Atmosphere, Weather and Climate

At the end of the topic, you should able to:

A. Define the atmosphere and its importance for life on Earth.
B. Describe the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, including the major gases
C. Explain the structure of the atmosphere and its layers.
D. Define weather and climate and their components
E. Explain how weather is measured and forecasted using instruments

Introduction
The Earth's atmosphere is a thin layer of gases that surrounds our planet. It plays a
crucial role in supporting life and shaping the planet's climate and weather patterns.
Understanding the atmosphere, weather, and climate is essential for understanding the
dynamics of our planet and the impact of human activities on the environment.
Understanding the atmosphere, weather, and climate is essential for understanding
the Earth's environment and the impact of human activities on the planet. By studying
these topics, we can better predict and prepare for weather-related events, mitigate the
effects of climate change, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

What I Know (Pre-Test)

1. Which of the following factors influences climate?
a) Latitude
b) Altitude
c) Proximity to water bodies
d) All of the above

2. Which layer of the atmosphere is where weather occurs?

a) Troposphere
b) Stratosphere
c) Mesosphere
d) Thermosphere

3. Which gas makes up the majority of Earth's atmosphere?

a) Oxygen
b) Nitrogen
c) Carbon dioxide
d) Argon

4. Which of the following is NOT a component of weather?

a) Temperature
b) Humidity
c) Climate
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d) Precipitation

5.

Let’s Get Started! (Engage)

A. Directions: Unscramble the letters by arranging them in the indicated order inside the
boxes to determine the correct answer for each number. Complete the mystery words by
using the numbered boxes.

1.
L A P T E S
1
2.
N O C N T E R V G E
7 4
3.
D V E R I T E N G
5
4.
T A N S I O U N M
10 12
5.
R E T C H E S N
8
6.
E R E S P H O H L I T
2
7.
M I N A S U T
14
8.
Q E A K E U R T H A
3 9
9.
O L C A V O N
11
10.
T I N O C N O V C E
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 13 6

Mystery Words:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

B. Directions: Look for the word/s that is related to plate tectonics. Words appear straight
across, up, down and diagonally. Be guided with the words located inside the box at the
bottom.

San Andrea's Fault Plate Tectonics Continental Earthquakes

Lithosphere Boundaries Convergent Transform
Volcanoes Divergent Mountains Trenches
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Seafloor Tsunami Oceanic Magma
Mantle Crust Earth Fault
Plate Land Rift
Let’s Try! (Explore)
Welcome to the best show on Earth, plate tectonics. With the help of strong heat that
is simmering beneath the crust or the mantle, a process known as plate tectonics, the
Earth's surface is significantly changing as a result of this unending, slow-motion
movement. Mountains are raised, volcanic eruptions are fueled, and earthquakes are
caused by the separation, collision, and sliding past of massive slabs of solid rock, known
as tectonic plates. The way the plates move and how those motions relate to earthquake
activity is now mostly understood by scientists. The narrow zones where plates meet or
plate boundaries are where most movement happens and where tectonic forces manifest
themselves most visibly.
Activity 1. Match Me!
Directions: Complete the data on the table by choosing the correct answer inside the box
below. Write the letter only on the space provided.

A. Tectonic plates move apart

B. Tectonic plates come together
C. Tectonic move horizontally past each other
D. Mid-ocean ridge, Rift valleys, Earthquakes
E. Trenches, Volcanoes, Mountains, Tsunami, Earthquakes
F. Fault lines, Earthquakes
G. African Rift Valley, Atlantic Mid-ocean Ridge
H. San Andreas Faults
I. Himalayas and Appalachian mountain ranges

Type of Plate Geologic

Movement Example
Boundary Features/Processes
Convergent 1.______ 2.______ 3.______

Divergent 4.______ 5.______ 6.______

Transform Fault 7.______ 8.______ 9.______

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What I Want to Know (Explain)

Recall
Fun Facts about atmosphere:
1. The atmosphere is 4.5 billion years ago.
2. The estimated weight of the atmosphere is around 5.5 quadrillion tons.
3. Atmosphere comes from the ancient greek words, Atmos meaning vapour and :
Sphaira” meaning sphere.
4. A change in atmosphere caused the first major extinction.

