Interesting facts about the atmosphere. What is normal air pressure?

The atmosphere is one of the most important components of our planet. It is she who “shelters” people from the harsh conditions of outer space, such as solar radiation and space debris. However, many facts about the atmosphere are unknown to most people.

1. True color of the sky

Although it's hard to believe, the sky is actually purple. When light enters the atmosphere, air and water particles absorb the light, scattering it. At the same time, the violet color scatters the most, which is why people see a blue sky.

2. An exclusive element in the Earth's atmosphere

As many remember from school, the Earth's atmosphere consists of approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. But few people know that our atmosphere is the only one so far discovered by scientists (besides comet 67P) that has free oxygen. Because oxygen is a very reactive gas, it often reacts with other chemicals in space. Its pure form on Earth makes the planet habitable.

3. White stripe in the sky

Surely, some people have sometimes wondered why a white stripe remains in the sky behind a jet plane. These white trails, known as contrails, form when hot, humid exhaust gases from a plane's engine mix with cooler outside air. Water vapor from the exhaust freezes and becomes visible.

4. Main layers of the atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere consists of five main layers, which make possible life on the planet. The first of these, the troposphere, extends from sea level to an altitude of about 17 km at the equator. Most weather events occur here.

5. Ozone layer

The next layer of the atmosphere, the stratosphere, reaches an altitude of approximately 50 km at the equator. It contains the ozone layer, which protects people from dangerous ultraviolet rays. Even though this layer is above the troposphere, it may actually be warmer due to the energy absorbed from the sun's rays. Most jet planes and weather balloons fly in the stratosphere. Airplanes can fly faster in it because they are less affected by gravity and friction. Weather balloons can provide a better picture of storms, most of which occur lower in the troposphere.

6. Mesosphere

The mesosphere is the middle layer, extending to a height of 85 km above the surface of the planet. Its temperature hovers around -120 °C. Most meteors that enter the Earth's atmosphere burn up in the mesosphere. The last two layers that extend into space are the thermosphere and exosphere.

7. Disappearance of the atmosphere

The Earth most likely lost its atmosphere several times. When the planet was covered in oceans of magma, massive interstellar objects crashed into it. These impacts, which also formed the Moon, may have formed the planet's atmosphere for the first time.

8. If there were no atmospheric gases...

Without the various gases in the atmosphere, the Earth would be too cold for human existence. water vapor, carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases absorb heat from the sun and "distribute" it across the planet's surface, helping to create a habitable climate.

9. Formation of the ozone layer

The notorious (and essential) ozone layer was created when oxygen atoms reacted with ultraviolet light from the sun to form ozone. It is ozone that absorbs most of the harmful radiation from the sun. Despite its importance, the ozone layer was formed relatively recently after enough life arose in the oceans to release into the atmosphere the amount of oxygen needed to create a minimum concentration of ozone

10. Ionosphere

The ionosphere is so called because high-energy particles from space and the sun help form ions, creating " electric layer"around the planet. When there were no satellites, this layer helped reflect radio waves.

11. Acid rain

Acid rain, which destroys entire forests and devastates aquatic ecosystems, forms in the atmosphere when sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide particles mix with water vapor and fall to the ground as rain. These chemical compounds are also found in nature: sulfur dioxide is produced during volcanic eruptions, and nitrogen oxide is produced during lightning strikes.

12. Lightning power

Lightning is so powerful that just one bolt can heat the surrounding air up to 30,000°C. The rapid heating causes an explosive expansion of nearby air, which is heard as a sound wave called thunder.

Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis (northern and southern auroras) are caused by ion reactions occurring in the fourth level of the atmosphere, the thermosphere. When highly charged particles from the solar wind collide with air molecules above the planet's magnetic poles, they glow and create dazzling light shows.

14. Sunsets

Sunsets often look like the sky is on fire as small atmospheric particles scatter the light, reflecting it in orange and yellow hues. The same principle underlies the formation of rainbows.

In 2013, scientists discovered that tiny microbes can survive many kilometers above the Earth's surface. At an altitude of 8-15 km above the planet, microbes were discovered that destroy organic chemicals and float in the atmosphere, “feeding” on them.

Adherents of the theory of the apocalypse and various other horror stories will be interested in learning about.

The Earth's atmosphere is one of the most protective and therefore most important components of our planet. Shielding us from the harsh conditions of outer space, such as solar radiation and space debris, the atmosphere is a complex structure.

Although in its ordinary life We don't do it justice, but the world's attention was focused on the layers of the atmosphere in 2013, when Austrian parachutist Felix Baumgartner reached the stratosphere in a capsule, rising to a height of 37 km above the Earth's surface, and made a jump. His record-breaking, astonishing free fall sparked a new wave of interest in space travel and atmospheric physics.

