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The air ocean has the ability to self-clean itself from pollutants. Aerosols are washed out of the atmosphere by precipitation, ions settle under the influence of the electric field of the atmosphere, as well as due to gravity. During this time, at a wind speed of 2 m/s, the emission from the pipe will be carried 10 km, particles of smaller diameter will settle at an even greater distance. Sedimentation is facilitated by their sorption on the surface of larger particles. In the absence of precipitation, aerosols fall out as a result of contact of the lower layer of air with the earth's surface and objects located on it. Thus, air currents carrying pollution are purified when they meet forests on their way. Not only solid particles, but also volatile substances are deposited on trees.
The ocean of air that envelops the Earth protects its surface from the direct impact of primary cosmic rays.
The air ocean now contains more than 500 million tons of carbon monoxide. Two thirds of them are created by human industrial activity. More than 200 million tons of carbon monoxide were released into the air of the planet by cars, the total capacity of which in the USSR is 2 times, and on an Earth scale 10 times greater than the capacity of all power plants.
The ocean of air surrounding our body does not come into contact with the internal organs. But no cell can exist if it does not receive sufficient oxygen and does not remove waste metabolic products. That is why complex multicellular organisms, in the process of evolutionary development, developed a special internal environment, to a certain extent fenced off from the outside world.
The size of the air ocean of our planet is enormous, and it may seem that the hundreds of millions of tons of pollution that enter the atmosphere annually and make up less than one ten-thousandth of a percent of the mass of the atmosphere are just a drop in the ocean. However, this is far from true, because over time the amount of air pollutants accumulates. Air pollutants are distributed unevenly, and in some places their concentration is already unacceptably high. And finally, even very small concentrations of some substances are dangerous.
The ocean of air around us consists of nitrogen and oxygen molecules with traces of argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. These molecules constantly bombard all objects on the surface of the Earth, and therefore the open surface of the mercury in the wide vessel of the barometer experiences a pressure that pushes the mercury into the tube to a height of about 760 mm. Changes in weather are accompanied by changes in atmospheric pressure, which leads to changes in barometer readings. Changes in atmospheric pressure usually occur 12 to 24 hours before weather changes, and this makes it possible to make weather predictions.
The atmosphere or ocean of air is the layer of gases that follows the daily movement of the Earth. The atmosphere extends from the Earth's surface to several thousand kilometers. The total mass of the atmosphere is approximately (5 - 6) 1015 tons, which is about one millionth of the mass of the Earth. Despite the relatively large vertical extent of the atmosphere, more than half of its total mass is concentrated in layers below 5 km.
As is known, the ocean of air is vertically heterogeneous. The most aggressive part is the near-earth layer, where tiny particles of the most varied composition and origin accumulate.
The atmosphere, or ocean of air, is the layer of gases that follows the daily movement of the Earth. The atmosphere extends from the Earth's surface over several thousand kilometers. The total mass of the atmosphere is approximately (5 - 6) 1015 tons, which is about one millionth of the mass of the Earth. Despite the relatively large vertical extent of the atmosphere, more than half of its total mass is concentrated in layers below 5 km.
A plane flies high in the blue ocean of air.
I proved that the ocean of air, at the bottom of which we live, is saturated with the embryos of these microscopic creatures, always ready to reproduce on the remains of obsolete matter in order to fulfill their role as destroyers, which for them is a manifestation of life. And if the laws of development that govern changes in tissues and fluids in the body of animals did not prevent the reproduction of these creatures (or, more precisely, did not restrain it within limits compatible with normal life and health), then we could be overwhelmed by them at any moment unstoppable flow. But as soon as life fades away, nothing can prevent any part of an animal or plant organism from becoming food for these microscopic creatures. In short, after death, life manifests itself in a new form and in a new quality. The germs of microorganisms scattered everywhere begin to develop, and under their influence either organic matter turns into a gaseous state due to fermentation processes, or air oxygen binds to it in large quantities and causes its gradual and complete combustion.
We live at the bottom of the ocean of air, and our hearing is adapted to perceive sound waves propagating in the air.
