If oxygen, nitrogen and ozone did nor absorb UV radiation, what would you expect the temperature profile in the atmosphere to look like between the surface and top of the atmosphere?
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If oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone did not absorb UV radiation, the temperature profile in the atmosphere would be greatly affected.
Normally, UV radiation is absorbed by these gases in the upper atmosphere, causing a temperature increase known as the stratospheric heating. Without this absorption, the temperature profile would be different. Here's what you could expect:
1. Surface: Near the surface, the temperature would be a result of other factors like solar heating, conduction, and convection. It would be influenced by factors such as solar radiation, greenhouse gases, and local weather conditions.
2. Troposphere: The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, where we live. In this layer, temperature usually decreases with height due to the lapse rate. However, without the absorption of UV radiation, there could be some changes. The absence of UV absorption by these gases could potentially reduce the heating in the upper troposphere, causing a shallower lapse rate.
3. Stratosphere: Ordinarily, the stratosphere exhibits a temperature increase with height due to the absorption of UV radiation by ozone. However, without ozone as an absorber, the stratosphere would not have a pronounced temperature increase. Instead, the temperature profile might show relatively stable or even slightly decreasing temperatures with increasing height.
4. Mesosphere and thermosphere: These upper layers of the atmosphere would likely have a more significant impact. The absence of UV absorption could cause cooling in the mesosphere and even more drastic cooling in the thermosphere. It could alter the energy balance and lead to different temperature profiles than what we observe in reality.
Overall, without the UV absorption capabilities of oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone, the temperature profile in the atmosphere would likely differ significantly from the one we observe today.
If oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone did not absorb UV radiation, the temperature profile in the atmosphere would be primarily determined by other factors such as solar radiation, thermal conduction, and convection. Without the absorption of UV radiation, the temperature profile would follow a general trend known as adiabatic lapse rate.
To understand the adiabatic lapse rate, we need to consider the behavior of dry air as it rises or descends in the atmosphere. As air rises, it expands and cools down due to decreasing atmospheric pressure. Conversely, as air descends, it compresses and warms up due to increasing atmospheric pressure. This behavior is known as adiabatic cooling and adiabatic heating, respectively.
Under normal conditions, the atmosphere experiences a lapse rate known as the environmental lapse rate, which is the actual rate at which the temperature decreases with altitude. On average, the environmental lapse rate is around 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometer in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
In the absence of UV absorption by oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone, the temperature profile would transition to an adiabatic lapse rate throughout the entire atmosphere. This means that the temperature would decrease by approximately 9.8 degrees Celsius per kilometer as you ascend through the atmosphere.
It is important to note that in reality, UV absorption by oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone significantly contributes to the temperature profile in the stratosphere, where the ozone layer is located. The absorption of UV radiation by ozone is responsible for heating up the stratosphere, resulting in a temperature increase with altitude.
So, in summary, if oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone did not absorb UV radiation, the temperature profile in the atmosphere would follow an adiabatic lapse rate, with the temperature decreasing by approximately 9.8 degrees Celsius per kilometer as you move up in the atmosphere.