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CHAPTER 2
THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

Topics Covered: a. Composition of the Atmosphere

b. Layers of the Atmosphere
c. Air Pollution
Time Frame: 6 hours

INTRODUCTION
Imagine a house without a roof; this can't be called a shelter. The same
thing applies to our planet. The atmosphere is a component of the biospheric
system because it enables life to exist; otherwise, the Earth will be barren like the
moon. The Earth's atmosphere doesn't only provide gases for the sustenance of
life forms but also prevents hazardous solar radiation from reaching the Earth's
surface and the debris from other celestial bodies.
This chapter discusses the importance of atmosphere, its compositions,
and layers. This also explains the effects of human activities in our atmosphere,
in the form of air pollution.

OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, at least 95 %, you should be able to:
1. Identify the composition of the Earth's atmosphere.
2. Differentiate the layers of the Earth's atmosphere.
3. Explain the causes and effects of air pollution.
4. List down activities at home that contribute to air pollution and how you
could help avoid such actions.
 PRE-TEST

True or False. Write T if the statement is true and F if False.

___1. Argon is more abundant than carbon dioxide in terms of the composition of
air.
___2. The ozone layer is composed of three atoms of oxygen that protect us from
harmful ultraviolet radiation.
___3. Clouds are mostly found in the stratosphere.
___4. The sun radiates sunlight to the Earth measured in the astronomical unit
(AU).
___5. The mesosphere starts at 90 km above the Earth's surface.
___6. The wind is the movement of air from low to high-pressure areas.
___7. The movement caused by the difference in temperature is best described as
convection.
___8. Water vapor exists in a small amount in the atmosphere.
___9. Natural greenhouse gases have harmful effects on a variety of organisms.
___10. Our planet will be a better place without greenhouse gases.
___11. Natural causes are also to blame for air pollution.
___12. Methane is released through the natural process such as volcanic eruption
that contributes to greenhouse effect.
___13. Particulate matter such as smoke and dust are imposing a threat to human
health
___14. The altitude of air is directly proportional to its density.
___15. Assuming that the Earth has many active volcanoes, it will still be suitable
to live on Earth.

DISCUSSION

Earth is the planet in the universe as we know with enough appropriate air
that can support life. The layer of gases not only contains the air that we breathe
but also protects us from blasts of heat and radiation coming from the sun. It gets
the planet by day and cools it by night.

Figure 2 Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this image showing Earth's
atmosphere and moon on July 31, 2011.
Image Credit: ISS Crew Earth Observation Experiment and Image Science & Analysis
Laboratory/Johnson Space Center.
Composition of the Atmosphere
According to NASA, the gases of Earth’s atmosphere include:
 Nitrogen – 78 %
 Oxygen – 21 %
 Argon - 0.93 %
 Carbon dioxide – 0.04 %
 Trace amounts of 1) neon, 2) helium, 3) methane, 4) krypton, and 5)
hydrogen, as 6) well as water vapor

Layers of the Atmosphere

Figure 2.1 Atmospheric Strata of the Earth

The main strata of the Earth's atmosphere is divided into five: the exosphere,
the thermosphere, the mesosphere, the stratosphere, and the troposphere. The
ionosphere is not a distinct layer but a series of regions in parts of the mesosphere
and thermosphere.

1. Troposphere. The troposphere is the initial layer of our atmosphere from the
crust. Starting at ground level, it extends upward about 10 km above sea level.
Nearly all weather occurs in this layer. The 99% of the water vapor in the
atmosphere is found in this strata.
2. Stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from the top of the troposphere to
about 50 km above the ground. Ozone layer could be found in this layer. Where
it absorbs the UV light. Commercial passenger jets fly in the lower stratosphere.
The jet stream flows near the border between the troposphere and the
stratosphere.
3. Mesosphere. Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. It extends upward to
a height of about 85 km above the planet. Most meteors burn up in the
mesosphere. The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, almost -90°C,
are found in this layer.

4. Thermosphere. The thermosphere is the layer of scarce air above the

mesosphere. High-energy x-rays and UV radiation from the sun are absorbed
 in this layer, raising its temperature to hundreds or even thousands of degrees.
Many satellites orbit Earth within the thermosphere. The thermosphere's top
can be found between 500 and 1000 kilometers above the ground because of
the difference in the amount of energy. The upper thermosphere can have a
temperature ranging from about 500° C to 2000°C or higher. The aurora, the
Northern and Southern Lights, occur in the thermosphere.

5. Exosphere. The air in the exosphere is fragile; it is more space-like than the
thermosphere. The exosphere has no clear-cut upper boundary where it finally
fades away into space. The top of the exosphere is somewhere between
100,000 km and 190,000 km above Earth's surface. The latter value is about
halfway to the Earth's only satellite.

