| Why Study the Atmosphere? |
The air is as central to our existence as life itself. It gives the newborn baby its first breath, plants and animals life-giving rain, and seeds the breezes that carry them to earth. At its most ferocious it is the bearer of death and destruction: typhoons, tornadoes, crippling floods, and desiccating droughts. It is essential to our physical and economic well-being; agriculture, tourism, transportation, even national security can depend on weather and climate. |
