essay writing about the atmosphere and its importance in navigation

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons
• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

10.1: Importance of the Atmosphere

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 5478

Why is the atmosphere important?

Why is Earth the only planet in the solar system known to have life? The main reason is Earth’s atmosphere. Organisms need the gases in the atmosphere to live. Water is also essential for life. Water vapor is one of the gases in the atmosphere. Green algae, like in this photo, are primitive life.

The Atmosphere

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the planet. We also call it air. The gases in the atmosphere include nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Along with water vapor, the atmosphere allows life to survive. Without it, Earth would be a harsh, barren world.

The Atmosphere's Importance

We are lucky to have an atmosphere on Earth. The atmosphere supports life and is also needed for the water cycle and weather. The gases of the atmosphere even allow us to hear.

The Atmosphere and Living Things

Most of the atmosphere is nitrogen, but it doesn't do much. Carbon dioxide and oxygen are the gases in the atmosphere that are needed for life.

• Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis . They use sunlight to change carbon dioxide and water into food. The process releases oxygen. Without photosynthesis, there would be very little oxygen in the air.
• Other living things depend on plants for food. These organisms need the oxygen plants release to get energy out of the food. Even plants need oxygen for this purpose.

The Atmosphere and the Sun’s Rays

The atmosphere protects living things from the Sun’s most harmful rays. Gases reflect or absorb the strongest rays of sunlight ( Figure below).

The atmosphere shields Earth from the most harmful solar rays.

The Atmosphere and Earth’s Temperature

Gases in the atmosphere surround Earth like a blanket. They keep the temperature in a range that can support life. The gases keep out some of the Sun’s scorching heat during the day. At night, they hold the heat close to the surface, so it doesn’t radiate out into space.

The Atmosphere and Earth’s Water

The image below shows the role of the atmosphere in the water cycle ( Figure below). Water vapor rises from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere. As it rises, it cools. The water vapor may then condense into water droplets and form clouds. If enough water droplets collect in clouds, they may come together to form droplets. The droplets will fall as rain. This how freshwater gets from the atmosphere back to Earth's surface.

The atmosphere is a big part of the water cycle. What do you think would happen to Earth’s water without it?

The Atmosphere and Weather

Without the atmosphere, there would be no clouds or rain. In fact, there would be no weather at all. Most weather occurs because the atmosphere heats up more in some places than others.

The Atmosphere and Weathering

Weather makes life interesting. Weather also causes weathering. Weathering is the slow wearing down of rocks on Earth’s surface. Wind-blown sand scours rocks like sandpaper. Glaciers of ice scrape across rock surfaces like a file. Even gentle rain may seep into rocks and slowly dissolve them. If the water freezes, it expands. This eventually causes the rocks to crack. Without the atmosphere, none of this weathering would happen. Rocks at the surface would be pristine and unaltered.

The Atmosphere and Sound

Sound is a form of energy that travels in waves. Sound waves cannot travel through empty space, but they can travel through gases. Gases in the air allow us to hear most of the sounds in our world. Because of air, you can hear birds singing, horns tooting, and friends laughing. Without the atmosphere, the world would be a silent, eerie place.

• The atmosphere is made of gases that are essential for photosynthesis and other life activities.
• The atmosphere is a crucial part of the water cycle. It is an important reservoir for water, and the source of precipitation.
• The atmosphere moderates Earth's temperature. Weather takes place in the atmosphere.
• Without air, Earth would be silent.
• What gases are used and expelled by photosynthesis and respiration?
• How does the atmosphere keep Earth's temperature moderate?
• How does the atmosphere play an important role in the water cycle?

Explore More

Use the resource below to answer the questions that follow.

• What is the atmosphere?
• Where does weather occur?
• What does the atmosphere protect us from? Which layer?
• What would happen if we didn't have the protective layer in the previous question?
• What happens in the mesosphere?
• What is made in the thermosphere?

APPLY NOW    REQUEST INFO

Apply Today

Ready to apply to Penn LPS Online? Apply Now

Learn more about Penn LPS Online

Request More Information

The science of the atmosphere: what you need to know

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. This article provides an atmospheric science definition to help increase your understanding of the field, an overview of why it is important, and information on how atmospheric scientists are working to lessen the impacts of climate change.

What is atmospheric science?

Atmospheric science refers to the study of the atmosphere, its processes, and the effects of the interaction between the Earth’s atmosphere and other systems. Atmospheric scientists investigate and analyze the circulation of the atmosphere as it relates to weather systems and their resulting influence on the Earth, air quality, and human health and safety. There are many branches of atmospheric science, including aeronomy—the study of the upper layers of the atmosphere—meteorology, climatology, oceanography, atmospheric chemistry, and atmospheric physics.

According to NASA, the majority of atmospheric scientists in the US are employed by the federal government for the National Weather Service and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) branches, as well as NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Defense and Energy, and the Forest Service. Atmospheric scientists may also work for television and radio stations, private weather services, commercial airlines, public utilities, and colleges and universities.

Read on to learn more about some of the areas of specialization in atmospheric science and explore atmospheric science jobs that may pique your interest.

Meteorology

When you hear the term “meteorology,” you likely immediately think of weather forecasting. However, this science covers all aspects of the Earth’s atmosphere, including atmospheric physics and chemistry. Meteorologists observe atmospheric phenomena such as localized temperatures, air pressure fluctuations, dew points, and wind speeds. They also use computers and mathematical models, in addition to satellite and radar information, to predict what weather systems will do daily and weekly, locally, and nationally. Research in meteorology also focuses on long-term trends in climate and weather and the potential effects of climate change on humans.

Climatology

Climatology is sometimes confused with meteorology, but rather than focusing on weather forecasting, this science focuses on the atmospheric conditions that cause climate change over time. Climatologists record and analyze weather patterns around the globe and study the natural and artificial forces that affect weather patterns in the long term. For example, climatologists have determined that human activities that release greenhouse gases (burning fossil fuels, especially) are linked to global warming. Climatology research also examines what constitutes normal regional weather patterns, the global climate consequences of natural changes in air and ocean currents like El Niño and La Niña, and the effects that solar activity and variations in solar energy have on climate.

Atmospheric chemistry

Atmospheric chemistry is a multidisciplinary field that studies chemical processes within the Earth’s atmosphere to better predict how they may impact air pollution, air quality, and climate change. Atmospheric chemists perform research that often draws from meteorology, climatology, environmental chemistry, oceanography, geology, physics, and computer modeling. Unfortunately, human activity has changed the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere in ways that can be harmful to human health, crops, and ecosystems. Atmospheric chemists seek to understand the root cause of problems such as photochemical smog, acid rain, and global warming so effective solutions can be evaluated and implemented.

Teleconnections

Teleconnections are links between weather phenomena at different places around the world that often include climate patterns spanning thousands of miles. Some teleconnections have a seesaw effect wherein a shift in atmospheric pressure in one location can cause a decrease in pressure in another far-off locale.

If you’re a frequent flyer, you may have heard of jet streams, which are fast-flowing air currents that can decrease your flight times, depending on the direction you’re traveling. Rossby waves are naturally occurring and help balance hot and cold air between the tropics and the poles. When these waves interact with a jet stream, it creates a fast-moving highway for teleconnections to travel around the world and, in some cases, wreak havoc with weather patterns.

ENSO teleconnections

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring climate pattern that involves rising and cooling temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean for timespans ranging from around three to seven years. This fluctuating warming and cooling cycle has a direct impact on precipitation distribution in the tropics and it can strongly influence weather in the United States, Canada, and locations around the world. The two most extreme phases of the ENSO cycle are major teleconnections called El Niño and La Niña.

