Earth Science Lecture Chapter 9 - The Atmosphere & Global Warming

Our planet’s last line of defense from the extremely harsh environment of space is our atmosphere. Accumulated over billions of years from outgassing volcanoes, gases have collected into a thin band enveloping the Earth. The layered structure of the atmosphere is described, including the properties and functions of each layer. The composition of the air is detailed, and natural phenomena such as rainbows, sunsets and the northern lights are explained.