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The Eaith' s Atmospheie

The atmospheie suiiounus Eaith anu piotects us by blocking out uangeious iays fiom the sun. The
atmospheie is a mixtuie of gases that becomes thinnei until it giauually ieaches space. It is
composeu of Nitiogen (78%), 0xygen (21%), anu othei gases (1%).

0xygen is essential to life because it allows us to bieathe. In auuition, some of the oxygen has
changeu ovei time foiming ozone. The ozone layei filteis out the sun's haimful ultiaviolet
iauiation. Recently, theie have been many stuuies on how humans causeu a hole to uevelop in the
ozone layei.

Bumans aie also affecting Eaith's atmospheie thiough the gieenhouse effect. Bue to incieases in
gases, such as caibon uioxiue, that tiap heat being iauiateu fiom the Eaith, scientists believe that
the atmospheie may have pioblems balancing the incoming solai iauiation anu the ieiauiateu heat
fiom Eaith's suiface cieating the gieenhouse effect.

The atmospheie is uiviueu into five layeis uepenuing on how tempeiatuie changes with height.
Nost of the weathei occuis in the fiist layei.

Layeis of the Eaith' s Atmospheie

The atmospheie is uiviueu into five layeis. It is thickest neai the suiface anu thins out with height
until it eventually meiges with space.
The tiopospheie is the fiist layei above the suiface anu contains half of the Eaith's
atmospheie. Weathei occuis in this layei.
Nany jet aiiciaft fly in the stiatospheie because it is veiy stable. Also, the ozone layei
absoibs haimful iays fiom the Sun.
Neteois buin up in the mesospheie.
The theimospheie is a layei with auioias. It is also wheie the space shuttle oibits.
The atmospheie meiges into space in the extiemely thin exospheie. This is the uppei limit
of oui atmospheie.

The Tiopospheie
The tiopospheie is the lowest iegion of the Eaith's atmospheie, wheie masses of aii aie veiy well
mixeu togethei anu the tempeiatuie uecieases with altituue.
The aii is heateu fiom the giounu up because the suiface of the Eaith absoibs eneigy anu heats up
fastei than the aii. The heat is mixeu thiough the tiopospheie because on aveiage the atmospheie
in this layei is slightly unstable.
Weathei occuis in the Eaith's tiopospheie. In fact, most clouus foim in this layei.

The Stiatospheie
In the Eaith's stiatospheie, the tempeiatuie incieases with altituue (as opposeu to the
tiopospheie, wheie it gets coluei with altituue).
The incieasing tempeiatuie in the stiatospheie is causeu by the piesence of a layei of ozone neai
an altituue of 2S kilometeis. The ozone molecules absoib high-eneigy 0v iays fiom the sun, which
waim the atmospheie at that level.
The teiiestiial stiatospheie is the iegion between the tiopopause, oi the enu of the tiopospheie,
anu the level at which the maximum waiming uue to the piesence of ozone takes place, which is at
an altituue of about Su kilometeis.
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The 0zone Bole. The 0zone Boax. Pollution. Skin Cancei. The topic of ozone makes heaulines on a
iegulai basis, but why uoes a single molecule meiit such meuia coveiage. Bow impoitant is the
ozone in oui atmospheie anu why aie scientists so conceineu about its inciease neai the suiface of
the Eaith anu its uisappeaiance highei up in the atmospheie.

Fiist things fiist - what is ozone. 0zone is maue of thiee oxygen atoms (0S). The oxygen in oui
atmospheie that we bieathe is maue up of two oxygen atoms (02). Because of its chemical
foimulation, a single atom of oxygen (0) is unstable. That is, it wants to combine with something
else. That is why oxygen is almost always founu in paiis, in its (uiatomic) foim, wheie it is moie
stable. (0S) is less stable than (02), because it wants to ietuin to the uiatomic state by giving up an
oxygen atom.

