We know that the Earth is the only planet that supports life.

The presence of
life-supporting gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide make it a
unique planet. All these gases are present in a gaseous layer that envelopes
the Earth. This layer is known as the atmosphere.
The Earth’s atmosphere is believed to have been formed by complex
evolutionary processes. Water was present on the Earth billions of years ago.
The air at that time contained large quantities of gases such as carbon dioxide
and ammonia. There was no freely occurring oxygen in the air. The first
organisms on the Earth survived without any oxygen. Gradually, these
organisms started the process of photosynthesis. This led to the accumulation
of oxygen in the air and eventually the formation of the ozone layer. The
atmosphere is not as dense as land or water but it has weight and exerts
pressure.

Composition of the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is a mixture of colourless, odourless and tasteless gases. The
composition of air is not uniform. It varies from place to place and time to
time.
❖ The atmosphere is composed of gases, water vapour, dust particles and
smoke.
❖ The gases include nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, neon, ozone,
hydrogen, helium and methane.
❖ Of these gases, nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) are the two main
gases. The other gases are found in very small quantities (1%).
❖ The heavier gases like oxygen and water vapour, and dust particles are
found in the lower layers of the atmosphere.
❖ At many places, impurities like smoke, salts, carbon monoxide and other
chemicals are also found.
Structure of the Atmosphere
The atmosphere has a layered structure. On the basis of composition, density
and temperature, the atmosphere can be divided into five layers- troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.

Troposphere
This is the lowest layer of the atmosphere and also the most important. It
protects us from the heat of the sun during the day and keeps the earth warm
at night. This is the densest layer of the atmosphere and its thickness varies
from 8km over the poles to 18km over the equator. In this layer, temperature
decreases with height. The rate at which the temperature drops is 1°C per 165
metres. This is also called the lapse rate. All weather phenomena such as
clouds, rain, storms, etc. occur in this layer. The boundary between the
troposphere and the stratosphere is called the tropopause.

Weather phenomena occurs in the troposphere

Stratosphere
This layer extends from the top of the troposphere up to 50 km above the
surface of the earth. There are no clouds or weather changes. This layer is,
therefore, safest for air travel. This layer has a band of ozone gas, which
protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The stratopause, the upper
part of this layer, separates it from the mesosphere. The temperature remains
more or less steady in its lower part. But in the upper part, the temperature
increases steadily to reach 0°C at the stratopause.
Mesosphere
This layer extends from the top of the stratosphere up to a height of 80 km
above the earth. Here, the temperature decreases with height till it reaches -
100°C at the end of the mesosphere. This layer has the lowest temperature in
the atmosphere. Most meteors from space burn up in this layer. The
mesopause, the upper part of this layer, separates it from the thermosphere.

Meteors burn in the mesosphere and appear as bright streaks of light in the night sky.
Thermosphere
The layer above the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. It has little air.
The upper part of the thermosphere is called the ionosphere. The ionosphere
contains electrically charged particles called ions, which help in transmitting
communication signals. Communication satellites orbit in this layer. They help
in transmitting the signals back to the earth. This layer extends upwards from
80 km to about 500 km.

Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, Iceland

Exosphere
This is the outer most layer of the atmosphere in which the air thins until it
ultimately merges into outer space. The temperature increases rapidly in this
layer because of solar radiation.

Significance of Atmosphere
❖ The atmosphere contains oxygen and nitrogen that are essential for the
existence of life.
❖ It receives insolation and preserves some amount of heat within the
earth to keep it warm.
❖ The ozone layer protects us from the harmful infrared and ultraviolet
rays.
❖ The water vapour present in the atmosphere brings about rainfall which
supports plant life and is a source of water.
❖ The atmosphere absorbs almost half of the solar radiation and,
therefore, the Earth is able to receive only optimum temperature
required for life to survive on the Earth.

The Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface.
When the sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is
reflected back to space. The rest is absorbed by carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. These gases trap the heat
and do not allow it to escape back into space. This is known as the
greenhouse effect. This heating is required as it is essential for our survival.
Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are some greenhouse gases.
Gases such as hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride
and nitrogen trifluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are
emitted from a variety of industrial processes. The absorbed energy warms
the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. This process maintains the
Earth’s temperature at a level which allows life on the Earth to exist.

Global warming
Greenhouse effect of the atmosphere and destruction of the ozone layer
have led to the phenomenon called global warming, which means an
increase in the average temperatures on Earth.

Depletion of Ozone Layer

The ozone layer absorbs the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun and thus
protects life on earth. The concentration of ozone in the atmosphere varies
according to weather, altitude and latitude.
The depletion of the ozone layer can allow more ultraviolet rays to reach
the Earth’s surface. This can cause serious damage to different forms of life
in the biosphere. The negative influences include increase in skin cancer,
 eye cataract, immune deficiency and respiratory illness.

The ozone hole over the Antarctic region

Impact of Global warming

Global warming has a number of serious consequences. They are:
❖ the melting of glaciers
❖ the rise in sea level
❖ changes in the global rainfall pattern
❖ changes in agricultural yields

Ways to reduce global warming

Global warming is a very disturbing phenomenon and we should try to reduce
it by controlling deforestation, cutting down on vehicular emissions, reducing
use of CFC gases and changing our lifestyle.