Layers of atmosphere

• Atmosphere


  The layer of gases commonly known as air that surrounds the planet of Earth and is retained by Earth's gravity
• Layers of the atmosphere

  • Troposphere
  • Stratosphere
  • Mesosphere
  • Thermosphere
  • Exosphere
• Troposphere


  • Starts at ground level and extends upward to about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) or about 33,000 feet above sea level
  • Nearly all weather occurs in this lowest layer
  • Most clouds appear here
  • 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere is found in the troposphere
  • Air pressure drops and temperatures get colder as you climb higher
• Stratosphere


  • Extends from the top of the troposphere to about 50 kilometers (31 miles) above the ground
  • The ozone layer is found within the stratosphere
  • Ozone molecules absorb high energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, converting the UV energy into heat
  • Temperatures increase with altitude
  • Commercial passenger jets fly in the lower stratosphere
• Mesosphere


  • Extends upward to a height of about 85 kilometers (53 miles) above the planet
  • Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere
  • Temperatures grow colder as you rise up through the mesosphere
  • The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere (about -90°C/-130°F) are found near the top of this layer
  • The air is too thin to breathe
• Thermosphere (Ionosphere)


  • Extends up to 700 kilometers (440 miles) above the planet
  • Absorbs high-energy X-rays and UV radiation from the sun, turning atoms into ions with a positive charge
  • Temperatures vary between night and day and between seasons
  • Temperatures can range from about 500°C (932°F) to 2000°C (3632°F) or higher
• Exosphere


  • The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere, extending from the exobase (about 700 km above sea level) to about 10,000 km (6,200 miles)
  • Mainly composed of extremely low densities of hydrogen, helium, and several heavier molecules
  • Particles can travel hundreds of kilometers without colliding with one another and may migrate in and out of the magnetosphere or the solar wind
• The Earth is the third planet from the Sun
• The Earth's distance from the Sun is 149 million 600 thousand kilometers
• The distance from Earth to the Sun is called an astronomical unit (AU), which is used to measure distances throughout the solar system
• Earth is the only planet known to have an atmosphere containing free oxygen, oceans of liquid water on its surface, and life
• Roughly 70% of Earth's surface is covered by water, most of it in the oceans, and 30% of Earth's surface is land
• The atmosphere plays an important role in making life possible on Earth by protecting our planet from harmful UV radiation from the Sun