What is Atmospheric Science?

meteorology, computer modeling,

Atmospheric sciences is an umbrella term oceanography, geology and volcanology
for the study of the atmosphere, its and other disciplines. Research is
processes, the effects other systems have increasingly connected with other areas of
on the atmosphere, and the effects of the study such as climatology. The
atmosphere on these other systems. composition and chemistry of the
Meteorology includes atmospheric atmosphere is of importance for several
chemistry and atmospheric physics with a reasons, but primarily because of the
major focus on weather forecasting. interactions between the atmosphere and
Climatology is the study of atmospheric living organisms. The composition of the
changes (both long and short-term) that Earth’s atmosphere has been changed by
define average climates and their change human activity and some of these changes
over time, due to both natural and are harmful to human health, crops and
anthropogenic climate variability. ecosystems. Examples of problems which
Aeronomy is the study of the upper layers have been addressed by atmospheric
of the atmosphere, where dissociation and chemistry include acid rain, photochemical
ionization are important. Atmospheric smog and global warming. Atmospheric
science has been extended to the field of chemistry seeks to understand the causes
planetary science and the study of the of these problems, and by obtaining a
atmospheres of the planets of the solar theoretical understanding of them, allow
system. Experimental instruments used in possible solutions to be tested and the
atmospheric sciences include satellites, effects of changes in government policy
rocketsondes, radiosondes, weather evaluated.
balloons, and lasers. The term aerology
(from Greek ἀήρ, aēr, “air”; and -λογία, - Atmospheric Dynamics
logia) is sometimes used as an alternative Atmospheric dynamics involves the study
term for the study of Earth’s atmosphere. of observations and theory dealing with all
Early pioneers in the field include Léon motion systems of meteorological
Teisserenc de Bort and Richard Assmann. importance. The list includes diverse
phenomena as thunderstorms, tornadoes,
Atmospheric Chemistry gravity waves, tropical cyclones,
Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of extratropical cyclones, jet streams, and
atmospheric science in which the chemistry global-scale circulations. The goal of
of the Earth’s atmosphere and that of other dynamical studies is to explain the
planets is studied. It is a multidisciplinary observed circulations on the basis of
field of research and draws on fundamental principles from physics. The
environmental chemistry, physics, objectives of such studies include
improving weather forecasting, developing atmosphere. The Earth’s magnetic field
methods for predicting seasonal and and the solar wind interact with the
interannual climate fluctuations, and atmosphere, creating the ionosphere, Van
understanding the implications of human- Allen radiation belts, telluric currents, and
induced perturbations (e.g., increased radiant energy.
carbon dioxide concentrations or depletion Climatology
of the ozone layer) on the global climate. In contrast to meteorology, which studies
short term weather systems lasting up to a
Atmospheric Physics few weeks, climatology studies the
Atmospheric physics is the application of frequency and trends of those systems. It
physics to the study of the atmosphere. studies the periodicity of weather events
Atmospheric physicists attempt to model over years to millennia, as well as changes
Earth’s atmosphere and the atmospheres in long-term average weather patterns, in
of the other planets using fluid flow relation to atmospheric conditions.
equations, chemical models, radiation Climatologists, those who practice
balancing, and energy transfer processes climatology, study both the nature of
in the atmosphere and underlying oceans. climates – local, regional or global – and
In order to model weather systems, the natural or human-induced factors that
atmospheric physicists employ elements of cause climates to change. Climatology
scattering theory, wave propagation considers the past and can help predict
models, cloud physics, statistical future climate change. Phenomena of
mechanics and spatial statistics which are climatological interest include the
highly mathematical and related to physics. atmospheric boundary layer, circulation
It has close links to meteorology and patterns, heat transfer (radiative,
climatology and also covers the design and convective and latent), interactions
construction of instruments for studying the between the atmosphere and the oceans
atmosphere and the interpretation of the and land surface (particularly vegetation,
data they provide, including remote land use and topography), and the
sensing instruments. In the UK, chemical and physical composition of the
atmospheric studies are underpinned by atmosphere. Related disciplines include
the Meteorological Office. Divisions of the astrophysics, atmospheric physics,
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric chemistry, ecology, physical geography,
Administration (NOAA) oversee research geology, geophysics, glaciology,
projects and weather modeling involving hydrology, oceanography, and
atmospheric physics. The U.S. National volcanology.
