Because various atmospheric gases have different absorption and emission characteristics, Earth's atmosphere is transparent to only two wavelength ranges. The two ranges of wavelengths that can pass between Earth's surface and space through an atmospheric window are __________ and __________ wavelengths.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Earth's atmosphere is transparent to visible and infrared wavelengths of light, which means they are able to pass through the atmosphere and reach the surface of the Earth or leave the Earth and travel into space. This is because the atmospheric gases, such as nitrogen and oxygen, do not absorb or emit light at these wavelengths. However, the atmosphere does absorb other wavelengths, such as ultraviolet and some infrared, which means that they cannot pass through the atmosphere and reach the surface or space.

Because Various Atmospheric Gases Have Different Absorption and Emission Characteristics