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EARTH ATHMOSPHERE
Stratosphere: 12 to 50 km (7 to 31 miles)
Troposphere: 0 to 12 km (0 to 7 miles)
Troposphere - The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Global average temperatures
decrease from 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) on the surface to negative 51 degrees
Celsius (negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit) at the top of the troposphere. Nitrogen forms 78 percent of the
troposphere’s chemical composition today; oxygen, 21 percent; argon, 0.9 percent; water vapor, between 0.3
and 4 percent; and carbon dioxide. 0.04 percent. Weather, as it is recognized on Earth, happens in the
troposphere.
Stratosphere - The stratosphere is the second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. It lies above the
troposphere and is separated from it by the tropopause. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet light from solar radiation and
causes a temperature inversion -- where temperatures increase rather than decrease with height -- from about
negative 51 degrees Celsius (negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit) at the bottom to negative 15 degrees
Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) at the top.
Mesosphere - The mesosphere is the third highest layer of Earth's atmosphere, occupying the region above
the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures once again grow colder as
you rise up through the mesosphere. The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are
found near the top of this layer. The air in the mesosphere is far too thin to breathe; air pressure at the bottom of
the layer is well below 1% of the pressure at sea level, and continues dropping as you go higher.
Thermosphere - The thermosphere is the second-highest layer of Earth's atmosphere. It extends from the
mesopause (which separates it from the mesosphere) at an altitude of about 80 km (50 mi; 260,000 ft) up to
the thermopause at an altitude range of 500–1000 km (310–620 mi; 1,600,000–3,300,000 ft). Temperatures in the
upper thermosphere can range from about 500° C (932° F) to 2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher. The aurora,
the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in the thermosphere.
Composition of air
Nitrogen — 78 percent
Oxygen — 21 percent
Argon — 0.93 percent
Carbon dioxide — 0.04 percent
Trace amounts of neon, helium, methane, krypton and hydrogen, as well as water vapor
SCIENCE PROJECT BY: JAN OLENNS ALABAN
Types of Air-pollutants
Classification of Air-pollutants
1. Primary pollutants: Those emitted directly from the source
2. Secondary pollutants: Those formed in the atmosphere by chemical interactions among primary
pollutants and normal atmospheric constituents
Acid Rain
Acid rain refers to precipitation that carries sulfur and nitrogen compounds from the atmosphere to the ground.
The term entered common usage amid growing concern during the 1980s about the viability of burning any fuels
containing such compounds, the National Atmospheric Deposition Program reports. Researchers have identified
various natural and man-made causes, including emissions from car traffic, chemical plants and public utilities.
Climate Change
The burning of fossil fuels to produce energy also releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases into the environment. These gases act like a blanket to trap energy that warms the Earth's
surface.
Eutrophication:
Rain can carry and deposit the Nitrogen in some pollutants on rivers and soils. This will adversely
affect the nutrients in the soil and water bodies. This can result in algae growth in lakes and water
bodies, and make conditions for other living organism harmful.
Ground-level ozone:
Chemical reactions involving air pollutants create a poisonous gas ozone (O3). Gas Ozone can
affect people’s health and can damage vegetation types and some animal life too.
Particulate matter:
Air pollutants can be in the form of particulate matter which can be very harmful to our health. The
level of effect usually depends on the length of time of exposure, as well the kind and
concentration of chemicals and particles exposed to. Short-term effects include irritation to the
eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Others
include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the
medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema.
SCIENCE PROJECT BY: JAN OLENNS ALABAN
AIR POLLUTION MAP MY BLOG AND WORLD
SCIENCE PROJECT BY: JAN OLENNS ALABAN
Methane. A hydrocarbon gas produced both through natural sources and human activities, including
the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and especially rice cultivation, as well as ruminant
digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock. On a molecule-for-molecule
basis, methane is a far more active greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but also one which is much
less abundant in the atmosphere.
Nitrous oxide. A powerful greenhouse gas produced by soil cultivation practices, especially the use
of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass
burning.