In our list today, we will introduce you to facts about the Earth's atmosphere that are known to few, but should become widely known because they are very important for understanding the world around us.

We will tell you how the ozone layer was formed, how deserts are formed in mid-latitudes, why airplanes leave behind a white trail, and much more. So put everything aside for a moment and find out these 25 facts about the Earth's atmosphere that are truly epic!

25. Believe it or not, the sky is actually purple. When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, air and water particles absorb it, reflect it and scatter it before we see it.

Since scattering favors shorter wavelengths of light, violet is the color that scatters the most. We think we see a blue sky and not a purple one because our eyes are more sensitive to blue.

24. As you probably know from school, our atmosphere consists of almost 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and tiny percentages of argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium and other gases. But what you most likely did not learn in school is that our atmosphere is the only one (not counting the magnificent discovery on comet 67P) that contains free oxygen.

Because oxygen is a highly reactive gas, it often reacts with other chemicals in space. Its pure form on Earth makes our planet suitable for life, and therefore is the object of the search for life on other planets.

23. Most people will probably get this question wrong: is there more water in the clouds or in the clear sky?

Although many would think that clouds are the main "storage" since that's where rain comes from, most water is found in our atmosphere in the form of invisible water vapor. For this reason, our bodies sweat more when the level of water vapor in the air, known as humidity, increases.

22. Some skeptics on the issue of global warming argue that this phenomenon is unrealistic, since their cities are becoming colder. The global climate of the Earth is a combination of the most diverse regional climatic conditions. So even if some parts of the planet are warming, others are cooling, and overall the average global climate is rapidly warming.

21. Have you ever wondered why a plane flying in the sky leaves behind a white trail? These white trails, known as contrails or condensation trails, form when hot, humid exhaust gases from an airplane engine mix with cooler outside air. Water vapor from the exhaust freezes and becomes visible - just like our warm breath in cold weather.

The weak and quickly disappearing condensation trail means that the air at this high altitude has low humidity, which is a sign of good weather. A rich and persistent contrail indicates high humidity and may indicate the approach of a thunderstorm.

20. The Earth’s atmosphere consists of five main layers, thanks to which life is possible on our planet. The first layer, the troposphere, extends from sea level to 8 km in polar and 18 km in tropical latitudes. Most weather events occur in this layer due to the mixture warm air, which, rising and falling, forms clouds and wind.

19. The next layer is the stratosphere, reaching almost 50 km above sea level. Here is the ozone layer, which protects us from dangerous ultraviolet rays. Although the stratosphere is above the troposphere, this layer can actually be warmer due to absorbed energy from the sun's rays.

18. The mesosphere is the middle of five layers, extending up to 80-90 km above the Earth's surface, the temperature in which fluctuates around -118°C. Most meteorites that enter our atmosphere burn up in the mesosphere.

17. Following the mesosphere comes the thermosphere, which extends up to 800 km above the Earth’s surface. Within this layer lie the main regions of the ionosphere. Most satellites, as well as the International Space Station, are in the thermosphere.

16. The exosphere is the fifth and uppermost outer layer of the atmosphere, which becomes more and more rarefied as it moves away from the Earth’s surface, until it passes into the near-space vacuum (until it mixes with interplanetary space). It begins at an altitude of 700 km above the Earth's surface.

The most exciting thing is that the size of this layer can increase or decrease depending on solar activity. When the Sun is calm and does not compress the layer during solar storms, the outer part of the exosphere can extend at a distance of 1000-10000 km from the Earth's surface.

15. Trade winds blow in the warmest parts of our planet, approximately between 23°N. and 23° S This is why most monsoons and thunderstorms originate in these unstable regions.

There is no such thing outside of them strong wind. Accordingly, minimal moisture from the oceans reaches the continental part, and dry air easily sinks to the surface of the planet, often leading to the formation of vast areas of arid deserts.

14. Most jet planes and weather balloons fly in the stratosphere. Jets, with less gravity and friction at this altitude, can fly faster, and weather balloons can get a better picture of storms that form lower in the troposphere.

13. Our planet has probably lost its atmosphere several times. When the Earth was covered in magma oceans, massive Earth-like interstellar objects crashed into it. These impacts (also involved in the creation of our Moon) may have been responsible for the first attempts to form the Earth's atmosphere.

12. Without various gases in its atmosphere, our planet would be too cold for human existence. Water vapor, carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases absorb heat from the sun, spreading it across the planet's surface, thereby creating a climate suitable for life.

Scientists are concerned that if too a large number of gases that absorb heat will enter the atmosphere, Greenhouse effect will increase, spiraling out of control and creating a scorching, uninhabitable environment, as seen on Venus.

