Environmental Science THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

Quarter 2: Module 1
What’s In
Earth’s Atmosphere This lesson will guide you in understanding the earth’s atmosphere -
the place on earth that is vital to our existence. Our atmosphere contains the
What I Need to Know air we breathe, keeps the planet at a comfortable temperature, and shields us
When you look up in the sky you will see a vast space is a thousand from harmful radiation.
kilometers farther away from you. It is what we all call the Atmosphere. The earth is a terrestrial body whose solid surface, abundant waters,
In this module you will learn the details about the Earth’s Atmosphere, and oxygen-rich atmosphere have combined to create conditions suitable for
the place on earth that is vital to our existence. It will help you examine the life. The earth is surrounded by a blanket of air that we call atmosphere. The
ocean of air in which we all must live. atmosphere is considered in terms of layers, or regions, arranged like spherical
After going through this module, you are expected to: shells above the surface of the Earth. It reaches over 560 kilometers (348 miles)
• Describe the composition and layers of the atmosphere from the surface of the Earth, so we are only able to see what occurs close to
the ground. Early attempts at studying the nature of the atmosphere used
What I Know clues from the weather, the beautiful multi-colored sunsets and sunrises, and
WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE? the twinkling of stars. With the use of sensitive instruments from space,
Directions: Guess and answer. Answer the following questions or complete the we can get a better view of our atmosphere
statements by filling in the blanks.
Composition of the Atmosphere
1. The Earth's atmosphere is composed of different gases. Can you name This chart shows the gases in Earth's atmosphere.
at least 3 gases? __________, ___________, ____________
2. Why are these gases important? AMOUNT IN EARTH’S
____________ is important for respiration. ___________ is important for GASES
ATMOSPHERE
the process of photosynthesis. ______________ is part of the water cycle.
___________ provides protection from the harmful rays of the Sun. We Oxygen (O2) 21.0%
can’t use __________ directly but it’s important when it is a compound Argon (Ar) .9%
in other elements. It can form nutrients in the soil.
3. Where do you think we can find water vapor? _________________ Nitrogen (N2) 78.0%
4. You have heard of the Ozone layer. Where do you think Ozone layer is?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) 0.035%
_______________. What does the Ozone layer do? ______________.
5. Which gas makes up most of the atmosphere? _______________

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 Now make a pie graph using the data on the table. What does it show
about the gases in the atmosphere?
What’s New
ACTIVITY 1: Interactive Atmosphere
Directions: Go to the link given below. Use the simulation to explore carbon
dioxide, oxygen, and ozone in Earth’s atmosphere.
https://forces.si.edu/atmosphere/interactive/html/index.htm
What did you learn about increasing or decreasing the amount of the
following gases found in Earth’s atmosphere?
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Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Ozone
While oxygen is necessary for most life on Earth, the majority of Earth’s
atmosphere is not oxygen. Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78 percent
nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases.
Trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and neon are some of
the other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent.
What is It
Layers of the Atmosphere
The atmosphere is comprised of layers based on temperature. These layers are the
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. A further region at about
500 km above the Earth's surface is called the exosphere. To help you understand
and visualize these layers, study the diagram below:

