NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Our effort to save our planet by understanding the Atmosphere

What is the Atmosphere?

The Atmosphere is an envelope of gases and particles that surrounds and protects our Earth. This envelope is divided into a number of unique layers defined according to temperature and/or chemical composition.

The Atmosphere is a well-balanced and dynamic subsystem. In interaction with the Heliosphere (Sun) and the Hydrosphere (Water pools) it is the power engine that distributes heat throughout the globe and drives weather and climate. In addition, our Atmosphere is also a protective shield. The Stratosphere, at about 25 km in altitude, is the layer within our Atmosphere where most of the Ozone resides. It is this region, where ozone acts as a shield to protect Earth's surface by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. Without this shield, we would be more susceptible to skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems. For more information on the Atmosphere go to:

• http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/upperatm/earths_atmosphere.html
• http://www.noaa.gov/wx.html
• http://asd-www.nasa.gov/centers/larc/SCOOL/

Atmospheric Mission:

http://www.espo.nasa.gov/solveII

SOLVE II

January 2003
Kiruna, Sweden

The SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE II) was a measurement mission designed to examine the processes controlling ozone levels at mid- to high latitudes. The mission also acquired correlative data needed to validate the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III satellite measurements that will be used to quantitatively assess high-latitude ozone loss.