What is the atmosphere like on the planets of the Solar System. The atmosphere of the planets of the solar system Which planets have the most powerful atmosphere
The article talks about which planet does not have an atmosphere, why an atmosphere is needed, how it arises, why some are deprived of it, and how it could be created artificially.
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Life on our planet would be impossible without an atmosphere. And the point is not only in the oxygen that we breathe, by the way, it contains only a little more than 20%, but also in the fact that it creates the pressure necessary for living beings and protects from solar radiation.
According to scientific definition, the atmosphere is the gaseous shell of the planet that rotates with it. To put it simply, a huge accumulation of gas is constantly hanging over us, but we won’t notice its weight just like the Earth’s gravity, because we were born in such conditions and are used to it. But not all celestial bodies are lucky enough to have it. So we will not take into account which planet, since it is still a satellite.
Mercury
The atmosphere of planets of this type consists mainly of hydrogen, and the processes in it are very violent. Consider the atmospheric vortex alone, which has been observed for more than three hundred years - that same red spot in the lower part of the planet.
Saturn
Like all gas giants, Saturn is composed primarily of hydrogen. The winds do not subside, lightning flashes and even rare auroras are observed.
Uranus and Neptune
Both planets are hidden by a thick layer of clouds of hydrogen, methane and helium. Neptune, by the way, holds the record for the speed of winds on the surface - as much as 700 kilometers per hour!
Pluto
When recalling such a phenomenon as a planet without an atmosphere, it is difficult not to mention Pluto. It is, of course, far from Mercury: its gas shell is “only” 7 thousand times less dense than the earth’s. But still, this is the most distant and so far little-studied planet. Little is known about it either - only that it contains methane.
How to create an atmosphere for life
The thought of colonizing other planets has haunted scientists since the very beginning, and even more so about terraformation (creation in conditions without means of protection). All this is still at the level of hypotheses, but on Mars, for example, it is quite possible to create an atmosphere. This process is complex and multi-stage, but its main idea is as follows: spray bacteria on the surface, which will produce even more carbon dioxide, the density of the gas shell will increase, and the temperature will rise. After this, the polar glaciers will begin to melt, and due to increased pressure, the water will not evaporate without a trace. And then the rains will come and the soil will become suitable for plants.
So we figured out which planet is practically devoid of an atmosphere.
The atmosphere of planets and their satellites - its density and composition are determined by the diameter and mass of the planets, distance from the Sun, and the characteristics of their formation and development. The further the planet is located from the Sun, the more volatile components were and are now included in its composition; the smaller the mass of the planet, the less its ability to retain these volatiles, etc. Probably, the terrestrial planets have long lost their primary atmosphere. The planet Mercury, closest to the Sun, with its relatively low mass (not capable of holding molecules with an atomic weight of less than 40 in the gravitational field) and high surface temperature, has practically no atmosphere (CO 2 = 2000 atm-cm). There is some kind of atmospheric corona, consisting of noble gases - argon, neon and helium. Apparently, argon and helium are radiogenic and constantly enter the atmosphere due to a kind of “emanation” of the rocks that make up Mercury, and, possibly, endogenous processes. The presence of neon poses a mystery. It is difficult to imagine that so much neon could be present in the original substance of Mercury that it could still be released from the bowels of this planet, especially since no strong evidence of plutonic activity has been found on this planet.
Venus has the warmest and most powerful atmosphere of all the terrestrial planets. The atmosphere of the planet consists of 97% CO 2, 0 2, N 2 and H 2 0 are found in it. The temperature at the surface reaches 747 + 20 K, pressure (8.83 + 0.15) 10 6 Pa. The atmosphere of Venus is most likely the result of its internal activity. A.P. Vinogradov believed that all the CO 2 in the atmosphere of Venus is due to the degassing of all carbonates at the high temperature of its surface. Apparently, this is not entirely true, because it is not clear how then these carbonates could have formed? It is unlikely that the surface temperature of Venus was significantly lower in the past; it is unlikely that there was once a hydrosphere on its surface, and, therefore, carbonates could not have formed. There was an opinion that all water was lost by Venus due to the dissociation of its molecules in the atmosphere into hydrogen and oxygen, followed by the dissipation of hydrogen into space. Oxygen entered into chemical reactions with carbonaceous matter, which led to the enrichment of the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. Perhaps this was so, but then we must assume the presence of plutonism on Venus, which ensures the supply of ever new portions of matter from its depths to the reaction zone with oxygen, i.e., to the surface, which seems to be confirmed by the data obtained as a result research "Venera-13" and "Venera-14".