El Niño and La Niña

El Niño and La Niña are somewhat unpredictable and can have global effects on weather, wildfires, economies, and ecosystems. El Niño occurs more frequently, typically peaks in December, and involves the weakening of trade winds as warm water is pushed back east toward the western coast of the Americas. As warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move southward, areas in the northern US and Canada become warmer and drier than usual, while the US Gulf Coast and Southeast see increased rain and flooding. El Niño can also have a negative impact on the marine life of the Pacific coast when it weakens or stops upwelling, which leaves less nutrient-rich phytoplankton to feed fish.

La Niña is the inverse of El Niño in that trade winds are stronger than average, which pushes warm water toward Asia. Upswelling also increases, bringing cold, nutrient-dense water to the surface (which supports marine life) along the west coast of the Americas. The colder water in the Pacific Ocean pushes the jet stream northward, which often results in cooler temperatures, heavy precipitation, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Meanwhile, in the southern US, warmer temperatures and droughts may become more prevalent. La Niña is also correlated with an increase in the severity of hurricane seasons.

Connection to wildfires

It’s been established that ENSO teleconnections have a major impact on climate events around the world. A recent study of satellite data and information gathered from global weather stations from 1982 to 2018 found connections between droughts and major fires on different continents that occurred in close succession. The climate scientists found weather patterns that supported conditions more favorable to fires, such as vegetation growth, temperature, and precipitation levels—and the primary link was the Tropical North Atlantic teleconnection.

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which results in changes in the strength of a low-pressure system over Iceland and a high-pressure system in the subtropical Atlantic, has been known to cause unusual weather in the northern hemisphere. Researchers found that its pattern of changing sea surface temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean, near the equator, correlated with the timing of approximately 25% of global fires. As such, the team suggests that the NAO is one of the most powerful drivers of fires around the world.

Impact on current and future climate change

Atmospheric scientists are on the front lines in terms of researching the effects of climate change, finding ways to prevent it, and educating the public and the government on the dire need for effective climate change policy. The Earth’s temperature has increased by approximately 0.14° Fahrenheit per decade since 1880, which is about 2° F in total. But the changing climate also involves rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers and sea ice, earlier snow melts, and increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Changes in weather patterns, such as drought and flooding, can have a catastrophic effect on clean water, air quality, the food supply, human health, transportation, energy, wildlife, and ecosystems around the world.

The impacts of climate change are also intricately connected. For instance, flooding can spread disease and damage infrastructure and ecosystems, while human health issues can impact the food supply and limit worker productivity. It’s important to note that the negative effects of climate change aren’t felt equally. Single communities, cities, regions, and countries can be impacted in different ways, and often the most vulnerable populations experience the highest exposure and have the least resources to combat it due to socioeconomic inequities.

Experts believe that reducing emissions of greenhouse gases—including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and F-gases—to zero as quickly as possible is one of many necessary strategies to fight climate change and lessen these major impacts. Doing so requires strong co-operation between international governments. That’s why the work of atmospheric scientists is so important, as their research is used to convince countries to participate in and comply with the Paris Agreement and other initiatives to tackle climate change on a global scale.

Further enhance your understanding of climate change

Interested in developing the skills and policies to reduce human, economic, and environmental risk? In the four-course Certificate in Climate Change at Penn LPS Online, you’ll obtain an understanding of the Earth’s climate system and learn how and why it has changed over time. Through the disciplines of oceanic and atmospheric science, you’ll focus on the natural and human drivers of climate change and discover how to analyze long-term natural climate variability on a regional and global level. You’ll also hone communication skills to effectively share your knowledge of climate change and its relevant policy implications. Additionally, this Ivy League credential prepares you to:

• Understand the history and scales of climate changes
• Learn basic oceanic and atmospheric dynamics to understand fundamental climatic processes
• Grasp the importance of natural environmental change as a benchmark to assess human impacts, as well as recent and future environmental events

If you haven’t already, apply to Penn LPS Online today and enroll in the Certificate in Climate Change . You can also register for individual courses such as CLCH 2200: Atmospheric Science or view our course guide to see what’s available in any upcoming term.

Sciencing_Icons_Science SCIENCE

Sciencing_icons_biology biology, sciencing_icons_cells cells, sciencing_icons_molecular molecular, sciencing_icons_microorganisms microorganisms, sciencing_icons_genetics genetics, sciencing_icons_human body human body, sciencing_icons_ecology ecology, sciencing_icons_chemistry chemistry, sciencing_icons_atomic & molecular structure atomic & molecular structure, sciencing_icons_bonds bonds, sciencing_icons_reactions reactions, sciencing_icons_stoichiometry stoichiometry, sciencing_icons_solutions solutions, sciencing_icons_acids & bases acids & bases, sciencing_icons_thermodynamics thermodynamics, sciencing_icons_organic chemistry organic chemistry, sciencing_icons_physics physics, sciencing_icons_fundamentals-physics fundamentals, sciencing_icons_electronics electronics, sciencing_icons_waves waves, sciencing_icons_energy energy, sciencing_icons_fluid fluid, sciencing_icons_astronomy astronomy, sciencing_icons_geology geology, sciencing_icons_fundamentals-geology fundamentals, sciencing_icons_minerals & rocks minerals & rocks, sciencing_icons_earth scructure earth structure, sciencing_icons_fossils fossils, sciencing_icons_natural disasters natural disasters, sciencing_icons_nature nature, sciencing_icons_ecosystems ecosystems, sciencing_icons_environment environment, sciencing_icons_insects insects, sciencing_icons_plants & mushrooms plants & mushrooms, sciencing_icons_animals animals, sciencing_icons_math math, sciencing_icons_arithmetic arithmetic, sciencing_icons_addition & subtraction addition & subtraction, sciencing_icons_multiplication & division multiplication & division, sciencing_icons_decimals decimals, sciencing_icons_fractions fractions, sciencing_icons_conversions conversions, sciencing_icons_algebra algebra, sciencing_icons_working with units working with units, sciencing_icons_equations & expressions equations & expressions, sciencing_icons_ratios & proportions ratios & proportions, sciencing_icons_inequalities inequalities, sciencing_icons_exponents & logarithms exponents & logarithms, sciencing_icons_factorization factorization, sciencing_icons_functions functions, sciencing_icons_linear equations linear equations, sciencing_icons_graphs graphs, sciencing_icons_quadratics quadratics, sciencing_icons_polynomials polynomials, sciencing_icons_geometry geometry, sciencing_icons_fundamentals-geometry fundamentals, sciencing_icons_cartesian cartesian, sciencing_icons_circles circles, sciencing_icons_solids solids, sciencing_icons_trigonometry trigonometry, sciencing_icons_probability-statistics probability & statistics, sciencing_icons_mean-median-mode mean/median/mode, sciencing_icons_independent-dependent variables independent/dependent variables, sciencing_icons_deviation deviation, sciencing_icons_correlation correlation, sciencing_icons_sampling sampling, sciencing_icons_distributions distributions, sciencing_icons_probability probability, sciencing_icons_calculus calculus, sciencing_icons_differentiation-integration differentiation/integration, sciencing_icons_application application, sciencing_icons_projects projects, sciencing_icons_news news.

• Share Tweet Email Print
• Home ⋅
• Science ⋅
• Nature ⋅
• Environment

Importance of the Earth's Atmosphere

How the Atmosphere Protects the Earth

Without the protective layer of gases that make up Earth's atmosphere, the harsh conditions of the solar system would render the planet a barren, lifeless husk like the moon. The Earth's atmosphere protects and sustains the planet's inhabitants by providing warmth and absorbing harmful solar rays. In addition to containing the oxygen and carbon dioxide, which living things need to survive, the atmosphere traps the sun's energy and wards off many of the dangers of space.

