Atmosphere

The Quran and the Atmosphere

Sami Zaatari

In the Noble Quran we often find verses which describe the earth's atmosphere as a protective covering for us humans:

And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)! (21:32)

It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape- and made your shapes beautiful,- and has provided for you Sustenance, of things pure and good;- such is Allah your Lord. So Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! (40:64)

So the Quran makes it quite clear that the earth's sky (atmosphere) acts as a well protected covering for us humans. Furthermore if one were to read the context of these verses, one will see that these details are being given as a sign for us humans, and that we should be grateful and thankful for this (that this is a benefit for us, to help us).

With the discoveries of modern day science, we are now able to verify the above claims, of how the earth's atmosphere does protect us humans, and how the earth's atmosphere is indeed like a protected roof over our heads.

The atmosphere isn't just a nice sky for you to stare at, it isn't just there for the sake of being there, rather the atmosphere has an important role and function, you can sort of say that behind the scenes a lot of work is being done to insure things go smoothly on earth which in turn benefits us!

Let us see what modern day science has to say concerning the earth's atmosphere:

The Ozone Layer:

The Earth's atmosphere is divided into several layers. The lowest region, the troposphere, extends from the Earth's surface up to about 10 kilometers (km) in altitude. Virtually all human activities occur in the troposphere. Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on the planet, is only about 9 km high. The next layer, the stratosphere, continues from 10 km to about 50 km. Most commercial airline traffic occurs in the lower part of the stratosphere.

Most atmospheric ozone is concentrated in a layer in the stratosphere, about 15-30 kilometers above the Earth's surface. Ozone is a molecule containing three oxygen atoms. It is blue in color and has a strong odor. Normal oxygen, which we breathe, has two oxygen atoms and is colorless and odorless. Ozone is much less common than normal oxygen. Out of each 10 million air molecules, about 2 million are normal oxygen, but only 3 are ozone.

However, even the small amount of ozone plays a key role in the atmosphere. The ozone layer absorbs a portion of the radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching the planet's surface. Most importantly, it absorbs the portion of ultraviolet light called UVB. UVB has been linked to many harmful effects, including various types of skin cancer, cataracts, and harm to some crops, certain materials, and some forms of marine life.

At any given time, ozone molecules are constantly formed and destroyed in the stratosphere. The total amount, however, remains relatively stable. The concentration of the ozone layer can be thought of as a stream's depth at a particular location. Although water is constantly flowing in and out, the depth remains constant.

While ozone concentrations vary naturally with sunspots, the seasons, and latitude, these processes are well understood and predictable. Scientists have established records spanning several decades that detail normal ozone levels during these natural cycles. Each natural reduction in ozone levels has been followed by a recovery. Recently, however, convincing scientific evidence has shown that the ozone shield is being depleted well beyond changes due to natural processes.

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/sc_fact.html

Ozone is very rare in our atmosphere, averaging about three molecules of ozone for every 10 million air molecules. In spite of this small amount, ozone plays a vital role in the atmosphere. In the information below, we present "the basics" about this important component of the Earth's atmosphere.

Where is ozone found in the atmosphere?
Ozone is mainly found in two regions of the Earth's atmosphere. Most ozone (about 90%) resides in a layer that begins between 6 and 10 miles (10 and 17 kilometers) above the Earth's surface and extends up to about 30 miles (50 kilometers). This region of the atmosphere is called the stratosphere. The ozone in this region is commonly known as the ozone layer. The remaining ozone is in the lower region of the atmosphere, which is commonly called the troposphere. The figure (above) shows an example of how ozone is distributed in the atmosphere.

What roles does ozone play in the atmosphere and how are humans affected?
The ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) and the lower atmosphere (troposphere) are chemically identical, because they all consist of three oxygen atoms and have the chemical formula O3. However, they have very different roles in the atmosphere and very different effects on humans and other living beings. Stratospheric ozone (sometimes referred to as "good ozone") plays a beneficial role by absorbing most of the biologically damaging ultraviolet sunlight (called UV-B), allowing only a small amount to reach the Earth's surface. The absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone creates a source of heat, which actually forms the stratosphere itself (a region in which the temperature rises as one goes to higher altitudes). Ozone thus plays a key role in the temperature structure of the Earth's atmosphere. Without the filtering action of the ozone layer, more of the Sun's UV-B radiation would penetrate the atmosphere and would reach the Earth's surface. Many experimental studies of plants and animals and clinical studies of humans have shown the harmful effects of excessive exposure to UV-B radiation.

http://www.ozonelayer.noaa.gov/science/basics.htm

A ton of more references and articles could be given about the Ozone layer and its importance and benefit for us humans, the main important point is that the Quran precisely already informed us about the atmosphere's helping hand for us humans!

The help doesn't just come from the Ozone layer; for instance the atmospheric layer known as the stratosphere also benefits us humans:

Commercial airliners typically cruise at altitudes of 9-12 km in temperate latitudes, in the lower reaches of the stratosphere. They do this to optimize jet engine fuel burn, mostly thanks to the low temperatures encountered near the tropopause. It also allows them to stay above any hard weather, and avoid atmospheric turbulence from the convection in the troposphere. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratosphere#Aircraft_flight)

Then we have the other layer of the earth's atmosphere, the mesosphere, although not much is known about the mesosphere, what we do know is that this is the area where meteors burn and break up, which largely benefits us as well:

What do we know about the mesosphere? Most meteors from space burn up in this layer. A special type of clouds, called "noctilucent clouds", sometimes forms in the mesosphere near the North and South Poles. These clouds are strange because they form much, much higher up than any other type of cloud. There are also odd types of lightning in the mesosphere. These types of lightning, called "sprites" and "ELVES", appear dozens of miles above thunderclouds in the troposphere below. (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/mesosphere.html)

Then we have another layer of the atmosphere known as the thermosphere:

Much of the X-ray and UV radiation from the Sun is absorbed in the thermosphere. When the Sun is very active and emitting more high energy radiation, the thermosphere gets hotter and expands or "puffs up". Because of this, the height of the top of the thermosphere (the thermopause) varies. The thermopause is found at an altitude between 500 km and 1,000 km or higher. Since many satellites orbit within the thermosphere, changes in the density of (the very, very thin) air at orbital altitudes brought on by heating and expansion of the thermosphere generates a drag force on satellites. Engineers must take this varying drag into account when calculating orbits, and satellites occasionally need to be boosted higher to offset the effects of the drag force. (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/thermosphere.html)

Then you also have the ionosphere, which also benefits us:

Our society has learned to use the properties of the ionosphere in many beneficial ways over the last century (radio, television, satellite communications, etc.), but there is still a great deal to learn about its physics, its chemical makeup and its everyday changes because of solar radiation. (http://www.uaf.edu/asgp/hex/ionosphere.htm)

So in conclusion the Quran got it completely right when it said the following:

And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)! (21:32)

Indeed, modern day science has proven that the above two statements could not be more right!

And Allah certainly knows best!