ABSTRACT
A qualitative and quantitative description of the Earth’s atmosphere is made through an outline of the internal and external processes that determine its status. The global energy flows, the Earth’s radiation budget and climate, the optically active minor gaseous components are discussed in detail to illustrate the Earth’s radiation budget. Following are the natural and anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere, the aerosol optical properties, the sulphate aerosols, and the spatial and temporal distribution of the aerosols are analytically presented to give the physico-chemical mission of aerosols in the atmosphere. Finally, introductory information is provided on the topics of clouds formation, types of clouds, and cloudiness and radiation in order to discuss the general role of clouds in the atmosphere as an essential component of the climate system.