The Different Layers of the Atmosphere
Troposphere
This is the lowest part of the
atmosphere - the part we live in. It contains
most of our weather - clouds, rain, snow. In
this part of the atmosphere the temperature
gets colder as the distance above the earth
increases, by about 6.5°C per kilometer.
Known as the weather sphere – almost all
weather occurs in this region. The
troposphere begins at the Earth’s surface and
extends from 6 to 20 km high.
The troposphere contains about 75% of
all the air in the atmosphere, and almost all
the water vapor (which forms clouds and
rain). The decrease in temperature with height
is a result of the decreasing pressure. If a
parcel of air moves upwards it expands
(because of the lower pressure). When air
expands it cools. So, air higher up is cooler
than air lower down.
The lowest part of the troposphere is
called the boundary layer. This is where
the air motion is determined by the properties
of the Earth's surface. Turbulence is
generated as the wind blows over the Earth's
surface, and by thermals rising from the land
as it is heated by the sun. This turbulence
redistributes heat and moisture within the
boundary layer, as well as pollutants and
other constituents of the atmosphere.
The top of the troposphere is called the
tropopause. This is lowest at the poles, where
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it is about 7 - 10 km above the Earth's surface. It is highest (about 17 - 18 km)
near the equator.
Stratosphere
The stratosphere extends around 50km down to anywhere from 6 to 12
km above the Earth’s surface.
In this layer, the temperature begins to increase in this layer because
it contains the highest concentration of ozone. Ozone (O3) absorbs the sun's heat
and protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. The stratosphere
is ideal for jets to travel in because they are above the weather and the air is so
"thin" that it offers little resistance to the aircraft. There is no weather in this
layer because there is no water vapor. The stratopause is the upper boundary
for this layer.
Although the greenhouse effect and the ozone layer both protect life
on earth, they are very different. While the greenhouse effect lets sunshine in
and prevents the heat from escaping, the ozone layer prevents harmful
ultraviolet radiation from entering the
atmosphere. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is what causes sunburns and
skin cancer. The layer of gaseous ozone in the upper atmosphere that blocks
radiation is what we call the ozone layer.
Mesosphere
The mesosphere is the "Middle sphere" and is the coldest layer of the
atmosphere. There are very few gases available in this layer to absorb the heat
from the sun. This layer extends from around 50km above the Earth’s surface
to 85 km.
The gases in the mesosphere are thick enough to slow down meteors
hurtling into the atmosphere, where they burn up, leaving fiery trails in the
night sky. The transition boundary which separates the mesosphere from the
stratosphere is called stratopause.
The mesopause is the upper boundary for this layer.
Thermosphere
The thermosphere lies above the mesopause and is a region in which
temperatures again increase with height. It extends about 85km and 600km.
This layer is known as the upper atmosphere. The temperature increase is
caused by the absorption of energetic ultraviolet and X-Ray radiation from the
sun, temperature can reach as high as 2,000ºC near the top.
The region of the atmosphere above about 80 km is also caused the
"ionosphere", since the energetic solar radiation knocks electrons off
molecules and atoms, turning them into "ions" with a positive charge. The
temperature of the thermosphere varies between night and day and between
the seasons, as do the numbers of ions and electrons which are present. The
ionosphere has the important quality of bouncing radio signals transmitted
from the earth.
Exosphere
The region above about 500 km is called the exosphere. It contains
mainly oxygen and hydrogen atoms, but there are so few of them that they
rarely collide - they follow "ballistic" trajectories under the influence of gravity,
and some of them escape right out into space
Magnetosphere The earth behaves like a huge magnet. It traps
electrons (negative charge) and protons (positive), concentrating them in two
bands about 3,000 and 16,000 km above the globe - the Van Allen "radiation"
belts. This outer region surrounding the earth, where charged particles spiral
along the magnetic field lines, is called the magnetosphere.
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PROPERTIES OF THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
Earth’s atmosphere has mass and weight because it contains gaseous
elements that have mass and weight. The force that gases in the atmosphere
exerts on the surface is called air pressure or atmospheric pressure.
Atmospheric pressure is greatest near sea level because gravity pulls the
molecules in the atmosphere close to the Earth’s surface.
Differences in air pressure responsible for air movement. Wind is
simply air moving. It is created, in part, by differences in air pressure between
different regions. The air pressure at the poles is higher than the air pressure
at the equator. This because the air pressure is warmer at the equator
therefore it is less dense while the air is cooler at the poles and therefore it is
denser. In general, surface wind blows from the poles to the equator.
Global wind patterns are very complex. For example, the winds that
blows from 30 degrees latitude (north and south) and in a westerly direction
are called trade winds. The westerlies are winds that blow from the southwest
to the northeast from 30 degrees to 60 degrees latitude (north to south). The
easterlies are winds that blow from the poles to 6o degrees attitude (north to
south) and blows toward the west.
Three Wind Patterns of the Earth
What’s More
ACTIVITY 2: The Earth’s Amazing Atmosphere What I Have Learned
Directions: ACTIVITY 3: Professor Newton and the Atmosphere
1. Using the blank diagram (see the last page of your module), label the five Directions: One of Professor Newtons’ students was talking to another.
layers of the atmosphere. Can you make sense of what he said? Fill in the missing words. Use the word
2. There is no clear boundary between the uppermost layer of the bank below. Make sure each is the right part of speech.
atmosphere and space. The atmosphere becomes thinner and thinner
and blends into space. At the very top of the diagram, write the word I asked Professor Newton what was between us protects
space with an arrow pointing up. blanket
and space. He said the ________________. He said it was
3. The ozone layer is in the upper part of the atmospheric layer that NOUN wondered
contains most of the atmosphere’s ozone. Use the symbol for ozone to like a ______________ of air surrounding the earth. What atmosphere
draw in the ozone layer on the diagram. NOUN earth
4. The ozone layer is important because it absorbs ultraviolet radiation. does it do? I look Professor Newton explained. “First, the decided
Draw a wavy line coming from space to represent the UV radiation that is supports
absorbed by the ozone layer. atmosphere _________________ all the plants and animal provides
VERB
5. The thermosphere contains ions, which are electrically charged radiation
life on ______________. It ____________ us from harmful
particles. When nitrogen and oxygen atoms absorb solar energy, they NOUN VERB
become ions. Draw the ions in the thermosphere. Remember that the ______________________ and very hot or cold temperatures.
thermosphere is very thin. There are almost no ions near the top of the NOUN

thermosphere. Also, it ___________________ oxygen, the gas we need

VERB
6. The troposphere is the densest layer of the atmosphere. It is much
denser than the other layers. Shade this layer heavily to indicate how to breathe. Without the atmosphere, the earth might
dense it is.
______________ like Mars—a barren, lifeless planet. I
7. The stratosphere is very thin. Shade this layer lightly. VERB

8. The mesosphere is even less dense than the stratosphere. Shade this __________________ that I like atmosphere.
layer very lightly. VERB

Guide Questions:
1. In which layer of the atmosphere has the highest gas molecules?
2. In which layer of the atmosphere contains ions?
3. In which layer of the atmosphere protects us from the harmful UV
rays?
What I Can Do
Directions: Cut out the pictures and descriptions below and then sort them
into the correct category in the diagram.

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 EXOSPHERE

International
temperature space station THERMOSPHERE

has the highest air MESOSPHERE

pressure
Auroras occur

STRATOSPHERE

temperature is
very hot
temperature
TROPOSPHERE

outermost layer of
the atmosphere O3
temperature Ozone layer

coldest layer

temperature

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 Activity No 2: The Earth’s Amazing Atmosphere

Key

density
ozone

ions

UV radiation

80 km
ALTITUDE

50 km

16 km

0 km