The energy of the fifth ocean, as the ocean of air is often called, is colossal. Scientists estimate that wind can provide 3,000 times more energy than humanity currently receives from the coal burned around the world. So, maybe we need to reconsider our attitude towards this source of energy.
Huge energy potential lies in the ocean of air, in the kinetic energy of the wind. It is estimated that only in a 90-meter layer from the surface of the earth over the entire territory of the Soviet Union, wind energy is 130 billion kilowatts. Every year, on one square kilometer of the earth's surface, due to wind power, it is possible to obtain 250 - 750 kilowatts of power, or 2 19 - 6 57 kilowatt hours of electricity.
(from gren, atmos - ball and sphaira - environment) - a gaseous shell surrounding the globe. The mass of the atmosphere is about a million times less than the mass of the Earth.
The gas that forms the atmosphere is called air. Like any gas, air occupies all free space, so there is no place on the surface of the earth where there is no air. Air is held near the ground by gravity. As altitude increases, the air becomes thinner. At an altitude of 100 km, less than one millionth of the total mass of the atmosphere remains, but auroras, which are observed at an altitude of 1000 km, indicate the presence of air there. The atmosphere has no upper limit; it gradually passes into outer space.
Air is a mixture of gases. At temperatures observed on Earth, all components of air are in a gaseous state and obey the law of ideal gases. There is always water vapor in the air - the gaseous phase of water. At different temperatures and pressures, water vapor can be in the atmosphere either in a liquid state (water) or in a solid state (ice). It enters the atmosphere mainly from the surface of the oceans and vegetation due to transpiration (from the Latin trans - through, through and spiro - I breathe, I exhale).
In atmospheric air, the ratio of gases of natural origin, except , is constant. This applies both to the main gases - nitrogen, oxygen and argon, forming 99.95% of the mass of the atmosphere, and to small gas impurities - neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen and others, the content of which is ten-thousandths, millionths and billionths of a percent . On the contrary, the content of carbon dioxide (CO2 - carbon dioxide) and ozone (03) varies depending on the season and location.
The total mass of these gases is small, but they affect the thermal regime of the atmosphere and the earth's surface. Carbon dioxide is intensively consumed on land by plants, and in the oceans by algae, which, through the process of photosynthesis, convert it into a living substance that serves as food for the animal world.
In the pre-industrial era, the gas composition of the atmosphere did not change for many hundreds of years, but with the beginning of the industrial era, the burning of fossil fuels - coal, oil, natural gas - led to a disruption of the natural balance and an increase in carbon dioxide (parts per million) in the atmosphere: in 1890 g. - 295, in 1935 - 310, in 1962 - 320, in 1973 - 324, in 1991 - 330, in 1994 - 352, in 1996 - 363. Chemically Carbon dioxide is passive (the lifetime of a CO2 molecule is about 4.5 years), so it can remain in the atmosphere for a long time and accumulate.
Tiny solid and liquid particles called aerosols float in suspension in the atmosphere. Their size is 0.001 - 5 microns (micrometers).
The formation of aerosols is caused by such natural processes as wind waves over the oceans, spraying foam, wind erosion of rocks and dust raised, forest and peat fires, and volcanic eruptions.
In addition to natural aerosols, the atmosphere contains a large number of aerosols of industrial origin. These are smoke from industrial enterprises, ventilation emissions from various industries (for example, cement factories), transport, etc. The concentration of aerosols is very uneven: in the entire atmosphere as a whole there are many times more aerosols of natural origin than man-made ones, and in industrial areas it’s the other way around.
With the exception of water vapor and aerosols, the gas composition of the air is constant up to an altitude of about 100 km. The constancy of the composition is due to the strong mixing of air both vertically and horizontally.
As altitude increases, lighter gases predominate. In addition, under the influence of ultraviolet light, oxygen molecules and small gas impurities are split into atoms. From an altitude of 800 km and above, hydrogen and helium predominate. Due to collisions, some molecules and atoms acquire a second escape velocity and fly into outer space.