11. Samples atmospheric air, taken after Hurricane Carla swept through the Caribbean in 2010, showed that up to 25% of the bacteria found in it were related to or the same as those found in feces. Many of these bacteria, when present in the atmosphere, can form droplets and fall to Earth as rain. Scientists view these bacteria as possible way transmission of diseases.

10. Our notorious (and much-needed) ozone layer formed when oxygen atoms mixed with ultraviolet radiation from the sun to create ozone (O3). Ozone molecules absorb most of the sun's harmful radiation, preventing it from reaching us.

Despite its importance, the ozone layer was formed relatively recently - after enough life appeared in our oceans to release the amount of oxygen needed to create it.

9. The ionosphere gets its name because high-energy particles from space and our Sun help form ions that create a soft, electrical layer around the planet. This layer helped reflect radio waves until satellites were launched.

8. Acid rain, which destroys entire forests and devastates aquatic ecosystems, forms in the atmosphere when particles of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide mix with water vapor and fall to Earth as rain.

Both of these chemicals also occur in nature: sulfur dioxide is released during volcanic eruptions, and nitrogen oxide is produced by electrical discharges from lightning.

7. Although air pressure decreases with increasing altitude, it can vary within wide limits at the same place on the Earth. When the Sun heats the earth, the surrounding air also heats up and rises, becoming a point low pressure.

As objects move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, the air near the high pressure begins to rush to equalize the pressure.

6. Lightning is such a powerful force that just one lightning strike can heat the surrounding air to 30,000°C. Being an electrical explosion, a lightning discharge causes the appearance of a shock wave, which over large distances degenerates into sound wave, which we call thunder.

5. Although the wind that we feel on the surface of the Earth often comes from the north and south poles, it actually forms around the equator.

Because sunlight heats the equator and nearby latitudes more, the greatest heating occurs here. (The sun's rays, of course, also reach the poles, although this happens at an angle and not as actively.) Heated equatorial air rises high in the atmosphere and moves towards the poles, where it descends and returns back to the equator.

4. The northern and southern polar lights, visible at high northern and southern latitudes, are caused by the reaction of ions that occurs in the fourth layer of our atmosphere - the thermosphere.

When highly charged particles from the solar wind collide with air molecules above our magnetic poles, they glow and create magnificent light shows that are visible from both Earth and space.

3. Skydiver Felix Baumgartner made history by committing

The atmosphere is what makes life possible on Earth. We receive the very first information and facts about the atmosphere back in primary school. In high school, we become more familiar with this concept in geography lessons.

Concept of earth's atmosphere

Not only the Earth, but also other celestial bodies have an atmosphere. This is the name given to the gaseous shell surrounding the planets. The composition of this gas layer varies significantly between planets. Let's look at the basic information and facts about otherwise called air.

Its most important component is oxygen. Some people mistakenly think that the earth's atmosphere consists entirely of oxygen, but in fact, air is a mixture of gases. It contains 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. The remaining one percent includes ozone, argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. Even though the percentage of these gases is small, they perform an important function - they absorb a significant part of the solar radiant energy, thereby preventing the luminary from turning all life on our planet into ashes. The properties of the atmosphere change depending on altitude. For example, at an altitude of 65 km, nitrogen is 86% and oxygen is 19%.

Composition of the Earth's atmosphere

• Carbon dioxide necessary for plant nutrition. It appears in the atmosphere as a result of the process of respiration of living organisms, rotting, and combustion. Its absence in the atmosphere would make the existence of any plants impossible.
• Oxygen- a vital component of the atmosphere for humans. Its presence is a condition for the existence of all living organisms. It makes up about 20% of the total volume of atmospheric gases.
• Ozone is a natural absorber of solar ultraviolet radiation, which has a detrimental effect on living organisms. Most of it forms a separate layer of the atmosphere - the ozone screen. IN Lately human activity leads to the fact that it begins to gradually collapse, but since it is of great importance, it is being carried out active work for its preservation and restoration.
• water vapor determines air humidity. Its content may vary depending on various factors: air temperature, territorial location, season. At low temperatures there is very little water vapor in the air, maybe less than one percent, and at high temperatures its amount reaches 4%.
• In addition to all of the above, the composition earth's atmosphere there is always a certain percentage solid and liquid impurities. This is soot, ash, sea ​​salt, dust, water drops, microorganisms. They can get into the air both naturally and anthropogenically.

