Air & Climate

Air: Air is the part of the Earth's atmosphere that humans breathe. It is the content of the various gases around the earth which is commonly known as Atmosphere. So ideally we can say that the atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation (Ozone layer), warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night. Composition: Air contains roughly (by volume) 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases like Methane, Neon, Helium, Hydrogen, Krypton, Nitrous oxide, Ozone, Carbon monoxide, Xenon etc. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1%. From the above mentioned gases, Oxygen is the essential gas for the life to sustain and develop. There are basically 5 layers present in the earth’s atmosphere: 1) Troposphere, 2) Stratosphere, 3) Mesosphere, 4) Thermosphere, 5) Exosphere.