Temperature

One of the most important benefits the atmosphere provides is maintaining the Earth’s temperature. On the moon, which has no protective atmosphere, temperatures can range from 121 degrees Celsius in the sun (250 degrees Fahrenheit) to negative 157 degrees Celsius in the shade (negative 250 degrees Fahrenheit). On Earth, however, molecules in the atmosphere absorb the sun’s energy as it arrives, spreading that warmth across the planet. The molecules also trap reflected energy from the surface, preventing the night side of the planet from becoming too cold.

The atmosphere serves as a protective shield against radiation and cosmic rays. The sun bombards the solar system with ultraviolet radiation, and without protection, that radiation can cause severe damage to skin and eyes. The ozone layer high in the Earth’s atmosphere blocks much of this radiation from reaching the surface. Dense layers of molecular gases also absorb cosmic rays, gamma rays and x-rays, preventing these energetic particles from striking living things and causing mutations and other genetic damage. Even during a solar flare, which can greatly increase the damaging output of the sun, the atmosphere is able to block most of the harmful effects.

Physical Protection

The solar system may seem like a vast and empty place, but in reality it is full of debris and small particles leftover from planetary creation or collisions in the asteroid belt. According to NASA, more than 100 tons of space debris strikes Earth every single day, mostly in the form of dust and tiny particles. When they encounter the molecules that make up Earth’s atmosphere, however, the resulting friction destroys them long before they reach the ground. Even larger meteors can break up due to the stresses of atmospheric re-entry, making catastrophic meteor strikes an incredibly rare occurrence. Without the physical protection of the atmosphere, the surface of the Earth would resemble that of the moon, pockmarked with impact craters.

Weather and Water

The atmosphere also serves an important purpose as a medium for the movement of water. Vapor evaporates out of oceans, condenses as it cools and falls as rain, providing life-giving moisture to otherwise dry areas of the continents. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Earth’s atmosphere holds around 12,900 cubic kilometers (3,100 cubic miles) worth of water at any given time. Without an atmosphere, it would simply boil away into space, or remain frozen in pockets below the surface of the planet.

Related Articles

Earth atmosphere facts, what is the earth's atmosphere composition & temperature, what are the causes of the extreme temperature differences..., how does the earth's atmosphere protect living organisms, the similarities and differences between the sun and..., what are the elements of uranus, what causes atmospheric heating, how does the earth receive heat from the sun, what protects the earth from harmful solar flares, how does the sun affect the earth, three ways that the atmosphere helps living things..., what is saturn's surface composition, what are meteors made up of, how solar flares affect communication, unique facts about the sun, how does the solar system affect the earth, why is the sun so bright, what does the condensation process require, the moon & its effect on our weather.

• NASA: Goddard Space Flight Center: Moon Facts
• NASA: Goddard Space Flight Center: Danger of Solar and Cosmic Radiation in Space
• Environmental Protection Agency: UV Radiation
• NASA: Asteroid and Comet Watch
• NASA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Near Earth Object Program
• U.S. Geological Survey: The Water Cycle

About the Author

Milton Kazmeyer has worked in the insurance, financial and manufacturing fields and also served as a federal contractor. He began his writing career in 2007 and now works full-time as a writer and transcriptionist. His primary fields of expertise include computers, astronomy, alternative energy sources and the environment.

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images

Find Your Next Great Science Fair Project! GO

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!

What Are the Causes of the Extreme Temperature Differences on the Moon?

The similarities and differences between the sun and moon.

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons
• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

10.1: Introduction to the Atmosphere

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 12850

Learning Objectives

The goals and objectives of this chapter are to:

• Understand the significance of the atmosphere.
• Describe the composition of the atmospheric gasses.
• Explain the major layers of the atmosphere and their importance.
• Analyze the relationships between energy, temperature, and heat.
• Describe how the Sun influences seasonality.
• Describe how heat is transferred around the planet.
• Dynamic Earth: Introduction to Physical Geography. Authored by : R. Adam Dastrup. Located at : http://www.opengeography.org/physical-geography.html . Project : Open Geography Education. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

Navigation is the art and science of determining the position of a ship, plane or other vehicle, and guiding it to a specific destination

Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Human Geography, Physical Geography, Social Studies, World History

Loading ...

Navigation is the art and science of determining the position of a ship, plane or other vehicle, and guiding it to a specific destination . Navigation requires a person to know the vehicle's relative location , or position compared to other known locations. Navigators measure distance on the globe in degrees . Understanding latitude and longitude are very important in navigation. Latitude is a north-south position measured from Earth's Equator and longitude is an east-west position measured from the prime meridian . There are many different navigation techniques. People have been using some of them for thousands of years. The earliest navigation methods involved observing landmarks or watching the direction of the sun and stars . Few ancient sailors ventured out into the open sea . Instead, they sailed within sight of land in order to navigate. When that was impossible, ancient sailors watched constellations to mark their position. The ancient Minoans , who lived on the Mediterranean island of Crete from 3000 to 1100 B.C.E, left records of using the stars to navigate, for instance. Compasses , which indicate direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles, are used in navigation on land, at sea, and in the air. Compasses were being used for navigation by the 1100s C.E., and are still the most familiar navigational tools in the world. Dead Reckoning Dead reckoning involves estimating a current position based on a past position. Dead reckoning factors in speed, time, and direction of travel. When used in sailing, it does not take into account wind speeds or ocean currents. However, the only reference point in dead reckoning is the past position. This can make it difficult to realize when mistakes are made during travel. Celestial Navigation For sailors, celestial navigation is a step up from dead reckoning. This technique uses the stars, moon, sun, and horizon to calculate position. It is very useful on the open ocean, where there are no landmarks. Navigators must be familiar with the different constellations at different times of the year, as well as the different constellations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The most familiar constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, for instance, is the Southern Cross . The stars in this constellation are never visible in the Northern Hemisphere above the tropics . The Big Dipper , a familiar constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, is not visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Navigators using this method need a tool such as a sextant to measure the angle between objects in the sky and the horizon. They also need an accurate clock and an almanac giving the positions of celestial bodies. NASA and other space agencies continue to use sophisticated celestial navigation for many of their missions outside Earth's atmosphere . The astronauts and engineers of the Apollo program used celestial navigation to chart their way to the moon and back. The Mars Exploration Rover also uses celestial navigation to communicate information back to engineers and researchers on Earth. Piloting Piloting relies on fixed visual references to determine position. This is probably the most familiar type of navigation. With this technique, the pilot must be able to recognize visual markers or identify them using maps or charts. If the pilot misidentifies the markers, he or she could take the vessel off course. Pilots also employ radar or global positioning system (GPS) technology if visibility is poor. Pilots are one of the most important crew members on seagoing vessels. Pilots navigate ships through difficult passages, such as narrow channels , stormy river mouths , and harbors with heavy ship traffic . With millions of dollars of cargo (such as cars, oil, or military troops) on ships larger than a football field, the pilot must be calm and responsible. He or she must understand the weather , the seabed or lakebed, the channels of a river, and trade winds and currents. Radio Navigation Radio navigation is similar to celestial navigation, except it replaces objects in the sky with radio waves being broadcast. The navigator can tune into a radio station and use an antenna to find the direction of the broadcasting radio antenna. Position can be determined by measuring the time it takes to receive radio signals from the stations of known locations on the ground or aboard satellites . Radar is a type of radio navigation. It originally stood for Radio Detection And Ranging. Radar is a system that measures the time it takes to bounce electromagnetic waves off an object and back to a receiver. The waves that reflect back to the receiver indicate the object's distance. GPS GPS, or global positioning system, is a satellite-based navigation system. While the GPS system is funded and controlled by the U.S. government's Department of Defense , anyone with a GPS receiver can use it. The earliest GPS system was launched between 1978 and 1985 with 11 satellites. It now includes about 24 satellites that orbit Earth and send radio signals from space. The system works much like radio navigation. A GPS device receives a signal from the satellites, and it calculates position based on the time it takes for the signal to transmit and the exact position of the satellites. It is a highly accurate navigation tool.

