Physical Properties of the Atmosphere apod.nasa.gov

Atmospheric Pressure Force exerted on a surface Drops as altitude increases Weight  Millibar- unit for Atmospheric Pressure apod.nasa.gov

EXOSPHERE THERMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE

Troposphere 1st Layer 78% nitrogen & 21% oxygen Thickness: 8 km to 20 km 99% - Water vapor   Temperature: decrease/altitude Less dense Atmospheric pressure- 1000 millibars - 200 millibars We’re living in it Picture references apod.nasa.gov MILLIBAR- UNIT FOR ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Stratosphere 2nd Layer Thickness: 12 to 50 km Temperature: Very Stable Less air turbulence No clouds, no weather Advantages for long-distant flight Atmospheric Pressure: 100 millibars - 10 millibars  apod.nasa.gov

Mesosphere 3rd Layer 78% nitrogen & 21% oxygen Thickness: 50 km to 85 km Drop with increasing altitude to about -100°C Coldest layer Freeze water vapor into ice clouds Meteors burn up Dark blue layer 0.01 millibar apod.nasa.gov

Thermosphere 4th Layer 78% nitrogen & 21% oxygen Thickness: 90 km- 500 km & 1,000 km “Heat sphere" 80% nitrogen & 20% oxygen Temperature rise- 1000°C apod.nasa.gov

Ionosphere Not a layer Upper Part of the Thermosphere. Thickness: 80 km to 600 km Aurora occurs Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun Atmospheric Pressure- 600 millibars apod.nasa.gov

Aurora High-energy particles – Sun Solar wind - Ionosphere Electrically charged particles converted to light Earth's magnetic field Greenish; sometimes red, pink etc. Strength of Solar wind Aurora Borealis - Nothern Hemisphere Aurora Australis - Southern Hemisphere Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland etc.

Exosphere 5th Layer Thickness: 10,000 km Upper limit of our atmosphere. Hydrogen & Helium - extremely low densities. Satellites orbit the Earth apod.nasa.gov

Sources: Images earthspacecircle.blogspot.com apod.nasa.gov http://ete.cet.edu/gcc/?/volcanoes_layers/ References: http://www.weather-climate.org.uk/02.php https://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_1_1.htm http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/atmospheric-pressure/ http://science.jrank.org/pages/588/Atmosphere-Composition-Structure-Atmospheric-structure.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17800433 Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVsONlc3OUY Maciej Winiarczyk