Layers of the atmosphere

And temperature, and density, and high-quality composition air is not the same different heights. Because of this, it is customary to distinguish different layers of the atmosphere. Each of them has its own characteristics. Let's find out what layers of the atmosphere are distinguished:

• Troposphere - this layer of the atmosphere is closest to the Earth's surface. Its height is 8-10 km above the poles and 16-18 km in the tropics. 90% of all water vapor in the atmosphere is located here, so active cloud formation occurs. Also in this layer processes such as air (wind) movement, turbulence, and convection are observed. Temperatures range from +45 degrees at midday in the warm season in the tropics to -65 degrees at the poles.
• The stratosphere is the second most distant layer of the atmosphere. Located at an altitude of 11 to 50 km. In the lower layer of the stratosphere the temperature is approximately -55; moving away from the Earth it rises to +1˚С. This region is called an inversion and is the boundary of the stratosphere and mesosphere.
• The mesosphere is located at an altitude of 50 to 90 km. The temperature at its lower boundary is about 0, at the upper it reaches -80...-90 ˚С. Meteorites entering the Earth's atmosphere completely burn up in the mesosphere, causing airglows to occur here.
• The thermosphere is approximately 700 km thick. The northern lights appear in this layer of the atmosphere. They appear due to the influence of cosmic radiation and radiation emanating from the Sun.
• The exosphere is the zone of air dispersion. Here the concentration of gases is small and they gradually escape into interplanetary space.

The boundary between the earth's atmosphere and outer space is considered to be 100 km. This line is called the Karman line.

Atmospheric pressure

Listening to the weather forecast, we often hear indicators atmospheric pressure. But what does atmospheric pressure mean, and how can it affect us?

We figured out that air consists of gases and impurities. Each of these components has its own weight, which means that the atmosphere is not weightless, as was believed until the 17th century. Atmospheric pressure is the force with which all layers of the atmosphere press on the surface of the Earth and on all objects.

Scientists carried out complex calculations and proved that one square meter area the atmosphere presses with a force of 10,333 kg. This means that the human body is subject to air pressure, the weight of which is 12-15 tons. Why don't we feel this? It is our internal pressure that saves us, which balances the external. You can feel the pressure of the atmosphere while on an airplane or high in the mountains, since the atmospheric pressure at altitude is much less. In this case, physical discomfort, blocked ears, and dizziness are possible.

A lot can be said about the surrounding atmosphere. We know many interesting facts about her, and some of them may seem surprising:

• The weight of the earth's atmosphere is 5,300,000,000,000,000 tons.
• It promotes sound transmission. At an altitude of more than 100 km, this property disappears due to changes in the composition of the atmosphere.
• The movement of the atmosphere is provoked by uneven heating of the Earth's surface.
• A thermometer is used to determine the air temperature, and a barometer is used to determine the pressure of the atmosphere.
• The presence of an atmosphere saves our planet from 100 tons of meteorites every day.
• The composition of the air was fixed for several hundred million years, but began to change with the onset of rapid industrial activity.
• The atmosphere is believed to extend upward to a height of 3000 km.

The importance of the atmosphere for humans

The physiological zone of the atmosphere is 5 km. At an altitude of 5000 m above sea level, a person begins to experience oxygen starvation, which is expressed in a decrease in his performance and deterioration in well-being. This shows that a person cannot survive in a space where there is no this amazing mixture of gases.

All information and facts about the atmosphere only confirm its importance for people. Thanks to its presence, it became possible to develop life on Earth. Already today, having assessed the scale of harm that humanity is capable of causing through its actions to the life-giving air, we should think about further measures to preserve and restore the atmosphere.

Regional scientific and practical conference for schoolchildren

"Eureka"

Section of Physics and Aerospace

Atmospheric pressure and

people's well-being

Moshonkina Valentina

MKOU Kornilovskaya Secondary School

Bolotninsky district

Novosibirsk region

Scientific adviser:

Karmanova Natalya Grigorievna,

physics and mathematics teacher

first qualified category

Kornilovo 2013

Introduction. 3

Main part.

What is atmospheric pressure? From the history of study 4

atmospheric pressure.

Interesting Facts about atmospheric pressure. 5-6

What happens if atmospheric pressure decreases?

Atmospheric pressure and people's well-being. 6-9

Results of my research 10-11

III. Conclusion. 12

IV. Literature. 13

V. Applications. 14-17

I. Introduction.

When reporting on the weather on the radio, the announcers usually end by saying: atmospheric pressure 760 mm mercury(or 749, or 754...). But how many people understand what this means and where weather forecasters get this data from? How is atmospheric pressure measured, how does it change and does it affect a person? What is weather sensitivity, and does it exist? How does a change in atmospheric pressure affect the well-being of a healthy or sick person? Which atmospheric pressure, low or high, is better tolerated by people? These are the questions I asked myself when starting this research.

I must say that this problem has been sufficiently studied, and on the Internet you can find many articles devoted to this topic, and where you can find answers to the questions I asked. These are articles describing the results of a web survey of people about the impact of weather changes on their well-being, articles devoted to the results scientific research on this issue, as well as articles devoted to labor protection of people whose work is associated with changes in atmospheric pressure.

