THE ATMOSPHERE

COMPOSITION
and
STRUCTURE
 Atmosphere: Properties
• Mixture of gases held by gravity
• Makes life possible
• No definite boundary
• Pure air is colourless, odourless, tasteless
• Very mobile
• Elastic
• Properties like temperature and humidity vary
 Composition
• Overwhelmingly gaseous
• Mechanical mixture
• Composition constant at least in lower layers
• Less mixing in upper atmosphere
• Allows gases to separate out
• Nitrogen between 100 and 200 km., Oxygen
200 to 1100 km., Helium 1100 to 3500 km.,
and hydrogen beyond 3500 km.
 Local variations
• Composition may vary spatially too
• Different in enclosed spaces
• Close to volcanoes
• In industrial and urban areas
 Constituents of atmosphere
• Some major constituents and some minor ones.
• Gas Volume (as % of dry air)
Nitrogen 78.084
Oxygen 20.946
Argon 0.934
make up almost all of the atmosphere
• CO2 and O3 are present in very small quantities,
but are very important.
• Water vapour and particulate matter are also crucial
Major Gases
 Nitrogen
• Most abundant gas
• Essential for plant growth, important
constituent of protoplasm
• In atmosphere, regulates oxidation and
combustion
 Oxygen
• Chemically very active
• Important for respiration and combustion
• Balance maintained between respiration and
photosynthesis
• In outer fringe, exists as O
• A small part is in O3 form.
 Carbon-di-oxide
• Present in very small quantities, but very
important
• Essential for photosynthesis
• Was stable 280ppm for thousands of years.
• Heaviest gas, more in lower atmosphere
• Presence varies temporally and spatially
• Influences flow of energy through atmosphere
• Major GHG
 Ozone
• Triatomic oxygen
• Concentrated between 15 and 35 km in
stratosphere
• Absorbs ultra-violet radiation, like a shield
• Ozone depletion was a big problem in 1970s
and 1980s
• Signs of healing now
• Tropospheric ozone a big worry
 Water Vapour
• 4% of atmosphere by volume, 3% by weight
• Highly variable , almost 0 in cold regions
• Almost absent above 12 km
• Very important:
all precipitation
transfer of energy
affects energy exchange
moderates temperature
 Particulate Matter
• Various sources, natural and human, and
extra-terrestrial
• Volcanoes, plants and animals, wild fires, sea
salts
• Transportation exhaust, industries
• Decrease in amount and size with height
• Reflect, absorb and scatter radiation
• Act as condensation nuclei
 Structure of atmosphere
• Direct and indirect sources of data
• Balloons, rockets , satellites are direct sources
• Radio waves, observation of other phenomena
are indirect sources.
• Atmosphere has layered structure
• Based on composition, homosphere ( 0-80 km)
and heterosphere (above 80 km)
• Nitrogen, oxygen,helium and hydrogen layers in
heterosphere
 Based on temperature
• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere
• Ionosphere
• Exosphere
• Magnetosphere
LAYERS
 Troposphere
• Greek word meaning turning layer
• Dense, moist layer closest to earth
• Almost all weather phenomena happen here
• Warmest near ground, temperature decreases with height
• Contains most gases, water vapour and aerosols
• Thickness varies with space and time, 16km near equator, 8
km at poles
• Tropopause marks upper limit, has breaks. Temperature
varies from -40C to -80C
• Lowest part- boundary layer- affected by ground conditions
 Stratosphere
• Greek stratum means layer
• From tropopause to 50 km
• Isothermal in lower part, then rapid increase
• Marked seasonal changes in temperature
• Contains most ozone
• 26- month wind regime in tropical stratosphere,
easterlies, then westerlies for 13 months
• Mother of pearl clouds may be found
 Mesosphere
• No accepted terminology beyond stratosphere
• Mesosphere extends from 50 to 80 km
• Temperature decreases with height, -130C at
mesopause
• Density enough to burn meteors, so has
meteoric dust
• Noctilucent clouds observed in higher
latitudes
 Thermosphere
• Beyond 80 km, temperature increases with
height as uv, gamma and X-rays are absorbed.
• Density low but exerts drag on spacecraft
• N2, O2 and O found up to 200 km, then mostly
O.
• Temperature between 800 and 1200K at 350
km, but wide diurnal and seasonal variations.
Vary also with sunspot activity.
 Ionosphere
• Above 100km, atmosphere affected by cosmic
radiation, gases become ionised and reflect
radio waves.
• Ionised particles found between 50 and 1000
km, but densest between 80 and 400 km
• D, E and F layers may be recognised
• Aurorae ( displays of light) observed in this
layer
 Exosphere
• 500 to 750 km, though no distinct boundary
• Atoms of oxygen, hydrogen and helium
• Gases escape into space
 Magnetospere
• Really the earth’s magnetic field
• Extends far beyond the gaseous atmosphere
• Electrons and protons derived from solar wind
are arranged in bands called Van Allen
radiation belts
• Flatter on sunlit side, extends further on dark
side
Solar Wind and Magnetosphere