After the Mutiny on the Bounty In 1789, some of the crew of the British ship Bounty mutinied (rebelled) against the ship's leader, Lt. William Bligh. Bligh and 18 crew members loyal to him were set adrift in the South Pacific, a little southeast of the island of Tonga. Bligh and his crew were sent off in a seven-meter (23-foot)-long boat with food and water to last a few days, plus four cutlasses (swords), a sextant, and a pocket watch. They had no compass or navigational charts. Bligh successfully navigated more than 6,500 kilometers (3,500 nautical miles) to the island of Timor in 47 days. Bligh's voyage to Timor is considered by many to be the most remarkable feat of navigation in history.

Graveyard of the Pacific The mouth of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Oregon, is one of the most difficult areas to navigate. Because so many ships and sailors have been lost in the turbulent waters, the mouth of the Columbia is known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific."

Polynesian Navigation The ancient Polynesians navigated hundreds of thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean using a combination of celestial navigation and piloting. Polynesians were familiar with constellations in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. They relied on oral tradition and the history of their ancestors' navigation from different islands. They paid attention to regional and seasonal weather patterns. They also recognized different species of plants and animals native to different islands. If a piece of driftwood belonging to a familiar type of tree floated to shore, or a bird known to live in a specific ecosystem flew by, navigators would have an idea of what type of land lay ahead and how far away it was.

Shackleton's Endurance Ernest Shackleton tried to be the first person to cross the Antarctic continent around 1915. His ship, Endurance , got trapped and crushed in the ice soon after he arrived in the Weddell Sea. The crew was able to get off the ship and manually haul two lifeboats over many kilometers rugged ice. Finally reaching open water, the crew sailed to Elephant Island, where they lived underneath the inverted lifeboats for months. Nobody was coming to save them on Elephant Island, so Shackleton and five others took one of the lifeboats and attempted to sail 1,287 kilometers (800 miles) downwind to the South Shetland Islands. The only navigation they had was a sextant, which uses the angle between the sun (or star) and the horizon (constantly bouncing up and down due to strong Antarctic waves) to calculate latitude. If Shackleton, got the angle wrong, the people on the lifeboat and the people on Elephant Island were all dead, because if Shackleton had missed the South Shetland Islands, there isn't any land downwind for 8,047 kilometers (5,000 miles). Shackleton must have paid attention in his navigation class. His crew hit the South Shetland Islands in five days. It took them four attempts to make it back to Elephant Island. Everyone was still alive on the island, thanks to a sextant and a skilled explorer.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Illustrators

Educator reviewer, last updated.

October 19, 2023

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

Importance of atmosphere

The atmosphere plays a very important role in making the planet livable. It protects the life on Earth from the dangerous rays of Sun . Atmosphere traps heat, and make the planet a comfortable place to live. Atmosphere is considered to be vital in maintaining the water cycle. It helps to facilitate the clouds formation that remains suspended till they are pour down as snow, hail or rain due to heaviness. Besides these, there are several more benefits of atmosphere. Let us know more about it in detail.

About the atmosphere

The atmosphere on Earth is either transparent or reflective, on the basis of the wavelength of the rays to which it is exposed. Due to which, the atmosphere gets little amount of direct heat via solar radiation.

This solar energy either reflects into space or passes through the atmosphere without absorption of its energy. Most of the energy is reflected via chemical compounds, and clouds like the ozone layer. Only 54% of the total energy of sun succeed to pass through the atmosphere to finally reach the planet’s surface.

Benefits of atmosphere

Protects from the harmful rays of sun: Atmosphere acts as a shield that protects the planet from the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun and cosmic rays. These radiations cause destruction to eyes and skin of whoever gets exposed to it. The ozone layer in the atmosphere is responsible for saving the planet from the destructive rays of the sun. This layer reflects the ultra violet rays of the run so that it doesn’t reach the earth surface.

Thick sheets of molecular gases present in the atmosphere have the ability to absorb gamma rays, x-rays, and cosmic rays, thereby preventing such energetic particles to strike living things and cause genetic damage and mutations. A solar flare can increase the damage output of the atmosphere and the sun that helps in blocking a lot of the harmful effects.

Maintains constant temperature: The congenial temperature is very important for the life to be present on the Earth. Atmosphere helps in maintaining constant temperature on the earth to support the life of people. It also safeguards the planet from small sized meteors. The Earth’s atmosphere comprises of nitrogen oxide and a few more gases that helps in supporting the life of people on the earth.

On Earth, molecules present in the atmosphere soaks the energy of the sun. In this way, it spreads the warmness across the entire planet. These molecules trap reflected sun’s energy from the surface. In this way, it prevents the planet from becoming severely cold.

Aids in combustion: Atmosphere helps in facilitating combustion. The oxygen present in the atmosphere is responsible to accomplish the task. If there had been no atmosphere, then combustion would have not been possible.

Saves the life on Earth from getting endangered: Without the defensive layer of gases that forms up the atmosphere on Earth, the stringent state of the solar system would have left made the planet as a lifeless and barren land like the moon. The atmosphere on Earth safeguards the population by absorbing dangerous solar rays and thereby providing the much-needed warmth to the inhabitants.

Along with it, the Earth’s atmosphere is composed of the carbon dioxide, and oxygen which is needed by the living beings to survive. By trapping the sun’s energy, it keeps a lot of destructive elements of space at bay.

Physical Protection: The solar system is full of small particles and debris that remains there after creation of planets or crashes in the asteroid belt. When these particles come in contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, then the resultant friction destroys them before they result in any destruction.

Water and Weather: The atmosphere serves as a medium for the displacement of water. Water vapor evaporates out of the ocean, condenses and falls as rain. This provides moisture to dry zones of the continent. The atmosphere on Earth has 12,900 cu. km. worth of water. In the absence of atmosphere, all the water would have evaporated away into space, leaving behind the frozen planet.

The Greenhouse Effect: The atmosphere on Earth comprise of several chemicals. A majority of the infrared rays released by the warm water surface can’t makes its way into the space. In place of it, the radiation gets absorbed or reflected by compounds called as greenhouse gasses.

Absorption of the infrared rays by chemical compounds heats up the temperature of the atmosphere. This energy reflects in the direction of the earth. It warms the Earth’s surface and causes it to emit more infrared rays. This cycle maintains a warmer and livable atmosphere on the Earth.

Without such physical protection provided by the atmosphere, the Earth’s surface would appear like that of the moon. Thus, atmosphere makes the life possible on Earth.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Captcha: 1111

Essay on Greenhouse Effect for Students and Children

500 words essay on greenhouse effect.

The past month, July of 2019, has been the hottest month in the records of human history. This means on a global scale, the average climate and temperatures are now seen a steady rise year-on-year. The culprits of this climate change phenomenon are mainly pollution , overpopulation and general disregard for the environment by the human race. However, we can specifically point to two phenomenons that contribute to the rising temperatures – global warming and the greenhouse effect. Let us see more about them in this essay on the greenhouse effect.