I decided to conduct my research not just by interviewing people, but by simultaneously measuring arterial pressure, since in hypertensive patients the pressure is not always high, and in hypotensive patients, on the contrary, it is not always low. Thus, establish a connection between blood pressure at a given moment, atmospheric pressure and a person’s well-being. (Annex 1)

The research was carried out over 2 months (October, November 2009) and 55 people were the object of research; age from 13 to 70 years. These are mainly school employees (23 people) and students in grades 7–11 (24 people), and 8 elderly people were also involved in the research, these are the grandmothers of school students. (Appendix 4).

Probably my work will not bring anything new to the coverage of this problem, but it was interesting for me to do it.

II. Main part.

What is atmospheric pressure? From the history of the study of atmospheric pressure.

The existence of air has been known to man since ancient times. The Greek thinker Anaximenes, who lived in the 6th century BC, considered air to be the basis of all things. At the same time, air is something elusive, as if immaterial - “spirit”.

For the first time, the weight of air confused people in 1638, when the Duke of Tuscany’s idea to decorate the gardens of Florence with fountains failed - the water did not rise above 10.3 m. (Appendix 2). It turned out that atmospheric pressure can only balance a water column of this height.

The search for the reasons for the stubbornness of water and experiments with a heavier liquid - mercury, undertaken in 1643 by the Italian scientist Torricelli, led to the discovery of atmospheric pressure. Torricelli discovered that the height of the mercury column in his experiment did not depend either on the shape of the tube or on its inclination. At sea level, the height of the mercury column has always been about 760mm. The scientist suggested that the height of the liquid column is balanced by air pressure. Knowing the height of the column and the density of the liquid, you can determine the amount of atmospheric pressure. (Appendix 3)

The correctness of Torricelli's assumption was confirmed in 1648. Pascal's experience on Mount Pui de Dome. Pascal proved that a smaller column of air exerts less pressure. Due to the Earth's gravity and insufficient speed, air molecules cannot leave the near-Earth space. However, they do not fall on the surface of the Earth, but hover above it, because are in continuous thermal motion .

Due to thermal motion and the attraction of molecules to the Earth, their distribution in the atmosphere is uneven. With an atmospheric altitude of 2000-3000 km, 99% of its mass is concentrated in the lower (up to 30 km) layer. Air, like other gases, is highly compressible. Lower layers of the atmosphere as a result of pressure on them upper layers have big air density.
at sea level the average is 760 mm Hg = 1310 hPa or 1 atm. (1 atmosphere)
With altitude, air pressure and density decrease. At low altitudes, every 12 m of ascent reduces atmospheric pressure by 1 mm Hg. At high altitudes this pattern is broken. This happens because the height of the air column exerting pressure decreases as it rises. Besides, in upper layers atmosphere, the air is less dense.

An average-sized person is affected by atmospheric pressure pressure force near 150,000N. But we can cope with such a load, because... external atmospheric pressure is balanced fluid pressure inside our body.

2. Interesting facts about atmospheric pressure. What happens if atmospheric pressure decreases?

The pressure of gases inside the body will tend to ``equilibrate'' with the external pressure. A very simple illustration: cups that are given to a patient. The air in them is heated, causing the gas density to decrease. The jar is quickly applied to the surface, and as the jar and the air in it cool, the human body in this place is drawn into the jar. Imagine such a jar around a person... But that’s not all. As you know, a person consists of at least 75% water. The boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure is 100 C. The boiling point strongly depends on pressure: the lower the pressure, the lower the boiling point. ...Already at a pressure of 0.4 atm. The boiling point of water is 28.64 0 C, which is significantly lower than the human body temperature; human blood will simply boil. About 15 years ago, at one of the institutes in Akademgorodok, the idea arose to try vacuum drying of meat. A large piece of meat was placed in a vacuum chamber and a sharp pumping began. The piece just exploded. After this experiment, it was quite difficult to scrape the results from the walls vacuum chamber.

How can a person tolerate different altitudes above sea level? 1-2 km is a safe or indifferent zone in which no physiological changes are observed in the body. 2-4 km is a zone of full compensation: some disturbances in cardiovascular activity quickly disappear thanks to the mobilization of the body. 4-5 km – zone of incomplete compensation: deterioration of general well-being. 6–8 km – critical zone: serious functional changes in the body’s vital activity. More than 8 km is a lethal zone: a person can stay at this altitude without breathing apparatus for only 3 minutes. At an altitude of 16 km - 9 s after which death occurs.

3.Atmospheric pressure and people’s well-being.

We often hear complaints about poor health due to changing weather and changes in atmospheric pressure. It is interesting to what extent these complaints have any basis in reality. I set myself the task of finding out whether there is a connection between these phenomena. If this connection exists, how does it relate to a person's blood pressure, and is there a connection with age.