Mars has a small atmosphere, the pressure of which at the base, depending on conditions, is in the range of (2.9-8.8) 10 2 Pa. In the landing area of the Viking-1 station, the atmospheric pressure was 7.6-10 2 Pa. The mass of the Martian atmosphere in the northern hemisphere is slightly greater than in the southern hemisphere. Small amounts of water vapor and traces of ozone were detected in the atmosphere. The surface temperature of Mars varies depending on latitude and at the border of the polar caps reaches 140-150 K. The temperature on the surface of the equatorial regions during the day can be 300 K, and at night drops to 180 K. Maximum cooling occurs in the high latitudes of Mars during the long polar night. When the temperature drops to 145 K, condensation of atmospheric carbon dioxide begins, but before this water vapor freezes out of the atmosphere. The polar caps of Mars probably consist of a lower layer of water ice, which is covered with solid carbon dioxide on top.
The atmospheres of the major planets Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus consist of hydrogen, helium, methane; Jupiter's atmosphere is the most powerful among the other outer planets. Based on the analysis of photo and IR spectra, various models of light reflection in the atmospheres of the outer planets, in addition to the predominant H 2, CH 4, H 3 and He, such components as C 2 H 2, C 2 H 6, PH 3 were also discovered; The possibility of the presence of more complex organic substances cannot be excluded. The H/He ratio is about 10, i.e., close to the solar one, the ratio of hydrogen isotopes D/H, for example, for Jupiter is 2-10~ 5, which is close to the interstellar ratio of 1.4-10~ 5. Based on the above, we can conclude that the matter of the outer planets does not undergo nuclear transformations and since the formation of the Solar system, light gases have not been removed from the atmosphere of the outer planets. .The phenomenon of the presence of atmospheres on the satellites of the outer planets is also very noteworthy. Even Jupiter's moons, such as Io and Europa, with masses close to the mass of the Moon, nevertheless have an atmosphere, and Io's moon, in particular, is surrounded by a sodium cloud. The atmospheres of Io and Titan have a reddish tint, and it has been established that this coloring is caused by different compounds.
The closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the system, only 0.055% of the size of Earth. 80% of its mass is the core. The surface is rocky, cut with craters and funnels. The atmosphere is very rarefied and consists of carbon dioxide. The temperature on the sunny side is +500°C, on the reverse side -120°C. There is no gravitational or magnetic field on Mercury.
Venus
Venus has a very dense atmosphere made of carbon dioxide. The surface temperature reaches 450°C, which is explained by the constant greenhouse effect, the pressure is about 90 Atm. The size of Venus is 0.815 the size of Earth. The planet's core is made of iron. There is a small amount of water on the surface, as well as many methane seas. Venus has no satellites.
Planet Earth
The only planet in the Universe on which life exists. Almost 70% of the surface is covered with water. The atmosphere consists of a complex mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and inert gases. The planet's gravity is ideal. If it were smaller, oxygen would be in, if larger, hydrogen would accumulate on the surface, and life could not exist.
If you increase the distance from the Earth to the Sun by 1%, the oceans will freeze; if you decrease it by 5%, they will boil.
Mars
Due to the high content of iron oxide in the soil, Mars has a bright red color. Its size is 10 times smaller than that of Earth. The atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide. The surface is covered with craters and extinct volcanoes, the highest of which is Olympus, its height is 21.2 km.
Jupiter
The largest of the planets in the solar system. 318 times larger than Earth. Consists of a mixture of helium and hydrogen. The interior of Jupiter is hot, and therefore vortex structures predominate in its atmosphere. Has 65 known satellites.
Saturn
The structure of the planet is similar to Jupiter, but above all, Saturn is known for its ring system. Saturn is 95 times larger than Earth, but its density is the lowest in the solar system. Its density is equal to the density of water. Has 62 known satellites.
Uranus
Uranus is 14 times larger than Earth. Unique for its sideways rotation. The inclination of its rotation axis is 98°. The core of Uranus is very cold because it releases all its heat into space. Has 27 satellites.
Neptune
17 times larger than Earth. Emits a large amount of heat. It exhibits low geological activity; on its surface there are geysers from. Has 13 satellites. The planet is accompanied by the so-called “Neptune Trojans,” which are bodies of an asteroid nature.
Neptune's atmosphere contains large amounts of methane, which gives it its characteristic blue color.
Features of the planets of the solar system
A distinctive feature of the planets of the solar system is the fact that they rotate not only around the Sun, but also along their own axis. Also, all planets are, to a greater or lesser extent, warm celestial bodies.
4.6 billion years ago, condensations began to form in our Galaxy from clouds of stellar matter. As the gases became more dense and condensed, they heated up, radiating heat. As density and temperature increased, nuclear reactions began, converting hydrogen into helium. Thus, a very powerful source of energy arose - the Sun.
