Interesting facts about the Earth's atmosphere that you will be interested to know (25 photos). Interesting facts about the atmosphere Interesting facts about the air shell of the earth
Air, like everything physical body, it has its own mass and also presses on the surface of our Earth and also on all objects that exist. Is it so? Check it out experience.
Take a simple glass tube, and just dip one end of it into plain water and close the upper hole tightly with your upper finger. Take the tube out of the water, and you will see that no water flows out of the tube at all, because the air pressure from below is much greater than the mass of water contained in the tube closed from above. The mass of a cubic meter of air at the Earth's surface is not large 1kg 300g. knowing this, you can also calculate how much mass the air in your room where you live has. To do this, simply measure the length, width and height by multiplying these figures and have the number of cubic meters of your room.
Multiplying 1 kg 300 g (the mass of one cubic meter of air) by the extracted number, you will get the answer to the question.
Scientists have calculated that for every square centimeter of the Earth's surface, air presses with a force of 1 kg 300 g. This pressure is called atmospheric pressure. However, we do not feel this pressure because it balances with our blood pressure. And so its normal. When you climb to a certain height, say, in the mountains, the pressure decreases, you feel pain in your ears, it becomes more difficult to breathe. Your internal pressure becomes higher than atmospheric pressure. Therefore, it happens that blood begins to flow through the nostrils. The fact that air has pressure was proven in the 17th century. successor Galileo Galilei Italian scientist Toricelli, who in 1643r. invented the barometer. They are now being measured Atmosphere pressure. A mercury barometer consists of a tube with mercury sealed at one end, a cup into which the open part of the tube is lowered, and a scale with divisions into millimeters. If the tube is filled with mercury and then turned upside down with the end closed, some of the mercury will pour out into the cup, and a column will remain in the tube, the height of which balances the atmospheric pressure in this place. If it is somewhere on the seashore at the 40th parallel and at an air temperature of 00, then the height of the mercury column is 760 mm or 1013 millibars. Millibar is a unit of pressure. Such pressure is considered normal. One millibar is equal to the pressure of a body weighing 1 g per 1 sq. cm. surfaces. Convenient is a metal barometer - aneroid. It consists of an elastic box from which air is pumped out. It is very sensitive to changes in atmospheric yew. When the pressure increases, the box contracts, and when it decreases, it expands. The change in the volume of the box is transmitted to the arrow, which shows the pressure on the scale.
Observations of atmospheric pressure that it is constantly changing. The reason for this lies in the density of the air. The colder the air, the thicker it is, and therefore more difficult. In winter, over land in the temperate zone, the pressure is greater than over the seas and oceans. This is explained by the fact that the land during this period is colder than the water spaces. From the land, the air cools, which means it becomes heavier. Over the seas and oceans, the pressure at this time becomes less, because the water is warmer from the land and the air is also warmer. Warm air has a lower density (it is less in cubic meter) and less weight. It is clear that its pressure will be less over land and higher over the seas and oceans.
Pressure also changes with altitude. The higher the area above sea level, the lower the pressure. For every 10 m of elevation, the barometer will show a decrease in pressure of about 1 mm and at an altitude of 200 m above sea level the barometer scale will show 740 mm.
Knowing the pattern of changes in atmospheric pressure, the absolute heights of individual points on the earth's surface are determined. By changing atmospheric pressure, the pilot knows at what altitude the aircraft is. For this purpose, an altimeter is used.
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A change in blood pressure can also be a symptom of a serious illness that should absolutely not be ignored.
What can happen to pressure?
High blood pressure(hypertension) is a serious disorder that requires regular therapy and constant monitoring. The first main symptoms of hypertension are:
- dizziness,
- weather dependence,
As the disease progresses, the following are added:
- high fatigue
- general deterioration of well-being.
High blood pressure affects all systems of our body, causing an exacerbation of other diseases.
Low blood pressure(hypotension) is characterized by:
- increased fatigue,
- shortness of breath
- lethargy,
- headache,
- drowsiness.
Any of these symptoms is general and does not give a complete picture of the disease. A medical examination is required for a correct diagnosis.