Astronomy and Ionosphere Center also
carries out studies of the high
Atmospheres on other Planets temperature between their day and night
All of the Solar System planets have sides which produce supersonic winds,
atmospheres as their large masses mean although the day and night sides of HD
gravity is strong enough to keep gaseous 189733b appear to have very similar
particles close to the surface. The larger temperatures, indicating that planet’s
gas giants are massive enough to keep atmosphere effectively redistributes the
large amounts of the light gases hydrogen star’s energy around the planet.
and helium close by, while the smaller
planets lose these gases into space. The 5 LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
composition of the Earth’s atmosphere is Earth’s atmosphere has five major and
different from the other planets because several secondary layers. From lowest to
the various life processes that have highest, the major layers are the
transpired on the planet have introduced troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
free molecular oxygen. The only solar thermosphere and exosphere.
planet without a true atmosphere is Troposphere. Earth’s troposphere
Mercury which had it mostly, although not extends from Earth’s surface to, on
entirely, blasted away by the solar wind. average, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in
The only moon that has retained a dense height, with its height lower at Earth’s poles
atmosphere is Titan. There is a thin and higher at the equator. Yet this very
atmosphere on Triton, and a trace of an shallow layer is tasked with holding all the
atmosphere on the Moon. air plants need for photosynthesis and
Planetary atmospheres are affected by the animals need to breathe, and also contains
varying degrees of energy received from about 99 percent of all water vapor and
either the Sun or their interiors, leading to aerosols (minute solid or liquid particles
the formation of dynamic weather systems suspended in the atmosphere). In the
such as hurricanes, (on Earth), planet-wide troposphere, temperatures typically go
dust storms (on Mars), an Earth-sized down the higher you go, since most of the
anticyclone on Jupiter (called the Great heat found in the troposphere is generated
Red Spot), and holes in the atmosphere by the transfer of energy from Earth’s
(on Neptune). At least one extrasolar surface. The troposphere is the densest
planet, HD 189733 b, has been claimed to atmospheric layer, compressed by the
possess such a weather system, similar to weight of the rest of the atmosphere above
the Great Red Spot but twice as large Hot it. Most of Earth’s weather happens here,
Jupiters have been shown to be losing their and almost all clouds that are generated by
atmospheres into space due to stellar weather are found here, with the exception
radiation, much like the tails of comets. of cumulonimbus thunder clouds, whose
These planets may have vast differences in tops can rise into the lowest parts of the
neighboring stratosphere. Most aviation Thermosphere. Located between about
takes place here, including in the transition 80 and 700 kilometers (50 and 440 miles)
region between the troposphere and the above Earth’s surface is the thermosphere,
stratosphere. whose lowest part contains the ionosphere.
Stratosphere. Located between In this layer, temperatures increase with
approximately 12 and 50 kilometers (7.5 altitude due to the very low density of
and 31 miles) above Earth’s surface, the molecules found here. It is both cloud- and
stratosphere is perhaps best known as water vapor-free. The aurora borealis and
home to Earth’s ozone layer, which aurora australis are sometimes seen here.
protects us from the Sun’s harmful The International Space Station orbits in
ultraviolet radiation. Because of that UV the thermosphere.
radiation, the higher up you go into the Exosphere. Located between about 700
stratosphere, the warmer temperatures and 10,000 kilometers (440 and 6,200
become. The stratosphere is nearly cloud- miles) above Earth’s surface, the
and weather-free, but polar stratospheric exosphere is the highest layer of Earth’s
clouds are sometimes present in its lowest, atmosphere and, at its top, merges with the
coldest altitudes. It’s also the highest part solar wind. Molecules found here are of
of the atmosphere that jet planes can extremely low density, so this layer doesn’t
reach. behave like a gas, and particles here
Mesosphere. Located between about 50 escape into space. While there’s no
and 80 kilometers (31 and 50 miles) above weather at all in the exosphere, the aurora
Earth’s surface, the mesosphere gets borealis and aurora australis are
progressively colder with altitude. In fact, sometimes seen in its lowest part. Most
the top of this layer is the coldest place Earth satellites orbit in the exosphere.
found within the Earth system, with an The Edge of Outer Space. While there’s
average temperature of about minus 85 really no clear boundary between where
degrees Celsius (minus 120 degrees Earth’s atmosphere ends and outer space
Fahrenheit). The very scarce water vapor begins, most scientists use a delineation
present at the top of the mesosphere forms known as the Karman line, located 100
noctilucent clouds, the highest clouds in kilometers (62 miles) above Earth’s
Earth’s atmosphere, which can be seen by surface, to denote the transition point,
the naked eye under certain conditions and since 99.99997 percent of Earth’s
at certain times of day. Most meteors burn atmosphere lies beneath this point. A
up in this atmospheric layer. Sounding February 2019 study using data from the
rockets and rocket-powered aircraft can NASA/European Space Agency Solar and
reach the mesosphere. Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
spacecraft suggests, however, that the
farthest reaches of Earth’s atmosphere —
a cloud of hydrogen atoms called the
geocorona — may actually extend nearly
391,000 miles (629,300 kilometers) into
space, far beyond the orbit of the Moon.
— Alan Buis/NASA's Global Climate
Change website