THE

CHEMISTRY
OF THE
EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE
Objectives :{EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE,
(LESSON 7.1)}
In this lesson we will be able to:
 Determine the different layers of atmosphere.
 Determine the chemical composition of Earth’s
atmosphere.
 Discuss the process involved in different layers of Earth’s
Atmosphere.
 Earth’s atmosphere
• Unit 7. The Chemistry of the Atmosphere The Earth's atmosphere
protects and sustains the planet's inhabitants by providing warmth
and absorbing harmful solar rays. In addition to containing the
oxygen and carbon dioxide, which living things need to survive, the
atmosphere traps the sun's energy and wards off many of the dangers
of space. The Earth’s atmosphere is a layer of mixed gases that is
trapped near the surface due to gravitational forces.
• Lesson 7.1 Earth’s Atmosphere A. The different layers of the atmosphere The atmosphere
can be divided into layers based on its temperature, as shown in Figure 7.1. These layers are
the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere and the thermosphere. A further region,
beginning about 500 km above the Earth's surface, is called the exosphere.
• B. The chemical composition of the atmosphere. The atmosphere is composed of a mixture
of several different gases in differing amounts. The permanent gases whose percentages do
not change from day to day are nitrogen, oxygen and argon. Nitrogen accounts for 78% of
the atmosphere, oxygen 21% and argon 0.9%. Gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides,
methane, and ozone are trace gases that account for about a tenth of one percent of the
atmosphere. Water vapor is unique in that its concentration varies from 0-4% of the
atmosphere depending on where you are and what time of the day it is. In the cold, dry
arctic regions water vapor usually accounts for less than 1% of the atmosphere, while in
humid, tropical regions water vapor can account for almost 4% of the atmosphere. Water
vapor content is very important in predicting weather
 The process involved in each region or layer

• Troposphere- STARTS AT THE Earth’s surface and extends 8

to 14.5 kilometers high. (5 to 9 miles).
• It is the densest part of the atmosphere.
• 2. Stratosphere- starts just above the troposphere and
extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high.
• The ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters the solar
ultraviolet radiation, is in this layer.
• Mesosphere starts just above the stratosphere and
extends to 85 kilometers (53 miles) high. Meteors
burn up in this layer.
• 4. Thermosphere -starts just above the mesosphere and extends to
600 kilometers (372 miles) high. Aurora and satellites occur in this
layer.
• 5. Ionosphere- is an abundant layer of electrons and ionized atoms
and molecules that stretches from about 48 kilometers (30 miles)
above the surface to the edge of space at about 965 km (600 mi),
overlapping into the mesosphere and thermosphere.
• Exosphere- This is the upper limit of our atmosphere. It extends
from the top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 km (6,200 mi).
 Objectives:{PHENOMENA IN THE OUTER
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE (LESSON 7.2)}
In this lesson we will be able to:
• Discuss what is Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis.
• How do they differ.
• What causes these phenomena.
• Where does the glow come from.
 Phenomena in the outer layers of the
atmosphere
• A. Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis
• Aurora borealis and australis are glowing sky phenomena that occur when
charged particles from the sun excite atmospheric molecules.
• Aurora -is a natural light display in the sky, particularly in the high-latitude
(arctic and antarctic) regions; it is caused by the collision of atmospheric atoms
with energetic, charged particles coming from space.
 What causes the Aurora?
• Auroras result from emissions of photons in the Earth’s upper atmosphere
(above 80 km, or 50 mi), from ionized nitrogen atoms regaining an
electron, and from oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an excited
state to ground state.
• They are ionized or excited by the collision of solar wind and
magnetospheric particles (such as high energy protons and electrons)
funneling down and accelerating along the Earth’s magnetic field lines
• B. Glow of Space Shuttles The glow observed as a space shuttle re-enters the
atmosphere is due to excited NO2 releasing light to return to its ground state.
• When atomic oxygen from the high atmosphere combines with nitric oxide on
the surface of the space shuttle, the resulting excited nitrogen dioxide returns to
the ground state emitting an apparent glow.
 Where does glow come from?
• the glow on the space shuttle forms when atomic oxygen reacts with the nitric
oxide (NO) on the exterior of the shuttle. The origin of the NO is unclear,
although it may be collected from the atmosphere or be a by-product of the fuel
consumption from the shuttle thrusters. This interaction produces NO2
according to the equation: O + NO → NO2* → NO2 + light.
 Objectives: { DEPLETION OF OZONE
(LESSON 7.3)}
In this lesson we will be able to:
 Explain how the chlorofluorocarbons damage the ozone layer.
 Describe the damaging effects of Ultraviolet Radiation.
 Discuss how the ozone layer shields the Earth from much of
the sun’s harmful radiation.
 Depletion of Ozone (O3) in the Stratosphere
• Ozone is a gas in the atmosphere that is made up of three oxygen atoms (O3). It
occurs naturally in small (trace) amounts in the upper atmosphere (the
stratosphere).
• Ozone protects life on Earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
In the lower atmosphere (the troposphere) near the Earth’s surface, ozone is
created by chemical reactions between air pollutants from vehicle exhaust,
gasoline vapors, and other emissions. At ground level, high concentrations of
ozone are toxic to people and plants.
 Cause and effect of ozone layer
depletion.
• Causes: Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), halons, and other compounds deplete the ozone
layer. These chemicals are found in cleaning agents, aerosols, insulating foam, and
refrigerants. CFCs and halons break down into chlorine and bromine which in turn
destroy the ozone layer.
• The main effect of ozone depletion is an increase in UV-B rays reaching the earth's
surface. Effects:
• 1. Humans: an increase in UV-B rays means a higher risk of skin cancer, eye
cataracts, and blindness.
• 2. Marine life: Phytoplankton and zooplankton are very sensitive to the amount of
light in their environment, and increases in UV-B rays would greatly affect them.
 Objectives: { ACID RAIN (LESSON 7.4)}