The reasons
In most cases, determine the exact cause hypertension hard enough. It can be:
- genetic predisposition,
- stressful situations
- chronic diseases,
- violation of vascular tone,
Blood pressure often rises with malnutrition or alcohol abuse.
For an accurate diagnosis, a complete medical examination is necessary:
- general urine analysis,
- fundus examination,
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring.
For a more accurate picture, your doctor may schedule a consultation with a profiling specialist - most likely a cardiologist.
At reduced pressure there may be various reasons - from hereditary congenital features of the autonomic system, insufficient cardiac activity to stomach ulcers. Symptoms low pressure can accompany the patient constantly and have a chronic form or become one of the signs of the disease (especially with various bleeding).
Treatment
Increased blood pressure needs to be treated. Even minor deviations over time can become chronic and lead to serious changes in all organs. High blood pressure is especially dangerous for the cardiovascular system. Self-medication is life-threatening. Only a comprehensive examination and treatment prescribed by a qualified doctor guarantee a positive result.
Pressure problems require self-discipline and a more serious attitude to your health. Comprehensive therapy includes physiotherapy, proper nutrition and physical activity: together they will help you avoid the negative effects of high blood pressure on the body.
Reduced pressure also requires attention and control. It should be treated only under medical supervision. Therapy, individually selected by a specialist, will help to avoid negative consequences self-treatment. healthy image life, physiotherapy, phyto- and aromatherapy are the main principles of effective treatment.
Prevention
Pressure problems require constant monitoring and prevention. Patients with lowered pressure, it is recommended to normalize the energy metabolism of the brain, strengthen the body in a complex way, lead an active lifestyle, and eat right.
High pressure also requires the constant work of the patient and the attending physician. Exclusion of nervous and physical overstrain, vascular strengthening therapy, weight normalization, diet will help the body avoid complications and live a full life.
Our specialists
The true color of the sky.
Although it's hard to believe, the sky is actually purple. When light enters the atmosphere, air and water particles absorb the light, scattering it. At the same time, violet color is scattered most of all, which is why people see the blue sky.
An exclusive element in the Earth's atmosphere.
As many remember from school, the Earth's atmosphere consists of approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and small impurities of argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. But few people know that our atmosphere is the only one so far discovered by scientists (besides comet 67P) that has free oxygen. Because oxygen is a highly reactive gas, it often reacts with other chemicals in space. Its pure form on Earth makes the planet habitable.
White streak in the sky.
Surely, some sometimes wondered why a white stripe remains in the sky behind a jet plane. These white trails, known as contrails, form when hot, moist exhaust gases from an aircraft engine mix with colder outside air. Water vapor from exhaust gases freezes and becomes visible.
The main layers of the atmosphere.
Earth's atmosphere is made up of five main layers that make possible life on the planet. The first of these, the troposphere, extends from sea level to an altitude of about 17 km to the equator. Most of the weather events occur in it.
Ozone layer.
The next layer of the atmosphere, the stratosphere, reaches a height of about 50 km at the equator. It contains the ozone layer, which protects people from dangerous ultraviolet rays. Even though this layer is above the troposphere, it may actually be warmer due to the energy it absorbs from the sun's rays. Most jet planes and weather balloons fly in the stratosphere. Planes can fly faster in it because they are less affected by gravity and friction. Weather balloons can get a better idea of storms, most of which occur lower in the troposphere.
Mesosphere.
The mesosphere is the middle layer, extending to a height of 85 km above the surface of the planet. Its temperature fluctuates around -120°C. Most of the meteors that enter the Earth's atmosphere burn up in the mesosphere. The last two layers that pass into space are the thermosphere and the exosphere.
The disappearance of the atmosphere.
The Earth has most likely lost its atmosphere several times. When the planet was covered in oceans of magma, massive interstellar objects crashed into it. These impacts, which also formed the Moon, may have formed the planet's atmosphere for the first time.
If there were no atmospheric gases...
