What is Earth's atmosphere composed of?
Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour, carbon dioxide, and several other minor components.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Learn about the history of the periodic table.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.It can take two hours for the Moon to completely pass through the Earth's inner shadow.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Volcanologist Janine Krippner dives into the details.
-
© MinuteEarth (A Britannica Publishing Partner)The process by which some elements are able to escape from Earth's atmosphere into space, and how the release of some particles are influenced by the structure of Earth's magnetic field.
-
Created and produced by QA International. © QA International, 2010. All rights reserved. www.qa-international.comLiving organisms influence the cycling of carbon and oxygen through the environment.
-
© MinutePhysics (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Ten reasons why Earth is round.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Dust and other aerosols suspended in the atmosphere provide the surfaces upon which water vapour can condense. These condensation surfaces facilitate the development of clouds.
News •
SpaceX’s Starship returns from orbit and is captured by launch pad arms in a dramatic first
• Nov. 14, 2026, 8:35 PM ET (AP)
NASA's Voyager 1 closes in on a light-day in interstellar space for a new distance record
• Nov. 14, 2026, 8:01 AM ET (AP)
NASA space telescope plunges to Earth after two decades studying cosmic explosions
• Nov. 4, 2026, 2:41 PM ET (AP)
NASA telescope is on the verge of plunging back to Earth after failed rescue mission
• Oct. 31, 2026, 8:03 AM ET (AP)
Clouds on a lava planet challenge what astronomers expected
• Oct. 26, 2026, 1:20 PM ET (Phys.org)
Transcript
NARRATOR: What is the atmosphere made of? The atmosphere, the gaseous envelope that surrounds the Earth, has many components. Nitrogen comprises the greatest part of the atmosphere, at almost 80 percent by volume. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that reacts very little with other substances. The atmosphere also contains oxygen, at about 20 percent. Without this gas nothing could burn and most living things would perish. The atmosphere contains small amounts of other molecules, such as carbon dioxide, which is necessary for plant life. Tiny amounts of helium, xenon, argon, methane, and compounds of ozone also can be found in the atmosphere. Another major component is water vapor, the gaseous form of water, which sometimes condenses into clouds. Taken together, all of these ingredients simply can be called air.
Last Modification: