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Aanamks

The atmosphere is essential for life on Earth, composed of various gases that are categorized based on their stability over time. It consists of five layers: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere, each with distinct characteristics regarding temperature, pressure, and density. The atmosphere's composition and structure play a crucial role in weather, climate, and aviation.

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11 views2 pages

Aanamks

The atmosphere is essential for life on Earth, composed of various gases that are categorized based on their stability over time. It consists of five layers: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere, each with distinct characteristics regarding temperature, pressure, and density. The atmosphere's composition and structure play a crucial role in weather, climate, and aviation.

Uploaded by

Boglárka Dömötör
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Structure of the atmosphere

Atmosphere:

 makes life possible on land


 consists of different gases, which are retained by earth’s gravity.

The gases are classified according to the interval of time in which their amount changes:

1. stable gases – the amount of these gases does not change in hundreds/millions of years

nitrogen (78%)

oxygen (21%)

noble gases (Ar 0.9%)

2. changing gases – the amount of which changes in decades

carbon dioxide

methane (CH4)

ozone (O3)

3. heavily changing gases – the amount of which changes on a weekly/daily basis.

water vapour (H2O)

nitrous oxide (NO)

sulphur dioxide (SO2)

Layers of the atmosphere (Stratification)

 air pressure and density decrease with altitude


 temperature also changes with altitude (in some layers it increases in some it decreases)
Troposphere: 0 to 12 km

 the lowest layer


 temperature usually declines with increasing altitude
 contains roughly 80% of the mass of Earth's atmosphere
 all atmospheric water vapour or moisture is found here
 conventional aviation takes place here

Stratosphere: 12 to 50 km

 temperatures rises with increasing altitude, caused by the absorption of ultraviolet radiation
 contains the ozone layer (depletion of the ozone layer)
 highest layer that can be accessed by jet-powered aircraft

Mesosphere: 50 to 80 km

 Temperatures drop with increasing altitude, average temperature around −85 °C


 meteors entering the atmosphere burn here
 rocket powered aircrafts can reach this high

Thermosphere: 80 to 700 km

 temperature increases with height, it can reach 1500 °C


 contains the ionosphere:electrically charged particles: reflect radio waves
 Aurora happens here
 The air is so rarefied that an individual molecule (of oxygen, for example) travels an average
of 1 kilometre between collisions with other molecules
 International Space Station orbits here (between 350 and 420 km)
Exosphere: 700 to 10,000 km

 outermost layer

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