Layers of the Atmosphere

Atmospheric Temperature vs. Altitude 120 110 100 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 90 -120 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 THERMOSPHERE Mesopause MESOPHERE Stratopause STRATOSPHERE Tropopause TROPOSPHERE Height above ground (kilometers) COLDER WARMER The atmosphere is divided into layers based on temperature. Makes no sense without caption in book

extends up to 10km contains 99% of the water vapor 75% of the atmospheric gases contains most clouds and half of the Earth's atmosphere. Weather occurs in this layer. Most of the layer’s heat is from Earth Temperature cools as you move up through the troposphere

STRATOSPHERE Stratosphere – directly above troposphere extending from 10 km to about 50 km above Earth’s surface Many jet aircrafts fly in the stratosphere because it is very stable. Portion of the upper layer contains high levels of a gas called ozone

The Ozone Layer (part of the Stratosphere) O3 molecules that protect the Earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation Life depends on the ozone! Pollutants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) destroy ozone CFCs are used in refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol sprays, and foam packaging Ozone layer has a large hole over Antarctica and a smaller one over the North Pole

Mesosphere – extends from the top of the stratosphere to about 85 km above Earth Coldest layer with little ozone Meteors or rock fragments burn up in the mesosphere

THERMOSPHERE J Thermosphere – thickest atmospheric layer found between 85 km and 500 km above Earth’s surface The thermosphere is a layer with auroras, known for its high temperatures. Warms as it filters out X-rays and gamma rays from the Sun Made of two parts – the IONOSPHERE, which helps carry radio waves and the EXOSPHERE

EXOSPHERE Exosphere - The atmosphere merges into space in the extremely thin exosphere. This is the upper limit of our atmosphere. Outer layer where the ISS orbits.

https://youtu.be/3CerJbZ-dm0 Layers of Atmosphere https://youtu.be/3CerJbZ-dm0