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Atmospheric Sciences
Atmospheric science is the study of the atmosphere, its processes, and the interaction of the atmosphere with other systems, including the effects other systems have on the atmosphere and visa versa. Fields in Atmospheric Sciences include Meteorology, Climatology, and Aeronomy. Ask and answer questions about Atmospheric Sciences in this category.
7,660 Questions
Scientists use the term "greenhouse gases" to describe the gases that have built up in the atmosphere, resulting in a change of climate on Earth. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change. Some common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
What type of clouds appear to be piled up from low to high altitudes?
Noctilucent clouds are the highest clouds in Earth's atmosphere, located in the mesosphere at altitudes of around 76 to 85 kilometres (47 to 53 mi). They are normally too faint to be seen, and are visible only when illuminated by sunlight from below the horizon while the lower layers of the atmosphere are in the Earth's shadow.
What is the darkest time of night?
The darkest time of night is typically around midnight, when the moon is at its lowest point and there is minimal ambient light from the surroundings. This is when the sky appears the blackest and stars are most visible.
What is the coldest temperature on the equator?
The coldest temperature ever recorded on the equator was around 38.4°F (3.6°C). This occurred at an elevation of 15,500 feet (4,724 meters) on the equatorial Mount Kenya. Despite being near the equator, the high elevation leads to colder temperatures.
The name of the process by which the atmosphere traps infrared rays is the?
greenhouse effect. It describes how certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat from the sun and warm the planet's surface. This natural process is essential for maintaining Earth's temperature within a range that supports life.
Evidence that the sky is not blue?
Answer: The sky is the layer of atmosphere under which we live, It is made up of several colorless gases. The gasses interact with the light coming from the sun to give the impression of colour.
A bit of background: The white light from the sun is a mixture of all colours of the spectrum. Each colour of light ahas a wavelengths. The visible part of the spectrum ranges from red light (wavelength =720 nm), to violet (wavelength =380 nm), with orange, yellow, green, blue and indigo between. The human eye reacts most strongly to strongly to red, green and blue wavelengths. This gives us colour vision. The explanation: Light passing through a clear fluid with suspended particles is scattered. Some wavelengths like blue are scattered more strongly. The first person to notice this and experiment with it was John Tyndall in 1859. So he got to mane the effect the Tyndall Effect. He made three important observations: * From the side, (the way we see most of the sunlight in the sky) the beam can be seen by the blue light it scatters * The light seen directly at the end (looking towards the source) is red. This is the way we see the sunlight at sunset
* The scattered light is polarized. This is why polarized sun glasses make some parts of the sky seem darker.
Some early researchers (Tyndall and Rayleigh) thought that the blue colour of the sky must be due to small particles of dust and droplets of water vapour in the sky. Later scientist discounted this and proposed that oxygen and nitrogen molecules are the cause of the scattering.
In 1911 Einstein did the math to prove that the molecules could cause the scattering. Technically the molecules scatter light because the electromagnetic field of the light waves induces electric dipole moments in the O2 and N2 molecules,
Do we lose water from the planet?
Not as water. But water is made of hydrogen and oxygen, so... The mass of hydrogen gas is low enough that the kinetic theory of gases describes an average velocity close to the escape velocity from Earth. At upper atmosphere temperatures, there is insufficient thermal energy to boost significant amounts of anything except hydrogen to escape velocity. Losing hydrogen will decrease the amount of water, so this would be a down side of making lots of hydrogen for powering cars (and such). "Spills" would / could reduce the amount of hydrogen on Earth.
What are facts about the Trophosphere?
The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, extending from the surface up to about 10-12 kilometers. It is where almost all weather phenomena occur, including clouds, precipitation, and temperature changes. The air pressure and temperature decrease with altitude in the troposphere.
What is the Molecular Density of Air?
from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humidity
Humid air is less dense than dry air because a molecule of water (m = 18) is less dense than a molecule of nitrogen(m = 28) and a molecule of oxygen (m = 32). About 78% of the molecules in dry air are nitrogen (N2). Another 21% of the molecules in dry air are oxygen (O2). The final 1% of dry air is a mixture of other gases. For any gas, at a given temperature and pressure, the number of molecules present is constant for a particular volume - see ideal gas law. So when water molecules (vapor) are introduced to the dry air, the number of air molecules must reduce by the same number in a given volume, without the pressure or temperature increasing. Hence the mass per unit volume of the gas (its density) decreases. Isaac Newton discovered this phenomenon and wrote about it in his book Opticks.