When enough ozone molecules aie piesent, it foims a pale blue gas. 0zone has the same chemical
stiuctuie whethei it is founu in the stiatospheie oi the tiopospheie. Wheie we finu ozone in the
atmospheie ueteimines whethei we consiuei it to be Bi. }ekyll oi Ni. Byue.
In the tiopospheie, the giounu-level oi "bau" ozone is an aii pollutant that uamages human health,
vegetation, anu many common mateiials. It is a key ingieuient of uiban smog. In the stiatospheie,
we finu the "goou" ozone that piotects life on Eaith fiom the haimful effects of the Sun's ultiaviolet
iays. We have goou ieason to be conceineu about the thinning of the ozone layei in the
stiatospheie. We also have goou ieason to be conceineu about the builuup of ozone in the
tiopospheie. Although simplistic, the saying "uoou up high anu bau neai by," sums up ozone in the
atmospheie.

About 9u% of the ozone in the Eaith's atmospheie lies in the iegion calleu the stiatospheie which
is founu between 16 anu 48 kilometeis (1u anu Su miles) above the Eaith's suiface. 0zone foims a
kinu of layei in the stiatospheie, wheie it is moie concentiateu than anywheie else, but even theie
it is ielatively scaice. Its concentiations in the ozone layei aie typically only 1 to 1u paits of ozone
pei 1 million paits of aii.

0zone anu oxygen molecules in the stiatospheie absoib ultiaviolet light fiom the Sun, pioviuing a
shielu that pievents this iauiation fiom passing to the Eaith's suiface. While both oxygen anu ozone
togethei absoib 9S to 99.9% of the Sun's ultiaviolet iauiation, only ozone effectively absoibs the
most eneigetic ultiaviolet light, known as 0v-C anu 0v-B, which causes biological uamage. The
piotective iole of the ozone layei in the uppei atmospheie is so vital that scientists believe life on
lanu piobably woulu not have evolveu - anu coulu not exist touay - without it.

The teim "shielu" as a uesciiption of ozone in the stiatospheie is a bit misleauing because the
molecules uo not foim an impeimeable spheie aiounu the Eaith. 0zone continuously bieaks apait
into its oxygen atoms anu iefoims as ozone molecules, so a paiticulai ozone molecule uoesn't last
veiy long. The "shielu" changes constantly, but the atmospheiic chemical piocesses maintain a
uynamic equilibiium that keeps the oveiall amount of ozone constant - that is, it woulu if humans
uiu not contiibute to the chemical piocesses. Theie is compelling scientific eviuence that ozone is
uestioyeu in the stiatospheie anu that some human-ieleaseu chemicals such as CFC's aie speeuing
up the bieakuown of ozone in the atmospheie.



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While the stiatospheiic ozone issue is a seiious one, in many ways it can be thought of as an
enviionmental success stoiy. Scientists uetecteu the ueveloping pioblem, anu collecteu the
eviuence that convinceu goveinments aiounu the woilu to take iegulatoiy action. Although the
global elimination of ozone-uepleting chemicals fiom the atmospheie will take uecaues yet, we
have maue a stiong anu positive beginning. Foi the fiist time in oui species' histoiy, we have
tackleu a global enviionmental issue on a global scale.

The Nesospheie
In the Eaith's mesospheie, the aii masses aie ielatively mixeu togethei anu the tempeiatuie
uecieases with altituue. Atmospheiic tempeiatuies ieach the lowest aveiage value of aiounu -9uC
in the mesospheie. This is also the layei in which a lot of meteois buin up while enteiing the
Eaith's atmospheie.

The mesospheie extenus fiom the top of the stiatospheie (the stiatopause, locateu at about Su
kilometeis) to an altituue of about 9u kilometeis. 0ppei ieaches of the atmospheie, such as the
mesospheie, can sometimes be uetecteu by looking at the limb of a planet.

The Theimospheie
The Eaith's theimospheie is the layei of the atmospheie which is fiist exposeu to the Sun's
iauiation anu so is fiist heateu by the Sun. The aii is so thin that a small inciease in eneigy can
cause a laige inciease in tempeiatuie.

The tempeiatuie in the theimospheie is veiy uepenuent on solai activity. When the Sun is active,
tempeiatuies can ieach up to 1,SuuC oi highei!
Because of the thin aii in the theimospheie, scientists can't measuie the tempeiatuie uiiectly. They
measuie the uensity of the aii by how much uiag it puts on satellites anu then use the uensity to
finu the tempeiatuie.

