Radiation Effects on the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is a giant shield protecting the Earth from harmful forms of outside radiation. Only visible light, radio waves and ultra violet rays are able to pierce through our planet’s thick atmosphere. The atmosphere is able to block more harmful forms of radiation due to a thin layer of ozone in the stratosphere. The ozone absorbs harmful radiation as it enters the atmosphere.

One of the most harmful forms of radiation that enters our atmosphere is ultra violet. This form of radiation can cause cancer and burn the skin. The atmosphere protects us from most ultra violet rays.

When ultra violet radiation comes into contact with oxygen in the atmosphere it breaks the molecules apart. The oxygen begins latching onto other oxygen molecules to form ozone.  The ozone is then broken apart into oxygen gas molecules. During this process, it converts the ultra violet radiation into heat. The ozone layer is so effective that 98 % of ultra violet radiation is absorbed.

While there is a lot of natural radiation when pollution from unnatural sources occurs it can be devastating. Due to the nuclear testing in the 1960’s much of the northern hemisphere is contaminated with some radiation, which may take 100,000 years to fully deteriorate. The radiation has stayed in the stratosphere, decaying slowly or has been dispersed to other areas.

The harmful particles are nearly unmanageable, due to the wide area the particles can be spread out into. These particles are known as nuclear fallout. Nuclear fallout can be taken up by clouds and cause nuclear “rainout.” It is also capable of causing acid rain by creating nitric oxide to form. If the blast occurs near the ocean it is near impossible to remove.

The radiation will have consequences for people’s health now and into the future. The full effect this may have is currently unknown, as it cannot be accurately measured, but radiation levels have decreased exponentially for over 40 years. If there is no more nuclear testing the effects should slowly lessen over time. However, the deterioration could take thousands of years to react more normal levels of radiation.

Nuclear fallout still remains a concern as developing countries experiment with nuclear testing. Most countries have reduced or stopped nuclear testing altogether. Countries like France and South African are among the few still conducting nuclear tests. The testing from these facilities will create new nuclear contaminants that will have lasting effects on the testing sites.  Also, when disasters such as the Fukashimi Plant occur contamination of the atmosphere is unavoidable as well as the directions the wind will carry the contamination. The wind patterns can bring the radioactive particle across the ocean to the west coast of the U.S. and Canada.

 

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-815-atmospheric-radiation-fall-2008/

http://www.preservearticles.com/201101012200/how-does-atmosphere-protect-the-living-from-harmful-radiation.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/ozone-layer1.htm

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/nuclearblast.html

http://www.ratical.org/radiation/NRBE/NRBE12.html