The
atmosphere is an important resource for the survival of all species on the
planet, as a source of fresh air for breathing and as a protective layer
against direct solar radiation. The Earth’s atmosphere is composed of 78.084
percent nitrogen, 20.948 percent oxygen, 0.934 percent argon, 0.031 percent
carbon dioxide, and 0.003 percent trace gases such as water vapor and air
pollutants. The analysis of air bubbles trapped in ice cores provides evidence
that the contents of so-called greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, sulfate, and carbonaceous aerosols, have
significantly increased over the past 200 years. This historic change of the
atmospheric composition is not fully understood, but it has roots in natural
processes and human activity. As a result, both roles of the atmosphere are
affected. First, the increase of greenhouse gases contributes to the increase
in the amount of solar radiative energy trapped at the Earth’s boundaries,
which directly affects the planetary climate. Second, the composition of
atmospheric air, particularly the air pollutants, strongly affects the human
and environmental health.