Atmospheric Science is the study of the atmosphere, which is the layer of gases surrounding Earth. The atmosphere protects life on Earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. It also helps regulate the planet’s temperature by trapping heat from the Sun. Atmospheric science includes meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry, and atmospheric physics.
Meteorology is the study of weather and climate. Climatologists study long-term trends in weather and climate. Atmospheric chemists study how pollutants affect the atmosphere. Atmospheric physicists study how energy from the Sun affects our planet.
The atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and 0.1% carbon dioxide Other trace gases include water vapor, neon, helium, methane, krypton, xenon Nitrogen and oxygen are not flammable Argon is an inert gas; it does not react with other elements Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas; it traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere
The majority of atmospheric science research is conducted using numerical models These models use equations to simulate different processes in the atmosphere Models allow scientists to test their hypotheses without putting people or equipment in harm’s way However, models are only as good as our understanding of atmospheric processes Therefore field campaigns are important for collecting data to improve our understanding of atmospheric science