Scientists called meteorologists use a special instrument called a barometer to measure the pressure of the atmosphere. What exactly is it that they are measuring? What is pressure? To understand pressure, consider a sponge. When left alone, a sponge stretches out to its full size. As you squeeze down on the sponge, what happens? How […]
In order to better understand our atmosphere, scientists have divided it into several layers. These layers are divided based on the characteristics of the gases found at that height. Imagine a layered cake. A layered cake is made out of layers of different ingredients. The first layer might be cake mix. On top of that […]
This is one of the first questions that children often inquire of their parents. What makes the sky blue? Why is it not red, pink, or green? The answer to this question can be found by looking at the particulates floating in the air. The Earth’s atmosphere is filled with trillions of tiny dust particles. […]
Most of the gases in our atmosphere have little to no effect on our weather patterns. However, a few gases have a significant effect on the weather that we experience around the world. Carbon dioxide is one of these gases. The gas known as carbon dioxide has the unique characteristic of absorbing infrared radiation, or […]
The most abundant gases found in our atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen makes up around 78% of the total atmosphere, while oxygen makes up 21%. The remaining 1% is made up mostly of a gas called argon. This means that with each breath you take you are breathing 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% […]
Hold your hand in front of your face, and breathe in deeply. Now gently blow outward towards your fingers. What do you feel? Does it feel cool and tingly? What you felt blowing past the tips of your fingers is commonly referred to as air. Air is one of the primary things that makes life […]
Seasons are as old as the earth. We tell time by them, plan our calendar around them and look forward to the changes they bring. But where do seasons come from? Does everyone have seasons? How do they vary in different parts of the world? Seasons are created by two very important events – the […]
The many lifeforms living on the Earth are in large part dependent on heat and light from the Sun. By converting hydrogen into helium, the Sun generates an enormous amount of energy every second of every day. Although there are small variations in the intensity of this energy, for the most part, the heat and […]