Without various gases in the atmosphere, the Earth would be too cold for human existence. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other atmospheric gases absorb heat from the sun and "distribute" it over the planet's surface, helping to create a habitable climate.
The formation of the ozone layer.
The notorious (and importantly necessary) ozone layer was created when oxygen atoms reacted with ultraviolet light from the sun to form ozone. It is ozone that absorbs most of the harmful radiation from the sun. Despite its importance, the ozone layer was formed relatively recently after enough life arose in the oceans to release into the atmosphere the amount of oxygen needed to create a minimum concentration of ozone.
Ionosphere.
The ionosphere is so named because high-energy particles from and out of space help form ions, creating an "electric layer" around the planet. When there were no satellites, this layer helped reflect radio waves.
Acid rain.
Acid rain, which destroys entire forests and devastates aquatic ecosystems, forms in the atmosphere when sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide particles mix with water vapor and fall to the ground as rain. These chemical compounds are also found in nature: sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions, and nitric oxide is produced by lightning strikes.
Lightning power
Lightning is so powerful that just a single discharge can heat the surrounding air up to 30,000 °C. The rapid heating causes an explosive expansion of the nearby air, which is heard in the form of a sound wave called thunder.
Polar Lights.
Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis (Northern and Southern Aurora) are caused by ion reactions taking place in the fourth level of the atmosphere, the thermosphere. When highly charged solar wind particles collide with air molecules over the planet's magnetic poles, they glow and create magnificent light shows.
sunsets.
Sunsets often look like a burning sky as small atmospheric particles scatter light, reflecting it in orange and yellow hues. The same principle underlies the formation of rainbows.
inhabitants upper layers atmosphere.
In 2013, scientists discovered that tiny microbes can survive miles above the surface. At an altitude of 8-15 km above the planet, microbes were found that destroy organic chemicals that float in the atmosphere, "feeding" on them.
slide 2
Evangelista Torricelli was born on October 15, 1608 in the small Italian town of Faenza into a poor family. He was brought up by his uncle, a Benedictine monk. Further life in Rome and communication with the famous mathematician (a student of Galileo) Castelli contributed to the development of Torricelli's talent. Most of the scientist's works for the most part remained unpublished. Torricelli is one of the creators of the liquid thermometer. But the most famous experimental study of Torricelli is his experiments with mercury, which proved the existence of atmospheric pressure. The merit of the scientist is that he decided to switch to a liquid with a higher density than water - to mercury. This made the experiments relatively easy to reproduce. However, one should not think that in the middle of the XVII century. staging and reproducing Torricelli's experiments was a simple matter. At that time it was quite difficult to make the necessary glass tubes, as evidenced by the failure of some scientists to set up similar experiments independently of Torricelli.
slide 3
An experiment showing that air pressure connects the two hemispheres so firmly that they cannot be separated by the efforts of 16 horses.
slide 4
I ordered two copper hemispheres with a diameter of three quarters of a Magdeburg cubit (a Magdeburg cubit is 550 cm) ... Both hemispheres fully corresponded to each other. A crane was attached to one hemisphere; With this valve, you can remove air from the inside and prevent air from entering from the outside. In addition, four rings were attached to the hemispheres, through which ropes tied to a team of horses were threaded. I also ordered a leather ring to be sewn; it was saturated with a mixture of wax in turpentine; sandwiched between the hemispheres, it did not let air through them. An air pump tube was inserted into the faucet, and the air inside the ball was removed. Then it was discovered with what force both hemispheres were pressed against each other through a leather ring. The pressure of the outside air pressed them so tightly that 16 horses (with a jerk) could not separate them at all, or achieved this only with difficulty. When the hemispheres, yielding to the tension of all the strength of the horses, were separated, a roar was heard, as from a shot. But it was enough to open free access to air by turning the tap, and the hemispheres could easily be separated by hand.
slide 5
Qualitative tasks and questions
slide 6
1. Where is the atmospheric pressure less - in a mine or on a high mountain? Why?
Slide 7
The higher above sea level, the lower the atmospheric pressure. This is because the pressure is proportional to the height of the air column, which is smaller on the mountain.
The Earth's atmosphere is one of the most protective and therefore the most important components of our planet. Sheltering us from harsh conditions outer space such as solar radiation and space debris, the atmosphere is a complex structure.
Although we do not do justice to it in our everyday life, the attention of the whole world was riveted on the layers of the atmosphere in 2013, when the Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner (Felix Baumgartner) reached the stratosphere in a capsule, rising to a height of 37 km above the Earth's surface, and made a jump . His record-breaking, astounding freefall sparked a new wave of interest in space travel and atmospheric physics.
In our today's list, we will introduce you to facts about the Earth's atmosphere that are known to a few, but should become widely known, as they are very important for understanding the world around us.
We will tell you how the ozone layer was formed, how deserts form in the middle latitudes, why planes leave a white trail behind them, and much more. So put things aside for a while and check out these 25 facts about the Earth's atmosphere that are truly awesome!
Believe it or not, the sky is actually purple. As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, air and water particles absorb, reflect, and scatter it before we can see it.
Since the scattering prefers shorter wavelengths of light, the violet color is most strongly diffused. We think we see blue skies and not purple because our eyes are more sensitive to blue.
As you probably know from school, our atmosphere is almost 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and a tiny percentage of argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, and other gases. What you most likely didn't learn in school is that our atmosphere is the only one (aside from the magnificent discovery on comet 67P) that contains free oxygen.
Because oxygen is a highly reactive gas, it often interacts with other chemicals in space. Its pure form on Earth makes our planet habitable and therefore is the subject of a search for life on other planets.
Most people will probably misunderstand this question: where is the more water- in clouds or in a clear sky?
Although many will think that the main "storage" is the clouds, since that is where the rain comes from, most of Water is found in our atmosphere in the form of invisible water vapour. For this reason, more sweat appears on our body when the level of water vapor in the air, known as humidity, rises.
Some global warming skeptics argue that this phenomenon is unrealistic, as their cities are getting colder. The global climate of the Earth is a combination of a wide variety of regional climatic conditions. Therefore, even if warming is observed in some parts of the planet, cooling is observed in others, and in general, the average global climate is rapidly warming up.
Have you ever wondered why a plane flying in the sky leaves a white trail behind it? These white trails, known as contrails or contrails, are formed when hot, moist exhaust gases from an aircraft engine mix with colder outside air. Water vapor from the exhaust freezes and becomes visible - just like our warm breath in cold weather.
A weak and rapidly disappearing contrail means that the air at this high altitude has low humidity, which is a sign of good weather. A saturated and persistent contrail indicates high humidity and may indicate a thunderstorm is approaching.
The atmosphere of the Earth consists of five main layers, thanks to which life is possible on our planet. The first layer, the troposphere, extends from sea level to 8 km in polar and 18 km in tropical latitudes. Most weather events occur in this layer due to the mixture of warm air that rises and falls to form clouds and wind.
The next layer is the stratosphere, reaching almost 50 km above sea level. Here is the ozone layer, which protects us from dangerous ultraviolet rays. Although the stratosphere is higher than the troposphere, this layer may actually be warmer due to the absorbed energy from the sun's rays.
The mesosphere is the middle of the five layers, extending up to 80-90 km above the Earth's surface, the temperature in which fluctuates around -118°C. Most meteorites entering our atmosphere burn up in the mesosphere.
Following the mesosphere is the thermosphere, which extends up to 800 km above the Earth's surface. Within this layer lie the main regions of the ionosphere. Most satellites, as well as the International Space Station, are in the thermosphere.
The exosphere is the fifth and uppermost, outer layer of the atmosphere, which becomes rarer and rarer as it moves away from the Earth's surface, until it passes into the near space vacuum (until it mixes with interplanetary space). It begins at an altitude of 700 km above the Earth's surface.
The most exciting thing is that the size of this layer can increase or decrease depending on solar activity. When the Sun is calm and does not compress the layer during solar storms, outer part exosphere can extend to a distance of 1000-10000 km from the Earth's surface.
