Atmospheric Sciences

1. Starr
2. Aurora Williams
3. Hal
4. Turnips
5. Matthew
6. Aurora's parents

When you breathe in, you take in oxygen and when you breathe out, you release carbon dioxide. Most of the air you breathe out is composed of nitrogen and oxygen with a slightly higher concentration of carbon dioxide than in the atmosphere. The oxygen you inhale is used by your cells for energy production, while the carbon dioxide is a waste product that is released back into the air.

Yes, it is possible to see the Aurora Australis from Tasmania, especially in the southern parts of the island. However, clear skies, minimal light pollution, and strong solar activity are necessary factors for optimal viewing conditions.

Rockets generally pass through the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the Earth's surface. This point is known as the Kármán line, which marks the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.

The topmost atmospheric layer is called the exosphere. This layer extends from about 500 kilometers (310 miles) above the surface of the Earth to the edge of space, around 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) up.

This phenomenon, known as the Coriolis effect, is caused by the Earth's rotation. As wind moves from high pressure to low pressure, the Earth's rotation causes it to deflect to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. This effect influences the direction of the wind flow at a global scale.

The ionosphere grows to its greatest thickness during the daytime, particularly around the noon hours when solar radiation is at its peak. The ionosphere interacts with this solar radiation to create ionized layers of the Earth's atmosphere, which gradually diminish in thickness as the sun sets.

I don't know what the 'roaring 40's' are but ozone reflects the light and heat of the sun so a lack of ozone over the antarctic means more heat get through which means the antarctic warms up and because ice reflects sunlight too and the increased heat in the antarctic means this ice melts, global temperatures increase by a lot.

Beyond the thermosphere lies the exosphere, which gradually transitions into outer space. This region is characterized by extremely low densities of gas molecules and is where Earth's atmosphere merges with the emptiness of space. At this point, satellites and other objects may orbit freely without encountering significant atmospheric resistance.

Airplanes typically fly in the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere and where most weather events occur. This layer extends from the surface up to about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in altitude.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an atmospheric gas that exists in variable concentrations due to natural processes such as respiration and photosynthesis, as well as human activities like burning fossil fuels. Fluctuations in CO2 levels can impact Earth's climate and contribute to global warming.

The weight of Earth's atmosphere pressing down in all directions is known as atmospheric pressure. It is due to the force exerted by the gases in the atmosphere as a result of the Earth's gravitational pull. Atmospheric pressure is essential for supporting life on Earth and plays a role in weather patterns and other natural phenomena.

When water molecules get to a certain temperature, they change into their gas state (evaporation). Condensation occurs when the evaporated water hits something cool, and it reverts back to its liquid state. This is why if you boil water and then put a lid over it, condensation gathers in the top of the lid. Also condensed water can be dew drops. They are purified.

Temperatures in the thermosphere can vary widely, ranging from about 500°C (932°F) during the day to 2000°C (3632°F) or more during periods of high solar activity. However, it is important to note that the thermosphere is not like a typical environment on Earth where we feel the temperature – the sparse density of gas molecules means that the "hot" thermosphere would not feel hot to our skin.

Stars and constellations appear to rise and set due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis. As the Earth rotates, different stars and constellations come into view or move out of view from a specific location on Earth, giving the illusion of them rising and setting.

It is because of the high altitude and usually clear skies since it is so close to the north pole.

However, the Aurora Borealis is not seen every night.

+++

It is not seen only from Alaska and Canada, and you mean latitude, not altitude. The A. Borealis (Northern Lights) is visible right round the world at high latitudes. Similarly with A. Australis (Southern Lights).

The aurora are visible from high latitudes, North or South, because they form around the Earth's magnetic poles, which are fairly close to the axis Poles; not because the air is clear (although that will help!)

They come and go depending on the vagaries of the streams of charged-particles emitted by the Sun, as their light is a result of the particles' reaction with the Earth's upper atmosphere and magnetic field.

If the space shuttle is exiting the atmosphere, that means you are going into space then no the windows will not turn red. However if you are entering the atmosphere the friction caused by air molecules hitting the orbiter will create plasma around the shuttle. You will see a reddish orange glow out the windows but the windows themselves will not turn red.

Convection occurs in the atmosphere due to temperature differences between the Earth's surface and the air above it. As the Sun heats the surface, the air near the surface becomes warmer and less dense, causing it to rise. This creates vertical air currents and leads to the circulation of air in the atmosphere.

As altitude above seal level increases, atmospheric pressure decreases.

The ionosphere enables long-distance radio communication by reflecting radio waves back to the Earth's surface. It also helps in forming the Earth's protective ozone layer by absorbing harmful solar radiation. Additionally, it plays a role in influencing global weather patterns and climate.

If the ionosphere did not exist, humans would be more exposed to harmful solar radiation such as ultraviolet rays. This could lead to increased risks of skin cancer and other health issues. Additionally, communication systems that rely on the ionosphere for long-distance communication, like radio and GPS, would be severely impacted.

greenhouse gas

Yes, when the Sun is low in the sky, its light passes through more atmosphere, causing scattering of shorter wavelengths (blue and green light) and allowing longer wavelengths (red and orange light) to be more prominent. This can create a similar effect to a prism by separating light into its component colors.

Airplanes Fly in the layer of the atmosphere called Troposphere