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The '''atmosphere''' is the mass of air surrounding a [[planet]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref>
The '''atmosphere''' is the mass of air surrounding a [[planet]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref>
The earth's atmosphere insulates the earth's surface, making it around 15 degrees [[Celsius]] (27 degrees [[Fahrenheit]]) warmer than it would be without any air. This occurs through absorption of outgoing [[infrared rays]] by gas molecules like [[carbon dioxide]] and [[methane]]. This warming is known as the ''[[greenhouse effect]]''.
The earth's atmosphere insulates the earth's surface, making it around 33 degrees [[Celsius]] (59 degrees [[Fahrenheit]]) warmer than it would be without any air.<ref>''Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment'', by C. Donald Ahrens, West Publishing Company, 1988</ref> This occurs through absorption of outgoing [[infrared rays]] by gas molecules like water vapor, [[carbon dioxide]], and [[methane]]. This warming is known as the ''[[greenhouse effect]]''.
==Other Uses==
==Other Uses==