Earth’s Atmosphere
Meaning:
The dynamic layer surrounding the earth above its surface containing various gases, moisture,
aerosols etc. is called atmosphere.
Fig 1: Earth’s Atmosphere
Other Definitions of Atmosphere:
1. Atmosphere can be defined as the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth.
2. Atmosphere can also be defined as a grand body from the earth surface to the outer
space and composed of number of gases.
The estimated mass of the atmosphere is 5.6 x 1014 metric tones. It extends over about 400
km height and meteorological events and effects occur in it. The thickness of gaseous
envelope is equal to 1% of the earth’s mean radius.
Usefulness of the atmosphere:
1. It fulfils the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of the animal life. It supplies the
necessary precipitation or moisture.
2. It protects the biological life on the planet from harmful extraterrestrial radiations like
UV, by absorbing it though ozone.
3. It maintains the warmth of the planet through its greenhouse effect, avoiding the
temperature to fall to too extreme limits. (The earth’s temperature in the absence of
atmosphere would have been +95ºC (day), and -145ºC (Night)
4. It provides the necessary CO2 which is basic input required to run photosynthesis
process in plants to build biomass.
5. It provides the necessary medium for the transport of pollens. Seeds spores and insets.
6. Many physical chemical and hydrological processes responsible for weather and
climate occur in atmosphere only.
7. Atmosphere is a big reservoir of nitrogen. Some plants and microbes can fix this
nitrogen for plant growth e.g., Azolla pinara Azotobacter.
Composition of the atmosphere:
The various constituents of the atmosphere can be divided into following three categories.
Structure of Atmosphere,
• Nitrogen — 78 %
• Oxygen — 21 %
• Argon — 0.93 %
• Carbon dioxide — 0.04 %
• Trace amounts of neon, helium, methane, krypton and hydrogen, as well as water
vapour, dusts, pollen, etc.
Layers of Earth's Atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits. Moving upward
from ground level, these layers are named the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere and exosphere. The exosphere gradually fades away into the realm of
interplanetary space.
Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. Starting at ground level, it extends
upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. We humans live in
the troposphere, and nearly all weather occurs in this lowest layer. Most clouds appear here,
mainly because 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere is found in the troposphere. Air
pressure drops, and temperatures get colder, as higher in the troposphere.
Stratosphere
The next layer up is called the stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from the top of the
troposphere to about 50 km (31 miles) above the ground. The infamous ozone layer is found
within the stratosphere. Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV)
light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. Unlike the troposphere, the
stratosphere actually gets warmer at the higher altitude. That trend of rising temperatures with
altitude means that air in the stratosphere lacks the turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere
beneath. Commercial passenger jets fly in the lower stratosphere, partly because this less-
turbulent layer provides a smoother ride. The jet stream flows near the border between the
troposphere and the stratosphere.
Mesosphere
Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. It extends upward to a height of about 85 km (53
miles) above our planet. Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. Unlike the stratosphere,
temperatures once again grow colder as rise up through the mesosphere. The coldest
temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are found near the top of this
layer. The air in the mesosphere is far too thin to breathe; air pressure at the bottom of the
layer is well below 1% of the pressure at sea level, and continues dropping as go higher.
Thermosphere
The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. High-energy X-
rays and UV radiation from the Sun are absorbed in the thermosphere, raising its temperature
to hundreds or at times thousands of degrees. However, the air in this layer is so thin that it
would feel freezing cold to us! In many ways, the thermosphere is more like outer space than
a part of the atmosphere. Many satellites actually orbit Earth within the thermosphere!
Variations in the amount of energy coming from the Sun exert a powerful influence on both
the height of the top of this layer and the temperature within it. Because of this, the top of the
thermosphere can be found anywhere between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles) above
the ground. Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range from about 500° C (932° F) to
2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher. The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in
the thermosphere.
Ionosphere
The ionosphere is not a distinct layer like the others mentioned above. Instead, the ionosphere
is a series of regions in parts of the mesosphere and thermosphere where high-energy
radiation from the Sun has knocked electrons loose from their parent atoms and molecules.
The electrically charged atoms and molecules that are formed in this way are called ions,
giving the ionosphere its name and endowing this region with some special properties.
Exosphere
The air in the exosphere is very thin, making this layer even more space-like than the
thermosphere. There is no clear-cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away
into space. Different definitions place the top of the exosphere somewhere between 100,000
km (62,000 miles) and 190,000 km (120,000 miles) above the surface of Earth. The latter
value is about halfway to the Moon.
Fig: Layers of the earth’s atmosphere