Atmosphere

Atmosphere
1) Tell about the domains of the earth.
Ans) The earth with its spherical shape is divided into three domains which are lithosphere, atmosphere
and hydrosphere. These three domains together form the biosphere and they exist in three states and
possess inertia.
The lithosphere exists in solid state, the atmosphere in gaseous and the hydrosphere in liquid state. The
atmosphere in the gaseous state is characterized by momentum and pressure and it regulates the heat
around us.
2) What is the blanket of air around the earth?
Ans) the blanket of air surrounding the earth is called the atmosphere. It has several layers around the
earth and the layers become thinner at higher altitudes. This, one finds hard to breathe as he goes
higher because of less pressure of air.
Half of the total mass of air is found below 5 km and it’s attracted by gravity.
3) What does the atmosphere do?
Ans) the atmosphere around the earth protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun. It
has oxygen and nitrogen, the life supporting gases . It also traps the necessary warmth in the earth and
helps in the circulation of water vapour- the source of rainfall.
4) Tell about the composition of the atmosphere.
Ans) The atmosphere is a gaseous domain which is made up of tiny solid particles and gases. It contains
78 pecent nitrogen. 21 percent oxygen. Oxygen helps in burning and respiration. Without oxygen life
isn’t possible. Nitrogen is a colourless inert gas which is tasteless and odourless and it controls the rate
of oxidation. Plants too need nitrogen for survival but they can’t take it directly. They take it from the
soil and animals get protein from nitrogen by eating plants or other animals. These gases support life on
earth and life isn’t possible without them.
The remaining 1 pecent of atmospheree is made up of carbon dioxide, helium, water vapour, methane,
neon, argon etc.
5) What is the importance of carbon dioxide?
Ans) carbon dioxide is used by the plants to synthesize their food by the process of photosynthesis. It
also helps in maintaining the earth warm through greenhouse effect.
6) Why is water vapour important?
Ans) Water vapour is the component which is responsible for all types of precipitation. Therefore it
circulates fresh water. It is added to the atmosphere through evaporation from Ocean, lake , rivers, and
transportation from vegetation and respiration of animals.
7) Tell about the impurities of atmosphere.

Ans) some particles like the pollen from plants, dust from volcanoes, ash from meteorites and salt from
seas are also present in the lower layers of the atmosphere. These particles act as a nuclei for the water
vapours to form rain drops and also scatter the sun’s radiation during sunrise and sunset and their
amount vary from place to place.
8) What are the functions of atmosphere?
Ans) •The atmosphere contains air which has weight and it exerts pressure and being pressed down, it
always remains in contact with land and water.
• Due to the physical contact of the atmosphere, exchange of gases, between air, land , water takes
place
• The soil gets nitrogen and Oxygen due to the contact of atmosphere and water vapours in air are
result of evaporation from water bodies.
• Carbon dioxide of the atmosphere gives greenhouse effect and keeps the earth warm at night.
• The composition of the atmosphere makes it a large dynamic entity and large masses of air are being
moved down and from the earth.
• The atmosphere is dynamic due to the energy of the Sun.
9)Tell about the structure of the atmosphere.
Ans) The atmosphere has several layers and the layers become less denser as we go above. The upper
layers press down the lower ones which makes the lower layer denser than the upper. Thus, 90 percent
of the total mass of air lies within a height of 20 km from the earth.
The atmosphere is divided into four layers on the basis of their characteristics and temperature. They
are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. The thermosphere is further divided
into ionosphere and exosphere.
9) What is the troposphere.
Ans ) the troposphere is the lowermost and the densest layer and it extends from 18 km at the equator
to 8 km at the poles.
Seventy five percent of the atmosphere is found in the troposphere and its concentration decrease s as
we go higher. It also has a normal decrease in temperature of 1°C for every 166 m rise in temperature
which is called the normal lapse rate. The temperature variation is this layer is responsible for many
turbulences and as a result all weather phenomena take place in this layer. The troposphere is heated
more from below than from above. Lastly, its upper limit is called tropopause.
10) What is the stratosphere?
Ans) The stratosphere is the 2nd layer which lies above the tropopause and extends up to a height of 50
km from sea level.
The air here is thin cold and dry and the temperature is about -55°C. The protective ozone layer lies here
between 20 to 50 km . The temperature of this layer is constant due to the ozone layer. This is because
the ozone absorbs the ultraviolet solar radiation and loses the same amount of insolation. The lower
layer of the stratosphere has a virtual absence of water vapour and is ideal for airplanes and jets. The
upper limit is the stratosphere is called stratopause and Temperature rises from -60°C to 0°C.
11) What is mesosphere?
Ans) The mesosphere is the third layer of the atmosphere which extends up to a height of 80 Km from
the ground level.
The temperature here decreases with height and reaches -110°C at the altitude of 80 Km near the
mesopause. Wispy clouds from meteriotic dust are found in this layer.
12) What is thermosphere? Explain its two layers
Ans) The thermosphere is the layer which extends from mesopause and consists of ionosphere and
exosphere.
Ionosphere is the layer of thermosphere which extends up to a height of 400 km. It contains electrically
charged ions which create a sheet of lights known as aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere and
aurora Australis in the southern hemisphere. Due to the presence of ions in this layer, we can have
wireless communication.
The exosphere is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere and lies between 400-1500 km from the earth.
It merges with interplanetary space and here temperature increases with height and its density is
extremely low and it contains lighter gases like hydrogen and helium.
13) What is ozone?
Ans) Ozone is a form of oxygen which is present in rare amount in the earth’s atmosphere. It is so rare
that 1 molecule out of two million molecules is of ozone.
The troposphere has ozone in small amounts. But at the stratosphere between 20-50 Km above sea level
in the startosphere, it is in abundance. This is because the sun rays convert oxygen to ozone in the
startosphere. But, ozone decreases by sunlight acting on a number of pollutants in air . These pollutants
are emitted by jet aircrafts and by hydrocarbons from automobiles . The ozone protects us from the
harmful uv rays of the Sun.
14) Tell about the depletion of ozone layer.
Ans) The depletion of ozone layer is represented by the ozone hole was was directed by nasa through
satellite images. The biggest ozone hole was detected near Antarctica whose main reason was cfc which
break down in the stratosphere and produce chlorine and deplet the ozone layer.
Volcanoes also cause ozone depletion. Large eruptions give out sulphur dioxide, which speed is chemical
reactions.
Another cause is the solar storms which consist of coronal mass ejection and solar flares.
The largest ozone hole was detected in September 2000 near Antarctica which has been a result of the
activities of man. Ozone depletion resulting in Ozone hole is more common to Antarctica where
temperatures are the lowest. Due to bitterly cold Antarctic winter, the stratospheric ice clouds promote
production of chemically active chlorine and bromine. This, in turn, leads to Ozone destruction when
sunlight returns in the Antarctic spring. On the other hand, the Arctic atmosphere though cold, does not
get cold enough for the creation of a fully developed Ozone hole.

Atmosphere

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Atmosphere

1) Tell about the domains of the earth.

2) What is the blanket of air around the earth?

3) What does the atmosphere do?

4) Tell about the composition of the atmosphere.

5) What is the importance of carbon dioxide?

6) Why is water vapour important?

7) Tell about the impurities of atmosphere.

8) What are the functions of atmosphere?

• The atmosphere is dynamic due to the energy of the Sun.

9)Tell about the structure of the atmosphere.

9) What is the troposphere.

10) What is the stratosphere?

11) What is mesosphere?

12) What is thermosphere? Explain its two layers

13) What is ozone?

14) Tell about the depletion of ozone layer.

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