The earth’s surface is surrounded by an envelope of the air we call the atmosphere. Gasses in this atmosphere trap the infrared radiation of the sun which generates heat on the surface of the earth. In an ideal scenario, this effect causes the temperature on the earth to be around 15c. And without such a phenomenon life could not sustain on earth.

However, due to rapid industrialization and rising pollution, the emission of greenhouse gases has increased multifold over the last few centuries. This, in turn, causes more radiation to be trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. And as a consequence, the temperature on the surface of the planet steadily rises. This is what we refer to when we talk about the man-made greenhouse effect.

Causes of Greenhouse Effect

As we saw earlier in this essay on the greenhouse effect, the phenomenon itself is naturally occurring and an important one to sustain life on our planet. However, there is an anthropogenic part of this effect. This is caused due to the activities of man.

The most prominent among this is the burning of fossil fuels . Our industries, vehicles, factories, etc are overly reliant on fossil fuels for their energy and power. This has caused an immense increase in emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfides, etc. This has multiplied the greenhouse effect and we have seen a steady rise in surface temperatures.

Other harmful activities such as deforestation, excessive urbanization, harmful agricultural practices, etc. have also led to the release of excess carbon dioxide and made the greenhouse effect more prominent. Another harmful element that causes harm to the environment is CFC (chlorofluorocarbon).

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Some Effects of Greenhouse Effect

Even after overwhelming proof, there are still people who deny the existence of climate change and its devastating pitfalls. However, there are so many effects and pieces of evidence of climate change it is now undeniable. The surface temperature of the planet has risen by 1c since the 19th century. This change is largely due to the increased emissions of carbon dioxide. The most harm has been seen in the past 35 years in particular.

The oceans and the seas have absorbed a lot of this increased heat. The surfaces of these oceans have seen a rise in temperatures of 0.4c. The ice sheets and glaciers are also rapidly shrinking. The rate at which the ice caps melt in Antartica has tripled in the last decade itself. These alarming statistics and facts are proof of the major disaster we face in the form of climate change.

600 Words Essay on Greenhouse Effect

A Greenhouse , as the term suggests, is a structure made of glass which is designed to trap heat inside. Thus, even on cold chilling winter days, there is warmth inside it. Similarly, Earth also traps energy from the Sun and prevents it from escaping back. The greenhouse gases or the molecules present in the atmosphere of the Earth trap the heat of the Sun. This is what we know as the Greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse Gases

These gases or molecules are naturally present in the atmosphere of the Earth. However, they are also released due to human activities. These gases play a vital role in trapping the heat of the Sun and thereby gradually warming the temperature of Earth. The Earth is habitable for humans due to the equilibrium of the energy it receives and the energy that it reflects back to space.

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect

The trapping and emission of radiation by the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere is known as the Greenhouse effect. Without this process, Earth will either be very cold or very hot, which will make life impossible on Earth.

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. Due to wrong human activities such as clearing forests, burning fossil fuels, releasing industrial gas in the atmosphere, etc., the emission of greenhouse gases is increasing.

Thus, this has, in turn, resulted in global warming . We can see the effects due to these like extreme droughts, floods, hurricanes, landslides, rise in sea levels, etc. Global warming is adversely affecting our biodiversity, ecosystem and the life of the people. Also, the Himalayan glaciers are melting due to this.

There are broadly two causes of the greenhouse effect:

I. Natural Causes

• Some components that are present on the Earth naturally produce greenhouse gases. For example, carbon dioxide is present in the oceans, decaying of plants due to forest fires and the manure of some animals produces methane , and nitrogen oxide is present in water and soil.
• Water Vapour raises the temperature by absorbing energy when there is a rise in the humidity.
• Humans and animals breathe oxygen and release carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

II. Man-made Causes

• Burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal emits carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which causes an excessive greenhouse effect. Also, while digging a coal mine or an oil well, methane is released from the Earth, which pollutes it.
• Trees with the help of the process of photosynthesis absorb the carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to deforestation the carbon dioxide level is continuously increasing. This is also a major cause of the increase in the greenhouse effect.
• In order to get maximum yield, the farmers use artificial nitrogen in their fields. This releases nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere.
• Industries release harmful gases in the atmosphere like methane, carbon dioxide , and fluorine gas. These also enhance global warming.

All the countries of the world are facing the ill effects of global warming. The Government and non-governmental organizations need to take appropriate and concrete measures to control the emission of toxic greenhouse gases. They need to promote the greater use of renewable energy and forestation. Also, it is the duty of every individual to protect the environment and not use such means that harm the atmosphere. It is the need of the hour to protect our environment else that day is not far away when life on Earth will also become difficult.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

• Privacy Policy

• English Essays
• _Upto 100 Words
• _100-200 Words
• _200-400 Words
• _More than 400 Words
• Letter & Application
• Interesting Facts
• Other Resources
• _Hindi Essay | निबंध
• _Fact TV India
• _Stories N Books
• Animals and Birds (25)
• Articles (55)
• Authors and Poets of India (5)
• Authors and Poets of World (4)
• Awards and Prizes (2)
• Banking and Insurance (28)
• Biographies (77)
• Chief Justices of India (4)
• Debates (3)
• Famous Personalities of India (62)
• Famous Personalities of World (8)
• Famous Places of India (1)
• Festivals of India (46)
• Festivals of World (5)
• Flowers and Fruits (2)
• Freedom Fighters of India (25)
• History of India (5)
• Important Days of India (62)
• Important Days of World (50)
• Interesting Facts (20)
• Letters and Forms (16)
• Miscellaneous (152)
• Monuments of India (12)
• Organizations and Institutions (11)
• Presidents of India (17)
• Prime Ministers of India (9)
• Religious (3)
• Social Issues (58)
• Sports and Games (3)
• Symbols of India (12)

Short Essay on 'Importance of Atmosphere' (200 Words)

Post a Comment

Interesting information

The information that is provided is very helpful and teaches more about the importance of the atmosphere

THE information given helps a lot and makes you understand more about atmosphere

Thank you guys 👍🏽

Connect with Us!

Subscribe us, popular posts, short essay on 'person i admire the most' (120 words), short essay on 'most important person in my life' (227 words), short essay on 'raja ram mohan roy' (155 words), short essay on 'dr. a.p.j. abdul kalam' (264 words), short essay on 'my favourite animal' (100 words), short essay on 'turtle' in english (225 words), short essay on 'my favourite bird' (100 words), short essay on 'narendra modi' (340 words), short essay on 'mahatma gandhi' (200 words), short essay on 'animal i like most' (100 words), total pageviews, footer menu widget.

Discuss the importance of atmosphere.

Atmosphere : the atmosphere is a protective layer that safeguards the earth from the harsh conditions of the solar system. the air is a poor conductor of heat. during the day, it prevents a sudden increase in the temperature of the earth and prevents the heat to escape to outer space during the night. importance of atmosphere: the earth’s atmosphere protects the inhabitants by absorbing harmful solar rays and maintaining a steady temperature. it wards off many dangers of space thereby making life possible on earth. it is thus an important factor of climatic control and a life-sustaining source on earth..

write 5 importance of atmosphere

How extratropical ocean-atmosphere interactions can contribute to the variability of jet streams in the Northern Hemisphere

Researchers highlight the newfound significance of communication between atmosphere and oceans.

The interaction between the oceans and the atmosphere plays a vital role in shaping the Earth's climate. Changing sea surface temperatures can heat or cool the atmosphere, and changes in the atmosphere can do the same to the ocean surface. This exchange in energy is known as "ocean-atmosphere coupling."

