Does the Earths Atmosphere lose Oxygen and Water into space?

[Diceroller]

If so what kind of volumes are we talking about?

[Count-A-Strong]

On the Earth, water can exist in all three forms namely as a solid, liquid, or gas. Evaporation transforms liquid water into water vapour which can then freely move in the atmosphere as a gas. Now, atmospheric molecules including water vapour molecules are in perpetual motion in all directions. Without the gravitational field of the earth, those moving away from the planet would be lost. Even with the gravitational field, in the upper thin part of the atmosphere, a molecule moving outwards has little chance of colliding with another and would therefore,be able to escape if it has sufficient speed. The average speed of the gas, for example water vapour, depends on its temperature. The conditions of temperature at the altitude from which water molecules are able to escape indicated the earth can retain water vapour over geological time scales that, is over several billion years. The retention of water vapour on our planet is also favoured by the fact that it can condense, form clouds at an altitude well below the one from which water molecules can escape and precipitate back to the ground as rain or snow. Adding to all these, we have to remember that water is also introduced in the hydrological cycle from the interior of the planet, for example, every time that a volcanic eruption occurs. So, to summarize, even if few water molecules are continuously off to space, the average level remains fairly constant over geological times which is what we want

[Diceroller]

* A few water molecules* I was under the impression that because of the Ozone layer and other reasons we could be losing vast amounts of water to space, how would we gauge that anyway?

[Count-A-Strong]

'The retention of water vapour on our planet is also favoured by the fact that it can condense, form clouds at an altitude well below the one from which water molecules can escape and precipitate back to the ground as rain or snow'

Did you not read that bit?

[Diceroller]

Are you saying it's impossible to find any water molecules above the altidude which you state?

[Count-A-Strong]

Have a read of this:
http://www.nasa.gov/m...dia/tes-20070131.html

[Count-A-Strong]

Between 1,000 km and 2,500 km the dominant component is helium.
Between 200 km and 1,000 km it is atomic oxygen. Below 200 km the
dominant component is nitrogen. Below 100 km the atmosphere is
well mixed, and except for water vapor, the constituent gases are
pretty much the same throughout.

There is relatively little water above the troposphere (12 km) because
cold temperatures at high altitudes make water condense, freeze, and
precipitate

[Diceroller]

Countastrong just for the sake of conversation what would happen to a 25 by 10 m volume of water ( About a swimming pool sized amount) which was taken up in a space shuttle and released into space?

[Count-A-Strong]

mmm. One for the more physically minded (Jake - where are you?) but I suspect it may either freeze or turn to gas. The volume is largly irrelevant.

http://www.astrobio.n...ds-and-water-in-space

[jomifl]

At a rough guess it would boil off until the heat lost enabled it to freeze. After that it would sublime, particularly on the side warmed by the sun. Can't give a time scale but if you reckon on 1kw of solar heat per sq.metre you can get a rough idea if you do the calculation based on the latent heat of evaporation.

[JonnyBoy12]

It would have to be a very big Space Shuttle, diceroller, as weight is very much at a premium in those Orbiters. Astronauts can only take 1.5kg of personal stuff into space, and it costs £1,000 to take just one glass of water into space.

[Diceroller]

Thanks for all your answers. Eddie 51 I was thinking that maybe we lost a certain amount each year but was maybe too little to be worried about seeing we have Oceans of the stuff.

[Toureman]

No water has escaped from the earth since it was formed, if anything there is more water now from meteorites containing water hitting the earth.

[Diceroller]

*meteorites containing water hitting the earth* I was just about to type *I've never heard of meteorites containing water hitting earth unless you meant an Ice comet?* When I decided to investigate before replying and came across this gem where they found brine water inside salt crystals. http://www.spaceref.c.../viewnews.html?id=157
Toureman apart from these microscopic examples have there been any large amounts of water or ice found in a meteorite on earth?

[yosher]

I think that it is obvious. We even find evidence of this on the moon, which circles the earth and picks up water in it's path. Of course, when we do find it we want to go nuts and say... "see life on the moon" LMAO. Almost a sfunny as the designation of "fossil fuel" for what we call organic matter. If it takes plants and animals to make "fossil fuels" like Liquid Natural Gas...how did all those dead dinosaurs and plants get to the moon Titan where there are Ocean's of natural gas?