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Understanding Earth's Atmosphere: Composition, Layers, and Importance

The atmosphere is the layer of air surrounding Earth, primarily composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases. This essential blanket formed as Earth cooled, safeguarding life by providing necessary gases, protecting from harmful UV radiation, and facilitating photosynthesis. The atmosphere consists of distinct layers: the troposphere (where we live and weather occurs), stratosphere (home of the ozone layer), mesosphere (coldest region), and thermosphere (where temperatures soar). Understanding these layers is crucial for appreciating Earth's environmental dynamics.

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Understanding Earth's Atmosphere: Composition, Layers, and Importance

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  1. The Atmosphere THE ATMOSPHERE

  2. Definition: Atmosphere • Air that surrounds the earth • Composed of: • Nitrogen 78% • Oxygen 21% • Misc. Gases (water vapor, argon, etc… 1%)

  3. How did it form? • THEORY ………. • As earth cooled, released gases from the earth’s interior • Not the same composition as today’s atmosphere

  4. Benefits of Atmosphere • Provides gases necessary for life (oxygen, carbon dioxide) • Protects us from majority of suns harmful UV radiation • Allows light to reach surface for energy and photosynthesis • Radiates some heat back to Earth, therefore warming the planet

  5. Layers • Defined by changes in temperature • Troposphere • tropopause • Stratosphere • stratopause • Mesosphere • mesopause • Thermosphere

  6. Troposphere

  7. Troposphere • 0-12 km • Where we live • Weather occurs here • As height increases, temperature decreases • Temperature drops ~ 6.50 C/km above Earth’s surface • Greatest amount of air pressure (weight of air above)

  8. Tropopause • Top of troposphere • Temperature fairly constant • Separates troposphere from stratosphere • Where jet stream is • Very strong winds that blow eastward

  9. Stratosphere

  10. Stratosphere • 12 – 50 km • Lower part’s temperature is constant (~60oC) • Contains ozone layer • People can’t breathe in this layer • Lowest part of stratosphere there is less turbulence so where commercial airlines usually fly!

  11. Ozone Layer

  12. Ozone Layer • Earth’s shield • Protects Earth’s surface from the sun’s harmful UV radiation • It absorbs the sun’s UV radiation • Causes an increase in temperature in upper part of stratosphere

  13. Mesoshpere

  14. Mesosphere • 50 – 80 km • Temperature decrease to -100oC • Coldest region of atmosphere • This is due to the gases in this layer can’t absorb any of the suns energy (therefore, really cold) • Protects earth from ‘meteorites’ • Meteorites burn up in this area creating “shooting stars” effect

  15. Shooting stars

  16. Thermosphere

  17. Thermosphere • 80 km and up • Air very thin • Temperaturesvery high because of sun’s intense UV radiation • Temps can be >2000oC • Has 2 sub-layers • Ionoshpere • exosphere

  18. Ionosphere • 80 km – 550 km • Contains charged “ionic” particles • Where radio waves are bounced back from

  19. Exosphere • > 550 km. • Air extremely thin • Area where satellites orbit • Enter space once exit exosphere

  20. Magnetosphere • Earth’s magnetic field • Causes Northern Lights

  21. NORTHERN LIGHTS

  22. Assignment • Create a foldable of the layers of the atmosphere. • READ AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS !!!! DO THIS STEP BY STEP !

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