Now, researchers from Kyushu University have revealed that this ocean-atmosphere coupling enhances teleconnection patterns -- when climate conditions change across vast regions of the globe -- in the Northern Hemisphere. In their recent study, the team modelled the effect of ocean coupling on atmospheric circulation patterns, finding that extratropical ocean-atmosphere coupling causes more meandering jet streams, which are linked to extreme weather events.

Ocean-atmosphere coupling is most powerful in the tropics, where the coupling is responsible for the well-known "El Niño-Southern Oscillation" in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation, in turn, remotely leads to a meandering jet stream in the mid-latitudes through the formation of large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, i.e., teleconnection patterns.

Outside the tropics, in the mid-latitudes, the impact of ocean-atmosphere coupling on teleconnection patterns is less understood. Nevertheless, its significance in the cause of extreme weather events cannot be ignored, especially in the eye of the climate crisis.

In a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment , a team of researchers led by Assistant Professor Masato Mori from Kyushu University's Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, Toyama University, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, shed new light on the phenomenon.

"Because extreme weather events are more likely to occur when fluctuations in the jet streams are large -- as in when the magnitude of the teleconnection pattern is large -- it is important to understand the mechanisms that form and maintain said teleconnection pattern," explains Mori.

To investigate the role of the extratropical ocean-atmosphere coupling, the researchers conducted two simulations: a coupled run, which considered the interaction between the extratropical ocean and the atmosphere, and an uncoupled run, which neglected the interaction between the two components. The simulations examined the impact of ocean-atmosphere coupling on teleconnection patterns during the Northern Hemisphere's wintertime: December to February. The effect of the coupling on atmospheric circulation patterns were evaluated through atmospheric variables, such as air pressure and temperature.

In their simulations, the researchers observed significant changes in the atmospheric variables, especially in the North Pacific, subpolar North Atlantic, and northern Eurasia around the Barents-Kara Sea regions off the coast of Siberia. These changes indicated shifts in teleconnection patterns compared to simulations without such an interaction.

"Extratropical coupling selectively enhances the variance of three principal modes of variability, explaining 13%, 11%, and 10% of the total variance of Pacific/North American, North Atlantic Oscillation, and Warm-Arctic Cold-Eurasian patterns, respectively," says Mori.

In the coupled run, heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere reduced the air-sea thermal difference. As a result, less heat is released from the oceans and into the atmosphere, leading to increased kinetic energy and a more meandering jet stream. Conversely, when the oceans are uncoupled, the sea surface temperature does not respond to atmospheric fluctuations. The larger temperature differences cause more heat to be released, resulting in a less meandering jet stream.

"The present study quantifies the coupling effect based on large ensemble simulations of a state-of-the-art fully coupled model. Moreover, it reveals how coupling selectively enhances multiple principal modes of variability, not only thermodynamically but also dynamically," concludes Mori.

Notably, the researchers point out that the simulation could have underestimated the coupling effect owing to model bias and issues with simulation design. Nevertheless, new knowledge on the effects of ocean-atmosphere coupling in the Northern Hemisphere could contribute to improving climate projections in the face of the climate crisis through the improvement of climate models.

• Global Warming
• Environmental Awareness
• Oceanography
• Earth Science
• El Niño-Southern Oscillation
• Global climate model
• Ocean acidification
• Carbon cycle
• Gulf Stream
• Ocean current

Story Source:

Materials provided by Kyushu University . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Masato Mori, Yu Kosaka, Bunmei Taguchi, Hiroki Tokinaga, Hiroaki Tatebe, Hisashi Nakamura. Northern Hemisphere winter atmospheric teleconnections are intensified by extratropical ocean-atmosphere coupling . Communications Earth & Environment , 2024; 5 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01282-1

Cite This Page :

Explore More

• Illuminating Oxygen's Journey in the Brain
• DNA Study IDs Descendants of George Washington
• Heart Disease Risk: More Than One Drink a Day
• Unlocking Supernova Stardust Secrets
• Why Do Some Memories Become Longterm?
• Cell Division Quality Control 'Stopwatch'
• What Controls Sun's Differential Rotation?
• Robot, Can You Say 'Cheese'?
• Researchers Turn Back the Clock On Cancer Cells
• Making Long-Term Memories: Nerve-Cell Damage

Trending Topics

Strange & offbeat.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

8.4 Revising and Editing

Learning objectives.

• Identify major areas of concern in the draft essay during revising and editing.
• Use peer reviews and editing checklists to assist revising and editing.
• Revise and edit the first draft of your essay and produce a final draft.

Revising and editing are the two tasks you undertake to significantly improve your essay. Both are very important elements of the writing process. You may think that a completed first draft means little improvement is needed. However, even experienced writers need to improve their drafts and rely on peers during revising and editing. You may know that athletes miss catches, fumble balls, or overshoot goals. Dancers forget steps, turn too slowly, or miss beats. For both athletes and dancers, the more they practice, the stronger their performance will become. Web designers seek better images, a more clever design, or a more appealing background for their web pages. Writing has the same capacity to profit from improvement and revision.

Understanding the Purpose of Revising and Editing

Revising and editing allow you to examine two important aspects of your writing separately, so that you can give each task your undivided attention.

• When you revise , you take a second look at your ideas. You might add, cut, move, or change information in order to make your ideas clearer, more accurate, more interesting, or more convincing.
• When you edit , you take a second look at how you expressed your ideas. You add or change words. You fix any problems in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. You improve your writing style. You make your essay into a polished, mature piece of writing, the end product of your best efforts.

How do you get the best out of your revisions and editing? Here are some strategies that writers have developed to look at their first drafts from a fresh perspective. Try them over the course of this semester; then keep using the ones that bring results.

• Take a break. You are proud of what you wrote, but you might be too close to it to make changes. Set aside your writing for a few hours or even a day until you can look at it objectively.
• Ask someone you trust for feedback and constructive criticism.
• Pretend you are one of your readers. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied? Why?
• Use the resources that your college provides. Find out where your school’s writing lab is located and ask about the assistance they provide online and in person.

Many people hear the words critic , critical , and criticism and pick up only negative vibes that provoke feelings that make them blush, grumble, or shout. However, as a writer and a thinker, you need to learn to be critical of yourself in a positive way and have high expectations for your work. You also need to train your eye and trust your ability to fix what needs fixing. For this, you need to teach yourself where to look.

Creating Unity and Coherence

Following your outline closely offers you a reasonable guarantee that your writing will stay on purpose and not drift away from the controlling idea. However, when writers are rushed, are tired, or cannot find the right words, their writing may become less than they want it to be. Their writing may no longer be clear and concise, and they may be adding information that is not needed to develop the main idea.

When a piece of writing has unity , all the ideas in each paragraph and in the entire essay clearly belong and are arranged in an order that makes logical sense. When the writing has coherence , the ideas flow smoothly. The wording clearly indicates how one idea leads to another within a paragraph and from paragraph to paragraph.

Reading your writing aloud will often help you find problems with unity and coherence. Listen for the clarity and flow of your ideas. Identify places where you find yourself confused, and write a note to yourself about possible fixes.

Creating Unity

Sometimes writers get caught up in the moment and cannot resist a good digression. Even though you might enjoy such detours when you chat with friends, unplanned digressions usually harm a piece of writing.

Mariah stayed close to her outline when she drafted the three body paragraphs of her essay she tentatively titled “Digital Technology: The Newest and the Best at What Price?” But a recent shopping trip for an HDTV upset her enough that she digressed from the main topic of her third paragraph and included comments about the sales staff at the electronics store she visited. When she revised her essay, she deleted the off-topic sentences that affected the unity of the paragraph.

