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