How is nitrogen returned to the air?
Nitrogen is returned to the air through the process of denitrification, where bacteria convert nitrates and nitrites back into nitrogen gas. This occurs in environments with low oxygen levels, such as wetlands, soils, and oceans. Additionally, nitrogen is released back into the air through volcanic activity.
Which is earths densest atmospheric layer?
The troposphere is Earth's densest atmospheric layer, containing approximately 75% of the atmosphere's total mass. It is the layer closest to the Earth's surface, extending up to about 7-17 kilometers in altitude.
What is the climate region of Georgia?
-This answer is specific to the U.S. state Georgia. For the country, refer to the related question below-
Georgia has a humid subtropical climate, July being the hottest month with an average high temperature of 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) and it's coldest month being January, the average high temperature at 52 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius). Georgia is known for their periodical severe droughts mostly in the summer. Temperatures in Southern Georgia commonly rise above 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). Georgia shares much of the same climate as Florida with slightly less rain and temperatures. Georgia although rare experiences tornadoes, hurricanes, hail storms, and severe thunderstorms in the summer and ice storms, snow storms in the winter. Georgia has two recorded blizzards, one in 1993 and one in 2011.
Georgia is infamous for its unpredictable weather with summer-like temperatures occurring in winter at times. The coldest temperature recorded in Georgia is -17F (-27C) and its warmest at 112F (44C)
Which part of the atmosphere is nearest the earth?
The troposphere is the layer of the atmosphere that is closest to Earth's surface. It is where most of the Earth's weather occurs and contains around 75% of the atmosphere's mass.
What is a daily example of gamma waves?
Engaging in deep meditation or practicing mindfulness are examples of activities that can stimulate gamma waves in the brain on a daily basis. These waves are associated with higher mental processing, enhanced focus, and improved cognitive function.
Why does earths sky appear blue and mars sky appear red?
Mars has a much thinner atmosphere than earth, it also has a constant haze of dust in the air that contains a brown iron oxide called limonite, which absorbs blue light and scatters the other wavelenghts of visible light.
What is the increase of carbon dioxide in the air?
The primary hazard is from making the blood become more acidic. The normal blood pH is very important for health and disturbing it can lead to death. The buildup of CO2 in the blood is called "acidosis".
What causes the air in earths atmosphere to move?
Air in Earth's atmosphere moves due to differences in air pressure caused by variations in temperature, altitude, and composition. This creates areas of high and low pressure that drive the movement of air, resulting in winds and weather patterns. The Coriolis effect, caused by Earth's rotation, also influences the direction of airflow.
What gases are in the atmosphere of Phobos?
Phobos, one of the moons of Mars, has an extremely thin atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide (CO2) and some traces of other gases like nitrogen and argon. However, the atmosphere on Phobos is so sparse that it is considered essentially a vacuum.
How does the atmosphere balance the unequal heating of earths surface?
The atmosphere helps to balance the unequal heating of Earth's surface by redistributing heat through convection and wind patterns. This process involves transferring heat from warmer areas to cooler areas, helping to regulate temperature across the globe. The atmosphere also absorbs and reemits solar radiation, which further contributes to stabilizing Earth's temperature.
What are facts about stormy weather?
Stormy Weather is generally associated within an air of low pressure, where warm moist air rises, or is forced to rise (e.g. widespread ascent/ orographic uplift etc) and condense at a considerably rapid rate. The intensity of the lifting mechanism, humidity (water vapour content) and thus ambient temperature, determine the strength/ferocity of the storm. Lightning may be caused by charge gradients within the 3 or 'tripod' layers of the Cb (cumulonimbus) clouds.
What keeps the air from floating away?
The air is attached to lots of little strings holding it to the earth, the same as the planets are attached to the sun, the strings were put there by the flying spaghetti monster creator of the universe, these strings are so small that none of our technology can detect them, clearly a sign of how sophisticated the spaghetti monster is
The ozone protects what layer of the atmosphere?
Ozone does not protect a layer of the atmosphere, it protects the biosphere from the harmful affects of irradiation by the UV component of sunlight - it acts a a sunscreen for the planet.
What area of the Earth's mantle is the densest?
The lowermost part of the Earth's mantle, known as the D" layer, is believed to be the densest due to the high pressure and temperature conditions at that depth. This region lies just above the outer core and is composed of dense rock minerals that have been subjected to extreme heat and pressure.
Water vapor is added to the atmosphere primarily by?
evaporation from bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. Additionally, transpiration from plants also releases water vapor into the atmosphere.