Read the following paragraph twice, the first time without Mariah’s changes, and the second time with them.

Nothing is more confusing to me than choosing among televisions. It confuses lots of people who want a new high-definition digital television (HDTV) with a large screen to watch sports and DVDs on. You could listen to the guys in the electronics store, but word has it they know little more than you do. They want to sell what they have in stock, not what best fits your needs. You face decisions you never had to make with the old, bulky picture-tube televisions. Screen resolution means the number of horizontal scan lines the screen can show. This resolution is often 1080p, or full HD, or 768p. The trouble is that if you have a smaller screen, 32 inches or 37 inches diagonal, you won’t be able to tell the difference with the naked eye. The 1080p televisions cost more, though, so those are what the salespeople want you to buy. They get bigger commissions. The other important decision you face as you walk around the sales floor is whether to get a plasma screen or an LCD screen. Now here the salespeople may finally give you decent info. Plasma flat-panel television screens can be much larger in diameter than their LCD rivals. Plasma screens show truer blacks and can be viewed at a wider angle than current LCD screens. But be careful and tell the salesperson you have budget constraints. Large flat-panel plasma screens are much more expensive than flat-screen LCD models. Don’t let someone make you by more television than you need!

Answer the following two questions about Mariah’s paragraph:

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

• Now start to revise the first draft of the essay you wrote in Section 8 “Writing Your Own First Draft” . Reread it to find any statements that affect the unity of your writing. Decide how best to revise.

When you reread your writing to find revisions to make, look for each type of problem in a separate sweep. Read it straight through once to locate any problems with unity. Read it straight through a second time to find problems with coherence. You may follow this same practice during many stages of the writing process.

Writing at Work

Many companies hire copyeditors and proofreaders to help them produce the cleanest possible final drafts of large writing projects. Copyeditors are responsible for suggesting revisions and style changes; proofreaders check documents for any errors in capitalization, spelling, and punctuation that have crept in. Many times, these tasks are done on a freelance basis, with one freelancer working for a variety of clients.

Creating Coherence

Careful writers use transitions to clarify how the ideas in their sentences and paragraphs are related. These words and phrases help the writing flow smoothly. Adding transitions is not the only way to improve coherence, but they are often useful and give a mature feel to your essays. Table 8.3 “Common Transitional Words and Phrases” groups many common transitions according to their purpose.

Table 8.3 Common Transitional Words and Phrases

After Maria revised for unity, she next examined her paragraph about televisions to check for coherence. She looked for places where she needed to add a transition or perhaps reword the text to make the flow of ideas clear. In the version that follows, she has already deleted the sentences that were off topic.

Many writers make their revisions on a printed copy and then transfer them to the version on-screen. They conventionally use a small arrow called a caret (^) to show where to insert an addition or correction.

1. Answer the following questions about Mariah’s revised paragraph.

2. Now return to the first draft of the essay you wrote in Section 8 “Writing Your Own First Draft” and revise it for coherence. Add transition words and phrases where they are needed, and make any other changes that are needed to improve the flow and connection between ideas.

Being Clear and Concise

Some writers are very methodical and painstaking when they write a first draft. Other writers unleash a lot of words in order to get out all that they feel they need to say. Do either of these composing styles match your style? Or is your composing style somewhere in between? No matter which description best fits you, the first draft of almost every piece of writing, no matter its author, can be made clearer and more concise.

If you have a tendency to write too much, you will need to look for unnecessary words. If you have a tendency to be vague or imprecise in your wording, you will need to find specific words to replace any overly general language.

Identifying Wordiness

Sometimes writers use too many words when fewer words will appeal more to their audience and better fit their purpose. Here are some common examples of wordiness to look for in your draft. Eliminating wordiness helps all readers, because it makes your ideas clear, direct, and straightforward.

Sentences that begin with There is or There are .

Wordy: There are two major experiments that the Biology Department sponsors.

Revised: The Biology Department sponsors two major experiments.

Sentences with unnecessary modifiers.

Wordy: Two extremely famous and well-known consumer advocates spoke eloquently in favor of the proposed important legislation.

Revised: Two well-known consumer advocates spoke in favor of the proposed legislation.

Sentences with deadwood phrases that add little to the meaning. Be judicious when you use phrases such as in terms of , with a mind to , on the subject of , as to whether or not , more or less , as far as…is concerned , and similar expressions. You can usually find a more straightforward way to state your point.

Wordy: As a world leader in the field of green technology, the company plans to focus its efforts in the area of geothermal energy.

A report as to whether or not to use geysers as an energy source is in the process of preparation.

Revised: As a world leader in green technology, the company plans to focus on geothermal energy.

A report about using geysers as an energy source is in preparation.

Sentences in the passive voice or with forms of the verb to be . Sentences with passive-voice verbs often create confusion, because the subject of the sentence does not perform an action. Sentences are clearer when the subject of the sentence performs the action and is followed by a strong verb. Use strong active-voice verbs in place of forms of to be , which can lead to wordiness. Avoid passive voice when you can.

Wordy: It might perhaps be said that using a GPS device is something that is a benefit to drivers who have a poor sense of direction.

Revised: Using a GPS device benefits drivers who have a poor sense of direction.

Sentences with constructions that can be shortened.

Wordy: The e-book reader, which is a recent invention, may become as commonplace as the cell phone.

My over-sixty uncle bought an e-book reader, and his wife bought an e-book reader, too.

Revised: The e-book reader, a recent invention, may become as commonplace as the cell phone.

My over-sixty uncle and his wife both bought e-book readers.

Now return once more to the first draft of the essay you have been revising. Check it for unnecessary words. Try making your sentences as concise as they can be.

Choosing Specific, Appropriate Words

Most college essays should be written in formal English suitable for an academic situation. Follow these principles to be sure that your word choice is appropriate. For more information about word choice, see Chapter 4 “Working with Words: Which Word Is Right?” .

• Avoid slang. Find alternatives to bummer , kewl , and rad .
• Avoid language that is overly casual. Write about “men and women” rather than “girls and guys” unless you are trying to create a specific effect. A formal tone calls for formal language.
• Avoid contractions. Use do not in place of don’t , I am in place of I’m , have not in place of haven’t , and so on. Contractions are considered casual speech.
• Avoid clichés. Overused expressions such as green with envy , face the music , better late than never , and similar expressions are empty of meaning and may not appeal to your audience.
• Be careful when you use words that sound alike but have different meanings. Some examples are allusion/illusion , complement/compliment , council/counsel , concurrent/consecutive , founder/flounder , and historic/historical . When in doubt, check a dictionary.
• Choose words with the connotations you want. Choosing a word for its connotations is as important in formal essay writing as it is in all kinds of writing. Compare the positive connotations of the word proud and the negative connotations of arrogant and conceited .
• Use specific words rather than overly general words. Find synonyms for thing , people , nice , good , bad , interesting , and other vague words. Or use specific details to make your exact meaning clear.

Now read the revisions Mariah made to make her third paragraph clearer and more concise. She has already incorporated the changes she made to improve unity and coherence.

1. Answer the following questions about Mariah’s revised paragraph:

2. Now return once more to your essay in progress. Read carefully for problems with word choice. Be sure that your draft is written in formal language and that your word choice is specific and appropriate.

Completing a Peer Review

After working so closely with a piece of writing, writers often need to step back and ask for a more objective reader. What writers most need is feedback from readers who can respond only to the words on the page. When they are ready, writers show their drafts to someone they respect and who can give an honest response about its strengths and weaknesses.

