Summary
Summary CAPS/IEB Grade 10 Geography - The Atmosphere
Summary of chapters 1-4 on The Atmosphere from the Platinum textbook. Covers the atmosphere, types of air movement, precipitation, synoptic weather maps and weather stations.
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Platinum – Grade 10 Geography 1Chapter 1: Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Unit 1: Importance of the atmosphere
• The atmosphere is the layer of gasses that surround Earth.
• Why is the atmosphere NB for life on earth?
o Provides oxygen for respiration.
o Provides water vapour, which is a water source, through the water cycle.
o Provides carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis.
o Wind movement takes heat from the equator to areas near the poles and cold air from
the poles to equator. Without the movement, polar regions would get colder and colder
and equatorial regions get hotter and hotter, and thus no life on earth.
o Shields earth from harmful solar radiation and meteors. It absorbs harmful UV rays
and meteors burn up.
• Composition of the atmosphere
o Atmosphere is composed of gasses, but it also
contains some liquids and solids.
o Gasses:
§ Permanent gasses: gasses that do not
change significantly in proportion; the
percentage of these gasses in the atmosphere remains constant.
§ Variable gasses: the percentage of these gasses in the atmosphere changes
from time to time.
o Liquids:
§ Found in the form of condensed water droplets in the clouds and rain.
o Solid particles:
§ Dust, salt crystals, smoke particles, soot and volcanic ash.
§ Condensation nuclei: provide solid surfaces onto which water vapour can
condense.
, Platinum – Grade 10 Geography 2
Permanent gasses Importance for life on Earth
Nitrogen It’s important to life because plants need nitrogen to grow. Nitrogen is
found in proteins.
Oxygen People need oxygen for respiration and plants need oxygen for cellular
respiration.
Argon Argon is used mainly in electrical applications.
Variable gasses
Water vapour In the water cycle, water vapour provides water when it condenses.
Carbon dioxide In photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide.
• The structure of the atmosphere:
o Structure refers to the different layers
of the atmosphere.
o The layers are determined by
temperature changes that occur with
height.
o Troposphere:
§ The layer closest to earth.
§ Layer we live in and all life
occurs.
§ 17km above the equator and
then 8km above the poles.
§ Temperature decreases from an average of 15℃ at earth’s surface to -60℃ at
the tropopause.
§ Tropopause: upper limit of the tropopause.
o Stratosphere:
§ Extends from the tropopause to about 50km above earth’ surface.
§ The temperature increases with height from -60℃ at tropopause to 0℃ at 50km.
§ Stratopause: temperature remains constant again.
§ Ozone layer lies in stratopause and this is why the temperature increases in
the stratosphere.
§ Ozone filters out harmful UV radiation.
o Mesosphere:
§ Next layer in the atmosphere and extends from 50km and 80km above earth.
§ The temperature decreases again from 0℃ to -80℃.
, Platinum – Grade 10 Geography 3
§ The upper limit is called the mesopause and is 10km thick, the temperature
remains constant at -80℃.
o Thermosphere:
§ Outermost layer of the atmosphere and extends from 80km to the outer limit of
the atmosphere.
§ Excessively high temperatures ranging from 500℃ to 2000℃.
§ High temperatures are caused by oxygen and nitrogen absorbing radiation from
space and converting it to heat.
§ Ionosphere: lower limit of thermosphere. It extends 80km to 550km above
earth’s surface. Nitrogen, oxygen and other particles absorb radiation from the
sun and become electrically charged (ions).
§ Exosphere: the outer limit of the thermosphere and extends 550km to
thousands of km into space.
Unit 2: the ozone layer – in the stratosphere
• The ozone layer and its function:
o Ozone – three oxygen modules (𝑂! ).
o In high concentrations between altitudes of 15km
and 55km.
o Stratosphere contains 90% of the ozone layer and 10% occurs in the upper layers of
the troposphere.
o Ozone can protect and harm life on earth, depending where it is found.
o Ozone is essential to life on earth because it filters out harmful UV rays.
o When an ozone molecule absorbs UV, it splits into an oxygen molecule, forming ozone
again. This process converts UV into heat, which is why temperature increases in
stratosphere.
• Causes of ozone depletion:
o Pollutants like chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), work their way up from the lower
troposphere to the stratosphere.
o CFCs are manufactured gasses first made
in 1930. They are used in refrigeration,
aerosols and manufacturing of polystyrene.
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