Simultaneously with the increase in temperature and volume of the Sun, as a result of the combination of fragments of interstellar dust in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the Star, planets and their satellites were created. The formation of the Solar System was completed about 4 billion years ago.
At the moment, the Solar System has eight planets. These are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Nepton. Pluto is a dwarf planet and the largest known object in the Kuiper Belt (which is a large belt of debris similar to the asteroid belt). After its discovery in 1930, it was considered the ninth planet. This changed in 2006 with the adoption of a formal definition of planet.
On the planet closest to the Sun, Mercury, it never rains. This is due to the fact that the planet’s atmosphere is so rarefied that it is simply impossible to detect. And where will the rain come from if the daytime temperature on the surface of the planet sometimes reaches 430º Celsius? Yeah, I wouldn't want to be there :)
But on Venus there is constant acid rain, since the clouds above this planet do not consist of life-giving water, but of deadly sulfuric acid. True, since the temperature on the surface of the third planet reaches 480º Celsius, drops of acid evaporate before they reach the planet. The sky above Venus is pierced by large and terrible lightning, but there is more light and roar from them than rain.
On Mars, according to scientists, a long time ago the natural conditions were the same as on Earth. Billions of years ago, the atmosphere above the planet was much denser, and it is possible that heavy rainfall filled these rivers. But now there is a very thin atmosphere above the planet, and photographs transmitted by reconnaissance satellites indicate that the surface of the planet resembles the deserts of the southwestern United States or the Dry Valleys in Antarctica. When winter hits parts of Mars, thin clouds containing carbon dioxide appear above the red planet and frost covers dead rocks. Early in the morning there are such thick fogs in the valleys that it seems as if it is about to rain, but such expectations are in vain.
By the way, the air temperature during the day on Mrsa is 20º Celsius. True, at night it can drop to - 140 :(
Jupiter is the largest of the planets and is a giant ball of gas! This ball is almost entirely composed of helium and hydrogen, but it is possible that deep inside the planet there is a small solid core shrouded in an ocean of liquid hydrogen. However, Jupiter is surrounded on all sides by colored bands of clouds. Some of these clouds even consist of water, but, as a rule, the vast majority of them are formed by frozen crystals of ammonia. From time to time, powerful hurricanes and storms fly over the planet, bringing with them snowfalls and rains of ammonia. This is where to hold the Magic Flower.
The atmosphere is the gaseous shell of our planet, which rotates along with the Earth. The gas in the atmosphere is called air. The atmosphere is in contact with the hydrosphere and partially covers the lithosphere. But the upper limits are difficult to determine. It is conventionally accepted that the atmosphere extends upward for approximately three thousand kilometers. There it smoothly flows into airless space.
Chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere
The formation of the chemical composition of the atmosphere began about four billion years ago. Initially, the atmosphere consisted only of light gases - helium and hydrogen. According to scientists, the initial prerequisites for the creation of a gas shell around the Earth were volcanic eruptions, which, along with lava, emitted huge amounts of gases. Subsequently, gas exchange began with water spaces, with living organisms, and with the products of their activities. The composition of the air gradually changed and was fixed in its modern form several million years ago.
The main components of the atmosphere are nitrogen (about 79%) and oxygen (20%). The remaining percentage (1%) comes from the following gases: argon, neon, helium, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, krypton, xenon, ozone, ammonia, sulfur and nitrogen dioxides, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide, which are included in this one percent.
In addition, the air contains water vapor and particulate matter (pollen, dust, salt crystals, aerosol impurities).
Recently, scientists have noted not a qualitative, but a quantitative change in some air ingredients. And the reason for this is man and his activities. In the last 100 years alone, carbon dioxide levels have increased significantly! This is fraught with many problems, the most global of which is climate change.
Formation of weather and climate
The atmosphere plays a critical role in shaping the climate and weather on Earth. A lot depends on the amount of sunlight, the nature of the underlying surface and atmospheric circulation.
Let's look at the factors in order.
1. The atmosphere transmits the heat of the sun's rays and absorbs harmful radiation. The ancient Greeks knew that the rays of the Sun fall on different parts of the Earth at different angles. The word “climate” itself translated from ancient Greek means “slope”. So, at the equator, the sun's rays fall almost vertically, which is why it is very hot here. The closer to the poles, the greater the angle of inclination. And the temperature drops.
2. Due to the uneven heating of the Earth, air currents are formed in the atmosphere. They are classified according to their sizes. The smallest (tens and hundreds of meters) are local winds. This is followed by monsoons and trade winds, cyclones and anticyclones, and planetary frontal zones.
