The atmosphere is nothing but a layer present above the earth’s surface which is made up of gases. It’s so important that without the presence of atmosphere life on earth will not be possible. Apart from giving us air which consists of oxygen to breathe, the atmosphere protects us from the majority of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and maintains the temperature of our planet with the help of a process known as the greenhouse effect. The atmosphere also helps to maintain the extreme temperature differences between a day and a night. As we have already said, the Earth’s layer is made up of gases. It consists of nitrogen which is about 78% and then comes oxygen which is very important for lives to survive on earth and it consists of 21% and the rest is other gases. The earth’s atmosphere is composed of six stages. They are Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere and Ionosphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer where we the living beings stay. It consists of most of the air.

Importance of Atmosphere :

The atmosphere is a crucial component of what makes the Earth habitable. We know that the sun emits harmful rays which can destroy us. The atmosphere protects us by deflecting some of the Sun’s harmful radiation away from Earth. The sun generates heat. The Earth’s Atmosphere captures the heat produced by the earth and provides a pleasant temperature for living beings to survive. The atmosphere provides us with oxygen that enables living beings to survive on the earth. The water cycle which is another important process without which no one would be alive is incomplete without the presence of the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a significant water reservoir as well as a source of precipitation. Sound is a wave-like kind of energy that flows through the air. Sound waves are unable to pass through a vacuum which means space, yet they can traverse through gases. The majority of the noises in our environment are made possible by gases in the air. The singing of the birds, the annoying noises in the traffic, and pals laughing may all be heard because of the air. The world would be a silent, gloomy place without the presence of the atmosphere.

What would happen if the Earth’s Atmosphere disappeared?

  • When the earth’s atmosphere vanishes we can’t hear any sound. The absence of Earth’s atmosphere will make the earth go silent. You won’t be able to hear your favourite person’s sound. 
  • The Earth’s atmosphere is necessary for aircraft and birds to fly. Without the presence of atmosphere the aircraft and the birds can’t fly and fall off the ground.
  • Without the presence of the atmosphere on the earth there won’t be any water present. The sun would boil up the water present on the Earth and hence there won’t be any water available on Earth. But there would be the presence of water vapour at the equilibrium point which would protect the water from the ocean to boil up
  • There won’t be any oxygen available. Life on Earth would just vanish. The organisms which require oxygen to survive would die. The Earth would just become similar to any other planet where the existence of life is just next to impossible.

Can human beings survive the losing atmosphere?

There are two possibilities for humans to survive if the atmosphere is lost:

  • On the surface of the Earth, we have to construct radiation-shielded domes. The domes would require a pressured environment as well as the ability to support plant life. Building biodomes would take a longer time, but the result would be similar to surviving on another planet. Because there would still be water, there would be a way through which we can generate oxygen for survival.
  • We have to construct a dome beneath the water. The water might create pressure while also filtering off part of the sun’s rays. Because we would have to produce plants so that we can produce oxygen which we can use for survival. Thus we would not want to filter out all the radiation.

Will it be recovered?

Before the Earth’s atmosphere vanishes we need to think about alternatives to protect the Earth’s atmosphere. We observe a day named World Earth Day on 22 April of each year. Instead of just celebrating a single day to protect our Mother Earth we can adopt some good behaviours in our life.

  • We should follow the basic three R’s that are reduce, reuse, recycle.
  • Educate society about the value of resources and how we should protect them.
  • We should conserve water and use water smartly and stop wasting water.
  • We should plant more trees to absorb the harmful gases and give us oxygen in return.
  • We should switch to public transport or opt for other eco-friendly ways to save our nature.
  • We should stop using plastics and they destroy aquatic life on the Earth. Rather use biodegradable options like jute bags for carrying stuff.

Conclusion:

The atmosphere is a very important part. Any changes in the atmosphere can bring us to the end of survival. Thus, we should all protect our environment. We should celebrate every day as our World Earth Day.