7. Atmosphere

7.1 General structure

The earth's atmosphere is a gaseous film containing suspended particles: aerosols and clouds. The density of the medium is measured by pressure as a function of altitude p (z). The atmosphere is a stratified, two-dimensional medium characterized by significant horizontal movements, but in which vertical exchanges are limited in the absence of convection.

The atmosphere is characterized by :

• continuously decreasing pressure from the surface;

• alternating decreasing and increasing temperatures: decreasing from the surface to the tropopause, then...