Lecture 4: Chapter 3 part 2 - The Atmosphere

Last Lecture: Chapter 3 - The Atmosphere

Air Pollution

Natural Sources of Air Pollution

Volcanoes

Sulfur Oxides, particulates

Forest Fires

various gas oxides, particulates

Plants

pollen, hydrocarbons

Decaying plants

methane

Soil

dust

Ocean

salt spray

Anthropogenic sources of air pollution

Burning of fossil fuels

Internal combustion engines

Industry

Agriculture

Gases

Carbon Monoxide

Nitrogen compounds

Sulfur compounds

Particulates (non-gaseous particles)

Photochemical Smog

Greenhouse Gases

Combustion from motor vehicles

Burning of fossil fuels/volcanoes

Smoke from combustion, dust emitted from industrial activities

Combustion from motor vehicles, may form smog

Human Danger: Can be corrosive, reduces visibility, irritates eyes, lungs, and nose.

Human Danger: Air with a high concentration of CO reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the bloodstream to critical organs, killing you.

Human Danger: Corrosive gas

Human Danger: Rise in Mold, Increased smog, More pollen

Ozone

Stratosphere - Ozone in the stratosphere blocks UV rays

Troposphere - Ozone in the troposphere casues air pollution, causes smog

Natural Factors That Affect Air Pollution

Strong winds mix up the air blows air pollution over large distances

Local and regional landscapes factor into the pollution of certain areas.

Cities in valleys are prone to air pollution because the air sinks down between the mountains and stays down there with the city

Clean Air Act #

Reducing outdoor, ambient concentrations of air pollutants that cause smog, haze, acid rain, and other problems.

reducing emissions of toxic air pollutants that are known to, or are suspected of

Factors that affect weather and climate

Latitude

General wind circulation of the atmosphere

Altitude

Geography

Storms

Angle North or south of the equator

The more closer to latitude zero your are (the equator), the more warm the climate is

Distribution of land and water

Oceans warm and cool more slowly to a lesser degree than land

Oceans are the largest source of atmospheric moisture

There are large main wind patterns on the Earth

Weather becomes much more colder as altitude increases

Different vegetation occur at different altitude ranges

Topography

Check out the Coriolis effect video

The Coriolis force deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, deflects winds to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. Strongest at the poles

Effects wind patterns, ocean patterns, wind circulation in storms