In this lesson we will be able to:

 1) determine what is acid rain and its effect into
ecosystem.
 2) determine the causes and effects of acid rain.
 What is acid rain?
• Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with
acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere
in wet or dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.
• Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the
atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2 and NOX react with water,
oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and
other materials before falling to the ground. While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that
caused acid rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the
burning of fossil fuels.
• The major sources of SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are:
• 1. Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO2 and one
fourth of NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
• 2. Vehicles and heavy equipment.
• 3. Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries. Winds can blow SO2 and
NOX over long distances and across borders making acid rain a problem for
everyone and not just those who live close to these sources.
 Effects of Acid Rain
• 1. The Effects of Acid Rain on Ecosystems.
• An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and other organisms along
with their environment including the air, water and soil. Everything in an
ecosystem is connected. If something harms one part of an ecosystem – one
species of plant or animal, the soil or the water. It damaged millions of acre of
forest.
• 2. Effects of Acid Rain on Fish and Wildlife.
• The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic environments, such as streams,
lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and other wildlife. As it flows through the soil,
acidic rain water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes.
At Ph 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower Ph levels, some adult fish die.
• 3. Effects of Acid Rain on Plants and Trees
• Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by acid rain. Acid rain leaches aluminum
from the soil. That aluminum may be harmful to plants as well as animals. Acid rain also removes
minerals and nutrients from the soil that trees need to grow.
• 4. Buffering Capacity
• Many forests, streams, and lakes that experience acid rain don’t suffer effects because the soil in
those areas can buffer the acid rain by neutralizing the acidity in the rainwater flowing through it.
This capacity depends on the thickness and composition of the soil and the type of bedrock
underneath it
• 5. Episodic Acidification
• Melting snow and heavy rain downpours can result in what is known as episodic
acidification. Lakes that do not normally have a high level of acidity may
temporarily experience effects of acid rain when the melting snow or downpour
brings greater amounts of acidic deposition and the soil can’t buffer it.
• 6. Nitrogen Pollution
• It’s not just the acidity of acid rain that can cause problems. Acid rain also contains
nitrogen, and this can have an impact on some ecosystems. For example, nitrogen
pollution in our coastal waters is partially responsible for declining fish and
shellfish populations in some areas. In addition to agriculture and wastewater,
much of the nitrogen produced by human activity that reaches coastal waters
comes from the atmosphere.
• 7. Effects of Acid Rain on Materials
• • damaged materials that need to be repaired or replaced,
• • increased maintenance costs, and
• • loss of detail on stone and metal statues, monuments and tombstones.
• 8. Other Effects of SO2 and NOX
• 1. Visibility In the atmosphere, SO2 and NOX gases can be transformed into sulfate and nitrate
particles, while some NOX can also react with other pollutants to form ozone. These particles
and ozone make the air hazy and difficult to see through. This affects our enjoyment of national
parks that we visit for the scenic view such as Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains.
• 2. Human Health Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in a lake affected by
acid rain, is no more dangerous to humans than walking in normal rain or
swimming in non-acidic lakes. However, when the pollutants that cause acid
rain —SO2 and NOX, as well as sulfate and nitrate particles— are in the air,
they can be harmful to humans.
 Objectives: { VOLCANOES (LESSON 7.5)}