You, too, can ask a peer to read your draft when it is ready. After evaluating the feedback and assessing what is most helpful, the reader’s feedback will help you when you revise your draft. This process is called peer review .

You can work with a partner in your class and identify specific ways to strengthen each other’s essays. Although you may be uncomfortable sharing your writing at first, remember that each writer is working toward the same goal: a final draft that fits the audience and the purpose. Maintaining a positive attitude when providing feedback will put you and your partner at ease. The box that follows provides a useful framework for the peer review session.

Questions for Peer Review

Title of essay: ____________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________

Writer’s name: ____________________________________________

Peer reviewer’s name: _________________________________________

• This essay is about____________________________________________.
• Your main points in this essay are____________________________________________.
• What I most liked about this essay is____________________________________________.

These three points struck me as your strongest:

These places in your essay are not clear to me:

a. Where: ____________________________________________

Needs improvement because__________________________________________

b. Where: ____________________________________________

Needs improvement because ____________________________________________

c. Where: ____________________________________________

The one additional change you could make that would improve this essay significantly is ____________________________________________.

One of the reasons why word-processing programs build in a reviewing feature is that workgroups have become a common feature in many businesses. Writing is often collaborative, and the members of a workgroup and their supervisors often critique group members’ work and offer feedback that will lead to a better final product.

Exchange essays with a classmate and complete a peer review of each other’s draft in progress. Remember to give positive feedback and to be courteous and polite in your responses. Focus on providing one positive comment and one question for more information to the author.

Using Feedback Objectively

The purpose of peer feedback is to receive constructive criticism of your essay. Your peer reviewer is your first real audience, and you have the opportunity to learn what confuses and delights a reader so that you can improve your work before sharing the final draft with a wider audience (or your intended audience).

It may not be necessary to incorporate every recommendation your peer reviewer makes. However, if you start to observe a pattern in the responses you receive from peer reviewers, you might want to take that feedback into consideration in future assignments. For example, if you read consistent comments about a need for more research, then you may want to consider including more research in future assignments.

Using Feedback from Multiple Sources

You might get feedback from more than one reader as you share different stages of your revised draft. In this situation, you may receive feedback from readers who do not understand the assignment or who lack your involvement with and enthusiasm for it.

You need to evaluate the responses you receive according to two important criteria:

• Determine if the feedback supports the purpose of the assignment.
• Determine if the suggested revisions are appropriate to the audience.

Then, using these standards, accept or reject revision feedback.

Work with two partners. Go back to Note 8.81 “Exercise 4” in this lesson and compare your responses to Activity A, about Mariah’s paragraph, with your partners’. Recall Mariah’s purpose for writing and her audience. Then, working individually, list where you agree and where you disagree about revision needs.

Editing Your Draft

If you have been incorporating each set of revisions as Mariah has, you have produced multiple drafts of your writing. So far, all your changes have been content changes. Perhaps with the help of peer feedback, you have made sure that you sufficiently supported your ideas. You have checked for problems with unity and coherence. You have examined your essay for word choice, revising to cut unnecessary words and to replace weak wording with specific and appropriate wording.

The next step after revising the content is editing. When you edit, you examine the surface features of your text. You examine your spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation. You also make sure you use the proper format when creating your finished assignment.

Editing often takes time. Budgeting time into the writing process allows you to complete additional edits after revising. Editing and proofreading your writing helps you create a finished work that represents your best efforts. Here are a few more tips to remember about your readers:

• Readers do not notice correct spelling, but they do notice misspellings.
• Readers look past your sentences to get to your ideas—unless the sentences are awkward, poorly constructed, and frustrating to read.
• Readers notice when every sentence has the same rhythm as every other sentence, with no variety.
• Readers do not cheer when you use there , their , and they’re correctly, but they notice when you do not.
• Readers will notice the care with which you handled your assignment and your attention to detail in the delivery of an error-free document..

The first section of this book offers a useful review of grammar, mechanics, and usage. Use it to help you eliminate major errors in your writing and refine your understanding of the conventions of language. Do not hesitate to ask for help, too, from peer tutors in your academic department or in the college’s writing lab. In the meantime, use the checklist to help you edit your writing.

Editing Your Writing

• Are some sentences actually sentence fragments?
• Are some sentences run-on sentences? How can I correct them?
• Do some sentences need conjunctions between independent clauses?
• Does every verb agree with its subject?
• Is every verb in the correct tense?
• Are tense forms, especially for irregular verbs, written correctly?
• Have I used subject, object, and possessive personal pronouns correctly?
• Have I used who and whom correctly?
• Is the antecedent of every pronoun clear?
• Do all personal pronouns agree with their antecedents?
• Have I used the correct comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs?
• Is it clear which word a participial phrase modifies, or is it a dangling modifier?

Sentence Structure

• Are all my sentences simple sentences, or do I vary my sentence structure?
• Have I chosen the best coordinating or subordinating conjunctions to join clauses?
• Have I created long, overpacked sentences that should be shortened for clarity?
• Do I see any mistakes in parallel structure?

Punctuation

• Does every sentence end with the correct end punctuation?
• Can I justify the use of every exclamation point?
• Have I used apostrophes correctly to write all singular and plural possessive forms?
• Have I used quotation marks correctly?

Mechanics and Usage

• Can I find any spelling errors? How can I correct them?
• Have I used capital letters where they are needed?
• Have I written abbreviations, where allowed, correctly?
• Can I find any errors in the use of commonly confused words, such as to / too / two ?

Be careful about relying too much on spelling checkers and grammar checkers. A spelling checker cannot recognize that you meant to write principle but wrote principal instead. A grammar checker often queries constructions that are perfectly correct. The program does not understand your meaning; it makes its check against a general set of formulas that might not apply in each instance. If you use a grammar checker, accept the suggestions that make sense, but consider why the suggestions came up.

Proofreading requires patience; it is very easy to read past a mistake. Set your paper aside for at least a few hours, if not a day or more, so your mind will rest. Some professional proofreaders read a text backward so they can concentrate on spelling and punctuation. Another helpful technique is to slowly read a paper aloud, paying attention to every word, letter, and punctuation mark.

If you need additional proofreading help, ask a reliable friend, a classmate, or a peer tutor to make a final pass on your paper to look for anything you missed.

Remember to use proper format when creating your finished assignment. Sometimes an instructor, a department, or a college will require students to follow specific instructions on titles, margins, page numbers, or the location of the writer’s name. These requirements may be more detailed and rigid for research projects and term papers, which often observe the American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) style guides, especially when citations of sources are included.

To ensure the format is correct and follows any specific instructions, make a final check before you submit an assignment.

With the help of the checklist, edit and proofread your essay.

Key Takeaways

• Revising and editing are the stages of the writing process in which you improve your work before producing a final draft.
• During revising, you add, cut, move, or change information in order to improve content.
• During editing, you take a second look at the words and sentences you used to express your ideas and fix any problems in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
• Unity in writing means that all the ideas in each paragraph and in the entire essay clearly belong together and are arranged in an order that makes logical sense.
• Coherence in writing means that the writer’s wording clearly indicates how one idea leads to another within a paragraph and between paragraphs.
• Transitional words and phrases effectively make writing more coherent.
• Writing should be clear and concise, with no unnecessary words.
• Effective formal writing uses specific, appropriate words and avoids slang, contractions, clichés, and overly general words.
• Peer reviews, done properly, can give writers objective feedback about their writing. It is the writer’s responsibility to evaluate the results of peer reviews and incorporate only useful feedback.
• Remember to budget time for careful editing and proofreading. Use all available resources, including editing checklists, peer editing, and your institution’s writing lab, to improve your editing skills.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.