Air Pollution

Figure 2.2 Air Pollution

Air pollution pertains to the release of pollutants into the air that is harmful
to human health and the planet.
Examples of human-made air pollution sources are vehicle emissions, fuel
oils, and natural gas to heat homes, by-products of manufacturing and power
generation, particularly coal-fueled power plants, and fumes from chemical
production.
Our nature also releases hazardous substances into the air, such as smoke
from wildfires, ash and gases from volcanic eruptions, and gases, like methane,
which is emitted from decomposing organic matter in soils.
Exposure to air pollution is associated with oxidative stress and
inflammation in human cells. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on
Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO) classified air pollution as a
carcinogen.

Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) is from motor vehicle emissions. It contains

most human-made air pollution elements, such as ground-level ozone, several
forms of carbon, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and delicate particulate matter.
Ozone is the atmospheric gas, often called smog at ground level. It is created
when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, and
other sources chemical react in the presence of sunlight.

Noxious gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur
oxides, which are motor vehicle components and by-products of industrial
processes.

Particulate matter is composed of chemicals such as sulfates, nitrates, carbon,

or mineral dust. Emissions from fossil fuel combustion, the smoke of cigarettes,
and burning organic matter such as in wildfires are examples of PM.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are given off by paints, cleaning supplies,
pesticides, some furnishing, and even craft materials like glue. Gasoline and
natural gas are primary sources of VOCs during combustion.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are compounds that contain carbon

and hydrogen. Among 100 PAHs known to be widespread in the environment, 15
are listed to be carcinogens. Many industrial processes such as iron, steel, and
rubber product manufacturing, and power generation, produce PAHs as a by-
product.

Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health

Respiratory Disease.
Air pollution can affect lung development and result in emphysema (Wang
et al., 2019). It is also associated with asthma and other respiratory diseases such
as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (DeVries et al., (2017). Additionally,
particulate matter and nitrogen oxide are linked to chronic bronchitis (Hopper et
al., 2018).

Cardiovascular Disease
Delicate particulate matter can impair blood vessel function (Riggs et al.,
2020) and speed up calcification in arteries (Keller et al., 2018). The Natural
Institutes of Environmental Health and Sciences (2019) researchers have also
established linked to short-term daily exposure of post-menopausal women to
nitrogen oxides and the risk of having a hemorrhagic stroke. For a cross-section
of older Americans, exposure to TRAP can result in a lower level of good
cholesterol (Belle et al., 2017). Thus, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular
disease. Pregnant women also gain an increased risk of hypertensive disorders,
which are the leading cause of premature birth, low birth weight, fetal illness, and
death.

Cancer
According to Niehoff et al. (2020), some non-metallic air toxins, particularly
methylene chloride, were associated with the hazard of having breast cancer.
Overweight or obese women are more susceptible to these air toxins. Another
study by Smith et al. (2007), benzene exposure, an industrial chemical, and
gasoline component, can cause cancer in the blood and is associated with non-
Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A long-term study by Lin et al. (2019) even found an
association between lung cancer incidence and increased reliance on coal for
energy generation.

THINK ABOUT THIS #1

Direction. Make your graph (pie graph, bar graph ) showing the percentage of
gases in the atmosphere. Label your diagram correctly.
THINK ABOUT THIS #2
Direction. Based on what you have learned about the layers of the atmosphere.
Complete the table below.

Layers Importance

1. Troposphere

2. Stratosphere

3. Mesosphere

4. Thermosphere

5. Exosphere
THINK ABOUT IT #3 25pts.
Direction. Conduct an Interview on the effects of Air Pollution on Human Health
and in our Environment. Write here the possible questions, ideas, findings that you
wish to ask from your respondents or interviewee and upload a copy in your
Google Drive. You can make use of your groupings for the output.

THINK ABOUT IT #4 10pts

Direction. From the results of your interview , list down possible activities at home
that you could be of help in avoiding such problems.
Summary

The atmosphere of the Earth is composed of gases such as Nitrogen (78%),

Oxygen (21%), and other gases (1%). Further, the layers of the atmosphere are
enumerated as follows: 1) Troposphere, 2) Stratosphere, 3) Mesosphere, 4)
Thermosphere, and 5) Exosphere.

There are several factors also that are concerned with the pollution of air
where greenhouse gases contribute to the majority of its destruction. Proper
awareness must be promoted for less production of these greenhouse gases.

Reflection

We may learn from this chapter the basic difference between a gas and
an air. A gas is a specific and independent such as oxygen, carbon dioxide,
methane and others, while air is a mixture of gases. Another thing is that the
ozone layers which protects us from the harmful effects of the ultraviolet
radiation is depleted because of carbon emissions. Proper information
dissemination and strong implementation of the laws in the land such as the
Republic Act 8749 otherwise known as the Clean Air Act.

POST-TEST
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is the most abundant gas in the troposphere?

a. Nitrogen c. oxygen
b. argon d. carbon Dioxide
2. Stratosphere is an important layer because ________________.
a. The ozone layer is within the stratosphere, which protects life from infrared
radiation.
b. The ozone layer is within the stratosphere, which protects life from ultra-
violet radiation.
c. Stratosphere burns up meteors.
d. It contains the northern and southern lights.
3. The highest concentration of ozone is found in _________________.
a. troposphere c. mesosphere
b. stratosphere d. thermosphere
4. The sun's rays take about 8 minutes to reach Earth's atmosphere. Does this
process describe heat transfer?
a. Conduction c. radiation
b. convection d. both b and c
5. The mesosphere is an essential layer within the atmosphere because
a. It is where weather occurs.
 b. It is where the ozone layer is located, within which it absorbs UV radiation.
c. Meteors and comets burn up due to the particle's heating of the objects as
they enter the atmosphere.
d. It is the layer where the space shuttle is located.
6. Winds are caused by
a. equal heating of the Earth's atmosphere
b. indirect sunlight penetrating the atmosphere in the tropics, and direct
sunlight penetrating the atmosphere in the polar regions
c. unequal heating of the Earth's atmosphere
d. direct sunlight penetrating the atmosphere in the tropics, and indirect
sunlight penetrating the atmosphere in the polar regions
7. When warmer, less dense air rises in the atmosphere and cooler denser air
sinks are an example of heat transfer?
a. Radiation c. connection
b. convection d. conduction
8. The elemental air composition can consist
a. of nitrogen 21%, oxygen 78%, trace gases 1% of the Earth's atmospheric
composition.
b. Nitrogen 1%, oxygen 78%, trace gases 21% of the Earth's atmospheric
composition.
c. Nitrogen 78%, oxygen, 21%, trace gases 1% of the Earth's atmospheric
composition.
d. Nitrogen .001%, oxygen 78%, trace gases 21.9 % of the Earth's
atmospheric composition.
9. Why are greenhouse gases important to the Earth's atmosphere?
a. Greenhouse gases reflect infrared radiation and re-radiate the heat towards
space.
b. Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation that cools the planet.
c. Greenhouse gases reflect infrared radiation that heats back towards Earth.
d. Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and re-radiate the heat back
towards space.
10. Why is an atmosphere with a high concentration of greenhouse gas molecules
dangerous to living things?
a. High concentrations of greenhouse gases will cool the atmosphere to the
point that there will be a snowball effect.
b. High concentrations of greenhouse gases will cool the atmosphere and still
able to sustain life.
c. High concentrations of greenhouse gases will warm the planet just right for
life.
d. High concentrations of greenhouse gases will warm the atmosphere to the
point that it will be too hot to be a suitable environment.
11. Natural processes that cause air pollution, and climate change, within the
Earth's atmosphere, can consist of:
a. smokestacks and cars c. power plants and busses
b. volcanoes and wildfires d. volcanoes and man-made-fires
12. Unnatural processes that cause air pollution and climate change within the
Earth's atmosphere may consist of of_______.
a. Oceans are spraying seawater c. Industrial Smokestacks
b. Volcanic Eruptions d. Pollinated Trees and Flowers
c.
13. Particulate matter, found within the atmosphere, can be defined as:
a. a substance that is kept in a container under pressure and that is released
as a fine spray when a button is pressed
b. this is a complex mixture that contains, for instance, dust, pollen, soot,
smoke, and liquid droplets
c. this matter is only in the form of a solid, which includes dust particles and
pollen
d. this matter is only in the form of a liquid, which provides for water vapor and
liquid water
14. As winds carry particulate matter and greenhouse gases over large distances,
an erupting volcano can change the atmosphere's composition locally and
globally. If volcanic eruptions were constant, and 99% of volcanoes on Earth
were erupting for some time, the planet's atmosphere would?
a. Warm, due to greenhouse gases absorbing the infrared radiation and re-
radiating that heat back towards Earth.
b. Cool, due to particulate matter like ash and smoke plumes, blocks UV
radiation and re-radiates that heat back towards space.
c. Cool, due to absorbing the infrared radiation, cooling the air, and re-
radiating that air back towards Earth.
d. Warm, due to absorbing the infrared and re-radiating the heat back towards
space.
15. What is the relationship between altitude and air density in the Earth's
atmosphere?
a. As altitude increases, air density decreases.
b. As altitude increases, air density increases.
c. As altitude increases, air density remains the same.
d. There is no relationship between the two.

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