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Earth’s Atmosphere

Earth’s Atmosphere. What’s Up There?. Image Source: www.NASA.gov. The atmosphere is a layer of gasses that surrounds our planet. 90% of its mass is within about 11 km (6 mi) of the surface The atmosphere is very thin compared to the size of Earth. Image Source: www.NASA.gov.

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Earth’s Atmosphere

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  1. Earth’s Atmosphere What’s Up There? Image Source: www.NASA.gov

  2. The atmosphere is a layer of gasses that surrounds our planet 90% of its mass is within about 11 km (6 mi) of the surface The atmosphere is very thin compared to the size of Earth Image Source: www.NASA.gov Image Source: NASA

  3. Exosphere Thermosphere Mesosphere Stratosphere Troposphere The Atmosphere is Layered 600Km 85 Km Altitude 50 Km 8-14.5 Km Image Source: www.NASA.gov

  4. (Neutral) Thermosphere Mesosphere Stratosphere Troposphere (Charged) F Layer E Layer D Layer Atmosphere Ionosphere Image Source: www.NASA.gov

  5. Neutral layers commonly defined by: Changes inTemperature Image Source: www.srh.NOAA.gov

  6. What’s in the Air we Breathe? • 78% Nitrogen (N2) • 21% Oxygen (O2) • 1% Other • Water (H2O) • Argon (Ar) • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • Neon (N) • Helium (He) • Methane (CH4) • Hydrogen (H) • Nitrous Oxide (N2O) • Ozone (O3) other O2 N2

  7. Troposphere (0 - 15 km) • Weather happens here • Thinnest at poles, thickest at equator • 90% of mass found here • Warmed by radiation from Earth • As you go up: • Temperature drops • Pressure drops Image Source: www.Public-Domain-Photos.com

  8. Stratosphere (15 – 50 km) • Contains the ozone (O3) layer • Absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVC and many UVB rays) • As you go up: • Temperature increases (ozone layer causes this) • Pressure drops • Dry

  9. Mesosphere (50 – 85 km) • Coldest layer (coldest place on the planet!) • As you go up: • Temperature drops • Pressure drops • Meteors burn up here Image Source: www.NASA.gov

  10. Thermosphere (85 – 600 km) • Very few molecules • Incoming solar energy readily absorbed • As you go up: • Temperature increases • Pressure drops • Space shuttle, International Space Station and commercial satellites orbit here • Same altitude as most of Ionosphere; auroras occur here Image Source: www.NASA.gov

  11. Exosphere (600+ km) • Atoms and molecules escape into space • 5x1025 molecules lost every second (That’s 50,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!)Don’t worry: atmosphere should last several more billion years • Upper limit not well defined Image Source: Hubblesite.org

  12. Ionosphere • Region of charged ions (positive) and electrons within Thermosphere. Ionosphere represents only about 2% of Thermosphere. • Electrons are torn off atoms by sunlight of short wavelengths (called ionization) • Electrons don’t recombine easily because the distance between molecules is large at high altitudes and collisions are not frequent

  13. Ionosphere Discovery In 1901 Marconi received a radio signal from North America in Europe. It must have bounced off something in the atmosphere, otherwise it couldn’t have reached around the curve of the earth! Image Source: oceanservice.noaa.gov

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