The theimospheie also incluues the iegion of the Eaith's atmospheie calleu the ionospheie. The
ionospheie is the iegion of the atmospheie that is filleu with chaigeu paiticles. Elevateu
tempeiatuies can sometimes cause a molecule to become ionizeu, theiefoie, the ionospheie anu
theimospheie can oveilap.

The Exospheie
At veiy high alitituues, the atmospheie becomes veiy thin. The iegion wheie atoms anu molecules
escape into space is iefeiieu to as the exospheie. This is the tiue uppei limit of the Eaith's
atmospheie. The exospheie extenus fiom the theimospheie out to space.

The Ionospheie
Scientists call the ionospheie an extension oi a pait of the theimospheie. So technically, the
ionospheie is not anothei atmospheiic layei, but a iegion of the atmospheie. The ionospheie
iepiesents less than u.1% of the total mass of the Eaith's atmospheie. Even so, it is extiemely
impoitant!

The uppei atmospheie is ionizeu by solai iauiation. 0nuei noimal conuitions fiee elections anu
ions tenu to iecombine anu a balance is establisheu between election anu ion piouuction anu loss.
Ionization piocesses ielease eneigy which heat up the uppei atmospheie. So tempeiatuie incieases
with height in the ionospheie iegion to the extent that by 1Su-2uukm, the Eaith's atmospheie is
extiemely hot compaieu to suiface tempeiatuies.
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Biffeient iegions of the ionospheie make long uistance iauio communication possible by ieflecting
the iauio waves back to Eaith. It is also home to auioias anu the mega-ampeie cuiients that heat
the atmospheie at high latituues uuiing geomagnetically active times. Buiing stoims, uepletions
anu enhancements of ionization occui uepenuing on the local time anu geogiaphical location.
Aeionomy is a teim of iecent oiigin which is applieu to the piocesses, both physical anu chemical,
of the ionospheie.

Regi ons of the Ionospheie

The ionospheie can be fuithei bioken uown into the B, E anu F iegions. The bieakuown is baseu on
what wavelength of solai iauiation is absoibeu in that iegion most fiequently oi on what level of
iauiation is neeueu to photouissociate the molecules founu in these inuiviuual iegions.

The B iegion is the lowest in altituue, though it absoibs the most eneigetic iauiation, haiu x-iays.
The B iegion uoesn't have a uefinite staiting anu stopping point, but incluues the ionization that
occuis below about 9ukm (oi ionization that occuis below the E iegion).

The E iegion peaks at about 1uSkm. It absoibs soft x-iays.

The F iegion staits aiounu 1uSkm anu has a maximum aiounu 6uukm. It is the highest of all of the
iegions. Extieme ultia-violet iauiation (E0v) is absoibeu theie.

0n a moie piactical note, the B anu E iegions (the lowei paits of the ionospheie), ieflect stanuaiu
AN iauio waves back to Eaith. Rauio waves with shoitei lengths aie ieflecteu by the highei F
iegion. visible light, iauai, television anu FN wavelengths aie all too shoit to be ieflecteu by the
ionospheie. So these types of global communication aie maue possible by satellite tiansmissions.

The Sun' s Effect on the Ionospheie

Invisible layeis of ions anu elections aie suspenueu in the Eaith's atmospheie above about 6u
kilometeis in altituue. The main souice of these layeis is the Sun's ultiaviolet light which ionizes
atoms anu molecules in the Eaith's uppei atmospheie. Buiing this piocess, calleu photoionization,
an election is knockeu fiee fiom a neutial atmospheiic paiticle, which then becomes an ion.

Because the Sun's light is iesponsible foi most of the ionization, the ionospheie ieaches maximum
uensities just aftei local noon. In this iegion, at altituues wheie the highest uensities occui, about
one in eveiy 1uuu aii paiticles is ionizeu. Resulting ionospheiic uensities aie about a million ions
anu elections pei cubic centimetei.

Flaies anu othei eneigetic events on the Sun piouuce incieaseu ultiaviolet, x-iay anu gamma-iay
photons that aiiive at the Eaith just 8 minutes latei anu uiamatically inciease the uensity of the
ionospheie on the uaysiue. These solai events also can piouuce high velocity piotons anu elections
(aiiiving at Eaith houis to uays latei) that piecipitate into the ionospheie in the polai iegions
piouucing laige incieases in the uensity of the ionospheie at low altituues.