I am not a pioneer on this issue. You can find articles on this topic on the Internet. So Alexey Moshchevikin

published the results of his research on the influence of atmospheric pressure on people’s well-being in February 2004, but he conducted his research solely on the basis of a survey of people visiting the Internet, relying only on people’s subjective feelings. The conclusion obtained by Moshchevikin as a result of his research:

IN
Contrary to popular belief, people’s well-being depends little (or not at all) on such a meteorological parameter as atmospheric pressure (at least under conditions of non-extreme values).

Percentage of people who felt unwell relative to the total number in each category

On one of the Internet sites there is an article devoted to the influence of not only atmospheric pressure, but also humidity and air temperature on well-being, and these studies are, in our opinion, more serious. The authors believe that one in three adults react to sudden weather changes. Moreover, women experience this twice as often as men. People who feel discomfort from weather fluctuations magnetic storms, solar activity, are called meteolabile (meteosensitive). In women, due to sudden weather changes, good health can easily change to bad. There is even the science of biometeorology, which deals with these issues.

In an article by folk healer Nikolai Ivanovich Maznev

it talks about the reasons that cause deterioration in well-being when pressure changes. When pressure decreases, due to the difference between atmospheric pressure and pressure inside the body, gases in the stomach and intestines expand, which push up the diaphragm, making breathing difficult, and also cause abdominal pain. The blood vessels of the skin and mucous membranes dilate, which leads to nosebleeds. Pain in the ears appears due to protrusion of the eardrum outward, which disappears after equalizing the pressure on both sides; This is facilitated by yawning and swallowing, which create conditions for the middle ear to communicate with the outside air through the Eustachian tube. Due to lack of oxygen, shortness of breath, dizziness,

Staying in conditions of high atmospheric pressure is almost no different from normal conditions. Only at very high blood pressure is there a slight reduction in heart rate and a decrease in minimum blood pressure. Breathing becomes rarer but deeper. Hearing and sense of smell decrease slightly, the voice becomes muffled, a feeling of slightly numb skin appears, dry mucous membranes, etc. However, all these phenomena are relatively easily tolerated.
More unfavorable phenomena are observed during the period of changes in atmospheric pressure - increase (compression) and especially its decrease (decompression) to normal. The slower the change in pressure occurs, the better and without adverse consequences the human body adapts to it.
With reduced atmospheric pressure, there is increased and deepening of breathing, increased heart rate (their strength is weaker), a slight drop in blood pressure, and changes in the blood are also observed in the form of an increase in the number of red blood cells. The adverse effect of low atmospheric pressure on the body is based on oxygen starvation. It is due to the fact that with a decrease in atmospheric pressure, the partial pressure of oxygen also decreases, therefore, when normal functioning Respiratory and circulatory organs receive less oxygen into the body. IN normal conditions on the surface of the earth, annual fluctuations in atmospheric air do not exceed 20-30 mm, and daily fluctuations are 4-5 mm. Healthy people tolerate them easily and unnoticed. But some patients are very sensitive to even such minor changes in pressure. Thus, with a decrease in blood pressure, people suffering from rheumatism experience pain in the affected joints; in patients with hypertension, their health worsens and attacks of angina are observed. In people with increased nervous excitability, sudden changes in pressure cause feelings of fear, worsening mood and sleep.

It must be said that the well-being of a person who has lived in a certain area for a long time is normal, i.e. the characteristic pressure should not cause any particular deterioration in well-being.
Meteosensitivity is observed in 35-70% of patients various diseases. Thus, every second patient with diseases of the cardiovascular system feels the weather. Headache, weakness, fatigue on the eve of a weather change worry almost every second person, especially older people. Significant atmospheric changes can cause overstrain and disruption of adaptation mechanisms. Then the oscillatory processes in the body - biological rhythms - become distorted and become chaotic.

And so, for healthy person meteorological fluctuations are usually not dangerous. Nevertheless, people who do not feel the weather still exhibit reactions to it, although sometimes they are not consciously aware of it. They must be taken into account, for example, among transport drivers. When weather conditions change sharply, it becomes more difficult for them to concentrate. Hence, the number of accidents may increase. As a result of illnesses (flu, sore throat, pneumonia, joint diseases, etc.) or fatigue, the body's resistance and reserves decrease

4. Results of my research.

Measurements were not taken every day, but only on those days when the pressure changed noticeably. The results of blood pressure measurements and the survey were entered into tables (Appendix 4,5,6), in which age, current blood pressure, health (very poor, worse than usual, normal, excellent), as well as atmospheric pressure on a given day were noted . If people felt unwell, they were asked whether this was due to changes in the weather or other reasons.

In our area, the most common atmospheric pressure is about 740 mmHg. Higher blood pressure is rare, so the pressure

750 mmHg I consider it as elevated (760 mm Hg is very rare) and 730 mmHg as reduced.

