Why does our atmosphere appear spherical while Earth itself is clearly not (e.g., elevations from ocean trenches to mountains)?

Question

Why does our atmosphere appear spherical while Earth itself is clearly not (e.g., elevations from ocean trenches to mountains)?

In: Physics

Answer 1

The earth is actually very spherical.

Yes, there are extremely high mountains and very deep valleys; But compared to the overall surface area of the earth, those are tiny. This is why the earth appears spherical when photographed from space, and not like a bumpy and uneven ball.