Atmosphere:

An atmosphere contains the air that we breathe and is a blanket of gases that surrounds
Earth. It is held near the surface of the planet by Earth’s gravitational attraction. A barometer
is used to measure air pressure. Argon, oxygen and nitrogen from the three main
constitutions of the atmosphere. In this article, let us know in detail about the atmosphere.

“Atmosphere is a protective layer of gases that shelters all life on Earth, keeping temperatures
within a relatively small range and blocking out harmful rays of sunlight.”

Features of the Atmosphere:

 Helps retain the sun’s heat and prevents it from escaping back into space.
 Protects life from harmful radiation from the sun.
 Plays a major role in Earth’s water cycle.
 Helps keep the climate on Earth moderate.

There is no boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. The atmosphere gets less
dense and denser until it “blends” into outer space.

Layers of Atmosphere
What do you see when you stand outside and look up? A blue sky? A group of clouds? At
night you might see a crescent moon, stars, a satellite. What you are not seeing, however, is
the complexity of our atmosphere.

The atmosphere has five distinct layers that are determined by the changes in temperature
that happen with increasing altitude. Layers of Earth’s atmosphere are divided into five
different layers as:

 Exosphere
 Thermosphere
 Mesosphere
 Stratosphere
 Troposphere

Let us find out more about the layers of atmosphere and their importance.

Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest layer in the atmosphere. It extends upward to about 10 km
above sea level starting from ground level. The lowest part of the troposphere is called the
boundary layer and the topmost layer is called the tropopause. The troposphere contains
75% of all air in the atmosphere. Most clouds appear in this layer because 99% of the water
vapour in the atmosphere is found here. Temperature and air pressure drop as you go higher
in the troposphere. When a parcel of air moves upwards it expands. When air expands it
cools. Due to this reason, the base of the troposphere is warmer than its base because the air
in the surface of the Earth absorbs the sun’s energy, gets heated up and moves upward as a
result of which it cools down.

Stratosphere
Above the troposphere lies the stratosphere which extends from the top of the troposphere
to about 50 km (31 miles) above the ground. The ozone layer lies within the stratosphere.
Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun and
convert it into heat. Because of this, unlike the troposphere, the stratosphere gets warmer
the higher you go!

Mesosphere
Above the stratosphere is the
mesosphere and it extends to a height
of about 85 km (53 miles) from the
ground. Here, the temperature grows
colder as you rise up through the mesosphere. The coldest parts of our atmosphere are
located in this layer and can reach –90°C.

Thermosphere
Thermosphere lies above the mesosphere and this is a region where the temperature
increases as you go higher up. The temperature increase is caused due to the absorption of
energetic ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from the sun. However, the air in this layer is so thin
that it would feel freezing cold to us! Satellites orbit Earth within the thermosphere.
Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range from about 500° C to 2,000° C or higher.
The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in the thermosphere.

Exosphere
Exosphere is the final frontier of the Earth’s gaseous envelope. The air in the exosphere is
constantly but gradually leaking out of the Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. There is no
clear cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away into space.

Ionosphere

Summary of Layers of Atmosphere

 Region Altitude Range (km) Temperature Range(0oC) Important Characteristics

Troposphere 0-11 15 to -56 Weather occurs here

Stratosphere 11-50 -56 to -2 The ozone layer is present here

Mesosphere 50-85 -2 to -92 Meteors burn in this layer

Thermosphere 85-800 -92 to 1200 Auroras occur here

The ionosphere isn’t a distinct layer unlike other layers in the atmosphere. 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.

Composition of Atmosphere – Gases in the Atmosphere

The atmospheric composition of gas on Earth is largely conducted by the by-products of the
life that it nurtures.

Dry air from earth’s atmosphere contains 0.038% of carbon dioxide, 20.95% of oxygen,
78.08% of nitrogen and 0.93% of argon.

What are greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat and cause the greenhouse
effect. The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide
(N2O), and fluorinated gases.

What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is a natural process
that occurs when greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere trap heat from the Sun,
warming the Earth’s surface. This process
is necessary for life on Earth, but an
increase in greenhouse gas concentrations
can lead to global warming and climate
change.
Specific Human Activities Increasing Greenhouse Gases
 Human activities contribute to increasing greenhouse gases. Certain human
activities such as using fossil fuels increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.
 Fossil fuels combustion releases carbon dioxide. When fossil fuels are combusted for
use in transportation, they release carbon dioxide. As we saw previously, this carbon
dioxide had been previously locked up as carbon in the fossil fuels.
 Deforestation leads to more carbon dioxide. Trees can be removed
through deforestation. This means that there are fewer trees available
to photosynthesise and therefore less carbon dioxide is removed from the
atmosphere.
 Increased waste increases methane. As waste production on Earth increases, more
landfills are created. As the waste decomposes in landfills, methane gas. is released.
 Increased agriculture leads to increased methane. When farm animals are kept in
agriculture, there is an increase in methane levels. During their digestive processes,
farm animals produce methane which is released to the environment.
 Increased rice paddies leads to an increase in methane. Rice paddies grow in
anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic bacteria within these rice paddies produce methane.
Prevention of Greenhouse Effect
Now that we have made a list of causes, finding alternatives to these causes becomes by
following the below-mentioned preventive measures:

 Afforestation: Afforestation on a large scale area helps in decreasing the release of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere.
 Conservation of energy: Switching to renewable sources of energy such as solar energy, wind
energy, etc will reduce the use of fossil fuels. This eventually reduces the release of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere.