Name: Haseeb Ahmed

Roll No: EE19-003

Course: Sustainable Development
Assignment No 01
Submitted To: Sir Muhammad Ishaq
Q. Write an essay on atmosphere, its layers, atmospheric
gases and their functionalities and why they are essential for
life on earth. Also, what is ozone layer and what gases exist
in ozone?
An atmosphere from Ancient Greek  atmós,'vapors, steam', 'sphere' is a layer of gas or layers of
gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet
retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low.
A stellar atmosphere is the outer region of a star, which includes the layers above
the opaque photosphere; stars of low temperature might have outer atmospheres containing
compound molecules.
The atmosphere of Earth is composed of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (0.9%), carbon
dioxide (0.04%) and trace gases.[2] Most organisms use oxygen for respiration; lightning and
bacteria perform nitrogen fixation to produce ammonia that is used to
make nucleotides and amino acids; plants, algae, and cyanobacteria use carbon dioxide
for photosynthesis. The layered composition of the atmosphere minimizes the harmful effects
of sunlight, ultraviolet radiation, the solar wind, and cosmic rays to protect organisms from
genetic damage. The current composition of the atmosphere of the Earth is the product of billions
of years of biochemical modification of the paleo atmosphere by living organisms. Evolution of
the Atmosphere.
Structure of the Atmosphere:
The atmosphere of Earth is composed of layers with different properties, such as specific
gaseous composition, temperature, and pressure.
The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere. This extends from the planetary surface to
the bottom of the stratosphere. The troposphere contains 75-80 per cent of the mass of the
atmosphere, and is the atmospheric layer wherein the weather occurs; the height of the
troposphere varies between 17km at the equator and 7.0km at the poles.
The stratosphere extends from the top of the troposphere to the bottom of the mesosphere, and
contains the ozone layer, at an altitude between 15km and 35km. It is the atmospheric layer that
absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation that Earth receives from the Sun.
The mesosphere ranges from 50km to 85km, and is the layer wherein most meteors are
incinerated before reaching the surface.
The thermosphere extends from an altitude of 85km to the base of the exosphere at 690km and
contains the ionosphere, where solar radiation ionizes the atmosphere. The density of the
ionosphere is greater at short distances from the planetary surface in the daytime and decreases
as the ionosphere rises at night-time, thereby allowing a greater range of radio frequencies to
travel greater distances. Moreover, located in the thermosphere is the Kármán line at 100km,
which is the boundary between outer space and Earth's atmosphere.
The exosphere begins at 690 to 1,000km from the surface, and extends to roughly 10,000km,
where it interacts with the magnetosphere of Earth.

Composition:
The three major constituents of Earth's atmosphere are nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. Water vapor
accounts for roughly 0.25% of the atmosphere by mass. The concentration of water vapor (a
greenhouse gas) varies significantly from around 10 ppm by mole fraction in the coldest portions
of the atmosphere to as much as 5% by mole fraction in hot, humid air masses, and
concentrations of other atmospheric gases are typically quoted in terms of dry air (without water
vapor).   The remaining gases are often referred to as trace gases, among which are
other greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Besides
argon, already mentioned, other noble gases, neon, helium, krypton, and xenon are also present.
Filtered air includes trace amounts of many other chemical compounds. Many substances of
natural origin may be present in locally and seasonally variable small amounts as aerosols in an
unfiltered air sample, including dust of mineral and organic composition, pollen and spores, sea
spray, and volcanic ash. Various industrial pollutants also may be present as gases or aerosols,
such as chlorine (elemental or in compounds), fluorine compounds and elemental mercury vapor.
Sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide (SO2) may be derived from
natural sources or from industrial air pollution.

Atmospheric Layers their functionalities and purpose of exixtence:

Exosphere
The exosphere is the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere (i.e. the upper limit of the
atmosphere). It extends from the thermopause, at the top of the thermosphere at an altitude of
about 700 km above sea level, to about 10,000 km (6,200 mi; 33,000,000 ft), where it merges
into the solar wind.
This layer is mainly composed of extremely low densities of hydrogen, helium and several
heavier molecules including nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide closer to the exobase. The
atoms and molecules are so far apart that they can travel hundreds of kilometers without
colliding with one another. Thus, the exosphere no longer behaves like a gas, and the particles
constantly escape into space. These free-moving particles follow ballistic trajectories and may
migrate in and out of the magnetosphere or the solar wind.
The exosphere is too far above Earth for meteorological phenomena to be possible. However,
Earth's auroras—the aurora borealis (northern lights) and aurora australis (southern lights)—
sometimes occur in the lower part of the exosphere, where they overlap into the thermosphere.
The exosphere contains many of the artificial satellites that orbit Earth.
Thermosphere
The thermosphere is the second-highest layer of Earth's atmosphere. It extends from the
mesopause (which separates it from the mesosphere) at an altitude of about 80 km (50 mi;
260,000 ft) up to the thermopause at an altitude range of 500–1000 km (310–620 mi; 1,600,000–
3,300,000 ft). The height of the thermopause varies considerably due to changes in solar
activity. Because the thermopause lies at the lower boundary of the exosphere, it is also referred
to as the exobase. The lower part of the thermosphere, from 80 to 550 kilometres (50 to 342 mi)
above Earth's surface, contains the ionosphere.
The temperature of the thermosphere gradually increases with height and can rise as high as
1500 °C (2700 °F), though the gas molecules are so far apart that its temperature in the usual
sense is not very meaningful. The air is so rarefied that an individual molecule (of oxygen, for
example) travels an average of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi; 3300 ft) between collisions with other
molecules. Although the thermosphere has a high proportion of molecules with high energy, it
would not feel hot to a human in direct contact, because its density is too low to conduct a
significant amount of energy to or from the skin.
This layer is completely cloudless and free of water vapor. However, non-hydrometeorological
phenomena such as the aurora borealis and aurora australis are occasionally seen in the
thermosphere. The International Space Station orbits in this layer, between 350 and 420 km (220
and 260 mi). It is this layer where many of the satellites orbiting the earth are present.
Mesosphere
Afterglow of the troposphere (orange), the stratosphere (blue) and the mesosphere (dark) at
which atmospheric entry begins, leaving smoke trails, such as in this case of a spacecraft reentry.
The mesosphere is the third highest layer of Earth's atmosphere, occupying the region above the
stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It extends from the stratopause at an altitude of about
50 km (31 mi; 160,000 ft) to the mesopause at 80–85 km (50–53 mi; 260,000–280,000 ft) above
sea level.
Temperatures drop with increasing altitude to the mesopause that marks the top of this middle
layer of the atmosphere. It is the coldest place on Earth and has an average temperature around
−85 °C (−120 °F; 190 K).
Just below the mesopause, the air is so cold that even the very scarce water vapor at this altitude
can condense into polar-mesospheric noctilucent clouds of ice particles. These are the highest
clouds in the atmosphere and may be visible to the naked eye if sunlight reflects off them about
an hour or two after sunset or similarly before sunrise. They are most readily visible when the
Sun is around 4 to 16 degrees below the horizon. Lightning-induced discharges known
as transient luminous events (TLEs) occasionally form in the mesosphere above
tropospheric thunderclouds. The mesosphere is also the layer where most meteors burn up upon
atmospheric entrance. It is too high above Earth to be accessible to jet-powered aircraft and
balloons, and too low to permit orbital spacecraft. The mesosphere is mainly accessed
by sounding rockets and rocket-powered aircraft.
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. It lies above the troposphere
and is separated from it by the tropopause. This layer extends from the top of the troposphere at
roughly 12 km (7.5 mi; 39,000 ft) above Earth's surface to the stratopause at an altitude of about
50 to 55 km (31 to 34 mi; 164,000 to 180,000 ft).
The atmospheric pressure at the top of the stratosphere is roughly 1/1000 the pressure at sea
level. It contains the ozone layer, which is the part of Earth's atmosphere that contains relatively
high concentrations of that gas. The stratosphere defines a layer in which temperatures rise with
increasing altitude. This rise in temperature is caused by the absorption of ultraviolet
radiation (UV) radiation from the Sun by the ozone layer, which restricts turbulence and mixing.
Although the temperature may be −60 °C (−76 °F; 210 K) at the tropopause, the top of the
stratosphere is much warmer, and may be near 0 °C.
The stratospheric temperature profile creates very stable atmospheric conditions, so the
stratosphere lacks the weather-producing air turbulence that is so prevalent in the troposphere.
Consequently, the stratosphere is almost completely free of clouds and other forms of weather.
However, polar stratospheric or nacreous clouds are occasionally seen in the lower part of this
layer of the atmosphere where the air is coldest. The stratosphere is the highest layer that can be
accessed by jet-powered aircraft.
Troposphere
A picture of Earth's troposphere with its different cloud types of low to high altitudes casting
shadows. Sunlight is reflected off the ocean, after it was filtered into a reddish light by passing
through much of the troposphere at sunset. The above lying stratosphere can be seen at
the horizon as a band of its characteristic glow of blue scattered sunlight.
The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. It extends from Earth's surface to an
average height of about 12 km (7.5 mi; 39,000 ft), although this altitude varies from about 9 km
(5.6 mi; 30,000 ft) at the geographic poles to 17 km (11 mi; 56,000 ft) at the Equator, with some
variation due to weather. The troposphere is bounded above by the tropopause, a boundary
marked in most places by a temperature inversion (i.e. a layer of relatively warm air above a
colder one), and in others by a zone that is isothermal with height.
Nearly all atmospheric water vapor or moisture is found in the troposphere, so it is the layer
where most of Earth's weather takes place. It has basically all the weather-associated cloud genus
types generated by active wind circulation, although very tall cumulonimbus thunder clouds can
penetrate the tropopause from below and rise into the lower part of the stratosphere. Most
conventional aviation activity takes place in the troposphere, and it is the only layer that can be
accessed by propeller-driven aircraft.
Other layers
Within the five principal layers above, which are largely determined by temperature, several
secondary layers may be distinguished by other properties:

 The ozone layer is contained within the stratosphere. In this layer ozone concentrations are

about 2 to 8 parts per million, which is much higher than in the lower atmosphere but still
very small compared to the main components of the atmosphere. It is mainly located in the
lower portion of the stratosphere from about 15–35 km (9.3–21.7 mi; 49,000–115,000 ft),
though the thickness varies seasonally and geographically. About 90% of the ozone in
Earth's atmosphere is contained in the stratosphere.
 The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation. It is
responsible for auroras. During daytime hours, it stretches from 50 to 1,000 km (31 to
621 mi; 160,000 to 3,280,000 ft) and includes the mesosphere, thermosphere, and parts of
the exosphere. However, ionization in the mesosphere largely ceases during the night, so
auroras are normally seen only in the thermosphere and lower exosphere. The ionosphere
forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. It has practical importance because it influences,
for example, radio propagation on Earth.
 The homosphere and heterosphere are defined by whether the atmospheric gases are well
mixed. The surface-based homosphere includes the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
and the lowest part of the thermosphere, where the chemical composition of the atmosphere
does not depend on molecular weight because the gases are mixed by turbulence. This
relatively homogeneous layer ends at the turbopause found at about 100 km (62 mi;
330,000 ft), the very edge of space itself as accepted by the FAI, which places it about 20 km
(12 mi; 66,000 ft) above the mesopause.

Ozone Layer

Introduction
Ozone layer, also called ozonosphere, region of the upper atmosphere, between roughly 15 and
35 km (9 and 22 miles) above Earth’s surface, containing relatively high concentrations
of ozone molecules (O3). Approximately 90 percent of the atmosphere’s ozone occurs in
the stratosphere, the region extending from 10–18 km (6–11 miles) to approximately 50 km
(about 30 miles) above Earth’s surface. In the stratosphere the temperature of the atmosphere
rises with increasing height, a phenomenon created by the absorption of solar radiation by the
ozone layer. The ozone layer effectively blocks almost all solar radiation of wavelengths less
than 290 nm from reaching Earth’s surface, including certain types of ultraviolet (UV) and other
forms of radiation that could injure or kill most living things.
Location in Earth’s atmosphere
In the mid latitudes the peak concentrations of ozone occur at altitudes from 20 to 25 km (about
12 to 16 miles). Peak concentrations are found at altitudes from 26 to 28 km (about 16 to 17
miles) in the tropics and from about 12 to 20 km (about 7 to 12 miles) toward the poles. The
lower height of the peak-concentration region in the high latitudes largely results from poleward
and downward atmospheric transport processes that occur in the middle and high latitudes and
the reduced height of the tropopause (the transition region between the troposphere and
stratosphere).

Most of the remaining ozone occurs in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere that extends
from Earth’s surface up to the stratosphere. Near-surface ozone often results from interactions
between certain pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds),
strong sunlight, and hot weather. It is one of the primary ingredients in photochemical smog, a
phenomenon that plagues many urban and suburban areas around the world, especially during
the summer months.
 Ozone depleting substances are man-made gases that destroy ozone once they reach the ozone
layer. The ozone layer sits in the upper atmosphere and reduces the amount of harmful ultra
violet radiation that reaches Earth from the sun. Ultraviolet radiation can have detrimental effects
on both humans and the environment. For instance inducing skin cancer and cataracts, distorting
plant growth and damaging the marine environment.

Ozone depleting substances include:

 chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
 hydrobromoflurocarbons (HBFCs)
 halons
 methyl bromide
 carbon tetrachloride
 methyl chloroform.

They have been used as:

 refrigerants in commercial, home and vehicle air conditioners and refrigerators
 foam blowing agents
 components in electrical equipment
 industrial solvents
 solvents for cleaning (including dry cleaning)
 aerosol spray propellants
 fumigants.