There are just too many things that we don't know about the environment at this time to offer a valid opinion. For example, you see that some here say it will be colder, that the greenhouse effect will be weakened. However, if you take just the greenhouse effect into consideration that could be true. But also remember that more sunlight would strike the earth's surface because it would have less filtration. Then there is the fact that water boils at a lower temperature at 10% of the world's atmosphere. What would happen to these water molecules and what effect would that have on the greenhouse effect? This is just the beginning of many many problem that arise when you consider this. There are just too many factors involved to make an educated opinion.
I am personally glad that man has no control. Some mad scientist could try it, and man cannot live in 10% atmosphere, so man would never know the answer.
My guess is that the Earth's temperature would be more like the day night temperature of a desert with an increase in day temperatures and a decrease in night temperatures. There would be less of greenhouse effect with less water vapor in the atmosphere and less clouds so more sunlight reaching the surface.
The oceans are definitely a heat capacitor and would work to reduce the day/night difference although this effect would likely be much greater near large bodies of water. The worst place to be on Earth would be in deserts where daytime temperatures would likely be uninhabitable. Living on ocean coasts would be best or on islands.
Yes it would be colder and a bigger difference in day/night temperatures, but the thickness of our atmosphere is the product of earths mass, if earth had less mass like mars we would have a thinner atmosphere and vice versus
Thinner atmosphere would definitely mean, humans, and animals would be more susceptible to radiation related diseases. Weather would definitely fluctuate, from rising and falling of cool/warm air, to a big difference in cloud formation. It would definitely be a noticeable change, but not one that would wipe out entire species, maybe more fragile ones. And rain is very fascinating, as in the formation from start to finish so there would also be differences in that, for example with rain droplets are minerals that rain in from space, with a thinner atmosphere, the minerals and even meteorites from space might not burn out from falling into the atmosphere.
It would depend on the compositon. If Earth's atmosphere had the same proportion of such gases as carbon dioxde, methane and nitrous oxide were in the same proportion as they are now, Earth would be between 3 to 15 degrees C colder than it is now. But if these greenhouse gases had the same partial pressures that they do in the Earth that we know, Earth would be significantly warmer, because there would be less air to suppress the evaporation of water and the relative humidity would be closer to 100%. Contrary to popular belief, air does not hold water. The reason why warm air tends to have more water vapor than cooler air is because warm water has a higher vapor pressure than cooler water.
It would be a lot colder, all the time. And at night it would be too cold for us to survive most likely. Also, we'd probably have all died from radiation from the suns rays..
I've been wondering something. Lets say Earths atmosphere were 10% as thin/0.10 atm. How would our day/night temperature difference be? Would the fact that oceans exist equalize the temperature difference vs there being no oceans or would the evaporation rate equalize the temperature difference? How about clouds? Mars has an atmosphere 0.6% what Earth is so I would imagine a 10% as thick atmosphere would have more equalizing temperatures.
