The Layers of the Earth’s Atmosphere Please follow along and add notes to your graphic organizer 

Atmosphere The atmosphere is a thin layer of air that protects the Earth’s surface from extreme temperatures and harmful sun rays

Composition of Atmosphere (Mixture of gases, solids, and liquids) Early atmosphere was much different than today Volcanoes produced nitrogen and carbon dioxide, but little oxygen More than 2 billion years ago, early organisms began producing oxygen Eventually, oxygen formed an ozone layer that protected Earth from harmful rays Green plants and diverse life forms developed

Atmospheric Gases (Mixture of gases, solids, and liquids) Nitrogen - 78% Oxygen - 21% Water Vapor – 0 to 4% Used for clouds and precipitation Carbon Dioxide - .037% Keeps Earth warm and is used by plants to make food Argon - .93% Traces of neon, helium, methane, krypton, xenon, hydrogen, and ozone

Atmospheric Gases (Mixture of gases, solids, and liquids) Atmosphere is changing with the introduction of pollutants; increasing human energy use is increasing the amount of carbon dioxide Pollutants mix with oxygen and other chemicals to form smog Aerosols include solids such as dust, salt, and pollen Liquids include water droplets and droplets from volcanoes

EXOSPHERE THERMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE The Earth's Atmosphere

The Atmosphere The atmosphere consists of layers of air that surround the Earth. Some of the “air” is oxygen, which we breathe, but there are also many other gasses, dust particles, and even some water vapor mixed into the air.

The troposphere is the layer closest to the surface of Earth The troposphere is the layer closest to the surface of Earth. Nearly all life and all weather occur in this layer. The air thins in this layer and is denser than in other layers. In this layer, the higher up from Earth’s surface you go, the colder it gets. The peak of Mt. Everest is near the top of this layer. TROPOSPHERE

The temperature in this layer becomes warmer The temperature in this layer becomes warmer. The air is thinner and drier than in the previous layer. STRATOSPHERE

The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere. When meteoroids from space enter our atmosphere, this is the layer in which they usually burn up. That might be surprising because it’s a pretty thin layer. MESOSPHERE

Temperatures in the thermosphere are very high, more that 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where space begins. The International Space Station orbits Earth in this layer. THERMOSPHERE

The exosphere is the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere but there is no exact dividing line between this layer and space. EXOSPHERE

This concludes the notes for the Layers of the Earth’s Atmosphere!!

The Earth's Atmosphere

EXOSPHERE THERMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE The exosphere is the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere but there is no exact dividing line between this layer and space. EXOSPHERE Temperatures in the thermosphere are very high, more that 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where space begins. The International Space Station orbits Earth in this layer. THERMOSPHERE The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere. When meteoroids from space enter our atmosphere, this is the layer in which they usually burn up. That might be surprising because it’s a pretty thin layer. MESOSPHERE The temperature in this layer becomes warmer. The air is thinner and drier than in the previous layer. STRATOSPHERE The troposphere is the layer closet to the surface of Earth. Nearly all life and all weather occur in this layer. The air thins in this layer and is denser than in other layers. In this layer, the higher up from Earth’s surface you go, the colder it gets. The peak of Mt. Everest is near the top of this layer. TROPOSPHERE

Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere Energy that flows from an object with a higher temperature to an object with a lower temperature Heat is transferred through the atmosphere by: Radiation: energy that is transferred in the form of rays or waves Conduction: energy that is transferred when molecules bump into each other Convection: energy that is transferred by flow of material Molecules move closer together, making air more dense, and air pressure increases Cold air sinks, pushing up warm air, which then cools and sinks, pushing up more warm air