In this lesson we will be able to:

 Describe the movement of the plates along boundaries
Students will be able to compare and contrast the three parts
of volcanoes.
 Volcanoes
• Volcanoes form when tectonic plates collide and one plate is pushed beneath another.
• Tectonic plates also move away from one another to produce volcanoes. Hot magma
rises from the mantle at mid-ocean ridges pushing the plates apart.
• The surface of the Earth is made up of rigid plates that move at a rate of a few
centimeters per year.(cm/yr). When they collide, one plate can be pushed beneath
another. As the plate sinks it heats up and dehydrates: water is released from minerals
and cracks in the sinking plate. This water is hotter than the surrounding rocks and
rises up into the mantle.
• Different types of volcanoes form at different tectonic settings. There are over
1500 named volcanoes in the world. To learn more about them, visit volcanoes
of the world.
• Volcanic eruptions pull materials up from deep within the earth to form various
volcanic landforms, such as lava domes, lava plateaus, fissure eruptions, craters
and calderas. Learn about these volcanic landforms and how they are created.
• the main good effect that volcanoes have on the environment is to provide
nutrients to the surrounding soil. Volcanic ash often contains minerals that are
beneficial to plants, and if it is very fine ash it is able to break down quickly and
get mixed into the soil. Another benefit might be the fact that volcanic slopes are
often rather inaccessible, especially if they are steep. Thus they can provide
refuges for rare plants and animals from the ravages of humans and livestock.
 Objectives:{GREENHOUSE EFFECT
( LESSON 7.6)}
In this lesson we will be able to:

