>> “If you take away the protective layers above the Earth, it is well understood that the atmosphere will float off into space. Look at the moon. It has no protective field, and it has no atmosphere.” <<
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Your imagination is breathtaking!
(and your understanding of geophysics is most underwhelming)
There are no “protective layers.”
The ozone of the ionisphere is as close to a vacuum as you can get; there is almost nothing there.
So, you are saying that then the upper layers of the atmosphere are breached, there is no loss (venting) of the atmosphere into space?
The ozone of the ionisphere is as close to a vacuum as you can get; there is almost nothing there.
For being nothing, it sure does a lot (and it's ionosphere). Let's say we totally removed the ozone layer. What do you think would happen?
OTHER THINGS WE THINK WE UNDERSTAND, but DON'T:
Tornadoes and Hurricanes. Made of NOTHING.
Contain NOTHING at all at the center.
Now... galaxies, have particles spinning round them fast, and we conclude that there must be a black hole at the center of infinite mass to keep the particles (planets/stars,etc) spinning round the center.
Tornadoes and hurricanes have particles (dirt,boards/roofing/tractor trailer rigs, houses) spinning fast round them. Are there black holes at the center of hurricanes and tornadoes?
What keeps those particles spinning round and round in circles?
They used to claim that space was a perfect vacuum, and completely empty.
It is not.
The ozone layer is a 'protective' layer. It doesn't necessarily 'hold' the atmosphere 'in', but it protects it and us from the Sun's more dangerous rays.
Without it, what would happen?