Imagine a sunny day with a bright blue sky and green grass all around. It’s easy to forget how important our atmosphere is for life on Earth. In this article, we’ll learn about what would happen if Earth lost its atmosphere and why it’s so important for us.
The atmosphere is a layer of gases that surrounds our planet. It’s made up of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone. Scientists divide the atmosphere into five layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Each layer has special jobs that help keep life going on Earth.
The atmosphere does many important things, such as:
Without the atmosphere, life as we know it wouldn’t be possible.
If a big event took away Earth’s atmosphere, the effects would be huge:
The first thing we’d notice is complete silence. Sound needs air to travel, so without it, we wouldn’t hear anything. The sky would also turn dark, even during the day, because the atmosphere helps us see the blue sky and colorful sunsets.
Without an atmosphere, there would be no oxygen for us to breathe. Humans and most animals would not survive for long. Plants would die soon after, and even sea creatures would eventually run out of oxygen.
Without the atmosphere to keep us warm, Earth’s temperature would drop to about -18 degrees Celsius. Water would start to boil away because there would be no pressure to keep it liquid. Eventually, the water would freeze, making Earth look like Mars, which lost much of its atmosphere a long time ago.
Losing our atmosphere would be disastrous, turning Earth into a silent, dark, and lifeless place. We should be thankful for our atmosphere every day because it supports life and holds an amazing amount of water—enough to cover the whole planet in an inch of rainwater!
Understanding how important our atmosphere is helps us appreciate the balance that keeps life going on Earth. Let’s take care of our planet and its atmosphere!
Atmosphere in a Jar: Create your own mini-atmosphere using a clear jar, some soil, a small plant, and a lid. Place the soil and plant inside the jar and seal it with the lid. Over the next few days, observe what happens inside the jar. Discuss how the jar’s environment is similar to Earth’s atmosphere and what roles the atmosphere plays in supporting life.
Sound Experiment: Try an experiment to understand how sound travels through air. Take a metal spoon and a piece of string. Tie the string to the spoon and hold the ends of the string to your ears. Have a friend gently tap the spoon with another spoon. Notice how the sound changes when you remove the string from your ears. Discuss why sound needs air to travel and what would happen if there was no atmosphere.
Temperature and Pressure Exploration: Fill a small balloon with air and place it in the freezer for a few hours. Take it out and observe any changes. Discuss how the atmosphere helps regulate temperature and pressure on Earth, and what might happen if we lost our atmosphere.
