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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
What layer of the atmosphere is partley destroyed by chemicals?
The ozone layer in the stratosphere is partly destroyed by chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances. This destruction can lead to harmful ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth's surface, increasing the risk of skin cancer and other health issues. Efforts have been made to reduce the use of these chemicals through international agreements like the Montreal Protocol.
Is the atmosphere the invisible layer of air that envelops earth?
Yes, the atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding the Earth held in place by gravity. It consists of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases that help regulate temperature and protect life on Earth from harmful radiation.
Were the most ozone exists thermosphere?
No, the majority of the Earth's ozone is found in the stratosphere, which is located below the thermosphere. Ozone plays a crucial role in filtering out ultraviolet radiation from the sun in the stratosphere, protecting the Earth's surface.
What gas causes most scattering in Earth's atmosphere?
Rayleigh scattering, which is caused by small particles in the atmosphere being scattered in all directions by incoming sunlight, is responsible for the majority of scattering in Earth's atmosphere. This scattering is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength of light, which is why shorter wavelengths like blue and violet are scattered more than longer wavelengths like red and yellow.
What is a current of cool air called?
A current of cool air is called a draft.
Oxygen O2 and Carbon dioxide CO2
How much thicker is the stratosphere compared to the troposphere?
The stratosphere is typically about ten times thicker than the troposphere. It extends from about 10 to 50 kilometers above the Earth's surface, while the troposphere is only about 10-15 kilometers thick.
Why is there so much carbon in the atmosphere?
I'm just curious if your question mainly refer to carbon (an element) alone or the "carbon dioxide"?...
I just assumed that it is carbon dioxide for it deals much on the atmosphere and greatly affect it especially when the level of carbon dioxide increases. It may lead to global warming that may interrupt and or disturb the balance of nature or worse, it may even worsen the atmosphere's condition making us die with the sudden change of air taken in by our system.
I hope it can even give you a clue...;)
How did the layers of atmosphere form?
The layers of the atmosphere did not form. The layers are artificial concepts applied based on changes in temperature in the gases found at different altitudes. Its one mass, and solar radiation drives the "formation".
Sunlight completely ionizes the exosphere, and the temperature increases with increasing altitude.
The atmosphere is dense enough to be able to radiate heat, and recombination of molecules occurs in the mesosphere, and temperature decreases with decreasing altitude.
The stratosphere absorbs the lion's share of UV-C and UV-B, ozone is formed (the ozone layer), and the temperature increases with decreasing altitude.
The troposphere has a sudden cold gap just under the stratosphere (not enough absorbed energy to heat it, but plenty dense enough to lose heat by radiation), and the air gets hotter with decreasing altitude until it comes in contact with the Earth's surface.
What is the atmospheric oxygen concentration on earth over the last 100 years as a function of time?
We don't have 100 years of data, but we do have 20 years of data, with data going back much farther through proxy data. We can create a pretty good guess back 100 years because we have records of CO2 since 1957, and better proxy records of CO2, which is strongly tied to oxygen.
How Ionosphere Is Related To Ozone Layer?
The ionosphere is a region of Earth's atmosphere that contains charged particles created by solar radiation. It helps protect the Earth's surface by absorbing and reflecting harmful ultraviolet radiation. The ozone layer, on the other hand, is a specific region within the stratosphere that contains high concentrations of ozone gas, which helps absorb and filter out a significant portion of the sun's ultraviolet radiation before it reaches the Earth's surface.
Oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere) have lower collision rates with other atoms or molecules due to the low density of particles, allowing them to exist longer. In the stratosphere, oxygen atoms react quickly with other molecules, such as ozone, which stabilizes the oxygen atoms into ozone molecules, so their lifespan is shorter.
What is the 'hole' in the ozone layer?
The "Hole" is a thinning area above each pole during their winter months. The primary cause of this thinning is known to be the fact that the sun can not reach the oxygen in order to create the inherently unstable ozone compound. As a result the ozone breaks down back into oxygen.
Solar activity also causes thinning. The largest known hole happened in 1858 from a unusually large solar flare.
Some people believe that CFC's which are heavier then air have managed to get into the stratosphere in quantities sufficient enough to cause some of the issue. Trace amounts of this gas have been found in the stratosphere.
How can global warming cause colder winters?
Global Warming may or may not cause colder winters. Global warming refers to a climate change whereas colder winters are yearly weather patterns. On average the Climate and the World is warming up. It is a fact that the average temperatures are hotter than twenty or even ten years ago. So, whether you blame it on humans or natural cycles, global warming is happening. However, the colder winters we have had the past few years are possibly imperfections in global warming and may end soon. Also, some places are affected differently at different times. For example, the East had record snowfall this past winter, but other places had record heat this past winter. So yearly weather patterns can sometimes cause colder winters.
Why is the earth's atmosphere divided in layers?
