Our Atmosphere

• Our atmosphere helps us in two very important ways. – It acts as a blanket by holding in the amount

of heat needed to keep earth livable.

– It affects the amount of solar energy that reaches earth & protects it from the sun’s

harmful radiation.

Our Atmosphere

• The four gases that make up our atmosphere include . . .

–Nitrogen–Oxygen–Carbon dioxide–Water vapor–Trace amounts of other gases

Our Atmosphere

• The gases that we consider to be “greenhouse gases” are . . .

–Water vapor

–Carbon dioxide

GRAVITY!!!

• The force that keeps earth’s atmosphere where it’s supposed to be!

The Layers of Our Atmosphere

• The Troposphere

– The place where most of earth’s weather happens.

– Most of the water vapor is located in the troposphere.

– The higher you go, the colder the temperature in this layer.

The Layers of Our Atmosphere

• The Stratosphere

– The second layer of our atmosphere.

– The stratosphere protects earth from the

sun’s harmful radiation.

– Temperature is fairly constant here.

– The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere.

The Layers of Our Atmosphere

• The Mesosphere

– The middle or third layer of our atmosphere.

The Layers of Our Atmosphere

• The Exosphere & Thermosphere

– These are the layers where satellites and

other spacecraft can travel.

– In the Exosphere earth’s atmosphere

fades into the vacuum of outer space.