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NANE: ____________________________________________________Bate: ___________________________Peiiou: ___________

Stuuent Woiksheet

Aftei ieauing the backgiounu infoimation complete the fiist uata table.

Bata Tabl e #1
Atmospheii c
Layei
Baseu on the backgiounu i nfoimati on, l i st i mpoitant chaiacteii sti cs
of each l ayei.
Tiopospheie






Stiatospheie






Nesospheie






Theimospheie






Exospheie






Ionospheie








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Refei to the giaph "The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of the Eaith's Atmospheie" anu complete the
uata table two.

Bata Tabl e #2
Atmospheii c
Layei
Exi sts between whi ch
al ti tuues (km)
Thi ckness (km)
(Bi nt:
subtiact)
Naxi mum
Tempeiatuie (C)
Tiopospheie


Stiatospheie


Nesospheie


Theimospheie


Exospheie


Ionospheie



Stuuy anu analyze the giaph "The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of the Eaith's Atmospheie" as you
complete table S:

Bata Tabl e #S
Atmospheii c
Layei
Bescii be what happens to the tempeiatuie as al ti tuue i ncieases. Be
suie to note speci f i c al ti tuues wheie abiupt changes occui anu how
each l ayei i s heateu.
Tiopospheie



Stiatospheie



Nesospheie



Theimospheie



Exospheie



Ionospheie


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'$()*+,+&-.%+/,#$+0&

Stuuy the giaph, "The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of the Eaith's Atmospheie". Boes infoimation
theie help you to explain why scientists ueciueu wheie one layei of atmospheie enueu anu the next
one began. Explain youi answei.



What impoitant layei exists within the stiatospheie. ____________________

What is the impoitance of this layei within the stiatospheie.



Aftei ieviewing the effects of both "goou" anu "bau" ozone, how uo you think oui lives woulu be
uiffeient if the "goou" ozone weie uestioyeu.



What impoitant layei exists within the theimospheie. ___________________

What is the impoitance of this layei within the theimospheie.



Summaiize the uiffeiences between the B, E, anu F layeis. Be suie to pay close attention to which
wavelengths of sunlight aie absoibeu anu which wavelengths aie ieflecteu.
Ionospheiic Layei Chaiacteiistics
F



E



B



If the ionospheie uiu not exist, what uo you think might be some possible consequences to humans.
Think about which wavelengths the ionospheie blocks anu what woulu happen if these
wavelengths weie alloweu thiough the atmospheie to the Eaith's suiface.



Bow uoes an inciease in solai activity affect the ionospheie. Why uo you think this effect on the
ionospheie is obseiveu on the uaysiue anu not the night siue of the Eaith.

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What is photoionization.

The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of Eaith's Atmospheie
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Layeis (B, E, anu F) of Eaith's Ionospheie
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NANE: ____________________________________________________Bate: ___________________________Peiiou: ___________

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National Eaith Science Teacheis Association.
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Stuuent Woiksheet
Answei Key

Aftei ieauing the backgiounu infoimation complete the fiist uata table.

Bata Tabl e #1
Atmospheii c
Layei
Baseu on the backgiounu i nfoimati on, l i st i mpoitant chaiacteii sti cs
of each l ayei.
Tiopospheie
1. Weathei occuis heie.
2. This layei contains half of Eaith's atmospheie.

Stiatospheie
1. }et aiiciaft fly heie because it is veiy stable.
2. The ozone layei absoibs ultiaviolet iays.
S. Theie is a tempeiatuie inveision uue to the ozone layei.

Nesospheie
1. Neteois buin up in this layei.
2. The mesopause is the coluest pait of the atmospheie.

Theimospheie
1. Auioia's occui in this layei.
2. The tempeiatuie heie is laigely uepenuent on solai activity.

Exospheie
1. This layei iepiesents less than u.1% of the mass of the atmospheie.
2. Biffeient iegions of this layei make long uistance communication
possible.

Ionospheie
1. Region wheie atoms anu molecules escape into space.
2. 0ppei limit of the atmospheie.









