The Atmosphere

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17 Terms

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Composition of Atmosphere

78% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, 0.04% Carbon Dioxide, with trace gases including argon, water vapor, and pollutants.

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Thermosphere

Layer extending from 80 km to 600 km above Earth; temperatures can exceed 2,500 °C, contains the auroras and the International Space Station.

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Mesosphere

Layer from 50 km to 80 km above Earth where most meteors burn up; temperatures can reach as low as -90 °C.

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Stratosphere

Layer between 12 km and 50 km above Earth containing the ozone layer, which absorbs harmful UV radiation.

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Troposphere

Lowest layer of the atmosphere extending to 12 km, where most weather phenomena occur and contains most atmospheric mass.

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Weather

Short-term changes in the atmosphere, occurring from minute to minute, hour to hour, or day to day.

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Climate

Long-term average of weather patterns over at least 30 years.

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Greenhouse Effect

Natural process that warms the Earth's surface by trapping infrared radiation from the Sun's energy.

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Greenhouse Gases

Gases like CO2, CH4, N2O, Water Vapor, and Ozone that trap heat in the atmosphere.

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Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

A major greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels and deforestation, lingering for thousands of years.

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Methane (CH4)

A potent greenhouse gas released during fossil fuel production and agriculture, over 25 times more effective than CO2.

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Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Greenhouse gas emitted from various industrial activities, significantly more effective than CO2 at trapping heat.

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Ocean Current

Thermohaline current driven by temperature and salinity differences, crucial for regulating Earth's climate.

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Primary Pollutants

Natural pollutants like Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Oxides (NO).

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Secondary Pollutants

Pollutants formed from chemical reactions in the atmosphere, such as ozone at ground level.

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Clean Air Act 1963

Legislation enacted to monitor, study, and control air pollution in the United States.

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CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon)

Man-made chemicals that destroy the ozone layer by breaking apart ozone molecules.