layers of the atmosphere. Paste inside the foldable under the correct layer. Be sure to put the main layers on the inside left and the minor layers (hint: no temperatures found in the box) on the inside right.
7. Cut flaps for each of the layers on the front shutters.
8. Carefully cut out the small sketches ONE AT A TIME. Read the words that tell you where to paste the sketch and paste to the front of the foldable on the diagram of the atmosphere. Do NOT cut out the words that tell you where to paste each sketch!
9. Make sure your name is on your foldable.
10. Answer the following questions
a. List the four main layers of the atmosphere in order from lowest altitude to highest
b. List the four minor layers from lowest altitude to highest.
c. How are the layers divided?
d. Which two minor layers are parts of a main layer?
e. Which layer is the most important to humans and why?
f. What two layers protect you?
g. Which layer do we live in and how is it heated?
h. Which layer acts like a giant magnet? What does it attract?
i. What does the air in the troposphere do as it heats up from the sun?
j. What attaches itself to this jet stream and, in a sense, tells you where the stratosphere begins?
k. What causes the temperature to increase with height in the stratosphere and decrease with height through the mesosphere?
l. Air pressure is partially caused by the weight of all the air above it. Therefore, in Denver, since it is a higher elevation than Baltimore, they have less air pressure. Based on that knowledge, is the air more or less dense in Denver and why?
m. Based on question two, do you expect air pressure to increase or decrease as you increase in altitude?
(adjusted from Copyright 2006-2007. M. J. Krech. All rights reserved and Mr. Regis Layers of the Atmosphere Activity)
TROPOSPHERE
Temperature: DECREASES, 6.5 ºC per km to about -60 ºC
Characteristics
1.
2.
STRATOSPHERE
Temperature: INCREASES, to about -20 ºC
Characteristics:
1.
2.
MESOSPHERE
Temperature: DECREASES, -100 ºC at top
Characteristics:
1.
2.
THERMOSPHERE
Temperature: INCREASES, 2,000 ºC at top
Characteristics:
1.
2.
OZONOSPHERE
Characteristics:
1.
2.
3.
IONOSPHERE
Characteristics:
1.
2.
EXOSPHERE
Characteristics:
1.
2.
MAGNETOSPHERE
Characteristics:
1.
2.