The Atmosphere
What is the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is the gaseous layer that surrounds or "envelopes" our planet. The study of Earth’s atmosphere, known as meteorology, goes back thousands of years. Here are a few of the things we've discovered about Earth’s atmosphere since then:
The atmosphere is the gaseous layer that surrounds or "envelopes" our planet. The study of Earth’s atmosphere, known as meteorology, goes back thousands of years. Here are a few of the things we've discovered about Earth’s atmosphere since then:
- No other planet that we know of has the precise mixture of gases or the heat and water conditions necessary to sustain life.
In fact, well-known physicist Steven Hawking estimated that the chance of a planet developing an atmosphere like Earth’s are less than a million to one. - The gases that make up the atmosphere and the systems which impact Earth's atmosphere are vital to our lives. Atmospheric changes happen all the time, but if we alter the atmosphere too greatly it may impact our environment and drastically change our way of life.
What's the atmosphere made of?