 Discuss what is greenhouse effect and what causes a

greenhouse effect.
 What is Greenhouse effect?
• The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface and
troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere). When the Sun’s energy reaches the
Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and
re-radiated by greenhouse gases. It is an elevation in surface temperatures due to
atmospheric gases absorbing and re-radiating thermal energy.
• The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. This process
maintains the Earth’s temperature at around 33 degrees Celsius, warmer than it would
otherwise be, allowing life on Earth to exist. The majority of gases in the atmosphere,
such as nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, cannot absorb this infrared radiation.
• Gases known as greenhouse gases, including water vapor, carbon dioxide,
ozone, and methane, absorb and trap this heat as it tries to escape from
the atmosphere.
• Greenhouse gases then re-radiate this energy back to Earth, elevating
atmospheric temperatures even when the surface is not being directly
irradiated by the sun. The cloud layer can also absorb infrared radiation
and contribute further to the greenhouse effect. Without this trapping
effect, it is estimated that the surface of the Earth would be approximately
30 degrees cooler than current temperatures. The greenhouse effect
modulates the temperature at the Earth’s surface and makes it hospitable
to life.
 Objectives:{ PHOTOCHEMICAL
SMOG AND INDOOR POLLUTANTS}
In this lesson we will be able to:
 Lesson 7.7 : Discuss Learn what is a Photochemical smog and how it is
formed.
 Discuss the causes and effects of a photochemical smog.
 Lesson 7.8: Discuss and Learn the Indoor Pollutants and what are the
examples and of course the causes and effects of it. Learn about what are
the top five indoor pollutants.
 What is a photochemical smog and how it is
formed?
• Photochemical smog is a mixture of pollutants that are formed when nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react to sunlight creating a brown haze above cities. It
tends to occur more often in summer because that is most when we have sunlight. Ozone is
the main component in this type of air pollution. Ozone in the stratosphere protects us
against harmful ultraviolet radiation, but on the ground, it is hazardous to human health.
• Ground-level ozone forms when motor vehicle emissions containing nitrogen oxide and
volatile organic compounds (produced from paint and evaporation of fuel and solvents)
react in the presence of sunlight.
 What Causes Photochemical Smog?
• The collection of chemicals found in photochemical smog causes problems for
plants and animal life. Some plants such as tobacco, tomato and spinach are
highly responsive to ozone, so photochemical smog can decimate these sensitive
crops, trees and other vegetation.
• This type of air pollution is formed through the reaction of solar radiation with
airborne pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds called
as primary pollutants.
• Photochemical smog forms when primary pollutants react with ultraviolet light
to create a variety of toxic and reactive compounds. Both the primary and
secondary pollutants in photochemical smog are highly reactive. These
oxidizing compounds have been linked to a variety of negative health outcomes;
ozone, for example, is known to irritate the lungs.
• Effects of Photochemical Smog
• 1. Health Effects - Photochemical smog is capable of inflicting
irreversible damage on the lungs and heart.
• 2. Effects on Environment - Photochemical smog has devastating
effects on the environment. The collection of chemicals found in
photochemical smog causes problems for plants and animal life.
Some plants such as tobacco, tomato and spinach are highly
responsive to ozone, so photochemical smog can decimate these
sensitive crops, trees and other vegetation.
• 3. Precautions - Take precautionary steps to safeguard against the ill effects of
photochemical smog. Generally, photochemical smog is less concentrated in the
early morning or evening; therefore, exercising and planning outdoor activities
during this part of the day limits smog exposure.
• 4. Other Measures - The problem of photochemical smog has also prompted
some more serious reforms in an effort to reduce emissions.
• Switching over to other types of fuels, desulfurization of fuel gases from coal-
fired power plants, expansion of public rail transport and low emission
application of fertilizer in agriculture are some of the steps which have
drastically reduced the level of photochemical smog.
 Understanding Indoor Air Pollutants
• The common residential indoor pollutants
• 1. Radon- is a radioactive gas that is generated naturally in the soil and enters the
house from the ground.
• 2. Excess Moisture - is one of the most important and least recognized indoor
pollutants, affecting both human health and the health of the building. Cooler air can
hold less moisture, so the excess condenses in droplets on the surface. Where moisture
collects, so do mold, mildew, and dust mites, which can cause asthma or allergies,
destroy wood products, and accelerate the rusting of metal building components.
• Combustion Products-Gas-fired appliances, including furnaces, water heaters,
ranges, and some dryers, produce carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous
oxides, and water vapor.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is a particular concern because it is a colorless,
odorless, toxic gas that is difficult to detect without a well-designed CO detector,
and can be fatal.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)- VOCs include a range of evaporated
substances, including formaldehyde, which can be emitted by building materials
and furnishings (such as furniture and carpets), gasoline from the garage,
pesticides, and even cooking processes (the great scent of bread baking and the
pungent smell of frying onions).
• 5. Tobacco Smoke- Smoking is in a class by itself because
its health consequences (even for non-smokers) are so well-
documented and because it produces copious amounts of
both harmful gases and particles.