When we leave the house, we are always interested in what the weather is like today. If, busy with our thoughts, we do not notice the weather, it persistently reminds us of itself. Weather is our eternal companion, capricious and fickle!
Since ancient times, people have tried to explain why the weather changes, how terrible hurricanes, showers, snowstorms arise, and what forces create them? The answer to these questions is given by meteorology - a science that studies phenomena in the air envelope of the globe (atmosphere). The word “meteorology” comes from the Greek words “meteor” - floating in the air and “logos” - word, doctrine.
The gravity of the air ocean
We live at the bottom of the ocean of air. The air around us is so transparent and light that until the 17th century, science was dominated by the belief in its weightlessness.
In 1640, in Italy, the Duke of Tuscany decided to install a fountain on the terrace of his palace. To supply water from the lake, a large pump was built, the likes of which had never been built before. But it turned out that the pump did not work - the water in it rose only to 10.3 m above the level of the reservoir.
No one could explain what was going on here until Galileo’s student E. Toricelli suggested that the water in the pump does not rise under the influence of the gravity of the atmosphere, which presses on the surface of the lake. A column of water 10.3 m high exactly balances this pressure, and therefore the water does not rise higher. Toricelli took a glass tube with one end sealed and the other open and filled it with mercury. Then he closed the hole with his finger and, turning the tube over, lowered its open end into a vessel filled with mercury. The mercury did not pour out of the tube, but only dropped a little.
The column of mercury in the tube is established at a height of 760 mm above the surface of the mercury in the vessel. The weight of a column of mercury with a cross section of 1 square. cm is equal to 1.033 kg, i.e. is exactly equal to the weight of a column of water of the same cross-section with a height of 10.3 m. It is with this force that the atmosphere presses on every square centimeter of any surface, including the surface of our body.
The palm of an adult's hand experiences atmospheric pressure of approximately 150 kg, i.e. equal to the weight of two men.
So Toricelli created a barometer - the world's first device that measures atmospheric pressure (from the Greek words “baros” - heaviness, weight, “metreo” - I measure). For a long time, atmospheric pressure was measured in millimeters of height of the mercury column. The average pressure at sea level is 760 mm. But such a unit turned out to be inconvenient for calculations, and now atmospheric pressure is expressed in millibars. One millibar is almost exactly equal to the force with which a body weighing 1 gram presses on a surface of 1 square meter. cm, and the average atmospheric pressure is 1013 mb. Using a barometer, it was found that atmospheric pressure changes all the time and is not the same in different places. It was found that atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude as the thickness of the atmosphere above the barometer decreases.
Distribution of atmospheric mass by layers
A barometer raised to the same height from different levels shows a different change in pressure. After all, the lowest layers of air are under pressure from the entire thickness of the atmosphere; they are especially highly compressed and the most dense. The higher it is, the weaker the pressure and the lower the air density.
So, for example, at a level of 5.5 km, the pressure is half as much as at sea level, i.e., half of the total mass of the atmosphere is concentrated in a layer 5.5 km thick. But the next layer of the same thickness, between the 5.5 and 11 km levels, contains only one quarter of the atmosphere's mass. Higher up, the decrease in pressure with ascent slows down even more. If you rise to a level of 22 km, then here the pressure is not zero, but is 1/25 of the surface pressure. Only 1/25, or 4%, of the total mass of the atmosphere remains in the overlying layers. Even higher, signs of air particles can be traced above the earth's surface to altitudes of more than 1000 km.
Layers of the air ocean
For a long time, people could judge the properties of the air ocean only by observations from the ground. Science began to truly penetrate its secrets when they invented means to lift measuring instruments into the upper layers of the atmosphere.
From the experience of mountain ascents and the first ascents of balloons, it became known that air temperature decreases with altitude. That is why even at the height of summer in hot tropical countries, the tops of high mountains are covered with sparkling eternal snow. It was found that the air temperature decreases by an average of 5-6° for each kilometer of ascent. In certain layers of the atmosphere and on certain days, this decrease in temperature may be greater or less. Sometimes there are even layers in which the temperature increases with height: this phenomenon is called an inversion or rotation of the temperature. We also noticed that very rarely the temperature drops to 10° per 1 km of ascent and never exceeds this value.
