Engineering

Engineers develop near-zero emissions engine technology

Southwest Research Institute engineers have developed the next generation of clean diesel engine technology to reduce hazardous nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide emissions while minimizing fuel consumption. Working ...

Engineering

Engineers combine light and sound to see underwater

Stanford University engineers have developed an airborne method for imaging underwater objects by combining light and sound to break through the seemingly impassable barrier at the interface of air and water.

Energy & Green Tech

Water bottle for bike collects moisture from the air

Kristof Retezár, an Austrian designer, has come up with Fontus, which was designed as a self-filling water bottle for your bicycle. This device collects the moisture from the air, condenses it and stores it as safe drinking ...

Engineering

Merlin Labs develops autonomous 55-craft King Air fleet

Inspired by a close encounter with a fellow aircraft during his years as a novice pilot, Merlin Labs founder Matt George found himself drawn to the idea of applying ground transportation safety methods to air traffic. Now, ...

Energy & Green Tech

Lichens may one day detoxify the air in your home

When smoke from fires darken the skies as they did last summer, hunkering down indoors makes good sense. But on most days throughout the year, the air we breathe indoors carries far more pollutants than outdoor air. Exposure ...

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Earth's atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by the Earth's gravity. It has a mass of about five quadrillion metric tons. Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1%. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night.

There is no definite boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. It slowly becomes thinner and fades into space. An altitude of 120 km (75 mi) marks the boundary where atmospheric effects become noticeable during atmospheric reentry. The Kármán line, at 100 km (62 mi), is also frequently regarded as the boundary between atmosphere and outer space. Three quarters of the atmosphere's mass is within 11 km (6.8 mi; 36,000 ft) of the surface.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA