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Understanding Earth's Atmospheric Layers

The document describes the structure and composition of Earth's atmosphere. It is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen and also contains trace amounts of gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone. The atmosphere is divided into different layers - the troposphere where weather occurs, the stratosphere containing the ozone layer, the mesosphere where temperature decreases to -100°C, and the ionosphere/thermosphere where atoms are ionized. The standard atmosphere model used internationally assumes air acts as an ideal gas and is defined by specific reference values of pressure, temperature and density.

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Muzaffer Ulusoy
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31 views6 pages

Understanding Earth's Atmospheric Layers

The document describes the structure and composition of Earth's atmosphere. It is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen and also contains trace amounts of gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone. The atmosphere is divided into different layers - the troposphere where weather occurs, the stratosphere containing the ozone layer, the mesosphere where temperature decreases to -100°C, and the ionosphere/thermosphere where atoms are ionized. The standard atmosphere model used internationally assumes air acts as an ideal gas and is defined by specific reference values of pressure, temperature and density.

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Muzaffer Ulusoy
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© All Rights Reserved
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Atmosphere

"The World's Biggest Membrane"


 Protection of all life from hazardous or deadly radiation from space (filter for
UV- and x-rays from sun).
 Letting pass the vitally important sunlight to the surface of the continents and
oceans (energy source).
 Protections from rapid colling at night and heating at day.
 Makes possible a mean temperature on Earth's surface of +15 °C instead of -
18 °C as would be without atmosphere.
 Transport of energy (warmth of air that can be felt and latent warmth of water
vapour) from the equatorial regions to medium and higher latitudes.
 Transport of water vapour through dynamic processes of general air circulation
that determines precipitation.
 Storage of huge amounts of nitrogen (important for plants).
 Reservoir for carbon dioxide and oxygen.
 Is part of different vital cycles of matter.
 Dissipation and decomposition (oxidation, reaction with radicals, photolysis) of
natural and anthropogenic (man-made) emissions.
 Protection from smaller meteorites that burn up by heating from the friction
when entering the Earth's atmosphere and can not reach the surface.

Atmospheric Properties

Vertical structure of the Earth's Atmosphere


Atmospheric Properties

 The thin envelope of air that surrounds our planet is a


mixture of gases, each with its own physical properties.
 Two elements, nitrogen and oxygen, make up 99% of the
volume of air.
 The other 1% is composed of "trace" gases, the most
prevalent of which is the inert gaseous element argon.
 The rest of the trace gases, although present in only
minute amounts, are very important to life on earth.
 Two in particular, carbon dioxide and ozone, can have a
large impact on atmospheric processes.
 Another gas, water vapor, also exists in small amounts. It
varies in concentration from being almost non-existent
over desert regions to about 4% over the oceans. Water
vapor is important to weather production since it exists
in gaseous, liquid, and solid phases and absorbs radiant
energy from the earth.
 The word troposphere comes from tropein, meaning to turn or change. All of
the earth's weather occurs in the troposphere.
 It extends from the earth's surface to an average of 12 km (7 miles).
 The pressure ranges from 1000 to 200 millibars (29.92 in. to 5.92 in.).
 The temperature generally decreases with increasing height up to the
tropopause (top of the troposphere); this is near 200 millibars or 36,000 ft.
◦ The temperature averages 15°C (59°F) near the surface and -57°C (-71°F) at the
tropopause.
◦ The layer ends at the point where temperature no longer varies with height. This area,
known as the tropopause, marks the transition to the stratosphere.
 Winds increase with height up to the jet stream.
 The moisture concentration decreases with height up to the tropopause.
◦ The air is much drier above the tropopause, in the stratosphere.
◦ The sun's heat that warms the earth's surface is transported upwards largely by
convection and is mixed by updrafts and downdrafts.
 The troposphere is 70% and 21% . The lower density of molecules higher up
would not give us enough to survive.

Troposphere
 Above the troposphere is the stratosphere,
where air flow is mostly horizontal.
 The stratosphere lies above the troposphere
at 12 - 50 km.
 It is characterized by an increase of ozone
with a maximum ozone concentration at
ybout 30 km of height.
 This layer is primarily responsible for
absorbing the ultraviolet radiation from the
Sun.
 Temperature also increases with height and
reaches 0 °c at about 50 km

The Stratosphere and Ozone Layer

 Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere and above that is the ionosphere (or thermosphere),
where many atoms are ionized (have gained or lost electrons so they have a net electrical charge).
 The mesosphere (50 - 85 km) is charaterized by a continuous decrease of temperature.
 It reaches it minimum with almost -100 °C at about 80 km of height. This also is the upper
boundary of the mesosphere.

