The atmosphere is what provides the opportunity for life on Earth. The very first information and facts about the atmosphere we get back in elementary school. In high school, we already become more familiar with this concept in geography classes.
Earth atmosphere concept
The atmosphere is present not only in the Earth, but also in other celestial bodies. This is the name of the gas shell surrounding the planet. The composition of this gas layer of different planets is significantly different. Let's look at the basic information and facts about the Earth’s atmosphere, otherwise called air.
Its most important component is oxygen. Some people mistakenly think that the Earth’s atmosphere consists entirely of oxygen, but in fact, air is a mixture of gases. It consists of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. The remaining one percent includes ozone, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor. Although the percentage of these gases is small, they fulfill an important function - they absorb a significant part of the solar radiant energy, thereby preventing the luminary from turning all life on our planet into ashes. The properties of the atmosphere vary with altitude. For example, at an altitude of 65 km, nitrogen is 86%, and oxygen is 19%.
Earth Atmosphere Composition
- Carbon dioxide is essential for plant nutrition. In the atmosphere, it appears as a result of the breathing process of living organisms, rot, burning. The absence of it in the atmosphere would make it impossible for any plants to exist.
- Oxygen is a vital component of the atmosphere for humans. Its presence is a condition for the existence of all living organisms. It makes up about 20% of the total atmospheric gases.
- Ozone is a natural absorber of solar ultraviolet radiation, which adversely affects living organisms. Most of it forms a separate atmosphere layer - the ozone screen. Recently, human activities have led to the fact that the ozone layer begins to gradually degrade, but since it is of great importance, active work is underway to preserve and restore it.
- Water vapor determines air humidity. Its content may be different depending on various factors: air temperature, territorial location, season. At a low temperature, there is very little water vapor in the air, it can be less than one percent, and at high its amount reaches 4%.
- In addition to all of the above, a certain percentage of solid and liquid impurities is always present in the composition of the earth's atmosphere. These are soot, ashes, sea salt, dust, drops of water, microorganisms. They can get into the air both in a natural and man-made way.
Atmospheric layers
And the temperature, and density, and the quality of the air are not the same at different heights. Because of this, it is customary to distinguish different layers of the atmosphere. Each of them has its own characteristic. Let's find out which layers of the atmosphere distinguish:
- Troposphere - this layer of the atmosphere is closest to the surface of the Earth. Its height is 8–10 km above the poles and 16–18 km in the tropics. Here is 90% of all water vapor that is in the atmosphere, so there is an active formation of clouds. Also in this layer are observed such processes as the movement of air (wind), turbulence, convection. Temperatures range from +45 degrees at noon during the warmer months in the tropics to -65 degrees at the poles.
- The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere remote from the earth's surface . Located at an altitude of 11 to 50 km. In the lower layer of the stratosphere, the temperature is approximately -55, in the direction of removal from the Earth, it rises to + 1 ° C. This area is called inversion and is the boundary of the stratosphere and mesosphere.
- The mesosphere is located at an altitude of 50 to 90 km. The temperature on its lower boundary is about 0, on the upper reaches -80 ...- 90 ˚. Meteorites falling into the Earth’s atmosphere completely burn out in the mesosphere, because of this, air luminosities occur here.
- The thermosphere has a thickness of approximately 700 km. In this layer of the atmosphere, the northern lights arise. They appear due to the ionization of air under the influence of cosmic radiation and radiation emanating from the sun.
- The exosphere is a zone of air dispersion. Here, the concentration of gases is small and they gradually disappear into interplanetary space.
The boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and space is considered to be the boundary of 100 km. This trait is called the Karman line.
Atmospheric pressure
Listening to the weather forecast, we often hear atmospheric pressure indicators. But what does atmospheric pressure mean, and how can it affect us?
We figured out that air consists of gases and impurities. Each of these components has its own weight, which means that the atmosphere is not weightless, as was believed before the XVII century. Atmospheric pressure is the force with which all layers of the atmosphere press on the surface of the Earth and on all objects.
Scientists made complex calculations and proved that the atmosphere presses 10,333 kg per square meter of area. So, the human body is subject to air pressure, whose weight is 12-15 tons. Why do not we feel this? It saves us its internal pressure, which balances the external. You can feel the pressure of the atmosphere while on the plane or high in the mountains, since the atmospheric pressure at altitude is much less. In this case, physical discomfort, ear plugging, dizziness is possible.
Interesting information and facts.
A lot can be said about the atmosphere surrounding the globe . We know a lot of interesting facts about her, and some of them may seem surprising:
- The weight of the Earth’s atmosphere is 5.3 billion.
- It promotes sound transmission. At an altitude of more than 100 km, this property disappears due to changes in the composition of the atmosphere.
- The movement of the atmosphere is provoked by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface.
- A thermometer is used to determine the air temperature, and a barometer is used to find out the pressure strength of the atmosphere.
- The presence of the atmosphere saves our planet from 100 tons of meteorites daily.
- The composition of the air was fixed for several hundred million years, but began to change with the beginning of a stormy production activity.
- It is believed that the atmosphere extends up to a height of 3000 km.
The significance of the atmosphere for humans
The physiological zone of the atmosphere is 5 km. At an altitude of 5000 m above sea level, a person begins to experience oxygen starvation, which is manifested in a decrease in his working capacity and deterioration in well-being. This shows that a person will not be able to survive in a space where there is no this amazing mixture of gases.
All information and facts about the atmosphere only confirm its importance for people. Thanks to its presence, the possibility of the development of life on Earth appeared. Already today, having assessed the extent of the harm that humanity is capable of doing to life-giving air through its actions, we should think about further measures to preserve and restore the atmosphere.