Layers of The Atmosphere Notes

Earth’s atmosphere has five major and several secondary layers.
From
lowest to highest, the major layers are the troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.
Troposphere. Earth’s troposphere extends from Earth’s surface to, on

average, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in height, with its height lower
at Earth’s poles and higher at the equator. Yet this very shallow layer is
tasked with holding all the air plants need for photosynthesis and
animals need to breathe, and also contains about 99 percent of all water
vapor and aerosols (minute solid or liquid particles suspended in the
atmosphere). In the troposphere, temperatures typically go down the
higher you go, since most of the heat found in the troposphere is
generated by the transfer of energy from Earth’s surface. The
troposphere is the densest atmospheric layer, compressed by the weight
of the rest of the atmosphere above it. Most of Earth’s weather happens
here, and almost all clouds that are generated by weather are found
here, with the exception of cumulonimbus thunder clouds, whose tops
can rise into the lowest parts of the neighboring stratosphere. Most
aviation takes place here, including in the transition region between the
troposphere and the stratosphere.
Stratosphere. Located between approximately 12 and 50 kilometers
(7.5 and 31 miles) above Earth’s surface, the stratosphere is perhaps
best known as home to Earth’s ozone layer, which protects us from the
Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Because of that UV radiation, the
higher up you go into the stratosphere, the warmer temperatures
become. The stratosphere is nearly cloud- and weather-free, but polar
stratospheric clouds are sometimes present in its lowest, coldest
altitudes. It’s also the highest part of the atmosphere that jet planes can
reach.
Mesosphere. Located between about 50 and 80 kilometers (31 and 50
miles) above Earth’s surface, the mesosphere gets progressively colder
with altitude. In fact, the top of this layer is the coldest place found within
the Earth system, with an average temperature of about minus 85
degrees Celsius (minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit). The very scarce water
vapor present at the top of the mesosphere forms noctilucent clouds, the
highest clouds in Earth’s atmosphere, which can be seen by the naked
eye under certain conditions and at certain times of day. Most meteors
burn up in this atmospheric layer. Sounding rockets and rocket-powered
aircraft can reach the mesosphere.
Thermosphere. Located between about 80 and 700 kilometers (50 and
440 miles) above Earth’s surface is the thermosphere, whose lowest part
contains the ionosphere. In this layer, temperatures increase with
altitude due to the very low density of molecules found here. It is both
cloud- and water vapor-free. The aurora borealis and aurora australis
are sometimes seen here. The International Space Station orbits in the
thermosphere.
Exosphere. Located between about 700 and 10,000 kilometers (440
and 6,200 miles) above Earth’s surface, the exosphere is the highest
layer of Earth’s atmosphere and, at its top, merges with the solar wind.
Molecules found here are of extremely low density, so this layer doesn’t
behave like a gas, and particles here escape into space. While there’s
no weather at all in the exosphere, the aurora borealis and aurora
australis are sometimes seen in its lowest part. Most Earth satellites orbit
in the exosphere.
The Edge of Outer Space. While there’s really no clear boundary
between where Earth’s atmosphere ends and outer space begins, most
scientists use a delineation known as the Karman line, located 100
kilometers (62 miles) above Earth’s surface, to denote the transition
point, since 99.99997 percent of Earth’s atmosphere lies beneath this
point. A February 2019 study using data from the NASA/European
Space Agency Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft
suggests, however, that the farthest reaches of Earth’s atmosphere — a
cloud of hydrogen atoms called the geocorona — may actually extend
nearly 391,000 miles (629,300 kilometers) into space, far beyond the
orbit of the Moon.

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Earth’s atmosphere has five major and several secondary layers.

Troposphere. Earth’s troposphere extends from Earth’s surface to, on

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