 The ionosphere is very thin, but it is where aurora take place, and is also responsible for absorbing
the most energetic photons from the Sun, and for reflecting radio waves, thereby making long-
distance radio communication possible.
 In the thermosphere (85 - 500 km) no temperatures but only emittances may be measured
because of the very low densitiy of particles.
 The structure of the ionosphere is strongly influenced by the charged particle wind from the Sun
(solar wind), which is in turn governed by the level of Solar activity.
 The exosphere (> 500 km) starts depending on definition at 500 - 1000 km of height. Here,
pressure is so low that it can already be called vacuum.

The Mesosphere and Ionosphere


 By international agreement and atmosphere model
has been accepted and is used as the basis for all
aircraft performance work.
 It is known as the International Standard Atmosphere
and is generally referred to as the ISA or just the
Standard Atmosphere.
 The ISA assumes the air acts as a perfect gas and the
effects of dust and water vapor are negligible.

 The ISA datum is:


 Reference pressure p0 = 101.325 kPa
 Reference temperature T0 = 288.15 K
 Reference density ρ0 = 1.225 kg/m3

The Standard Atmosphere Model

Common questions

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The exosphere, extending from around 500 km above Earth, defines the outermost atmospheric layer where atmospheric pressure is so low that it's virtually a vacuum. This layer contains very low density of particles, which not only prevents them from colliding frequently but also marks the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. This leads to reduced atmospheric drag on orbiting satellites, influencing their trajectory and longevity .

The stratosphere, located above the troposphere from about 12 to 50 km, differs in both composition and function. It has a horizontal air flow and contains a higher concentration of ozone, peaking around 30 km, which absorbs ultraviolet radiation. Unlike the troposphere, temperatures in the stratosphere increase with altitude due to this absorption. The stratosphere plays a primary role in blocking harmful solar radiation, while the troposphere is more involved in weather processes .

Earth's atmosphere protects its surface from meteorites primarily through friction-induced heating as objects enter the atmosphere. As meteorites descend at high speeds, they encounter densely packed air molecules that generate extreme heat, causing the objects to burn up before reaching the ground. This protective layer significantly reduces the frequency and impact of meteorites on Earth's surface .

In the thermosphere, which ranges from 85 km to 500 km in altitude, charged particles from solar winds, particularly in the ionosphere, interact with atmospheric ions. This ionization reflects radio waves back to Earth, enabling long-distance radio communication. The structure and functioning of the ionosphere, therefore, are strongly influenced by solar activity, affecting the reliability and reach of certain communication technologies like radio wave propagation .

The International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) is critical for aviation as it provides a standardized model of vertical distribution of pressure, temperature, and density idealized at sea level, which simplifies aircraft design and performance assessment. It assumes the atmosphere acts as a perfect gas, ignoring effects of dust and water vapor, thus serving as a baseline reference for safely calculating flight performance under varying conditions .

The mesosphere, extending from 50 km to 85 km above Earth's surface, is unique because it marks the coldest atmospheric layer, with temperatures decreasing continuously up to -100°C near its upper boundary. Unlike the stratosphere, there is no ozone to absorb solar radiation; thus, the temperature drops. This layer also plays a role in burning up meteors before they reach the Earth. Its unique cooling processes and protection from meteors make it distinct from other atmospheric layers .

Trace gases in the atmosphere, although comprising only 1% of its volume, have significant impacts on life. Two important trace gases, carbon dioxide and ozone, influence atmospheric processes: carbon dioxide is crucial for the greenhouse effect, while ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun, protecting living organisms. Water vapor, varying in concentration, affects weather and climate by absorbing radiant energy .

The troposphere, where all weather occurs, extends from Earth's surface to an average of 12 km. Its composition, primarily composed of nitrogen and oxygen, and its characteristics, such as unstable temperature decreasing with altitude and varying in moisture content, facilitate weather patterns. The name 'troposphere' derived from Greek, means the "changing sphere," indicating its dynamic nature where heat is transferred by convection and winds increase with height, ultimately reaching the jet stream .

The atmosphere plays a crucial role in regulating Earth's temperature by protecting life from hazardous solar radiation and by conserving heat. It prevents rapid cooling at night and reduces heating during the day. The atmospheric layer helps maintain an average temperature of +15°C, as opposed to -18°C which would be the case without the atmosphere. This regulation is achieved through the presence of greenhouse gases and the dynamic processes of air and water vapor transport .

The vertical structure of the atmosphere aids in the dissipation of anthropogenic emissions through processes such as convection, chemical reactions, and photolysis. Emissions are transported by general air circulation and chemical reactions (like oxidation) occur in the troposphere. Photolysis, occurring in higher layers like the stratosphere, further decomposes pollutants, thus reducing their concentration near the Earth's surface and mitigating potential harm .

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