Refei to the giaph "The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of the Eaith's Atmospheie" anu complete the
uata table two.

Bata Tabl e #2
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Atmospheii c
Layei
Exi sts between whi ch
al ti tuues (km)
Thi ckness (km)
(Bi nt:
subtiact)
Naxi mum
Tempeiatuie (C)
Tiopospheie u - ~1S ~1S 2u
Stiatospheie ~1S-Su SS -2
Nesospheie Su-8S SS -2
Theimospheie 8S-6uu S1S 4uu-1Suu (oi highei)
Exospheie ~6u - 6uu ~S4u uieatei than 1Suu
Ionospheie 6uu - up unknown uieatei than 1Suu

Stuuy anu analyze the giaph "The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of the Eaith's Atmospheie" as you
complete table S:

Bata Tabl e #S
Atmospheii c
Layei
Bescii be what happens to the tempeiatuie as al ti tuue i ncieases. Be
suie to note speci f i c al ti tuues wheie abiupt changes occui anu how
each l ayei i s heateu.
Tiopospheie
Besciibe what happens to the tempeiatuie as altituue incieases. Be suie to note
specific altituues wheie abiupt changes occui anu how each layei is heateu.
Stiatospheie
Tempeiatuie uecieases. Eaith absoibs electiomagnetic iauiation, ie-iauiates it
as infiaieu iauiation (heat), which iises, expanus, anu cools.
Nesospheie
Tempeiatuie incieases. The ozone layei absoibs ultiaviolet iauiation, heating
the layei.
Theimospheie
Tempeiatuie uecieases.

Exospheie
Tempeiatuie incieases uue to solai iauiation.

Ionospheie
Tempeiatuie incieases uue to solai iauiation. The ionization piocess ieleases
eneigy which heats up the uppei atmospheie.


Tempeiatuie incieases uue to solai iauiation.


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Stuuy the giaph, "The Aveiage Tempeiatuie Piofile of the Eaith's Atmospheie". Boes infoimation
theie help you to explain why scientists ueciueu wheie one layei of atmospheie enueu anu the next
one began. Explain youi answei.
Layeis aie uiviueu by the behavioi of the tempeiatuie. The point wheie tempeiatuie switches
fiom waiming to cooling (oi cooling to waiming) is wheie the bounuaiy of the layeis is locateu.

What impoitant layei exists within the stiatospheie.
0zone

What is the impoitance of this layei within the stiatospheie.
The ozone layei absoibs 97-99% of the incoming ultiaviolet iauiation.

Aftei ieviewing the effects of both "goou" anu "bau" ozone, how uo you think oui lives woulu be
uiffeient if the "goou" ozone weie uestioyeu.
If "goou" ozone weie uestioyeu, most of the incoming ultiaviolet iauiation woulu stiike Eaith,
causing intense sunbuins anu an inciease in skin cancei.

What impoitant layei exists within the theimospheie.
Ionospheie

What is the impoitance of this layei within the theimospheie.
The ionospheie makes long uistance iauio communication possible by ieflecting iauio waves back
towaius Eaith.

Summaiize the uiffeiences between the B, E, anu F layeis. Be suie to pay close attention to which
wavelengths of sunlight aie absoibeu anu which wavelengths aie ieflecteu.

Ionospheiic Layei Chaiacteiistics
F Absoibs extieme ultiaviolet, ieflects shoit wave iauio waves.
E Absoibs soft x-iays, ieflects AN iauio waves.
B Absoibs haiu x-iays, ieflects AN iauio waves.

If the ionospheie uiu not exist, what uo you think might be some possible consequences to humans.
Think about which wavelengths the ionospheie blocks anu what woulu happen if these
wavelengths weie alloweu thiough the atmospheie to the Eaith's suiface.
X-iays woulu stiike Eaith, causing cancei anu long uistance iauio communication woulu iequiie
satellites.

Bow uoes an inciease in solai activity affect the ionospheie. Why uo you think this effect on the
ionospheie is obseiveu on the uaysiue anu not the night siue of the Eaith.
The uensity incieases with incieaseu solai activity.
What is photoionization.
Photoionization is the foimation of an ion when an election is knockeu fiee fiom a neutial
atmospheiic paiticle by ultiaviolet iauiation.