Layers of the Atmosphere

The Earth’s atmosphere is divided into 5 different layers because the atmosphere is
not uniform, its properties change with altitude.Two properties change with altitude,
the air pressure and air temperarture.
A. Troposphere
 The troposphere is the layer of the atmosphere nearest to earth.
 It goes from 0 km to 16 km.
 All weather happens in this layer.
 More than half the air in the total atmosphere is in this layer.
 The temperature drops as the altitude increases.
 Harmful ozone is found here….it creates smog.
Ozone is a gaseous layer in the upper atmosphere that protects the earth
from harmful ultraviolet radiation. At lower levels, ozone becomes a major
pollutant.
Smog is apollution formed by the interaction of pollutants and sunlight
( photochemical smog) usually restricting visibility, and occasionally
hazardous to health.

B. Stratosphere
 Thestratosphere goes from 16km to 50km.
 The temperature goes up with altitude.
 Most jets fly in this layer.
 The protective ozone is at the bottom of the stratosphere. ( It protects us
from the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.)
 Rivers of air, called “jet streams”, can be found at the base of this layer.

C. Mesosphere
 The mesosphere goes from 50km to 90km.
 In this layer, the temperature drops with altitude.
 The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere.
 Meteors burn up in this layer.
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  Radio waves are reflected back to earth in the mesosphere.

D. Thermosphere
 The thermosphere goes from 90km to 300km.
 In this layer, the temperature goes up with altitude.
 It is the hottest layer of the atmosphere.
 Curtains of light called auroras occur in this layer.
 Ionosphere is found in thermosphere. It is the component of the
thermosphere that makes the auroras.

E. Exosphere
 The exosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere.
 The temperature in the exosphere goes up with altitude
 Satellites orbit Earth in the exosphere.

What Would Happen if the Earth’s Atmosphere Disappeared?

1. Birds and planes would fall from the sky. Although we can’t see air, it has a mass
that supports flying objects.
2. The sky would turn black. The sky gets its color blue due to
the atmosphere. Gases and particles in Earth’s atmosphere scatter sunlight in
all directions. Blue light is scattered more than other color because it travels as
shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
3. There would be no sensation of sound. Although you could feel vibrations from
the ground you wouldn’t hear anything. Sound requires a medium to travel.
4. All the water bodies such as rivers, lakes and oceans would boil away. Boiling
occurs when the vapour pressure of a liquid exceeds external pressure. In a
vacuum, the water readily boils.
5. Organisms that breathe air to survive would die.

WEATHER
The clothes we wear, the things we do and the places we go are affected by weather.
Weather is the state of atmosphere at a particular place during a short
period of time.
Weather has six( 6) components.
1. Temperature
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold the air is. It can differ according
to place and time. A thermometer is used to measure air temperature.
Meteorologist report temperature in two ways: in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
2. Atmospheric Pressure

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 Atmospheric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere overhead. Changes in
atmospheric pressure shifts in the weather. A barometer is used to measure
atmospheric pressure. If the pressure is high, it means that the weather is
sunny.
3. Wind
Wind is the movement of air. It is caused by the differences of pressure in the
Earth’s atmosphere.
Wind direction is defined as the direction the wind is coming from. The wind vane
or the weather vane is used for showing the direction of the wind
Wind speed refers to how fast the wind blows. Anemometer is used to measure
the speed of the wind. If the wind blows fast, it makes the cups to spin around
faster , and the dial shows the actual speed of wind.
4. Humidity
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air. Water vapor is a gas in
the atmosphere that helps make clouds , rain or snow. Hygrometer is used to
measure the humidity , or amount of water vapor in the air.
5. Precipitation
Water that falls to Earth in any form like, rain, snow, sleet or hail is called
precipitation. The rain gauge helps in measuring the actual amount of rainfall. It
is a long and narrow cylinder, which can measure the rainfall to almost 8 inches.
It measures the precipitation in millimeters (mm).
6. Cloud Cover/ Sky Condition
Cloud cover refers to the fraction of the sky covered by clouds when observed
from a particular location. It may also influence temperatures at the surface of
the planet.
Cloud is a large collection of very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals. The
droplets are so small and light that they can float in the air.
There are 3 main types of clouds :
1. Cirrus Or Thin Feather Clouds
These are the most common of the high clouds. They are composed of ice
and are thin, wispy clouds blown in high winds into long streamers. Cirrus
clouds are usually white and predict fair to pleasant weather. By watching the
movement of cirrus clouds, you can tell from which direction weather is
approaching. When you see cirrus clouds, it usually indicates that a change in
the weather will occur within 24 hours.
2. Stratus Clouds or Layered Clouds
These clouds are uniform grayish clouds that often cover the entire sky.
They resemble fog that doesn’t reach the ground. Light mist or drizzle
sometimes falls out of these clouds.
3. Cumulus or Fluffy Clouds
Cumulus clouds are white, puffy clouds that look like pieces of floating
cotton. Cumulus clouds are often called “fair-weather clouds”. The base of
each cloud is flat and the top of each cloud has rounded towers. When the top
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 of the cumulus clouds resemble the head of a cauliflower, it is called cumulus
congestus or towering cumulus. These clouds grow upward and they can
develop into giant cumulonimbus clouds, which are thunderstorm clouds.
A ceilometer is a device that uses a laser or other light source to
determine the height of a cloud ceiling or cloud base while a nephoscope is a
19th-century instrument for measuring the altitude, direction, and velocity of
clouds, using transit-time measurement.