The Earth's atmosphere is divided into layers because temperature changes with altitude create distinct boundaries. The layers are the troposphere (where weather occurs), the stratosphere (where the ozone layer is), the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. Each layer has different characteristics due to variations in temperature and composition.
Does an asteroid burn up earths atmosphere?
As soon as the "things" come in contact with the atmosphere; in other words, as soon as the plummeting object reaches air. It should begin occurring in the sphere directly above the stratosphere and last until reaching the ground.
What type of atmosphere do humans exist in?
Humans exist in Earth's atmosphere, which is primarily composed of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and trace amounts of other gases such as carbon dioxide and argon. This atmosphere shields us from harmful cosmic rays, provides the air we breathe, and helps regulate our planet's temperature.
Why is ozone layer located only in stratosphere?
The bottom of the stratosphere is defined by a temperature gradient. This gradient is present, because sunlight is absorbed and shatters nitrogen and oxygen molecules there. This is how ozone is made. Ozone cannot survive for long (it is unstable), and is destroyed quickly by the water vapor found in the atmospheric layer below it.
Oxygen molecules are broken apart by 215nm or shorter UV light. So are nitrogen, and other atmospheric constituents. So beyond a certain depth into the atmosphere, there is insufficient 215nm or shorter light to break oxygen which can then make ozone.
Do rockets put a hole in the ozone layer?
It's just gas, much like the rest of the atmosphere, so a rocket just pushes right through it. You know how clouds block sunlight, and if they are thick enough, you can't see the Sun anymore and it is pretty dark? Airplanes can fly through those clouds. The ozone layer is like those clouds, only it doesn't block visible light... and it is very thin. Ozone just blocks UV-B and more energetic light, protecting Earth's surface.
How is the ozone layer created?
Ozone production in general:
Ozone in the ozone layer is formed when UV-C from the Sun dissociates an oxygen molecule, and some of those now-loose oxygen molecules connect with an oxygen molecule to form ozone.
Ozone in a rain storm is made by lightning dissociating oxygen molecules, and the rest occurs as above.
Ozone in tropospheric ozone pollution is directly made by internal combustion engines, but mostly by photoproduction when NOx (from combustion exhaust), and VOC (unburned fuel and "cow farts") are converted by violet or more energetic light into ozone and nitrogen gas (and the VOC just moves on).
Ozone in medical / industry / water treatment is made either by UV lamps (for low concentrations) or by electrical discharge dissociating oxygen molecules, and the rest occurs as above.
Ozone in the bloodstream is made by white blood cells (along with other powerful oxidants) in very tiny areas, when fighting infection at a site. The resultant of this fight is called "inflammation" or "swelling".
In the upper atmosphere: Light from the Sun breaks apart oxygen molecules (UV wavelengths of 215nm or shorter). Some of this monatomic oxygen combines with nitrogen molecules, some with oxygen molecules to make ozone, but most with other monatomic oxygen. Some of the nitrogen+oxygen molecules can catch lower energy light (still UV, but more available) and make ozone also. As the density of the atmosphere increases, this happens more and more often, until there is little / no UV-C available to break apart more oxygen molecules.
"Running out of UV-C" happens in the upper atmsophere. This is the bottom of the stratosphere / top of the troposphere, where ozone is at its peak concentration... the 'ozone layer". The atmosphere increases with density as the light comes from higher elevation, and eventually, all the UV-C has been absorbed. So ozone increases with decreasing elevation until it gets to the bottom of the stratosphere (where the ozone layer is located), where its concentration falls off pretty sharply with further decreases in altitude.
Scavengers of ozone are water vapor (decays ozone making hydrogen peroxide, blocks the nitrogen+oxygen path of ozone formation), any compound / process that consumes oxygen, and catalysts (such as some chlorine compounds) that convert ozone back to oxygen. Absorption of UV-C or UV-B by ozone, also breaks apart the ozone molecule (only some of which reforms as ozone later).
So the concentration of ozone at any given point is a balance of ozone production, ozone diffusion from adjacent areas, and ozone decay from just time and contaminants from other sources (both natural and Man-caused).
Does aurora borealis have any bad effect on human and the world?
If you are looking up at the aurora borealis while you are walking, it would be possible for you to stub your toe on a rock. Otherwise, no. The Aurora Borealis works exactly the same as a fluorescent light; electrical currents running through the near-vacuum of the ionosphere. Except prettier.
The second layer of the earths atmosphere?
The second layer of Earth's atmosphere is the stratosphere. It is located above the troposphere and extends from about 10 to 50 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters the majority of the sun's ultraviolet radiation, making it crucial for protecting life on Earth.
Does it get colder as you get higher?
yes. the higher you go, it becomes colder. surface of the earth temp? not air temp.
Yes, the current atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide on Earth is around 415 parts per million (ppm), which is the highest it has been in at least the past 800,000 years. This increase in CO2 levels is primarily due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