But then the researchers began to penetrate higher and higher, launching balloons - probes, to which recording devices were attached. At a certain height, the balloons burst, and the instruments with recordings were lowered by parachute. Sounding balloons began to penetrate to altitudes of more than 10-11 km, and then it was discovered that above this level the temperature stopped falling with altitude. At first they didn’t believe the devices: they decided that they were heated by the sun. However, then I had to admit that above 10-11 km a completely different layer of the atmosphere actually begins, in which the temperature does not decrease with altitude, but remains constant.
Scientists called this layer the stratosphere, in contrast to the lower layer - the troposphere.
Up to a height of 11 km, i.e., the troposphere contains 3/4 of the total mass of the atmosphere. This is also where almost all the clouds form and where the rain and snow fall. The phenomena that we call weather develop in the troposphere.
Over time, old instruments for studying the atmosphere were improved and new ones appeared. Instead of balloons, radiosondes began to be used - automatic radio stations rising on balloons that transmit readings from measuring instruments to the ground. It turned out that the thickness of the troposphere changes all the time and is not the same in different places on the globe. The less heat comes from the sun, the colder the troposphere, the thinner it is. In our temperate latitudes, the thickness of the troposphere ranges from 8 to 13 km, sometimes decreasing to 6 km or increasing to 15 km.
Over the South and North Poles, the thickness is on average 8 km, and above the equator it reaches 17 km. The thicker the troposphere, the colder the stratosphere: after all, in the troposphere the temperature decreases with altitude. Therefore, the average temperature in the stratosphere above the Arctic is minus 45°, above our latitudes - minus 55°, above the equator - minus 80°. Thus, it turns out that above the warmer thick troposphere lies a colder stratosphere, and, conversely, above the cold thin troposphere lies a warm stratosphere.
At first, after the discovery of the stratosphere, it was assumed that it extended to the upper boundary of the atmosphere and gradually passed into airless space. Then a new means of meteorological observations appeared - a rocket, which began to reach heights of hundreds of kilometers.
Very interesting data was obtained using artificial satellites. All these observations showed that in the stratosphere the temperature remains constant with altitude only up to 40 km. This is where the stratosphere ends. Above the mesosphere extends to a level of 80 km, where the temperature drops, and at the upper boundary of the mesosphere it drops to minus 90°. Above 80 kilometers is the ionosphere.
The temperature of the ionosphere increases with altitude and reaches very high values at some levels, on the order of hundreds of degrees. But this does not mean that a person who gets there will be roasted alive: the air density there is so low that it is impossible to feel the difference with airless outer space, which has a temperature of absolute zero (minus 273°). We feel temperature by the intensity with which molecules of a substance bombard the surface of our body. The speed of movement of molecules represents the physical essence of the temperature of a substance; It is this speed that increases in the ionosphere to very large limits, which could correspond to very high air temperatures in the usual sense of the word.
Above 800 km above the Earth, the ionosphere ends and the scattering zone begins. From here, air particles escape into outer space, leaving our planet forever. In this zone, the air is so rarefied that a particle can fly hundreds of kilometers without colliding with another.
To imagine this, it is enough to say that at an altitude of 100 km from one collision to another, a particle of air can fly a distance of 1-2 cm, while at the surface of the Earth - no more than one hundred thousandth of a centimeter! According to some signs, particles of gases that make up the air are found up to altitudes of 1500-2000 km. This level can be considered the upper limit of the atmosphere.
What explains atmospheric stratification?
Why is the atmosphere divided into such layers? This is explained by a number of reasons. First, air density decreases with height. Secondly, the sun's rays, carrying heat, penetrate almost unhindered through the atmosphere, heat the earth's surface and from it the heat spreads upward to the entire atmosphere. Thirdly, the atmosphere still absorbs part of the solar radiation, especially the flow of particles flying from the Sun, and therefore the upper parts of the atmosphere are exposed to this radiation, and the lower parts are protected from it. Finally, heat in the atmosphere spreads in two different ways: by mixing the air and by thermal radiation from its particles. Moreover, in dense air the first method predominates, and in rarefied air the second method predominates.
The troposphere is in direct contact with the heater - the earth's surface. The air density in it is greatest, and heat is distributed mainly by mixing the air, lowering and rising its particles. As air rises, it enters layers of lower atmospheric pressure and expands. Theoretically, when air expands, its temperature decreases by 10° per 1 km of rise. When air descends, its temperature, on the contrary, increases by the same amount: 10° per 1 km. This means that already from such rises and falls of air in the troposphere, the temperature should fall with height. But warmer particles are lighter than cold ones, they rise more often, and colder particles sink lower. Therefore, it turns out that the temperature in the troposphere drops with altitude by 10° per kilometer, and on average by 5-6°.
In the stratosphere, where the air density is low, its flows cannot transfer much heat. Here, heat is transferred by radiation - invisible heat rays. Every body radiates heat, and the higher its temperature, the stronger it is. We feel such rays coming from the wall of a heated stove. If you place a heated and cold object in front of each other, the heated one will cool, and the cold one will heat up until their temperatures are equal. The same thing happens in the stratosphere, where all layers radiate heat down and up and thus maintain the same temperature. Electrically charged particles rushing from the Sun at enormous speed penetrate into the ionosphere, where the air is very rarefied, and bombard and electrify the air particles. The electrified layer turns out to be capable of conducting electricity and greatly influences the propagation of short radio waves - it reflects them down to the Earth. Reflecting alternately from the ionosphere and from the earth's surface, short radio waves travel around the entire globe - this is the secret of their amazingly long range.
In this lesson we will learn what the atmosphere is and get acquainted with its properties and characteristics. We will also find out how it interacts with other parts of the planet.
Topic: Earth
Lesson: Earth's Air Ocean
Atmosphere- a gaseous shell of a celestial body held near it by gravity. The atmosphere determines the weather on the Earth's surface, meteorology studies weather, and climatology deals with long-term climate variations. The Earth's atmosphere arose as a result of the release of gases during volcanic eruptions. With the advent of the oceans and the biosphere, it was formed due to gas exchange with water, plants, animals and the products of their decomposition in soils and swamps.
Air- a natural mixture of gases that forms the earth's atmosphere. Air is necessary for the normal existence of the vast majority of terrestrial living organisms.
Currently, the Earth's atmosphere consists mainly of gases and various impurities (dust, water droplets, ice crystals, sea salts, combustion products).
The concentration of gases that make up the atmosphere is almost constant, with the exception of water and carbon dioxide.
Rice. 1. Composition of the Earth's atmosphere ()
The atmosphere can be called an ocean of air due to its enormous size, circulation and processes similar to the hydrosphere.
Air pollution is a variable process; many different pollutants are involved. Once pollutants are released into the air, they interact with each other and the environment, entering into complex reactions depending on temperature, humidity and other environmental conditions. Pollutants can be divided into two groups:
Primary pollutants are substances generated during human activities;
Secondary pollutants are substances formed as a result of the interaction of primary pollutants with the atmosphere. The air is polluted by cars and factories.
Rice. 2. Air pollution ()
The thickness of the atmosphere is approximately 120 km from the Earth's surface.
The atmosphere has the following structure:
Rice. 3. Structure of the atmosphere ()
The higher you are from the Earth's surface, the lower the temperature becomes.
Clouds- accumulations of water droplets and ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds form mainly in the troposphere.
There are three types of clouds:
Rice. 4. Cirrus clouds ()
Rice. 5. Cumulus clouds ()
Rice. 6. Stratus clouds ()
Cumulus and stratus clouds contribute to precipitation.
The characteristics of the atmosphere include: temperature, pressure, wind speed.
Weather- this is the state of the lower layer of the atmosphere, in a certain place and at a certain time.
Climate- long-term weather regime. The formation of climate is influenced by a number of reasons, which are called climate-forming factors: the amount of solar energy, relief, the World Ocean, geographical location, sea currents.
