Transcript day 3 components of climate system

8.4 Components of Earth’s
Climate System
4 main components
1 - Atmosphere: layers of gases
2 - Hydrosphere: all water, salt, fresh & frozen
3 - Lithosphere: rocks and the Earth’s crust
4 - Biosphere: Living Things (plants, animals,
algae and bacteria)
1. The Atmosphere
Layer
Height
above the
Earth
Contents / Description
Troposphere
6-20 km
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other
Traps solar energy to warm the Earth
All of our weather occurs here.
Stratosphere
50 km
Majority of ozone O3, absorbs high
energy UV light - preventing it from
reaching Earth
Airplanes and weather balloons.
Mesosphere
85 km
Low density gases, meteors burn up
here
Thermosphere
690 km
Very low density gases
International Space Station
2. The Hydrosphere
Large Bodies of water
Water absorbs and store more thermal energy than
land
Water heats up and cools down slower than land
Regions close to large bodies of water are cooler in
the summer and warmer in the fall/winter
lake effect
Regions downwind from large bodies of water
experience “lake effect snow” ex: Buffalo, NY
Ice & Snow
Reflect more radiant energy
than soil, rock or vegetation
Contributes to why polar
regions are so cold, because
the surface reflects so much
of the Sun’s energy
3. Lithosphere
As air rises it becomes less
dense (less air pressure)
Air particles spread apart
and cool
rain shadow effect
4. The biosphere
Natural processes by living things release gases into
the atmosphere
Gases absorb infrared radiation
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Plants take in CO2 and release O2
RESPIRATION
Animals take in O2 and release CO2
DIGESTION & DECOMPOSITION
Animals (and bacteria) release methane
(CH4)