THE ATMOSPHERE OF EARTH

THE ATMOSPHERE OF EARTH

Age of earth: 4.6 billion years (approximately)
Initial atmospheric gas composition: Helium
compound of hydrogen, methane and ammonia

and

Early atmosphere is thought to have escaped into

space
Subsequent volcanic activities: CO2, water vapour,
compounds of N2 and S released to atmosphere over
time
Formation of molecular oxygen (O2):
Photo-dissociation of water vapour
Photosynthesis by plant evolving under water
Photosynthesis increased: resulted in increased
formation of O2 and it followed with formation of O3

Constituent

Formula

Percent
by
volume

Remark

Nitrogen

N2

78.08

Not very chemically reactive; can be thought of as neutral

substance

Oxygen

O2

20.95

Chemically highly reactive; combines readily with other

elements in the process of oxidation

Argon

Ar

0.93

Inactive gas of little importance in natural processes

0.035

Greenhouse gas

Carbon
dioxide

CO2

Neon

Ne

0.0018

Inactive gas of little importance in natural processes

Helium

He

0.000 5

Inactive gas of little importance in natural processes

CH4

0.000 17

Greenhouse gas

Kr

0.000 11

Inactive gas of little importance in natural processes

N2O

0.000 03

Greenhouse gas

Hydrogen

H2

0.000 05

Ozone

O3

0.000 004

Acts as shield for UV radiation in reaching earth; presence

desirable
Is a pollutant at ground level; presence undesirable

0-4

Greenhouse gas

Methane
Krypton
Nitrous oxide

Water vapour

H2O

Particles/aerosol
s

Dust,
sulphate,
etc.

0.000 001

Chloroflurocar
bons

CFCs

0.000 000
01

Greenhouse gas

Composition of atmosphere
Atmosphere is made almost entirely of Nitrogen and Oxygen (N2, O2
and Ar make up 99.96% of dry air)
The remaining 0.04% consists of:
Fixed gases (do not vary up to 80 km):
Inert gases (Ne, He, Kr, Xe), H2, Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Little interaction with other components of the climate system
Production of fixed gases are at surface is balanced by their
destruction:
N2 removed from atmosphere by nitrogen fixing bacteria in plant roots
N2 returned to the atmosphere when plants and animals die and decay
O2 is removed from the atmosphere when plants and animal die and
decompose
O2 is removed from the atmosphere when oxidation takes place with
wide range of
substances (e.g. rusting of iron)
O2 is removed from the atmosphere when plants and animal breath
O2 is returned to the atmosphere during photosynthesis
Gases variable in amount:
O3, CO2, CH4, CFCs (Halogen derivative of organochloride compounds),
Aerosols

LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE

Convenient to think the atmosphere made of horizontal laye

Each layer is characterised by the temperature profile
Layers:
Troposphere decreasing temp. with altitude
Stratosphere - increasing temp. with altitude
Mesosphere - decreasing temp. with altitude
Thermosphere- increasing temp. with altitude
Transition altitudes separating these layers:
Tropopause Between Troposphere and Stratosphere
Stratopause Between Stratosphere and Mesosphere
Mesopause Between Mesosphere and Thermosphere

ATMOSPHERE SHOWING FOUR MAJOR LAYERS

120
100

Thermosphere

Altitude (km)

Mesopause
80

Mesosphere
Stratopause

60

40

20

Stratosphere
Tropopause
Troposphere

0
-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

Temperature (oC)

20

TROPOSPHERE
Consists of 80% of mass of the atmosphere
Contains most of the atmospheres water vapour, cloud
and a mixture of natural and anthropogenic gases and
particulates.
Zone of our weather: Virtually all water vapour, clouds
and precipitation occurs in this layer
Usually very turbulent place, because of strong vertical
air movement that lead to rapid and complete mixing
Altitude:
Extends from surface up to 12 km; varies at different
latitudes:
Midlatitudes 10 to 12 km
Poles (thinner) 5 to 6 km
Equator (thicker) 15-16 km

TROPOSPHERE
Temperature profile:
Decreases 5 to 7oC per km (wet or saturated adiabatic
lapse rate)
Reason:
Earth surface absorbs incoming solar radiation - Gets
warmed
Reradiates the heat Heats the layer of atmosphere
next to it by conduction, convection and radiation
Pressure profile:
Air pressure decreases with altitude as the effect of
gravity weakens
Wind profile:
Wind speed usually increases with height.

TROPOPAUSE
Extends from 12 to 20 km
Temperature remain constant in spite of increasing height;
known as isothermal layer

STRATOSPHERE
Extends from 12 to 48 km
Temperature profile
Increases with height (temperature inversion)
Reason: Stratospheric ozone (O3) of this layer absorbs
incoming
short-wave ultraviolet radiation from the Sun
resulting in heating of
air and temperature
inversion
Pressure profile:
Pressure continues to fall with altitude
Wind profile:
Wind speed usually increases with height.
Air is dry and remains as stable layer (little turbulence)

STRATOSPHERE
Pollutants finding way to stratosphere may remain there
for many years
When they drift back to troposphere they are diluted and
removed by precipitation
Troposphere + Stratosphere: accounts for 99% of mass
of atmosphere
extend up to 50 km above earth
STRATOPAUSE marks the upper boundary of stratosphere
and it is an isothermal layer

MESOSPHERE
Extends from 48 to 80 km
No water vapour, cloud, dust or ozone in this layer
Temperature profile
Falls rapidly (there is little to absorb the Suns
incoming radiation)
Lowest temperature of atmosphere (-90 0C) is
reached in this layer
Wind profile
Air mixes in this layer fairly readily
Strongest atmospheric wind speed of about 5000
km per hour is
reached in this layer
MESOPAUSE is the upper boundary of Mesosphere and is
isothermal.

THERMOSPHERE
It is the outer layer of the atmosphere
Extends outwards from 80 km

Temperature profile
Rises rapidly up to around 1500 0C
Reason:
Heating of this layer is due to absorption of
solar energy by
atomic/free oxygen in the
atmosphere (like O3, it absorbs
incoming extreme
UV radiation (0.125 0.205 m)