The main characteristic of weather is air temperature.
There is a constant circulation of air in the atmosphere: cold air goes down and hot air goes up. Thus, vertical movement of air occurs.
Wind- This is a horizontal air flow. Its main characteristics are speed and direction.
Lightning is a giant electrical spark discharge in the atmosphere that can usually occur during a thunderstorm, resulting in a bright flash of light and accompanying thunder. Lightning has also been recorded on Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, etc. The current in a lightning discharge reaches 10-100 thousand amperes, the voltage reaches millions of volts (sometimes reaching 50 million volts), however, only 47 are killed after a lightning strike. 3% of people.
Storm- an atmospheric phenomenon in which electrical discharges occur inside clouds or between the cloud and the earth's surface - lightning, accompanied by thunder. Typically, thunderstorms form in powerful cumulonimbus clouds and are associated with heavy rain, hail and strong winds.
1. Melchakov L.F., Skatnik M.N. Natural history: textbook. for 3.5 grades avg. school - 8th ed. - M.: Education, 1992. - 240 pp.: ill.
2. Bakhchieva O.A., Klyuchnikova N.M., Pyatunina S.K. and others. Natural history 5. - M.: Educational literature.
3. Eskov K.Yu. and others. Natural history 5 / Ed. Vakhrusheva A.A. - M.: Balass.
1. Melchakov L.F., Skatnik M.N. Natural history: textbook. for 3.5 grades avg. school - 8th ed. - M.: Education, 1992. - p. 173, tasks and question. 1, 2, 5.
2. What types of clouds are there?
3. What is weather and climate?
4. * Prepare a short report about a major thunderstorm. What damage did she do?
Air ocean. Publ. Atmosphere, airspace. F 2, 17. Over the ocean. Publ. To America (especially the USA). Mokienko 2003, 67. Fifth Ocean. Publ. 1. The same as the ocean of air. 2. Space, outer space. Mokienko 2003, 67. Overseas...
OCEAN, ah, husband. 1. The entire water cover of the Earth surrounding continents and islands. World o. 2. A body of water that surrounds a continent or is located between continents. Arctic Island Ludskoy about. (translated: about the masses of people). O. knowledge (translated). … … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
- (Greek). A vast expanse of bitterly salty water covering most of the globe. 2) according to Greek mythology, the god of the seas, covering all the earth and waters, the husband of Thetis, the father of 3000 sons of the springs and the same number of daughters of the Oceanids. Dictionary… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
OCEAN, ocean, husband. (Greek okeanos, original proper name in mythology). 1. The body of water between the continents of the earth’s surface. Atlantic Ocean. Flight across the ocean. || The entire water cover of the earth (geographical). || sea (poet.). The sea is blue... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
A; m. [Greek keanos] 1. units only The entire body of water on Earth surrounding continents and islands. World o. / About vast water or air space. Air, fifth o. (about the Earth's atmosphere). 2. One of the four parts of such a space:... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
If you are looking for fantastic, and not real, devices, see Aircraft carriers in fiction “Flying aircraft carrier” TB 3 4AM 34FRN with I 16 fighters under the wing Aircraft carrier, Flying aircraft carrier, Aviamatka an aircraft carrying ... ... Wikipedia
ocean- A; m. (Greek Ōkeanós) see also. okiyan, oceanic, oceanic 1) a) only units. The entire body of water on Earth surrounding continents and islands. World Ocean. b) ext. ABOUT … Dictionary of many expressions
Publ. 1. The same as the ocean of air. 2. Space, outer space. Mokienko 2003, 67 ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings
- (Latin name Mare Atlanticum, Greek Atlantis denoted the space between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Canary Islands, the entire ocean is called Oceanus Occidentalis Western Ocean) Physico-geographical sketch. A. o. second in... ...
The third largest ocean on Earth (after the Pacific and Atlantic). It is located mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, between Asia in the north, Africa in the west, Australia in the east, and Antarctica in the south. It is connected in the southwest to the Atlantic Ocean, in the east and south... Great Soviet Encyclopedia