All these air masses are constantly moving. Some of them are quite static. For example, trade winds that blow from the subtropics towards the equator. The movement of others depends largely on atmospheric pressure.
3. Atmospheric pressure is another factor influencing climate formation. This is the air pressure on the surface of the earth. As is known, air masses move from an area with high atmospheric pressure towards an area where this pressure is lower.
A total of 7 zones are allocated. The equator is a low pressure zone. Further, on both sides of the equator up to the thirties latitudes there is an area of high pressure. From 30° to 60° - low pressure again. And from 60° to the poles is a high pressure zone. Air masses circulate between these zones. Those that come from the sea to land bring rain and bad weather, and those that blow from the continents bring clear and dry weather. In places where air currents collide, atmospheric front zones are formed, which are characterized by precipitation and inclement, windy weather.
Scientists have proven that even a person’s well-being depends on atmospheric pressure. According to international standards, normal atmospheric pressure is 760 mm Hg. column at a temperature of 0°C. This indicator is calculated for those areas of land that are almost level with sea level. With altitude the pressure decreases. Therefore, for example, for St. Petersburg 760 mm Hg. - this is the norm. But for Moscow, which is located higher, normal pressure is 748 mm Hg.
The pressure changes not only vertically, but also horizontally. This is especially felt during the passage of cyclones.
The structure of the atmosphere
The atmosphere is reminiscent of a layer cake. And each layer has its own characteristics.
. Troposphere- the layer closest to the Earth. The "thickness" of this layer changes with distance from the equator. Above the equator, the layer extends upward by 16-18 km, in temperate zones by 10-12 km, at the poles by 8-10 km.
It is here that 80% of the total air mass and 90% of water vapor are contained. Clouds form here, cyclones and anticyclones arise. The air temperature depends on the altitude of the area. On average, it decreases by 0.65° C for every 100 meters.
. Tropopause- transition layer of the atmosphere. Its height ranges from several hundred meters to 1-2 km. The air temperature in summer is higher than in winter. For example, above the poles in winter it is -65° C. And above the equator it is -70° C at any time of the year.
. Stratosphere- this is a layer whose upper boundary lies at an altitude of 50-55 kilometers. Turbulence here is low, the content of water vapor in the air is negligible. But there is a lot of ozone. Its maximum concentration is at an altitude of 20-25 km. In the stratosphere, the air temperature begins to rise and reaches +0.8° C. This is due to the fact that the ozone layer interacts with ultraviolet radiation.
. Stratopause- a low intermediate layer between the stratosphere and the mesosphere that follows it.
. Mesosphere- the upper boundary of this layer is 80-85 kilometers. Complex photochemical processes involving free radicals occur here. They are the ones who provide that gentle blue glow of our planet, which is seen from space.
Most comets and meteorites burn up in the mesosphere.
. Mesopause- the next intermediate layer, the air temperature in which is at least -90°.
. Thermosphere- the lower boundary begins at an altitude of 80 - 90 km, and the upper boundary of the layer runs approximately at 800 km. The air temperature is rising. It can vary from +500° C to +1000° C. During the day, temperature fluctuations amount to hundreds of degrees! But the air here is so rarefied that understanding the term “temperature” as we imagine it is not appropriate here.
. Ionosphere- combines the mesosphere, mesopause and thermosphere. The air here consists mainly of oxygen and nitrogen molecules, as well as quasi-neutral plasma. The sun's rays entering the ionosphere strongly ionize air molecules. In the lower layer (up to 90 km) the degree of ionization is low. The higher, the greater the ionization. So, at an altitude of 100-110 km, electrons are concentrated. This helps to reflect short and medium radio waves.
The most important layer of the ionosphere is the upper one, which is located at an altitude of 150-400 km. Its peculiarity is that it reflects radio waves, and this facilitates the transmission of radio signals over considerable distances.
It is in the ionosphere that such a phenomenon as the aurora occurs.
. Exosphere- consists of oxygen, helium and hydrogen atoms. The gas in this layer is very rarefied and hydrogen atoms often escape into outer space. Therefore, this layer is called the “dispersion zone”.
The first scientist to suggest that our atmosphere has weight was the Italian E. Torricelli. Ostap Bender, for example, in his novel “The Golden Calf” lamented that every person is pressed by a column of air weighing 14 kg! But the great schemer was a little mistaken. An adult experiences pressure of 13-15 tons! But we do not feel this heaviness, because atmospheric pressure is balanced by the internal pressure of a person. The weight of our atmosphere is 5,300,000,000,000,000 tons. The figure is colossal, although it is only a millionth of the weight of our planet.
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