p. 270 The
Atmosphere
Atmospheric
Chemistry Data and Resources
At
this National Air and Space Administration (NASA) site you can learn more about
the layers of the atmosphere. Included is information about the troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Click on strata to see
a graphic of the layers of the atmosphere. At about what height above Earth’s
surface does the thermosphere begin?
Formation
of the Ozone Layer
Visit
this NASA site to read about how the ozone layer of Earth’s atmosphere formed.
How did the formation of the ozone layer allow life to exist on land?
Atmospheric
Investigation: Introduction: The Big Picture
The
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in cooperation
with GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), sponsors
this site. You, your class, or your entire school can participate in a worldwide
program to collect data that scientists use in their investigations of global
climatic changes. Once you sign up to become a collection site, you can build
the equipment needed, choose a study site, and begin to collect data. When data
is collected, you can post it on the Internet. Although the site itself can
be difficult to navigate, with patience you can see how the data you collect
compares to the data from around the world. Spend some time exploring this site
to see what kinds of information have already been collected in this program.
It’s
a Breeze: How Air Pressure Affects You
This
is a fun site by NASA. It includes three quick air pressure experiments that
you can do at home. Scroll down and click on barometer to find its definition
in an air pressure glossary. Then click on control the weather to find out how
to make your own barometer.
Urban
Climatology and Air Quality
Visit
this NASA site to learn more about how the rapid growth of urban areas impacts
a region’s climate and air quality. Click on heat island to find out how cities
affect local climate. How much higher in temperature are the surfaces of urban
structures than the surrounding air?
Whirling
Winds of the World
Go
to this site to find information on how Earth’s winds work. You can find information
here on any wind that has a name. Click on spinning winds, then on waterspout
to learn about this type of wind. What kind of water is found in a waterspout
that forms over an ocean?
p. 287 Clouds
Clouds
and Precipitation
Visit
this site by the University of Illinois to find out everything you might want
to know about clouds. Scroll down and click on cloud types to see how clouds
are classified. What does the Latin word cumulus mean? What does the
Latin word nimbus mean? What kind of clouds are cumulonimbus clouds?
Cloud
Types
Go
to this site for a quick look at cloud types and names. Click on any cloud photograph
to see it in more detail, or scroll down and click on clouds photo page. You
can save any of these images to use in your own science reports on clouds.
Cloud Formation
Visit this site for information on clouds, cloud formation, to the types of clouds. Look at the photographs of the various types of clouds. You can also see clouds as they appear from space. Make a poster that describes the different cloud types.
p. 294 The
Montreal Protocol
The
Ozone Secretariat: The Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone
Layer
Go
to this site to read the entire text of the Montreal Protocol. You can also
read about amendments and updates to the Protocol by clicking on the current
text.
The
Ozone Secretariat: Frequently Asked Questions
At
this United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) site you can find out more about
the effects of ozone depletion on Earth’s organisms and environments. Scroll
down to the last question to find out about the economic consequences of the
Montreal Protocol.
Graphing
Stratospheric Ozone
Visit this site to see real data on the ozone layer. You can
collect data and then graph it at this site. Click on Ozone Chemistry,
then on TOMS Hompage to find these data. Then make your own graph to
see what is happening to the ozone layer.
