STRUCTURE OF

ATMOSPHERE
 STRUCTURE OF ATMOSPHERE
● The earth’s atmosphere is made up of various layers.
● All these layers are different from each other and have particular traits.
● The name of the layers of the atmosphere upwards from the ground is
as follows:-
● Troposphere
● Stratosphere
● Mesosphere
● Thermosphere
● Ionosphere
● Exosphere
IONOSPHERE
● The propagation of the radio waves near the surface of
earth is affected mostly by the troposphere which
extends up to height of 8-15 km.
● Higher up in the atmosphere; it is the ionosphere
which interacts with radio waves.
● As the medium between the transmitting and
receiving antennas plays a significant role, it is
essential to study the medium above the earth,
through which the radio waves propagate.
IMPORTANCE OF IONOSPHERE
● The layer below ionosphere has higher amount of air
particles and lower UV radiation. Due to this, more
collisions occur and ionization of particles is minimum and
not constant.
● The layer above ionosphere has very low amount of air
particles and density of ionization is also quite low. Hence,
ionization is not proper.
● The ionosphere has good composition of UV radiation and
average air density that does not affect the ionization.
Hence, this layer has most influence on the Sky wave
propagation.
● As shown in the given diagram the layers of
ionosphere is present above the stratosphere and it is
from 30 to 250km up from the ground.
● This layer is composed of positive and negative ions.
The ionization of this layer is due to the heat energy of
the sun.
LAYERS OF IONOSPHERE
The ionosphere is sub divided in to following layers
D Layer
● This layer is located above the stratosphere. Its range is
from 30 km to 70 km with reference is the surface of the
earth.
● The intensity of ionization is higher in the D-layer
because it is composed of the heavier gasses.
E Layer
● This layer is located above the D-layer. Its range is from
70 to 100 km, with reference to the surface of the earth.
● The intensity of ionization is lessor in the E-layer with
respect to D-Layer because it is composed of the less heavy
gasses with respect to D-Layer.
LAYERS OF IONOSPHERE
F1 Layer
● This layer is located above the E-Layer. Its range is from 100 to
150 km with respect to the earth.
● The intensity of ionization is lessor in the F1 layer with respect to
E-Layer because it is composed of the less heavy gasses then the
F1 Layer.
F2 Layer
● This layer is located above the F1 layer. Its range is from 150 km
to 250 km with respect to earth.
● The intensity of ionization is lessor in the F2 layer with respect to
F1 layer.
● Because it is composed of the less heavy gasses then the F2 Layer.
o The ionosphere's behavior varies significantly between day
and night and across different seasons.
o These variations are primarily driven by changes in solar
radiation, which affects the ionization levels in the
ionosphere.
During Day Time:
Increased Ionization:
● During the day, solar ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray radiation ionize
the atoms and molecules in the ionosphere, increasing electron
density.
D Layers:
● The D layer forms at altitudes between 60 and 90 km and
significantly absorbs lower frequency radio waves, reducing their
range.
E and F Layers:
● The E layer (90-150 km) and F layers (150-500 km) also form.
● The F layer splits into F1 and F2 layers during the day.
● The F2 layer, being the highest, remains the most significant for HF
radio wave reflection, enabling long-distance communication.
During Night Time:
Decreased Ionization:
● Without solar radiation, ionization levels drop.
● The D layer almost disappears, leading to reduced
absorption of radio waves.
E Layer Weakening:
● The E layer weakens but can still reflect Very High
Frequency waves under certain conditions.
F Layer Consolidation:
● The F1 layer merges with the F2 layer into a single F layer,
which remains at a high altitude and can still reflect HF
waves, allowing for long-distance skywave propagation.
Plot Of Electron Densities During Day And
Night
● During the day, as the ionosphere ● At night, the ionosphere’s
is highly ionized due to direct electron densities decrease as the
exposure to solar radiation the source of ionization (solar
electron densities are highest in radiation) is removed.
the D, E, and F layers
● D Layer : 103 to 105 elecrons/cm3
● D Layer : Nearly zero
● E Layer: 105 electrons/cm3
● E Layer: 103 to 104 electrons/cm3
● F1 Layer: 105 to 106 electrons/cm3
● F Layer: 105 electrons/cm3
● F2 Layer: 106 electrons/cm3

● These variations in electron density directly influence

the propagation of radio waves, affecting the
performance and reliability of communication
systems.