Atmospheric & Human Activities
Chapter seven
Composition of the atmosphere
The atmosphere is a layer of gases held to the Earth by
gravitational force
Discuss the source and
Importance of each component
Structure of the atmosphere
Discuss the
Characteristics
of each layer
Structure of the atmosphere
Tropopause:
The upper limit of the troposphere
Temperature inversion:
When temperatures increase with altitude
Stratopause:
The upper limit of the stratosphere, temperatures remain
constant in this boundary layer
Mesopause:
The upper limit of the mesosphere, temperatures remain constant
in this boundary layer
Thermopause:
The upper limit of the thermosphere, temperatures remain
constant in this boundary layer
The green house effect
There are two types of green house effect
1- Natural
2- Enhanced ---- see slide (No. 14)
* Examples of greenhouse gases:
▪ Natural: water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane and
nitrous oxides.
▪ Artificial: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The green house effect
1 - The natural greenhouse effect
A process that keeps the Earth’s surface and atmosphere warm
- The Earth receives incoming short-wave radiation from Sun.
- Half of this radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface.
- Around 20% is absorbed by the atmosphere.
- Around 30% is reflected by clouds & the Earth’s surface, back into space.
- As the Earth’s surface warms, outgoing long-wave radiation (infrared radiation) is
emitted back into the atmosphere.
- Greenhouse gases absorb some of this radiation and deflect it back to the Earth’s surface .
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
1 – Acid rain
2 – Smog
3- Enhanced greenhouse effect
4- Depletion of ozone layer
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
1 – Acid rain
It is rainwater (precipitation) with a pH value of less than 7
How acid rain is formed?
* Burning of fossil fuels in factories and power stations release
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
* Vehicle emissions add further nitrogen oxides.
* When these gases mix & react with the water vapour in the
atmosphere, they form weak solutions of nitric & sulfuric
acid.
* They are carried by prevailing (common) winds.
* They eventually fall to Earth as acid rain.
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
1 – Acid rain
What is the impacts of acid rain?
* Acidification of ground water, making the water undrinkable.
* Diarrhoea & stomach upset if the water is consumed.
* Aluminium leached from the soil to groundwater.
* Acidification of groundwater damages tree roots.
* Nutrients like calcium are leached out of the soil.
* Fish die as acidity levels increase.
* Limestone buildings are chemically weathered.
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
2 – Smog
It is mixture of smoke with other pollutants and fog
How smog is formed?
* Smog is a problem associated with industrial and urban areas and is
more frequent during winter months as people use more heating.
* Photochemical smog involves chemical reactions induced by sunlight
on certain pollutants that converts them into harmful substances such
as ground-level or tropospheric ozone.
• This type of smog occurs during warm and sunny conditions.
• Vehicles are a major source of particulate matter (PM) and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) which cause photochemical smog
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
2 – Smog
Certain physical conditions can create a temperature inversion that
then traps and increases the concentration of smog
The conditions needed for a temperature
inversion include:
1- High air pressure (anticyclone), which
causes the upper air to sink
2- Calm conditions resulting from high
pressure (winds will disperse smog)
3-Valleys surrounded by steep-sided hills,
which trap the smog.
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
2 – Smog
What is the impacts of smog?
* Irritation of eyes and throat.
* Respiratory diseases, like asthma.
* Lung cancer, strokes and heart attacks.
* Breathing difficulties due to fine particles.
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
3 – Enhanced greenhouse effect
Created by addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
through human activities HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
GREENHOUSE GAS
INCREASE THEIR ABUNDANCE
How Enhanced greenhouse CARBON DIOXIDE
• Burning of fossil fuels.
• Deforestation.
effect is formed? • Cattle and rice production.
- More heat retained in the atmosphere. METHANE
• Coal mine ventilation.
• Deforestation.
- Increased temperature of the Earth’s • Decomposition of waste (landfill sites).
surface, leading to global warming and • Aerosol sprays.
climate change CFCs
• Fire extinguishers.
• Refrigeration.
• Air conditioning.
• Vehicle exhausts.
NITROGEN OXIDES • Chemical fertilisers.
TROPOSPHERIC • Chemical reactions involving nitrogen
OZONE oxides and unburned fuel vapours.
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
3 – Enhanced greenhouse effect
What is the impacts of climate change?
* Melting of ice sheets, glaciers and cause a rise in sea-levels, leads to the
loss of coastal land an increased erosion.
* Damage to low-lying countries from flooding.
* Forced migration as people lose their homes and farmland from
rising sea levels.
* Loss of biodiversity, habitat or extinction if animals and plants can’t adapt.
* Increased droughts leads to desertification & famine
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
4 – Depletion of ozone layer
Ozone layer:
* Ozone layer protects the Earth from Sun’s harmful radiation.
* It is formed when oxygen (O2) in the top of the troposphere
reacts in presence of ultraviolet radiation to form ozone (O3).
* It is continually formed, destroyed and replaced naturally,
creating a dynamic balance that is disturbed by human
activities.
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
4 – Depletion of ozone layer
** Ozone layer depletion
- When CFCs reach the stratosphere, the ultraviolet radiation
breaks them down, releasing chlorine.
- Chlorine reacts with oxygen in a destructive process,
breaking down the ozone molecules to chlorine monoxide
and oxygen, depleting the layer and forming a hole.
- This hole allows harmful radiation to enter Earth’s atmosphere
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
4 – Depletion of ozone layer
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
4 – Depletion of ozone layer
What is the impacts of Depletion of ozone layer?
• Higher levels of ultraviolet radiation cause sun burn, skin cancers, retina
damage and cataracts.
• Extra ultraviolet radiation limits the reproduction of phytoplankton,
affecting the entire food webs.
• Changes in biochemical composition of some plant leaves make them
less attractive as food.
• Melting ice sheets & glaciers can lead to a rise in sea levels
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
Managing atmospheric pollution
Carbon footprint:
Reduction of carbon A measure of the impact of our activities on the environment
footprint
* Low sulfur coal can be used.
Reduced use of fossil fuels * Increased use of renewable energy.
Energy efficiency * Using energy efficient appliances
* Waste carbon dioxide from power stations can be
Carbon capture and storage transported via pipelines to storage sites.
*Creation of cycle lanes, bus lanes, metro systems & trams
* Electric or hybrid cars can be encouraged
* Biofuels can be used;
Transport policies * Vehicles can be banned from certain parts of city
by pedestrianisation.
* Public transport and residential parking can be made free.
* Policies such as Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol
International agreement and Paris Climate Conference can be passed on worldwide
and policies * An international cooperation is required
Atmospheric pollution and its causes
Managing atmospheric pollution
* Reduction in the use of CFCs.
CFC replacement * HCFCs can be used as an alternative.
* Safe disposal of items containing CFCs.
Taxation * Higher road tax to decrease car ownership .
* Catalytic converters in vehicles reduce SO2 emissions.
Catalytic converters * They also convert NO2 and CO to CO2 and nitrogen.
* Low-sulfur vehicle fuels can also be used.
* Scrubbers can be used to remove 95% of SO2 emissions.
Flue-gas desulfurisation * Lining chimneys with lime also reduce the emissions
Reforestation & * Reforestation: Replanting an area with trees.
afforestation * Afforestation: planting trees in a barren land.