The trade winds blow in the warmest parts of our planet, between about 23° N. latitude. and 23° S That is why most monsoons and thunderstorms are born in these unstable regions.
Beyond them there is no such strong wind. Accordingly, the minimum humidity from the oceans falls on the mainland, and dry air easily sinks to the surface of the planet, often leading to the formation of vast areas of arid deserts.
Most jet planes and weather balloons fly in the stratosphere. Jet planes at this altitude, with less gravity and friction, can fly faster, and weather balloons can get a better idea of the storms that form lower in the troposphere.
Our planet has probably lost its atmosphere several times. When the Earth was covered in magma oceans, massive Earth-like interstellar objects crashed into it. These impacts (also involved in the creation of our Moon) could be responsible for the first attempts at forming the Earth's atmosphere.
Without various gases in its atmosphere, our planet would be too cold for human existence. Water vapor, carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases absorb solar heat, spreading it over the surface of the planet, thereby creating a climate suitable for life.
Scientists are concerned that if too a large number of gases that absorb heat enter the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect will increase, getting out of control and creating a scorching, unsuitable environment for life, as is observed on Venus.
Air samples taken after Hurricane Carla swept over the Caribbean in 2010 showed that up to 25% of the bacteria found in it were associated with or were the same as those present in feces. Many of these bacteria, when present in the atmosphere, can collect into droplets and fall to Earth as rain. Scientists consider these bacteria as possible way transmission of diseases.
Our notorious (and much-needed) ozone layer was formed when oxygen atoms mixed with ultraviolet radiation from the sun to create ozone (O3). Ozone molecules absorb most of the harmful solar radiation, preventing it from reaching us.
Despite its importance, the ozone layer was formed relatively recently - after enough life appeared in our oceans to release the amount of oxygen needed to create it.
The ionosphere gets its name because high-energy particles from space and our Sun help form ions that create a soft, electrical layer around the planet. This layer helped reflect radio waves until satellites were launched.
Acid rain, which destroys entire forests and devastates aquatic ecosystems, forms in the atmosphere when particles of sulfur dioxide or nitric oxide mix with water vapor and fall to Earth as rain.
Both of these chemical compounds are also found in nature: sulfur dioxide is released during volcanic eruptions, and nitric oxide is produced by electrical lightning discharges.
Although air pressure decreases with increasing altitude, it can vary widely at the same place on Earth. As the Sun heats the earth, the surrounding air also heats up, which rises to become a low pressure point.
As objects move out of areas high pressure in an area of low pressure, the air near the high pressure begins to rush in order to equalize the pressure.
Lightning is so powerful force that just one lightning strike can heat the surrounding air up to 30,000°C. As an electrical explosion, a lightning discharge produces a shock wave that, over long distances, degenerates into a sound wave, which we call thunder.
Although the wind we feel on the surface of the Earth often comes from the north and south poles, it actually forms around the equator.
Since sunlight heats the equator and nearby latitudes more, the most heating occurs here. (The sun's rays, of course, also reach the poles, although this happens at an angle and is not so active.) Heated equatorial air rises high into the atmosphere and moves towards the poles, where it descends and returns back to the equator.
The aurora borealis and aurora borealis, visible at high northern and southern latitudes, are caused by the reaction of ions occurring in the fourth layer of our atmosphere, the thermosphere.
When highly charged solar wind particles collide with air molecules above our magnetic poles, they glow and create magnificent light shows that are visible from both Earth and space.
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner made history by jumping from a capsule in the upper stratosphere. Having made a jump from a height of 37 km above the Earth's surface, Baumgartner was first in free flight, flying at a speed exceeding the speed of sound. Gradually, as the air thickened, its rate of fall became less and less.
Sunsets often look like the glow of a fire because small atmospheric particles scatter light, reflecting it in orange and yellow hues. The same principle underlies the formation of a rainbow.
In 2013, scientists found that tiny bacteria can survive and multiply high above the Earth's surface. Collected at an altitude of 8-15 km above the Earth, bacteria were found, both partially migratory and partially local, destroying organic compounds floating in the atmosphere for their nutrition.