Earth's Atmosphere - Zoom Astronomy. The Earth's atmosphere is a thin layer of gases that surrounds the Earth.
It composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, 0.03% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. This thin gaseous layer insulates the Earth from extreme temperatures; it keeps heat inside the atmosphere and it also blocks the Earth from much of the Sun's incoming ultraviolet radiation. The Earth's atmosphere is about 300 miles (480 km) thick, but most of the atmosphere (about 80%) is within 10 miles (16 km) of the surface of the Earth. Atmosphere: Earth, The Power of the Planet. In this landmark BBC series, Dr Iain Stewart tells the story of how our planet works and how, over the course of 4.6 billion years, it came to be the remarkable planet it is today.
Examining the great forces that shape the earth – volcanoes, the ocean, the atmosphere and ice – the programme explores their central roles in our planet’s story. How do these forces affect the earth’s landscape, its climate, and its history? CGI gives the audience a ringside seat at these great events, while the final episode brings together all the themes of the series and argues that earth is an exceptionally rare kind of planet – giving us a special responsibility to look after our unique world. Science Skills.