Studies have shown that most of those examined feel normal at different atmospheric pressures, regardless of blood pressure. What can be observed in the following table and diagram.

	Low atmospheric pressure	Normal atmospheric pressure	High atmospheric pressure
Adults.

Looking at the data, we can conclude that the younger generation feels better at any atmospheric pressure, which is to be expected, since a young body is less burdened with diseases than an adult. However, it is clear that with low blood pressure both adults and children feel somewhat worse than with normal and high blood pressure. It is also clear that with normal pressure everyone feels a little better: in children it approaches 100%, and in adults it approaches 80%, which corresponds to the conclusions in the article by Nikolai Maznev.

As for the reaction to changes in atmospheric pressure (weather), 63.6% of respondents responded that this affects their well-being, of which the vast majority have problems with blood pressure. Moreover, hypertensive people believe that they feel better at high atmospheric pressure, and hypotensive people feel better at low pressure.

Let's consider the well-being of hypertensive and hypotensive patients at different atmospheric pressures.

	Low atmospheric pressure	Normal atmospheric pressure	High atmospheric pressure
Hypertensive patients.
Hypotonics.
Healthy.

Here, hypertensives and hypotensives mean people who had high or low blood pressure on a given day, and healthy people with normal blood pressure.

Analyzing the diagram, we can say that hypertensive patients have the most problems with well-being. But, probably, the reason for this is not only the weather, but also health problems in general, because... and at normal atmospheric pressure their health is not very good. As for hypotensive patients, the results obtained seem doubtful to me, because There were very few of them among those examined.

III. Conclusion.

Analyzing the above, we can draw the following conclusions. People do have some weather sensitivity, and people who have certain diseases, in particular problems with blood pressure, are more susceptible to it. But we see that people with normal blood pressure are also sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure. Low blood pressure is less tolerated, but even with high blood pressure there is some deterioration in well-being. Manifestations of meteosensitivity depend on the initial state of the body, age, the presence of any disease and its nature, the microclimate in which a person lives, and the degree of his acclimatization to it. Meteosensitivity is more often observed in people who rarely visit fresh air those engaged in sedentary, mental work, and not involved in physical education. For a healthy person, meteorological fluctuations are usually not dangerous. . More often, meteosensitivity is observed in persons with a weak (melancholic) and strong unbalanced (choleric) type nervous system. In people of a strong, balanced type (sanguine people), meteosensitivity manifests itself only when the body is weakened. We are not able to influence the weather. But helping your body survive this difficult period is not at all difficult. If a significant deterioration in weather conditions is forecast, and therefore sharp changes atmospheric pressure, first of all, you should not panic, calm down, reduce as much as possible physical activity.

I believe that the results of my study are consistent with the results of the studies described in the articles I mentioned above.

Literature.

1. E.K. Kiryanova. "Atmosphere pressure". Internet. Festival of pedagogical ideas.

2. Atmospheric pressure. From the history of discovery. Internet. www.townsketch.

3. N.I. Maznev. Influence environment. Air pressure and body condition. Internet. www.maznev.ru

4. Alexey Moshchevikin. The connection between blood pressure and well-being. Results of web testing. Internet. thermo.karelia.ru/projects/p_health_results.

5. Atmospheric pressure, wind, sun, pressure, humidity. Internet www.propogodu.ru/2/491/

6.Atmospheric pressure. Occupational Safety and Health. Internet. www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/080/242.htm

7. Weather sensitivity and diseases associated with atmospheric pressure. Internet. humbio.ru/Humbio/prof_d/00008499.htm

8. The influence of atmospheric pressure on human well-being. Internet.

www.baroma.ru/atmdav.html

Annex 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Appendix -5. Sample tables with measurement and survey data.

In the 70s of the twentieth century, the norm for upper blood pressure was calculated using the formula 100 + the age of the subject. Since then, medicine has made huge strides, but controversy over optimal blood pressure levels, methods of measuring it, and methods of treating hypertension has not yet subsided. However, it is known for certain that high blood pressure can cause heart attack, stroke, visual impairment and even dementia. We collected 15 important facts about high blood pressure that can save your life.

1. Not everyone is at risk of hypertension, but blood pressure increases with age.

Heredity is one of the significant factors in the development of arterial hypertension, and “good” genes, combined with a healthy lifestyle, can protect a person from hypertension. However, starting from the age of 40, the level of systolic (upper) pressure inevitably increases. This happens because with age, blood vessels lose elasticity and harden (atherosclerosis develops). To slow down this process, doctors recommend consuming more whole grains and dairy products, fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. But you should be careful with red meat, sugar and soda.