CLIMATE
Climate is the general pattern of weather in a certain area over a long
period of time.It is the condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and
time.

Components or Elements of Climate

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Enrichment Activity
Direction: Complete the concept map using the word/s inside the box below.

mid-ocean ridges rift valley mountain ranges

deep sea trenches earthquakes volcanic island
Plate
Tectonics

Transform
Convergent Divergent
Fault

1._____ 2._____ 3._____ 4._____ 5._____ 6._____

Looking Forward (Elaborate)

1. Highlight the significance of plate tectonics in shaping the Earth's surface and
influencing natural processes?

2. Discuss how the movement of these plates leads to various geological phenomena like
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain formation.

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What I Have Learned (Evaluate)

A.

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Answer Key

What I Know (Pre-Test) Activity 1: Match Me!

1. B
2. A 1. B
3. D 2. E
4. B 3. I
5. B 4. A
5. D
What I Have Learned (Post Test) 6. G
1. B 7. C
2. C 8. F
3. B 9. H
4. B Let’s Get Started!
5. C A.
1. PLATES
Enrichment Activity 2. CONVERGENT
1-3 (In no particular order) 3. DIVERGENT
 deep sea trenches 4. MOUNTAINS
 mountain ranges 5. TRENCHES
 volcanic island 6. LITHOSPHERE
4-5 (In no particular order) 7. TSUNAMI
 mid-ocean ridges 8. EARTHQUAKE
 rift valley 9. VOLCANO
6. earthquakes 10. CONVECTION
Mystery Words:
Let’s Get Started! PLATE TECTONICS
B.

References
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https://www.thegeographeronline.net/uploads/2/6/6/2/26629356/plates.ppt/Date
retrieved: March 9, 2024.

https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/7110/Plate
%20Tectonic%20Movements%20WS.pdf/Date retrieved: June 6, 2019.

https://bpb-ca c1.wpmucdn.com/blog44.ca/dist/a/4/files/2017/11/
Plate-Boundary-Worksheet-KEY-1z87e36.pdf/Date retrieved: June 6, 2019.

https://wordmint-pdf-production.wordmint.com/plate_tectonics__67f4_
61633c1c.pdf/ Date retrieved: April 9, 2024

LMS Portal. Science Modules. Accessed September 5, 2021. https://lms.deped.gov.ph

https://geologybase.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Earth-structure-diagram-
showing-asthenosphere-lithosphere-mantle-inner-and-outer-core-1024x720.png/ Date
retrieved: April 10, 2024

https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D12AQFCa6G8p_4TUw/article-inline_image-
shrink_1000_1488/0/1599794759446?e=1717632000&v=
beta&t=Jgsl9FhOwzxRKVhwZVEAislylK5OFC3J5hB6_QR2Zf8/ Date retrieved: April 10,
2024

Video for convection current. March 16, 2024. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmMX83diwl0

Video for evidence of continental drift theory. March 16, 2024.

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWCZXAyJVI

Discussant:

Dominic S. Nuevaespaña
MED Gen.Sci.

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