The
ozone layer
is extremely important because ozone gas in the stratosphere absorbs most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Because of this, the ozone layer protects life on Earth. High-energy UV light penetrates cells and damages DNA, leading to cell death (which we know as a bad sunburn).
What is the role of atmosphere in the protection of living organisms from ultraviolet radiation?
Ozone in the upper atmosphere absorbs high-energy ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the Sun
. This protects living things on Earth’s surface from the Sun’s most harmful rays. Without ozone for protection, only the simplest life forms would be able to live on Earth.
What is the role of atmosphere is sustaining life on earth?
The atmosphere
protects life on earth by shielding it from incoming ultraviolet (UV) radiation
, keeping the planet warm through insulation, and preventing extremes between day and night temperatures. The sun heats layers of the atmosphere causing it to convect driving air movement and weather patterns around the world.
How does the atmosphere affect electromagnetic radiation?
Particles and gases in the atmosphere can affect the incoming light and radiation. …
Scattering
occurs when particles or large gas molecules present in the atmosphere interact with and cause the electromagnetic radiation to be redirected from its original path.
Why does the atmosphere help sustain and protect life on the Earth’s surface?
The atmosphere blocks out harmful rays from the sun
. The ozone layer, which lies in the stratosphere 11 to 50 kilometers from the Earth’s surface, blocks out many harmful forms of radiation. Without the ozone layer, ultraviolet rays would destroy most life on Earth. Gases in the atmosphere also hold in heat.
What is the most important function of the atmosphere?
Atmosphere is essential
for life
on Earth as it supplies oxygen, water, CO
2
and some nutrients (N) to living organisms, and protects living organisms from temperature extremes and excessive UV radiation.
What is the main importance of the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is an important part of
what makes Earth livable
. It blocks some of the Sun’s dangerous rays from reaching Earth. It traps heat, making Earth a comfortable temperature. And the oxygen within our atmosphere is essential for life.
What are the two uses of 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.
Which is the coldest layer of our atmosphere?
Located between about 50 and 80 kilometers (31 and 50 miles) above Earth’s surface,
the mesosphere
gets progressively colder with altitude. In fact, the top of this layer is the coldest place found within the Earth system, with an average temperature of about minus 85 degrees Celsius (minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Is UV light harmful or helpful?
Radiation at the longer UV wavelengths of 320-400 nm, called UV-A, plays a helpful and essential role in formation of Vitamin D by the skin, and plays a
harmful role
in that it causes sunburn on human skin and cataracts in our eyes.
How do we interact with the atmosphere?
In more subtle ways, atmosphere-biosphere interactions influence
the health
of the air we breathe (see figure): rough surfaces of vegetation remove aerosols, ozone, and other reactive gases from the air through dry deposition; plants emit a huge variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are precursors to …
Which types of waves are blocked by Earth’s atmosphere?
In contrast, our atmosphere blocks
most ultraviolet light (UV) and all X-rays and gamma-rays
from reaching the surface of Earth. Because of this, astronomers can only study these kinds of light using detectors mounted on weather balloons, in rockets, or in Earth-orbiting satellites.
How do humans affect the atmosphere?
Burning fossil fuels, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere
, reducing the amount of forest cover, and the rapid expansion of farming, development, and industrial activities are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and changing the balance of the climate system.
What are the 3 functions of the atmosphere?
The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for liquid water to exist on the Earth’s surface,
absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation
, warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night (the diurnal temperature variation …
Would a person burn up in the atmosphere?
Short answer:
Yes
, as long as you’re going slow enough. Long answer: Great question! In theory, you could make a ‘cold’ re-entry. The reason that things like satellites and asteroids burn up is because they have huge velocities when they enter the atmosphere; I’m talking astronomical speeds, like kilometers per second.
How does ionosphere influence human activities?
The ionosphere also plays a role in our everyday communications and navigation systems. Radio and GPS signals travel through this layer of the atmosphere, or rely on
bouncing off the ionosphere to reach their destinations
. In both cases, changes in the ionosphere’s density and composition can disrupt these signals.