2. High Blood Pressure May Have No Symptoms

High blood pressure is not always accompanied by headaches, tinnitus, shortness of breath and dizziness. Sometimes the only way to detect a hypertensive crisis is to measure your blood pressure. As a rule, blood pressure drops at night and rises in the first half of the day, but this is not typical for all patients. That is why the gold standard for diagnosing hypertension is daily blood pressure monitoring. Special device measures blood pressure 3-4 times per hour during the day and every 30 minutes at night. This method allows doctors to detect hidden “daytime” and “nighttime” hypertensive patients. The cost of the service in Ukrainian clinics is from 1100 UAH.

3. People over 50 years of age should monitor their upper blood pressure

Upper systolic pressure is the blood pressure at the moment when the heart muscle contracts. Lower diastolic pressure is the pressure between beats as blood flows back to the heart. The top number is the most important because it determines the peak stress that the arteries and vital organs experience with each heartbeat. Too much upper pressure can harm the kidneys, eyes and brain, but lower pressure usually peaks at the age of 50-55, after which it gradually falls.

4. Experts don't know what the ideal top pressure should be.

Researchers are still debating the optimal upper blood pressure values ​​for people over 50 years of age. Until recently, blood pressure up to 140 mmHg was considered normal, but recently more than 9,300 patients were at high risk cardiovascular diseases showed that by maintaining upper blood pressure at levels of up to 120 mmHg, patients reduced their risk of heart failure, myocardial infarction and stroke by a third over five years.

5. A doctor will determine safe blood pressure

For people at low risk of cardiovascular disease, more high level systolic pressure may be acceptable. The same indicators can become critical for patients who have already been diagnosed with vascular atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease. This is why when choosing medications you should not listen to the advice of friends and acquaintances: only a doctor can choose the optimal drug and dosage for you.

6. A healthy lifestyle reduces blood pressure as well as pills

Moderate salt intake, a large amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet, physical activity and weight loss can reduce systolic pressure by 5-10 points, so if you have moderately high blood pressure, you may not need medication: just change your lifestyle to a healthier one.

7. Coffee raises blood pressure, but not for long

A small cup of coffee can actually cause a spike in blood pressure. In 2011, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists reported that 200-300 mg of caffeine increased systolic blood pressure by an average of 8 points. The effect lasts for about 3 hours, but does not have long-term negative effects.

8. Deep, calm breathing can help lower blood pressure.

If you slow your breathing to 6 breaths in 30 seconds, your systolic blood pressure will temporarily drop 3 points. Even if this is not much, in some cases this method helps a person avoid a hypertensive crisis.

9. The older you get, the more careful you need to be with salt.

Not all people are salt sensitive. As a person ages, they may become duller taste buds, and he involuntarily chooses saltier foods. A lot of salt is found in processed foods, so people over 50 should carefully read information about the sodium content of foods. When adding salt to your food, keep in mind that a quarter teaspoon of salt contains 575 mg of sodium, and for people over 50, the recommended daily intake is 1,500 mg of sodium.

10. Exercises with a wrist expander will help reduce blood pressure.

Carpal band exercises have been found to be an effective alternative way to lower blood pressure by several points. All you need to do is squeeze the expander for 2 minutes. By doing this exercise three times a week, it will be easier for hypertensive patients to control their blood pressure levels.

11. Modern medications for hypertension are not always better than traditional ones

Doctors usually begin treating hypertension by prescribing diuretics. They remove excess salt and water from the body and reduce the load on blood vessels. More modern drugs are called ACE inhibitors: they inhibit the action of the enzyme that converts the biologically inactive hormone angiotensin I into angiotensin II, which constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. There is no evidence yet that ACE inhibitors are superior to diuretics in effectiveness. However, they often have less side effects and are better suited for patients with diabetes.

12. For most patients, high blood pressure medication alone is not enough.

One drug, as a rule, can effectively lower blood pressure in only 20-30% of hypertensive patients. The rest are prescribed combination therapy - several medications at the same time. This approach allows you to block several factors that increase blood pressure at once.

13. Over-the-counter medications may increase blood pressure

Some over-the-counter medications contain pseudoephedrine, which constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. Such drugs include Gripex, Gripend, Clarinase, Mulsinex, Nurofen Stopcold, Tylenol, etc. Pseudoephedrine can increase your high blood pressure by 3-6 points, so consult your cardiologist before taking such medications.

14. Blood pressure may drop too low

When blood pressure becomes too weak to pump blood to the brain, orthostatic hypotension occurs. Older people who take large amounts of medications are especially susceptible to this condition. If you feel weak and dizzy after taking the pills, be sure to tell your doctor: you may need to change your prescription.

15. You need to control your blood pressure throughout your life.

Having normalized blood pressure after a hypertensive crisis, many people quit taking pills. But as soon as the hypertensive patient stops treatment, his blood pressure will rise again. Since systolic blood pressure usually increases with age, it is very important to monitor it regularly. Also, most people with high blood pressure need to have their medications adjusted periodically.