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Structure And Composition Of Atmosphere

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Structure and Composition of Atmosphere
Earth is the only planet in the solar system known to harbour life. Our planet 's rapid spin and molten nickel-iron core give rise to an extensive magnetic field, which, along with the atmosphere, shields us from nearly all of the harmful radiation coming from the Sun and other stars. Earth 's atmosphere protects us from meteors, most of which burn up before they can strike the surface. Nitrogen and Oxygen are the predominant gases in the atmosphere, accounting for about 99 percent of dry air. While 1 percent is mixture of all other gases make up the remaining 1 percent. All the gases found in the atmosphere are natural except CFCs (invented by Thomas Midgley, Jr. was an American mechanical engineer and chemist).

Exosphere (More than 500 km)
Thermosphere (85-500 km) Negative (-) Lapse Rate

Mesopause
Mesosphere (50-85km) Positive (+) Lapse Rate

Stratopause

O3 Layer [where concentration of ozone is 10 ppm (parts per million)]
Stratosphere (11-50km) Negative (-) Lapse Rate
Tropopause

Troposphere (0-11km) Positive (+) Lapse Rate

The atmosphere has a mass of about 4.5 to 5.0×1018 kg. The atmospheric temperature, pressure and density vary considerably with altitude. The atmosphere surrounding the Earth from dangerous cosmic radiations from outer space and helps in sustaining life on the earth. The atmosphere plays a vital role in maintaining the heat balance on the earth by absorbing the infrared radiation received from the sun

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