1. Layers of the Atmosphere Jigsaw
Choose one of these layers:
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Write four facts about the layer you chose. One fact must be what happens to the temperature in that layer.
Use a device or green book page I 31

2. Layers of the Atmosphere
Check your Notes!
Do you have all of these facts?

3. Troposphere Tropo = turning or changing
0 to 12 km from earth’s surface
Where weather occurs
We live here.
Contains almost all of the mass of the atmosphere.
As altitude increase temperature decreases

4. Ozonosphere Ozone = O3 Ozone is produced by lightning
90% of ozone is in the stratosphere
Protect the earth from UV rays from the sun.

5. Stratosphere Strato = spread out From the top of troposphere to 50 km.
As altitude increase, temperature increases.
Contains the ozone layer
Planes fly here to avoid weather

6. Mesosphere Meso = middle 50 – 80 km above earth’s surface
As altitude increase, temperature decrease.
Meteorites burn up in the mesosphere – leaving a shooting star

7. Thermosphere Divided into two sections
Begins at 80 km from the earth’s surface
Ends in outer space
Therm – heat
As altitude increases, temp. increases
Air is very thin – molecules spread out

8. Ionosphere 80 to 550 km – bottom layer of thermosphere
Energy from the sun causes gas molecules to have a charge + or –
Aurora Borealis occur here. Particles from the sun enter near the poles. (See Magnetosphere)

9. How Auroras are caused:
Charged particles from the sun interact with the earth’s magnetic field
The particles (or ions) enter the atmosphere near the poles
The ions smash into the air molecules
The air molecules release energy from the crash as light
Northern Hemisphere – Northern Lights
Southern Hemisphere – Aurora Australis

10. Aurora Borealis

11. Exosphere Exo = Outer 2nd layer of the thermosphere
550 km above earth to outer space
Satellites orbit here

12. Magnetosphere The earth acts as a large magnet
All magnetic objects produce invisible lines of force and creates charged molecules
Earth’s magnetic line run from North to South Pole
The magnetic field stops solar winds
The charged molecules create auroras in the ionosphere